The quotation which forms the title of this article is taken from 2 Kings 3:1515But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. (2 Kings 3:15), where Elisha found himself in the presence of three kings: one who was godly (Jehoshaphat, king of Judah) and two who were ungodly (the king of Edom and Jehoram king of Israel). When asked to show them the mind of the Lord, Elisha was unable to do so and called for a minstrel. It was only when the minstrel played that “the hand of the Lord came upon him.”
It has been pointed out, and correctly too, that a mere play on man’s emotions does not draw souls to Christ or impart new life. New life is imparted only by the Spirit of God using the Word of God, as we read in 1 Peter 1:22-2322Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (1 Peter 1:22‑23): “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren ... being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” We get the same truth in John 3:55Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5): “Except a man be born of water [the Word of God] and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Music is one of the strongest entities that stirs the emotions. It can exert the strongest influence outside of any religious or spiritual feeling. Every country has its national anthem, and in military circles, bands that play appropriate music (such as marches) are very prominent in marshalling troops and arousing patriotism. Music has also found its way into religious circles, whether Christian or pagan. In Christendom today, religious music of all kinds, whether instrumental or by trained choirs, has aroused the senses of man and often produced thoughts and feelings which were assumed to be of the Lord, but which were subsequently shown to be mere emotional excitement.
Truth in the Soul
What then do we make of Elisha’s request to “bring me a minstrel”? I would suggest that while it is the Spirit of God, using the Word of God, that imparts new life, and while it is the Spirit of God that gives us our enjoyment of Christ in the heart, yet God does sometimes couple truth with our emotions to bring His truth home to our souls. In Elisha’s case, he found himself compelled to prophesy in the presence of evil men, and particularly Jehoram, who was the son of the wicked king Ahab. It is recorded that like Ahab, he too “wrought evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 3:22And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made. (2 Kings 3:2)), although evidently not on the scale of his father. In order to abstract himself from what was around him and to feel the Lord’s presence and power in his soul, Elisha called for the minstrel. The music was used of God to bring the hand of the Lord upon him, and he was able to give out the mind of the Lord for the occasion.
No doubt this was in keeping with the Old Testament economy, where God was testing man to see if any good could come out of the natural man. As such, God did allow and even encouraged the use of instrumental music, and the effect of all this on Elisha separated him from the ungodly men around him. He was then able to give out the Lord’s message.
The Singing of Hymns
We know that God has set up Christianity as an entirely new thing and that worship is now “in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:2323But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23)). There is no mention of musical instruments in connection with New Testament worship or praise, but surely there is plenty of encouragement in singing. Christian singing is produced by the Spirit in the individual himself, for he is now the “instrument of ten strings” (Psa. 33:22Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. (Psalm 33:2)), to be used for the Lord. The singing of hymns and spiritual songs has more than once been used of God to stir the emotions in a right way and to bring a soul into His presence.
Cassie Bernall
Some may remember the name of Cassie Bernall, the Christian girl who was shot and killed at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, by two young men in April 1999, after she boldly confessed her belief in God. She has been portrayed as a godly Christian girl, and rightfully so, but she was not always like that. In her early teenage years she was very rebellious, and through the influence of one particular girl, became involved with a bad crowd at school. She even dabbled in the occult, and the situation became so serious that eventually her parents had to enroll her in another high school to get her away from the terrible influences and associations with which she had become entangled.
But then something happened. A Christian friend invited her to a Christian “youth retreat,” attended by perhaps three hundred young people. One evening there was a “praise-and-worship” service, and suddenly Cassie broke down. Here is the story in her friend’s words:
“The theme of the weekend was overcoming the temptations of evil and breaking out of the selfish life. It was the singing that for some reason just broke down Cassie’s walls. It really seemed to change her ... Cassie was crying. She was pouring out her heart—I think she was praying—and asking God for forgiveness.
“Later I noticed that Cassie’s whole face had changed. Even though she was still shy, it was as if her eyes were more hopeful. There was something new about her.”
When she came home and told her parents, they were naturally skeptical, but later her mother wrote:
“But Cassie’s conversion was a very real thing for her. ... From then on, Cassie became a totally different person. She never talked much about that weekend, and we never pressed her. But her eyes were bright, she smiled again like she hadn’t for years, and she began to treat us (and her brother) with genuine respect and affection.
“She even regarded the date, March 8, 1997, as a sort of second birthday—the day she was ‘reborn.’ ”
During the final two years of her life, she definitely proved that she was truly saved.
The Evangelist’s Song
Another similar story comes to mind, this time from New Zealand, perhaps about 100 years ago. A wealthy family there had come under the sound of the gospel, and the mother, along with all the children, had been saved. But the father had worldly ambitions, and he had no use for the gospel. When an evangelist came to visit his ranch, he ordered him to leave right away. But later the evangelist returned, and this time the father allowed him to stay, on the condition that the family “keep him out of his hair.”
The family was very musical, and in their spacious living room one evening the father asked the evangelist if he could play an instrument. His reply was, “No, but I’ll sing you a hymn if you like.” The father agreed to this. To an accompaniment played on the piano by a daughter in the home, the man sang all four verses of the well-known hymn, “The glory shines before me.” As the last verse was being sung, the family were astonished to see tears streaming down their father’s face. The strains of the hymn had penetrated the wall of resistance, and he was saved that same evening. (This story was told to me by a son of the family and is unquestionably authentic. The subsequent life of his father proved that this was no mere sensual experience; he was truly saved.)
Feeling a Thought
Similar stories could be multiplied, where not only the words, but the melody of sacred song has been used both to bring lost souls to Christ and to restore the souls of those away from the Lord. The American composer, E. Y. Harburg, said it well when he remarked, “Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought.” All this is true because the lyrics of the hymn become connected with the emotion that the music evokes in us.
For the Lord
In all this, however, we must remember two things. First of all, our singing is not primarily for us; it is for the Lord. We are to be “making melody” in our heart “to the Lord” (Eph. 5:1919Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; (Ephesians 5:19)), for it is a “sacrifice of praise to God” (Heb. 13:1515By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Hebrews 13:15)). Surely He is worthy of our very best! But we will find the enjoyment of it in our own souls too, if the melody is truly for Him.
Second, we want to make it clear that God does not need singing in order to bring souls to Christ or to encourage believers. Some are not born with as much musical sense as others, and surely they are in no way disadvantaged in the enjoyment of divine things. We merely want to see singing placed in its proper perspective and recognized as an integral part of what God has given us for His praise and honor, and for our enjoyment too!
W. J. Prost