WE LIFT OUR PRAISE TO GOD WITH MUSIC AND SONG
_______________________________________________________
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!” – Psalm 100:1 –
Praising our God with music and singing brings joy to His heart. Many biblical accounts resound with celebration and praise to the Lord. Voices lifted high and musical instruments ringing out… tambourines, trumpets, flutes, rams’ horns, cymbals, harps and lyres… all exalting and glorifying the Holy One Himself. Let us look at the ways music and song play key roles throughout the Bible and in our worship as well…
“I will sing to the Lord throughout my life. I will make music to praise my God as long as I live.” – Psalm 104:33
⇒ Singing and making music to our Lord awakens us to His presence in our lives… a celebration of Christ as our Emmanuel, God with us
“Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: ‘He is good; His love endures forever’. Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud.” – 2 Chronicles 5:13
King Solomon celebrated the completion of the building of the temple in Jerusalem with a festival… a dedication to Jehovah God. All the priests, the elders and the people lifted their voices and played music to honor and revere the Lord. The cloud filled the new temple… a manifestation of God’s presence with His people.
“Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things.” – Psalm 98:1
⇒ Praising God with music and song opens our hearts to His majesty… His supremacy… His power in our lives
“I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted. Both horse and driver He has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him.” – Exodus 15:1-2
Moses sang this song of praise (Song of Moses) to the Lord for the miraculous deliverance of His chosen people. God made a way through the sea for the Israelites to pass… overwhelming their enemies behind them. He wondrously displayed His power to His people.
“I will sing of Your love and justice; to You, Lord, I will sing praise.” – Psalm 101:1
⇒ Music and song touch our spirits with the love of God… His unsurpassed, unending, perfect love for us
“I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my Rock, my fortress and my Deliverer; my God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge.” – Psalm 18:1-2
God rescued David from all his enemies… including King Saul who repeatedly tried to kill him. David lifted up this song of love and praise to His ever-faithful Deliverer… the One whose love he could trust when all others turned against him.
“My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to You– I whom You have delivered.” – Psalm 71:23
⇒ Praising God with music and song acts as our spiritual weapon… our warfare against the enemy
“When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.” – 2 Chronicles 20:22
When Judah was threatened by enemy nations… armies of the Ammonites, Moabites and Mount Seir… King Jehoshaphat rose to battle against them. As Judah’s armies set out, Jehoshaphat had the Levites lead the way, singing songs of praise to their Almighty God. God routed Judah’s enemies before them.
“Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!” – Psalm 95:2
⇒ Songs and praise music make us thankful for God’s faithfulness and His many blessings in our lives
“At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were… brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres.” – Nehemiah 12:27
After the Babylonian exile, Nehemiah journeyed to Jerusalem to lead the project of rebuilding the protective city walls. He encouraged the people to persevere and look to their Jehovah God to help them despite enemy opposition. When the wall was completed, all the people celebrated and sang their thanks and praise to their faithful God… the One who had made it all possible.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music.” – Psalm 98:4
⇒ Singing and making music to our Lord fills us with joy… the joy of being His children… His treasured ones
“All Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant with shouts of joy, the blowing of rams’ horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on harps and lyres.” – 1 Chronicles 15:28
The Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God’s presence with His people, had been captured by the Philistines. When Israel at last recovered this sacred possession, they rejoiced with boisterous music and song in praise to God. David led the celebratory procession… returning the Ark once again to Jerusalem.
“Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works!” – Psalm 105:2
⇒ Praising God with music and song brings glory to our Lord… joining in with the choruses of heaven
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.’” – Revelation 5:13
All heaven sings the praises of God. Music resounds in this glorious place. As believers, we can look forward to an eternity of praising and glorifying God with a joyful noise in unison with all of heaven. For our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ are worthy to receive all glory and praise.
