1CH 23-25Mamma, Now when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon, his son, king over Israel. And David appointed all the people to their right place in the kingdom. He chose those who he could judge, to be judges; and who could keep the door, to be porters; those who could sing were to praise the Lord. Whatever they could do, they were to do for the house of the Lord. He said the Levites might begin to serve in the house of the Lord when they were only twenty years old. Moses had not allowed them to serve till they were thirty.
Sophy. Had every one something to do for God's house?
M. I think all the Levites in the kingdom had something to do. They cast lots that they might know that God approved, the small as well as the great, the teacher and the scholar. The lots fell to, twenty-four families, and to twelve in each family—in all two hundred and eighty-eight persons. Some might prophesy others might give thanks and praise. Heman, who was a Levite, had fourteen sons and three daughters, all these were, under their father for song in the house of God, singing, with harps and musical instruments.
S. Why did they play on harps in God's house?
M. Because music is an expression of joy. In God's presence is fullness of joy. In His house they were to be glad and rejoice in Him. God says, Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me. God likes to hear the praises of His people.
S. What is praise?
M. It is telling of His mighty acts, and of all His excellent greatness; saying in simple words how great and good we have found Him to be. No one can truly praise God, who does not know Him. You could not say, What a good mother I have! if you had never known your mother. People talk of praising God sometimes, who do not know Him. Those who have never felt His love cannot sing of it truly. Those who have not known what it is to receive blessing from God, cannot really praise but because all true praise is the answer from the Christ's heart to what it has found in God, and the kind of praise that each one of His children gives, exactly shews the kind of blessing that each one has received from Him. The first thing that David learned of God was that He helped him to kill a lion and a bear.
S. Oh, yes; and that made David able to kill the giant.
M. Just so. And long afterwards he gives thanks to God, saying, To Him who slew great kings, for His mercy endureth forever: that was praise.
S. Is there anything about music in the New Testament?
M. No. In the New Testament we are told to sing, making melody in our hearts to the Lord. We can only do this by the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit does not want harps or instruments of music to express His joy in God. Singing and making melody in the heart, is connected with giving thanks always, for all things, unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When God came down to dwell with His people upon earth, everything beautiful was to be seen—a magnificent house and magnificent service, because God was there and His glory was. But now God's own beloved Son is not seen: He has been rejected by His own people. He has been driven out of the world by man's wickedness, so everything is quite changed; because Jesus is gone back to heaven where the people of this world cannot see Him. He is hid in God until He comes again to show Himself to this wicked world as its judge. Then it will see Him, but now it cannot see Him, nor can the world understand anything about Him. But those, who by faith see that Jesus is their Savior, they see Him where He is—passed into the heavens.
S. How can that be, Mamma?
M. By faith. Faith is, seeing things that are not seen.
S. Must I shut my eyes, then, to see by faith?
M. Yes; a blind person can see nothing around him, and yet by faith he can see God—above him, beside him, and all round him. And now God will not have anything that is seen; no magnificent service, no harps and instruments of music can delight Him now. But God has still a place on earth; and He still takes pleasure in His people. Can you tell me where God dwells now?
S. With those who love Him?
M. Yes. When Jesus was going away to heaven, He said: If a man love me he will keep my words; and my Father will love him and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. The heart of the Christian is God's dwelling-place on earth now. It is the only clean place where His Spirit can dwell. The church is the habitation or dwelling place of God, by the Spirit. The Christian's heart is the only place where Jesus can set up His throne now. Man and Satan have it all their own way in this world, and there is not one single spot in all this world where Jesus is called king.
S. Why do you say the Christian's heart is the only clean place for God?
M. Because all the world is under judgment for rejecting God's Son; but the Christian is one called out from the place of Judgment, and washed from his sins in the blood of Jesus. Then God's Spirit takes possession of that person, and, as the sons of Aaron were anointed on the ear, the hand, the foot, so the Christian is sealed as God's child; his heart is kept as a dwelling-place for God; and, if he keeps the word of Jesus, the Father and the Son are known in his heart, he keeps company with them, and they keep company with him.
S. That is very wonderful.
M. It is wonderful, but it is true. And it is by faith. No one can see when I have the Father and the Son dwelling in my heart. Nor shall I want a harp to express my joy, because the Spirit of God will be there, making melody in my heart to the Lord. And once that blessed Spirit has taken up His abode in a Christian's heart, He will never give it up, until God has made these poor bodies alive again, and just like Jesus' glorious body, by His Spirit that dwelleth in us. The Holy Spirit who makes us know that God loves us— shedding abroad God's love in our hearts—is the very same Spirit by whom God will raise us from among the dead to dwell with Him forever.
Christ's grave is vacant now,
Left for the throne above;
His cross asserts God's right to bless
In His own boundless love.
‘Twas then the blood was shed,
'Twas then the life was pour'd,
There mercy gain'd her diadem,
While justice sheath'd her sword.
And thence the child of faith
Sees judgment all One by,
Perceives the sentence fully met,
"The soul that sins shall die.”
Learns how that God in love
Gave Christ the sins to bear
Of all who own His lordship now,
That they His place might share;
And cries with wondering joy:
As He is, so am I—
Pure, holy, loved as Christ Himself—
Who shall my peace destroy?
Nay! for He purged my guilt,
By His own precious blood,
And such its virtue, not a stain
E'er meets the eye of God.