Singing: December 2016
Table of Contents
Singing
Are we singing our praises at midnight? “At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God” (Acts 16:25).
To know Jesus as our Savior is one thing. To know Him as the satisfying Object of our hearts is another. He becomes our strength in weakness, our joy in adversity, and our consolation in affliction. So long as we think that Christ is only to give relief, we will not be likely to know God in Christ as a resource. We will be tossed about by circumstances, instead of rising above them all to be occupied with the One who can temper all our joys, sweeten every bitter cup, and reveal Himself to us as the fountain of eternal and unchanging joy. When we learn to know Him as our Object, we will sing praises at midnight and find springs of richest consolation in times of pain and sorrow.
Paul and Silas were such men of faith. Their prison surroundings were gloomy indeed, but they saw by faith the glory of God in the face of their glorified Savior. His excellence filled their hearts with such joy that they sang praises to God at midnight. Things New and Old (adapted)
A Kindhearted Master
The poodle began to whine. Just then a gentleman who was standing behind him, having watched him, stepped close up to the old man, asking for the loan of his old fiddle for a little while. Striking the strings and adjusting them, he soon brought the old thing to somewhat normal condition; then he began to draw from it such sweet chords that the people passing by were arrested, and seeing the old veteran with the poodle holding the hat, began to appreciate the situation, and so the hat was filled more than twice.
But the old man did not heed the money flowing into the hat; the fiddle, his dear fiddle, was a miracle to him. How could that stranger draw such exquisite strains from that old fiddle of his? Ah! it was a master that had gotten hold of it—a master violinist, one of the greatest of musicians; that was the secret. Kindhearted as he was, he appeared so suddenly, and then, when his wish was accomplished, he vanished as suddenly among the bushes, after laying the old but beloved fiddle into the veteran’s lap.
Then a gentleman who had witnessed this touching scene told the large audience who this violinist was. He passed the hat around, and this time it was filled to the brim, so that the old veteran had enough with that he already had received to last him to the end of his days. Hugging his fiddle and stroking the poodle, he went home to his attic room, with more than one bone for his little pet.
Beloved, are not our hearts like that old fiddle? How little there is for the Lord! Are you making melody in your hearts to Him?
“They sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy” (Rev. 5:9).
Beloved, unless the Chief Singer vibrates our heart strings, there will be nothing for Him, and He is so worthy, and longs for it, even from our poor hearts. Are we able? Yes, indeed. Our hearts purified by faith, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and He, our beloved Lord, leading the singing, we are well able to praise Him, even in the midnight, singing songs unto the Chief Musician.
The Young Christian (adapted)
O Lord, we know it matters not
How sweet the song may be;
No heart but by the Spirit taught
Makes melody to Thee.
Then teach Thy gathered saints, O Lord
To worship in Thy fear;
And let Thy grace mold every word
That meets Thy holy ear.
O largely give, ‘tis all Thine own,
The Spirit’s goodly fruit,
Praise issuing forth in life, alone
Our loving Lord can suit.
Mary Bowley
We Have Been Made to Sing
We have been made to sing; that is, the Lord God had this in mind in making us in His likeness, He Himself rejoiced in the habitable part of his creation, His delights were with the sons of men, and He made us spirit, soul and body so as to be able to sing His praises. As I write this article, I sing out loud each song. May I suggest the reader do the same beginning with the following:
“Awake, each saint, in joyful lays,
To sing the great Redeemer’s praise;
He justly claims a song from thee:
His loving-kindness, oh how free!” (Little Flock #118)
When the Lord said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness” and “formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,” man became a living soul, capable of making melody in the heart and singing (Gen. 1:26; 2:7). We are unique in this relationship with God; no other creature has this likeness with God. Other creatures make pleasant sounds, and angels may shout and praise, but only man, a tripartite being of spirit, soul and body, can combine spiritual thoughts with emotional feeling and singing voices to praise God as He has created us. This ability along with the history of man’s fall into sin and God’s plan of salvation have given us the wonderful theme of redemption to sing. So it was that the children of Israel were prompted to sing for the first time when they were delivered from Egypt. There are many other motives to sing, but this reason is first (see Rev. 5:9).
“O Lord, we adore Thee,
For Thou art the slain One
That livest forever,
Enthroned in heaven;
O Lord! we adore Thee,
For Thou hast redeemed us;
Our title to glory
We read in Thy blood.”
