WHAT IS SINGING?
When God, in the New Testament, talks about singing, He does not talk about the requirement for sounding beautiful, but rather the emphasis is always on the heart (thinking about the words being sung and meaning the words being sung). As we notice here in Ephesians, Paul, speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, does not even use the Greek word for singing, but rather he uses the Greek word, laleoo, which is translated in the King James Version as “speaking”. According to Thayer, the word laleoo means to utter a sound. In Psalms the writer uses the phrase, “a joyful noise” stressing again the fact God is not concerned about how the words sound to the ears as men are. But rather God is concerned about how the words proceed forth from the heart.
In Ephesians 5:19, all three Greek words that are used to describe the songs being commanded, refer to songs that are sung acappella, or only using the voice. The Greek word translated here Psalms when used in the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament used in Jesus day and time, does include songs that are sung with the accompaniment of instruments, but by Jesus day and time, the word, psalloo, Strong’s number 5568, had changed in meaning and according to Greek scholar’s meant only songs that were not accompanied by instruments. There were Greek words in general use at the time that meant songs were accompanied by the use of instruments. God did not see fit to use them rather He chose words that indicated songs which were not accompanied by instruments.
Therefore when I use the term, singing, in this book, I am always referring to songs which are sung without the use of mechanical instruments of any type. It is not enough to sing only without instruments of music in order to be pleasing to God, but the song has to be sung also with the spirit and understanding. Every song that is sung must be sung with words the user understands and they must come from the heart.
Matthew 15:18-20 "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."
The words which come forth from the lips originate in the heart (mind). Therefore, God is not pleased with a Christian just mouthing words they have memorized. Do you want to please God or man? If we want a choir accompanied by instruments of music, we are concentrating on what is pleasing to men. Songs sung by trained singers with natural talent accompanied by various instruments of music are pleasing to men, but are they pleasing to God? Nowhere does the Bible even hint that instruments of music are pleasing to God.
WHY WE SING
When we understand how much we have received from God and we begin to appreciate the love God has for us, then in natural response to that we begin to feel thankful which in turn leads to gratitude. A natural outcome of gratitude is a joy which is expressed through singing. Therefore any time we realize how great God is, we will want to burst forth in songs which express our feeling.
Singing is one of the many ways we as human beings have of showing our thanksgiving, our love, or feelings and emotions. If we want our singing to be pleasing to God, we need to know what is pleasing to God. So that is our purpose in this chapter, to see what the Bible, the word of God, says about singing, to please God.
Psalms 13:6 "I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me."
A natural outgrowth of receiving blessings from God is that we are thankful to Him and a natural way of human expression of thanks is singing. When we recognize how much we have received from God, we sing and this pleases God. Singing is one way we show appreciation to God and God wants us to recognize what he has done for us. He wants us to appreciate the sacrifices His son made for us and he is pleased when the human heart cannot be quiet, but must burst out in praise and thanksgiving to our heavenly Father.
I Chronicles 16:9 "Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works."
The realization of the many works the Lord has done for us causes us to want to sing. The more we realize how much we depend upon God, the more we desire to sing praises about God and His spectacular works. This is a natural response if we appreciate all God has done for us, but only if we truly appreciate the love God has manifested towards us.
Exodus 15:1-2 "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him."
Here is a perfect example of how appreciation for what God has done causes people to sing. If you remember God has just delivered the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. The children of Israel were trapped with the Egyptian army behind them and the Red Sea before them and miraculously they were delivered. The Egyptian army, which was coming to take them back, had just been drowned in the Red Sea.
Moses and the Israelites make up a new song and go about camp singing and thanking God. “I will sing unto the Lord, the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, He is become my salvation.” Only when someone truly understands what God has saved them from, will they truly desire to sing it out and tell others.
Romans 15:9 "And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name."
Another reason we sing is so outsiders will know about God and sing praises unto His name also. We sing because we understand what God has done for us and so others will know the mercy of God and will glorify God because of the greatness of His mercy.
Acts 16:23-25 "And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them."
