If someone wants to lead God’s people effectively in corporate worship, they have to know why God wants us to use music, especially singing. Here’s the first reason I suggested yesterday: We sing to remember God’s Word. It would be natural to assume that we sing because music affects our emotions. But in congregational worship, music is a servant to words. From the time Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, God’s Word has always been central to the worship of God. God’s Ten Words were placed in the center of Israel’s worship. ( 1 Kings 8:91 Kings 8:9
[9]There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets
of stone that Moses put there at Horeb, where the LORD made
a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of
the land of Egypt. (ESV)
) The longest book in the Bible is a collection of words set to music. Revivals in Israel’s history revival broke out when God’s Word was remembered and obeyed. In the New Covenant, the living Word of God is both our means of access to God and the object of our worship. Paul instructs us in Colossians 3:16Colossians 3:16
[16]Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching
and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your
hearts to God. (ESV)
: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” The stunning hymns of worship in Revelation continue to highlight the importance of words in worshipping God. Singing is meant to be a tool that helps us remember those words – God’s deeds, attributes, promises, and warnings. In Deuteronomy 31Deuteronomy 31
[31:1]So Moses continued to speak these words to all
Israel. [2]And he said to them, "I am 120 years old today.
I am no longer able to go out and come in. The LORD has
said to me, 'You shall not go over this Jordan.' [3]The
LORD your God himself will go over before you. He will
destroy these nations before you, so that you shall
dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as
the LORD has spoken. [4]And the LORD will do to them as he
did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to
their land, when he destroyed them. [5]And the LORD will
give them over to you, and you shall do to them according
to the whole commandment that I have commanded you. [6]Be
strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them,
for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not
leave you or forsake you."
[7]Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the
sight of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you
shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has
sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them
in possession of it. [8]It is the LORD who goes before you.
He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you.
Do not fear or be dismayed."
[9]Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests,
the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of
the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. [10]And Moses
commanded them, "At the end of every seven years, at the
set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths,
[11]when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your
God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this
law before all Israel in their hearing. [12]Assemble the
people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner
within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the
LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this
law, [13]and that their children, who have not known it,
may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as
you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to
possess."
[14]And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, the days
approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present
yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission
him." And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in
the tent of meeting. [15]And the LORD appeared in the tent
in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over
the entrance of the tent.
[16]And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, you are about
to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise
and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land
that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break
my covenant that I have made with them. [17]Then my anger
will be kindled against them in that day, and I will
forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be
devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them,
so that they will say in that day, 'Have not these evils
come upon us because our God is not among us?' [18]And I
will surely hide my face in that day because of all the
evil that they have done, because they have turned to other
gods.
[19]"Now therefore write this song and teach it to the
people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song
may be a witness for me against the people of Israel.
[20]For when I have brought them into the land flowing with
milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and
they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn
to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my
covenant. [21]And when many evils and troubles have come
upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for
it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring).
For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before
I have brought them into the land that I swore to give."
[22]So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to
the people of Israel.
[23]And the LORD commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and
said, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the
people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I
will be with you."
[24]When Moses had finished writing the words of this
law in a book to the very end, [25]Moses commanded the
Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD,
[26]"Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of
the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may
be there for a witness against you. [27]For I know how
rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I
am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the
LORD. How much more after my death! [28]Assemble to me all
the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may
speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth
to witness against them. [29]For I know that after my death
you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way
that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil
will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the
sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger through the work
of your hands."
[30]Then Moses spoke the words of this song until they
were finished, in the ears of all the assembly of Israel:
(ESV)
, as Israel is about to enter the promised land, God tells Moses to teach Israel a song, so that “when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring).” We remember what we sing. And there’s nothing more important to remember than God’s Word. The feelings that music produces will fade, but the living and active Word of God will continue to work in our hearts, renew our minds, and strengthen our faith. Gordon Fee has said, “Show me a church’s songs and I’ll show you their theology.” If music is going to help us remember what we sing, we want to be careful that we’re singing biblically faithful lyrics. Al Mohler is in the middle of a series on authentic worship. In his entry for today, he said this: “Roger Scruton, a well-known British philosopher, has suggested that worship is the most important indicator of what persons or groups really believe about God. These are his words: ‘God is defined in the act of worship far more precisely than he is defined by any theology.’ What Scruton is saying is, in essence: ‘If you want to know what a people really believe about God, don’t spend time reading their theologians, watch them worship. Listen to what they sing. Listen to what they say. Listen to how they pray. Then you will know what they believe about this God whom they worship.’” All this means that a wise worship leader will be more concerned about biblically faithful lyrics than a cool harmonic progression or a musically complex arrangement. Tomorrow, I’ll share a few more thoughts on combining music with biblical truth, as we continue to look at the role of the corporate worship leader. Thanks for reading.
Read Part 8 of What Does a Worship Leader Do?
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Hey there, my name’s dave and i’m a 19 year old. I recently felt God calling me home from UT and away from my home church, Cornerstone Church of Knoxville (a sovereign grace ministries church) to change my major from dentistry and reorganize my life/learn a deeper sense of humility and leadership for God’s usage. I am now in the process of pursuing a music major for the purpose of becoming a pastor of music someday. i just recently stumbled onto this webpage as a result of a pastor’s linking and i want to encourage you that you are such a means of grace! God has been speaking words of encouragment and sweet affirmation through your heart directly to my spirit for the past week or so and i just want to say thank you for being a servant to me. it means the world to me as i have started and internship at a local church in a jr. high ministry. I am learning to essentially become a minister here and these posts have done nothing but give me strength to fight satan during my week. May God richly bless you as he has this week to me through you.
-david dugas
germantown, tn.
Comment by David Dugas — February 8, 2006 @ 10:58 pm
by the way…
I’ve been praying that God will provide the money and the people for one of the sovereign grace churches to plant a church here in Memphis!
Comment by david Dugas — February 8, 2006 @ 11:07 pm