(Little Flock #8)
When the Lord God conceived the plan of creation in the eternal past, His relationship with man was before Him, as it says concerning “Wisdom” in Proverbs 8:30-31, “Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him; rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth; and My delights were with the sons of men.” Moreover, to Job the Lord said of that time that “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). It is evident that God found His delight in preparing a place and means of relationship with mankind. There was singing and shouting before God at that time and the Bible ends with the completion of that plan by our Lord Jesus Christ. We do well to realize what our place and relationship with Him is and to answer to that purpose. “Sing without ceasing, sing the Savior’s present grace.” The following hymns say it so well:
Ere God had built the mountains,
Or raised the fruitful hills;
Before He filled the fountains
That feed the running rills;
In Thee, from everlasting,
The wonderful I AM
Found pleasures never wasting,
And Wisdom is Thy name.” (Little Flock #4)
“Thy deep eternal counsel
Chose us in Christ the Son,
Before the earth’s foundation,
Or sin had yet begun;
That we might all the nearness
Of the Beloved know,
And brought to Thee as children
Our children’s praises flow.
We worship Thee, our Father;
Soon shall Thy children be
At home in heavenly glory,
Thy house their home shall be;
We worship Thee, our Father,
And praise Thy perfect love;
Soon shall we chant Thy glory
In better strains above.” (Little Flock #265)
“The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing” (Zeph. 3:17). May we each respond according to His desire.
D. C. Buchanan
Singing – for the Redeemed of the Lord
Singing has always been a way for the people of God to express their joy in the Lord, and their appreciation of the truth. A singing Christian is a healthy, happy soul, spiritually speaking. Sometimes younger ones do not think it is “cool” to sing, but let us learn to lift up our hearts and voices to praise the Lord Jesus, who has done so much for us. Over and over again in the Bible we read of those who sang. Here are a few examples:
Moses and Israel: “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel” (Ex. 15:1).
Deborah and Barak: “Then sang Deborah and Barak...Praise ye the Lord” (Judg. 5:1-2).
Two hundred men and women: “There were among them two hundred singing men and singing women” (Ezra 2:65).
Jesus and His disciples: “When they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives” (Matt. 26:30).
Paul and Silas: “At midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises” (Acts 16:25).
The world has its songs without much real meaning, but God has given us a vast heritage of good, scriptural, Christ-exalting hymns. I am thankful that when I was younger, I took the time to memorize many of them and to learn the tunes as well. Try to learn one a week! The Spirit of God can bring them back to you at times during your life when they will be a source of strength, comfort, refreshment and edification.
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19).
When we arrive in glory, we will all sing the song of heaven—the song of the redeemed. There will be no silent voices when we are gathered around the Lamb in the Father’s house. What a grand, harmonious anthem will fill the vaults of heaven in that day! Let us learn now the song that will continue for eternity!
“They sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy” (Rev. 5:9).
From Edification, Exhortation and Comfort
Bring Me a Minstrel
The quotation which forms the title of this article is taken from 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 1:22-23: “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 3:5: “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 3:2), 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 4:23). 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. 33:2), 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.
It is for this reason that singing in the New Testament, in Ephesians 5:19 and also in Colossians 3:16, brings the heart into it. Somehow the sweetness of singing has a different effect on us if the heart is in it, even though others may be able to sing the same melody with better voices and better training. As another has remarked, “What comes from the heart goes to the heart.”
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. 5:19), for it is a “sacrifice of praise to God” (Heb. 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
Christian Song
Eph. 5:18-19; Col. 3:16
“Is any merry? let him sing psalms” (James 5:13). Our joys should thus find expression before God in song. In Ephesians our praise and thanksgiving are to be the result of being filled with the Spirit, and this in contrast with being drunk with wine. Wine, in this connection, while not excluding its literal meaning, is used rather in its typical significance. The Christian is not to be intoxicated with earthly joy, but he is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is very noticeable on the day of Pentecost that the multitude mistook the action of the Spirit in the apostles for the effects of wine, showing that the action of wine on the natural man simulates or counterfeits the action of the Spirit of God in the believer. In fact, when any of the early Christians were filled with the Spirit, they were lifted up out of themselves and were used as vessels for the expression of the Spirit’s power whether in testimony or in praise. In such a state, souls cease to be occupied with themselves, for it is the Spirit’s delight to lead out our hearts in the contemplation of Christ, according to that word, “He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you” (John 16:14). Thus lost in the view of Christ—His perfections, His excellencies, His worthiness, and His perpetual and tender ministries of love, from His place at the right hand of God—as well as in the anticipation of the joy of seeing Him face to face and of being forever with Him, God would have us speak to ourselves (or, perhaps, to one another) in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our heart to the Lord. When in such a state, it would be impossible for the soul to find a voice for its feelings except in exalted strains of praise and adoration.