Paul and Silas, even after they have been beaten, are singing praises unto God. Singing praises to God, helps fill us with the Holy Spirit and helps see us through trying times. Singing praises to God also teaches outsiders about God and differentiates Christians from non-Christians.
HOW WE SING
Psalms 92:1-2 "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,"
Our songs should show forth thanksgiving to God for what he has done for us. This means we should be thinking about all God has done for us. We should be remembering how Christ suffered and died in our place. If we realize how much God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son have done for us then we should have no trouble singing, knowing our songs will be showing forth praise to God. Our songs should and do show unto others how we feel about God. Therefore we need to stop and think before we start singing and examine ourselves as to what our hearts are feeling.
1 Corinthians 14:15 "What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also."
Our songs should spring forth from the heart and should express our feelings for God. We should also understand the words we sing and think about what the words mean as we sing. The phrase “to sing with the spirit and understanding” basically is saying we should sing words we understand and we need to think about them, in order that we mean the words we are singing. While singing with the spirit does not mean just singing with emotion, one cannot sing with the spirit without having emotions involved.
Ephesians 5:18-19 "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;"
Here being filled with the Spirit of God is being contrasted with being drunk. A person who is drunk has their inhibitions taken away, so they are more likely to just do or say anything. Thus basically they react emotionally without control, where being filled with the Holy Spirit while our emotions are involved, does not take away our will or our self-control at all. A person, who is filled with the Spirit of God, will be willing to express their feeling of joy, but they have control over their thoughts and emotions. Here in Ephesians, God does not just tell us to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but he goes on and tells us how to do this, the first thing he says is “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” So we see being filled with the Spirit of God is something we as Christians have control over. Do you want to be filled with the Spirit of God? Then stop and start counting your blessing and as you realize how much God has done for you, just burst out singing praises to God. Tell God in song how much he means to you, thinking about the words as you sing, make sure they are coming from your heart., Make sure you are “plucking the strings of your heart”, that you are putting your feelings into your singing. If we do our part, God will do His part, because He always keeps His promises. You will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Just remember there is more involved in being filled with the Spirit than just singing, Paul, through the inspiration of God, goes onto say “ Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” So we see we always are in control of our spirits, as the Bible says, “The Spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.” But if you want to be a Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit, you need to be a person who first of all is in submission to God. Then secondly, you need to be a person who is in the habit of going about singing praises to God from the heart, understanding the words you are singing, meditating on them. You need to be a person, who takes time to count their blessings and who takes the time to go to God in prayer, thanking Him for the many blessings you have received from Him. You need also to be a servant to others, helping them to grow as Christians, and helping them in whatever things they have need of.
To sum it up, a Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit is a baptized believer, who is a singing, appreciative servant of God and of his or her fellow Christians. We should be teaching each other and the visitors in our assembly how we feel about God, Jesus Christ, and one another through our songs.
THE BLESSINGS WE RECEIVE FROM SINGING PROPERLY
Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
When we sing in the proper way, we grow in spiritual wisdom. When we sing in the scriptural manner, we are taught about spiritual things. When we sing as God would have us, we are admonished and encouraged. But for all of this to happen, we must sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord, or to put it simply, we need to be singing in such a way our songs rise up before God as a sweet incense, as our gift back to God to show our appreciation for all He has done for us.
Ephesians 5:18-21 "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."
We, as Christians, are told not to be drunk with wine, wherein is excess, instead, we are told to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Bible goes on to tell us how to be filled with the Holy Spirit: by speaking to ourselves in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, by teaching each other by the way we sing, by teaching visitors about the love we have for each other, by being a prayerful, appreciative people, and by being submissive first to God and then because we are in submission to God, we are submissive to each other. These things, if done properly, cause us to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 2:11-12 "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee."
If we sing in the scriptural manner, we declare unto everyone we are brothers and sisters in Christ. If we sing in the scriptural way, we declare the name of Christ to everyone in attendance, especially our fellow Christians and if we exalt (lift up) the name of Christ, he will exalt us.
