Godly Music – 15 December 2021, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

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UTnone saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night; 11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven? 12 There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men. 13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it. (Job 35:10-13)

 

            It is reasonable to assume that the songs God gives in the night were not the silly little Beetles song, ‘Hard Day’s Night,’ or, the sensual words of Kristofferson, ‘Help me Make it Through the Night:’

 

            You will note that the music gives perfect expression to the depravity stated in the lyrics. Music has power in its own right – either to uplift and inspire or to demoralize and turn the mind to things unprofitable. Unfortunately, modern music, for the most part, is wholly of the latter nature. 

 

            The songs God gives are songs of beauty, radiance, and truth. They may be sung among the young as well as the elderly. They convey power and love. The Book of Psalms is the gift of God’s songs among others in Holy Scripture. These were the first ‘hymns’ sung in the ancient church. You may recall that the singing of Godly praise was the manner in which God defeated the enemies of Israel (Moab, Ammon, and Seir) under their Godly King Jehoshaphat.

 

 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.  (2 Chron 20:20-24) God takes song and music of praise and worship quite seriously, doesn’t He?

 

            The greatest musicians of the past drew their inspiration from God, not the whims of a decadent society. It is unlikely the so-called ‘Dixie Chics’ or the ‘Grateful Dead’ drew any inspiration from the Divine Sovereign at all; but rather from the Prince of the Air. The music itself – not only the lyrics – has moral value. Allow me to share examples: What emotion is provoked by the ‘National Anthem’ played instrumentally? Or, the great hymn, ‘O Worship the King?’ or ‘Jesus Loves Me’? How do you feel at the sound of heavy metal music – does it imbue the soul with a sense of peace and comfort, or some other emotion? How about rap music, or some other venue of the streets? I do not believe God had these latter classes of noise in mind when He gave us songs in the night. The purpose of all fine arts is to give praise and worship to the Lord of Creation whether in music, painting, sculpture, or some other. 

 

True art attempts to reflect the beauty of God’s Creation. Neither Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus nor Beethoven’s Ode to Joy evokes any man’s honor but only the love and praise of Almighty God. Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. 55 I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law. 56 This I had, because I kept thy precepts. (Psalm 119:54-56)

 

            When the heart is heavy and the troubles of life crash against our souls as the billows of the sea, to which genre of music do we turn? To which words do we search out for the comfort of our souls? To which hymn did the perishing souls of the Titanic turn when considering their last moments of life? ‘Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to Thee.’  I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search (Psalm 77:6) Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. 55 I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law. 56 This I had, because I kept thy precepts.  (Psalm 119:54-56)