The Word of Christ
In Colossians, on the other hand, the same result is produced by the word of Christ dwelling richly in us. The effect, in the first place, is to be seen in our teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and then in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to God (“to God” is the true reading). We have seen that praise is produced in Ephesians by the Spirit occupying the soul with Christ. So also here, for the word of Christ is but the unfolding and display of what He Himself is, and hence, when it dwells richly in us, we have Christ—Christ in all His glories—constantly present to our souls. It is of necessity, therefore, that we worship with the voice of praise and thanksgiving.
Surely it need scarcely be pointed out that none but believers could share in such songs of praise, and in the measure of these scriptures, only those believers whose hearts are under the direct action of the Holy Spirit and the word of Christ.
Relief to the Heart
Christian song has many uses. First and foremost, it is a relief to the heart—that is, to the heart that is overflowing with the sense of the love of Christ. Even more, it is a relief to the heart in time of trouble, for though our circumstances may be trying, we can always find matter of praise to God. Let the troubled Christian do this, and he will find that his burden is lightened and his heart eased even while in the very act of making melody to the Lord. Again, it is a means of edification—that is, supposing the hymns sung are according to truth—and, lastly, it may become a testimony. This would seem to have been the case with Paul and Silas. Cast into prison, with their backs still sore from the stripes of their persecutors, like the apostles Peter and John, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ, and at midnight they prayed and sang praises to God, and the prisoners heard them. God filled the mouths of Paul and Silas with praise in the very seat of the enemy’s power, and so mighty was the testimony rendered in connection with the events of that night that the jailor (who was used of Satan to afflict the apostles) and his family were turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Songs had been given to them in the night, and while they ascended as sweet incense before the throne of God, they also were accompanied by a testimony which bore fruit for eternity in the salvation, through the sovereign grace of God, of the jailor and his house.
May we all be so continually under the power of the Spirit and all have the word of Christ so richly dwelling in us that our lives may be characterized by perpetual praise to God!
E. Dennett (adapted)
Making Melody in the Heart
In 1 Corinthians 14 we are enjoined to sing with both the spirit and the understanding. Christians are expected to be intelligent in the ways of the Lord, and not to be “children in understanding.” There is, however, another element in singing which is of equal importance. Without the melody of the heart, it is impossible to render acceptable praise to the Lord.
This might be gathered from the general tenor of both Old and New Testaments. But to mark its extreme importance, we find it repeatedly expressed in definite terms. The psalmist desires more than once to praise Jehovah with his “whole heart” (Psa. 9:1; 111:1; 138:1). And the Christian with his higher privileges and greater responsibilities is not to be behind the Jew. In two of Paul’s epistles there are special exhortations to this effect: “Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19); “singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16).
Heart and Mind
The heart, therefore, must be right before the Lord, as well as the mind. Otherwise, though the expressions be as “clear as crystal,” they will be as “cold as ice.” To avoid this, it is necessary that both should be in exercise, that the mind should contribute spiritual intelligence, and the heart sacred emotion.
Scripture shows that there is an intimate connection between the two and that the heart exercises a considerable influence over the mind. When the declension of man from the knowledge of God to the darkness and corruption of heathendom is described, it is first stated that they “became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened.” It then follows that “even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind” (Rom. 1:21,28). The heart foolish and darkened was the precursor of the reprobate mind. Again, the Apostle prays for the Ephesians that God would give them “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; the eyes of your heart [JND trans.] being enlightened: that ye may know what is the hope of His calling.” So it is clear that while the knowledge of God was lost through the darkening of the heart, the full knowledge of Him is now communicated through the enlightening of the heart. Since the heart, therefore, is the highway to every true and proper apprehension of the things of God, it is of the highest importance that the heart should be strictly guarded, even as it is said, “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). So the Apostle writes to the Philippians, “The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7), thus pointing out what alone can form an efficient garrison for the central citadel of man’s nature.
Scripture uniformly teaches that the heart is the core of man’s being. It is the seat of the affections and of the impulses that carry man forward in the path of life. The Lord Himself declared to those who were content to make clean the exterior of the platter that there is a fountain of uncleanness within, which they entirely ignored. It is from the heart that proceeds everything that defiles (Matt. 15:19). The evil heart of the natural man, therefore, gives a color to his every action, for it is thence the mischief springs (Matt. 5:28; 1 John 3:15). On the other hand, the heart of the renewed man is so to characterize every action that it may prove good and acceptable before God. As servants of Christ we are to do “the will of God from the heart” (Eph. 6:6). To this end the love of God has been “shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom. 5:5). Indeed the very Spirit of God Himself is in our hearts to originate and characterize every affection. This the Apostle teaches: “Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Gal. 4:6; 2 Cor. 1:22).