1 Chronicles 16:23 "Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation."
When we sing unto God in the way He has instructed, we show we are saved. When we sing unto God in the way we are commanded on a daily basis, his salvation grows in us and is shown through us.
Exodus 15:2 "The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him."
When we sing unto the Lord God in the scriptural manner, we are preparing our hearts as a habitation for God. When we sing in the way God has intended, we lift up the name of God and we exalt Him. When we sing in the proper way, we show forth the salvation of God and we declare Him to be God.
Isaiah 35:10 "And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."
When the ransomed of the Lord return to the house of God and sing spiritual songs with joy in their hearts, they obtain joy and gladness. All sorrows and sadness will vanish away. When you are sad and depressed, sing unto the Lord as if you were happy and you will become happy and joyful.
How The World Has Changed The Singing Service
The world has changed and corrupted the singing service of the worship service probably more than any other part of the worship service. From the year, 666, when the Catholic Church introduced the organ into their services until now, the changes that have been made to the singing service has proven once again the wisdom and truthfulness of God when He revealed to us through the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15-16 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul tells us to study in order that God will approve of the things we do and so we can correctly understand the scriptures."
Paul continues in verse 26 and warns us to avoid profane and vain babblings for they are ungodly and once we start down that path, they will increase unto more ungodliness. Profane simply means anything not found in the Bible and vain babblings are talking about human wisdom or as the religious world loves to say, theology. Theology is simply trying to understand and comprehend about God and spiritual things from human reasoning which we know from studying the Bible is impossible. In the Old Testament in Numbers 24:13 "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?", the prophet Balaam lets us know how God looks at mankind’s additions. Even if I think I have a good idea, I am not to be adding to what God commands.
The first major change was the addition of musical instruments under the guise of convenience and improvement. As if mankind can improve on anything God has given! The next, as far as I can tell, is the addition of the choir. Both of these are supposedly justified by how they are an aid and not an addition, but I have visited at various religious organizations which have both instrumental music and choir and my experience tells me different. Every church I have been to that has musical instruments has at times during their services played their instruments with no singing, but I have never seen them even for a moment have singing with no instruments being played, the same being true for the choir, I have never seen the congregation singing but always the congregation sits and listens while the choir sings. Which is more important to them? Clearly their instrumental music and choir has become their entertainment and is more important to them than the beauty and simplicity the Bible pictures in the word of God. Otherwise if as they claim, these things are just conveniences, they would be having congregational singing by itself at times and the instruments of music and the choirs would be silent.
The religious world has gone so far astray that you can not in many cases tell the difference between the concerts you can go to in the world and the abominations the religious world refers to as their worship service. So far the only difference I see is I have not yet seen the insanity referred to as ‘The Mosh Pit” being justified as worshipping God, but I would not be surprised anymore by anything people do and the extremes they will go to in order to justify the things they do. Anything people do that works them into “a frenzy” has become what the denominational world refers to as “worshipping God.”
Chapter Summary
- 1. Christians sing to show their appreciation and thankfulness for what God has done for them.
2. Christians sing to tell others about what God has done for them.
3. Christians sing to tell others about the Greatness of God.
4. Christians sing to tell God how they feel about Him.
5. Christians sing to tell others about the Mercy of God.
6. Christians sing to tell others about the salvation enjoyed by Christians.
7. Christians sing to show their joy because of God's Grace.
8. Christians sing from their hearts with feelings.
9. Christians show forth the love of God when they sing.
10. Christians should understand the words they sing.
11. Christians should mean the words they sing.
12. Christians sing and make melody in their hearts to God.
13. Christians should sing in such a way they teach and admonish one another about:
- 13a. The love they have for God.
13b. The love they have for each other.
13c. The Greatness of God.
13d. The Mercy of God.
13e. The Glory of God.
13f. The Existence of God.
- 14a. Spiritual Wisdom.
14b. They are filled with the Holy Spirit.
14c . They are taught and admonished by fellow Christians.
14d. They are exalted by Christ.
14e. They grow in salvation.
14f. Their sorrows and sadness turns to Joy and Gladness.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I earnestly seek your comments and suggestions.