This fact is of great moment to such as have learned the deceitfulness of the natural heart (Jer. 17:9). We are not left to ourselves to produce proper feelings Godward. He who gives us right thoughts of God and the Father gives us right feelings too, for He is the Spirit of love as well as of a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). It is He who fills the heart with such a sense of the incomparable love of God (Rom. 5:5) that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34-35; Luke 6:45).
Melody of the Heart
This constitutes the melody of the heart. But while it cannot exist apart from the offices of the Holy Spirit, the responsibility to produce it abides upon the singer, as our text implies. The one who utters the praises of the Lord with the lip is expected to offer concurrent melody in the heart, for the Holy Spirit assuredly will not act unless the believer honors His presence here upon the earth and yields himself to His direction. It is therefore incumbent upon the worshipper to assume this attitude of faith and dependence in order to secure the operation of the Holy Spirit without which no sacrifice of praise can be acceptable on high.
Though running the risk of being considered tedious, one ventures to point out the further emphasis given to the point now being dwelt upon in Ephesians 5:19. There the saints are exhorted, not to sing alone, nor to make melody in the heart alone, but to sing and make melody in the heart. No degree of melody with the voice can become an equivalent substitute for melody in the heart according to the words before us.
And yet it is painful to think that there are not a few who practically maintain that a correct mechanical rendering of hymns to God will be sufficient for Him who desires truth in the inward parts. Let such seriously consider the solemn warning words of the Lord to the scribes and Pharisees. “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain do they worship Me” (Matt. 15:7-9). They were, in fact, but “things without life, giving sound.”
Musical Instruments
It is imperative therefore that along with the tuneful voice there should be the melodious accompaniment of the heart. This is to take the place of the musical instruments of the temple worship. The Christian is not invited to praise the Lord with the sound of a trumpet, with the psaltery and the harp and the high sounding cymbals; nevertheless his song should be distinct with the pathos and holy enthusiasm of the inner man. And shall we for one moment compare the “sounding brass,” the “tinkling cymbal,” or even the “pealing organ” with the rapturous glow of a fervent soul born of God and led by the Spirit into the possession and apprehension of the high and lofty privileges which the New Testament reveals as the inalienable portion of the Christian? It will be to compare death with life.
With Grace in the Heart
In Colossians we are bidden to sing “with grace” in our hearts. Grace always expresses the superabundant manner in which God has met our sinful need. Hence grace is surely calculated to move the soul to its inmost depths. Those who contemplate the love of Christ, in that He has washed them from their sins in His own blood and made them kings and priests to God and His Father, cannot fail to ascribe to Him the glory and dominion forever and ever.
Grace, while it establishes the heart (Heb. 13:9) and enables us to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear (Heb. 12:28), also provokes the heart into outbursts of praise and thanksgiving to God, for it is to God we sing in Colossians as the Author of grace, while in Ephesians the Lord is before the soul evoking the melodies of the heart—“making melody in the heart to the Lord.”
The Secret
And it may surely be said that herein lies the secret of this heart-melody. If any ask, “How may I produce this inward harmony?” the answer is, Let Christ be before the soul. Why does the tongue so often sing while the heart is silent? Is it not because the blessed person of our Savior and Lord is forgotten? The voice joins listlessly with others, but the heart is apathetic and dull or even engaged with the most worthless thoughts. Oh! for faith so to realize His presence that in this as in other things we might exhibit a demeanor becoming to us and, if we may so speak, worthy of Him.
May we not say that it was the sense of the Lord’s presence in the Philippian dungeon that caused Paul and Silas to sing “songs in the night”? If the Lord was not in this case the object of their praise, He was, as He always must be, the subject of that praise. Therefore they sang aloud, making melody in their hearts. They were not as those who sing “songs to a heavy heart,” for the presence of the Lord makes even “the tongue of the dumb to sing” (Isa. 35:6), and none of His redeemed can be sad before Him, for the light of the Master’s face transfigures even circumstances of sorrow into occasions of joy.
The Heart Yielded
Above all things, therefore, let the heart yield its melody to the Lord. One often sees public notices to the effect, “Voices wanted for the church choir,” when, the truth is, hearts are wanted. These, however, cannot be obtained by advertisement. “No heart but of the Spirit taught makes melody to Thee.” It is not the cultivated voice but the renewed heart that the Father seeks. It should be a comfort, therefore, to those whose singing consists only in making “a joyful noise to the Lord” that they can, at any rate, make melody in their hearts. At the same time, they should moderate the loudness of their efforts lest they tax too severely the keener sensibilities of their more musical brethren, while the latter should endure any harsh grating sounds with cheerfulness and grace, remembering that their own praises are not heard on high for their fine or scientific singing.
The sentiments of quaint Thomas Fuller on this point are good in the main. “Lord,” says he, “my voice by nature is harsh and untunable, and it is vain to lavish any art to better it. Can my singing of psalms be pleasing to Thy ears which is unpleasant to my own? Yet though I cannot chant with the nightingale or chirp with the blackbird, I had rather chatter with the swallow (Isa. 38:14), yea, rather croak with the raven, than be altogether silent. Hadst Thou given me a better voice, I would have praised Thee with a better voice. Now what my music wants in sweetness let it have in sense, singing praises with understanding. Yea, Lord, create in me a new heart (therein to make melody), and I will be contented with my old voice, until, in Thy due time, being admitted into the choir of heaven, I have another, more harmonious, bestowed upon me.”
Adapted from W. J. Hocking, Bible Treasury
Singing to the Lord
Do we sing to be happy? Or do we sing because we are happy? The answer to these questions may be found in two very similar verses in Ephesians and Colossians. The first is, “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” (Eph. 5:18-20). Here we have a melody in the heart that causes us to sing. It is the result of being filled with the Spirit which causes us to enjoy and communicate it to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. It lifts up our hearts and voices to God and the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the source of joy and praise.
Perhaps this message would be better conveyed by standing up and singing than in writing a paper on the subject, but that is not possible in a magazine. A hymn which illustrates singing “because we are happy” is #220 in the Little Flock Hymnbook:
“Our hearts are full of Christ, and long
Their glorious matter to declare!
Of Him we make our loftier song—
We cannot from His praise forbear:
Our ready tongues make haste to sing
The glories of the heavenly King.”
Charles Wesley
But we are not always filled with the Spirit, and the verse in Colossians 3:16 has an application for us too. “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.” The word of Christ teaches and admonishes us to sing to the Lord. It is right to “sing to be happy.” Singing is the best way to lift up our hearts. Circumstances are not always conducive to happiness, but we can rise above them by allowing the word of Christ dwelling in us to teach and admonish us to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. A sense of God’s grace to us will make us lift up our hearts to the Lord in thanksgiving and praise.
A hymn in the character of the verse in Colossians is Little Flock #196:
“Come let us sing the matchless worth,
And sweetly sound the glories forth
Which in the Savior shine:
To God and Christ our praises bring:
The song with which high heaven will ring,
‘Praises for grace divine.’”
Samuel Medley
As Christians we have every reason to sing, whether it is to be happy or because we are. We have the source and the means. “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” (1 Cor. 14:15). “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms” (James 5:13). “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. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with His people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud Him, all ye people” (Rom. 15:9-11).
D. C. Buchanan
Singing and Submission
“Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord” (Eph. 5:22)
Here we have instruction for the wives. It is a piece of advice directed right to their hearts and souls, though it may often be difficult to carry out. But as is often the case, we need to read the verses that precede the admonition. They give us the key to being able to follow through on this command. Yes, that is what it is, a command!
Verse 19 tells us to be “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord.” That does not mean having the radio on, or even necessarily a CD of good music. There is nothing like a song of praise from our lips and hearts. An older sister once made the comment that she kept a hymn book propped up on her kitchen window sill over her sink so she could sing as she worked there.
Verse 20 says “Giving thanks always for all things.” Not always easy. But a thankful spirit is a prerequisite for our happiness and God’s blessing in our lives.
Verse 21 speaks of “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God”. This is the simple act of putting others before ourselves, and honoring anyone in a position of authority over us.
Having read, digested and walked in verses 19-21, a wife can proceed to verse 22 in the confidence that the Lord will give her the wisdom and grace to carry out the submission that is required.
It is interesting to notice that once again the admonition regarding the wife’s submission in Colossians 3:16-18 follows this same pattern. The order is there for our blessing and instruction. God’s pattern is always perfect and given to us in His wisdom and love.
TC Dec. 2012
Singing - Practical Points to Ponder
It is a sad fact that, in assembly meetings, often there are those who either do not sing very much, or in some cases do not sing at all. We surely recognize that there are those who by reason of age can no longer sing, and some who, not being able to “carry a tune,” refrain from singing so as not to disturb the singing of those around them. But these are usually in a minority. There are often those who are well able to sing, but who seldom sing “from the heart,” and whose facial expressions during the singing betray the fact that their thoughts are elsewhere. We may well ask why this is.
The Heart
I would suggest that most of the time the heart is not touched. The problem in some cases may be that a difficult burden is on the heart, and we know that “as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart” (Prov. 25:20). But even in this, we should be able to rise above it in the Lord’s presence. However, we must admit that much of the time our lack of singing is simply because our hearts are not touched. Perhaps we have not been enjoying the Lord in our everyday life, and then, when it comes to praising the Lord at the assembly meeting, the words and tune simply do not touch us. Surely if our hearts were right, the praise would flow! We should all be exercised about this.
In much of the Western world today, we have tended to become a generation of listeners. The ready access to music via earbuds, television, CD players and radio has conditioned us to want to listen to music, instead of producing our own. This is augmented by the ever-present “background music” that is usually played constantly in large stores and other public places. Tradesmen cannot seem to work without a portable “boom box” that plays music while they do their job. This attitude has tended to spill over into Christianity. But the Lord wants our praise—the praise that is “the fruit of our lips” (Heb. 13:15). It is His due, and again, if our hearts are right with Him, we will want to give it.
Daily Practice
Like the muscles and other parts of our bodies, our voices need exercise to work properly. We cannot let them lie dormant all day or all week, and then suddenly expect them to work properly when we come to the assembly. There is nothing wrong with singing alone; it is a wonderful way to praise the Lord! Likewise, many families and couples make a practice of singing a hymn when they have their family reading. It is not only good exercise for our voices, but a way also to learn the hymns and their tunes.
Joy in the Lord
Often people are reluctant to sing out when at an assembly meeting, lest they be singing too loudly. But if someone else sings heartily, at a good pitch and tempo, others will often join in, and in harmony too. Let us be exercised to be one of those who is ready to sing heartily, not to be heard by others, but as an expression of our joy in the Lord. It will encourage others to do the same!
Giving Thanks and Singing
Finally, let us remember a proper balance. Sometimes we see those who are so fond of giving out hymns that they seldom pray in the prayer meeting, or give thanks at the remembrance of the Lord. Let us remember that in giving out a hymn, we are suggesting that we sing the thoughts of another that have been put down in the spirit of poetry. It is easy to sing thoughts and expressions that are far above our own spiritual maturity and to utter truth that we have not really made our own. But when we pray or give thanks, we cannot go beyond our own capacity, for we can give only what we ourselves have. It is far better to do this before the Lord than to express constantly that which is beyond us. This too is a much needed exercise.
This is not to say that the Lord cannot use a hymn to lift us above our present state of soul and impart to us knowledge that we did not have before. The Lord can surely touch our hearts in this way, and sometimes truth is brought to bear on our hearts through the medium of song. But again, to be continually expressing the thoughts of others while seldom expressing anything from our own meditation and enjoyment is not normal Christianity.
W. J. Prost
For Whose Ear? Music and Singing
Music and fine singing in our day are likely to become a great snare against which he who would walk with God should be on his guard. We are no admirers of slovenly singing, nor do we regard it as evidence of high spirituality for hymns to be sung so slowly that few can join in them without being utterly exhausted; at the same time, we believe the singing of a poor old saint, whose voice has no melody at all but whose heart is right with God, is infinitely more acceptable in His sight than the singing of the ungodly, even if it be altogether perfect. Much of the music and singing which forms so large a part of what is called the public worship of God suggests the question, For whom is this “worship” intended? and whose ear is sought to be pleased? Alas! there can be but one answer.
From Christian Truth
A Safety Valve
Singing is not only due to Him who gives happiness, but a safety valve for His feeble ones, who easily in times of trouble slip from dependence. His praise recalls us to Himself.
W. Kelly
A Song
It is a little thing—a song;
And yet it brings the warmth of May,
And helps to make the faint heart strong,
And gives a joy to each new day.
It is a little thing—a song;
A lullaby to soothe the young;
A cheerful hum when tasks are long,
A hymn of hope when hearts are wrung.
It is a little thing—a song;
Yet heaven would be a lonely place,
Despite the vastness of its throng,
Without a choir to praise God’s grace.
Dorothy R. Larson