The Heart of Music: A Devotional Survey in Scripture Peter Davis • July, 2010

Music In Scripture: Taking God’s Model and Making it Mine

Due to: Pre-conceived ideas Undue focus on minutiae So, what’s the point? At times, we miss the big picture Due to: Pre-conceived ideas Undue focus on minutiae Trees important? Yes, but the forest is moreso.

Goal: Not to promote a particular style of music Goal: To promote Biblical thinking

To be Biblical… In hermeneutic In heart In emphasis In worship In unity “The Heart of Music”

Another goal: To appeal to the heart “The Heart of Music”

What is the HEART OF MUSIC? What’s it all about? What is the Biblical motive for music making?

Exodus 14:30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians… 15:1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD…

Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trust in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.

Psalm 33:3-4 Sing unto Him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise. For the word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in truth.

Psalm 98:1 O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done marvelous things!

Psalm 96:2, 4 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day…. For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised…

It’s all about… God His Word His works His relationship to us

(It’s not about the music!) Then, why bother?

Music does communicate, through Attached associations Text Sound itself Attached associations

Concerning music texts (lyrics), God gives: Direct statements about texts Biblical examples of texts

Col. 3:16 (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… Application: Music then is a means of letting the Word dwell in us richly.

Eph. 5:18-19 Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs… Application: Music then is a means of speaking to ourselves.

1 Cor. 14:15 What then? … I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with my understanding. Application: Understanding truth is an essential part of worship music.

1 Cor. 14:15 What then? … I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with my understanding.

John 4:23 God is spirit, and they that worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. Application: “Worship in truth” = objective truth is the “stuff” of worship.

1 Chron. 25:1 “David…set apart for the service some…who were to prophesy with lyres, harps, and cymbals...” Application: Musical texts are a means of prophesying.

Deut. 32:44 Then Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. When Moses had finished…he said to them, “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today….” Application: We should set our heart on the lyrics of sacred songs.

John 17:17 “Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy Word is truth John 17:17 “Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy Word is truth.” Application: #1. Scripture truth in a song has power to sanctify. #2. So music = receiving the Word.

Amos 5:23-24 “Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.” But let justice roll down like wateres, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Application: Message of music = Life of the music-maker, Or… It is noise to God. He rejects it.

Eze. 33:30-32 “Your fellow citizens…speak to one another… “Come now and hear what the message is…from the LORD.” They sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them.

(Eze. 33:32) Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; For they hear your words but they do not practice them.

Application: They listened for mere intellectual enjoyment (entertainment) Not for edification and application

Direct statements about song texts Biblical examples of song texts

2 Sam. 23:1-2 David, the son of Jesse, declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.”

The Psalms are an inspired hymnal… Divine examples of good sacred songs Inspired texts, not inspired tunes Excellent literary quality Even in an ancient, agricultural society

The inspired Psalms contain songs of… Theological instruction Worship and Praise Prayer Contrition Warning Theological instruction Personal heart cry

The purpose of the text: To communicate truth to be believed

Then, WHY MUSIC? Sound must communicate something…

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Job 38:7, “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy…”

“What Did the Music Communicate?” And Laban said to Jacob, “Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs?”

“What Did the Music Communicate?” 1 Sam. 16:23 David would take a harp and play with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Isa. 16:10 Therefore my inner parts moan like a lyre for Moab…

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Job 30:27 “My harp is tuned to mourning, and my flute to the sound of wailing.”

“What Did the Music Communicate?” 1 Chron. 15:16 Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives the singers, with instruments of music,…to raise sounds of joy.

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Psa. 98:4, 6 Make a joyful noise to the LORD… With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful nosie before the King, the LORD!

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Music adds to the text an additional EMOTION

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Psa. 81:2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel (tambourine), The pleasant harp with the psaltery.

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Music adds to the text an additional ENJOYMENT

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Ezra 7:27 “Blessed be the LORD…who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the LORD.”

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Music adds to the text an additional BEAUTY

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Psa. 30:11-12 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Psa. 30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee…

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Psa. 66:2 Sing forth the honor of His name: Make his praise glorious.

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Psa. 108:1 O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.

“What Did the Music Communicate?” Music adds to the text an additional GLORY

Music adds to the text and additional… EMOTION ENJOYMENT BEAUTY GLORY

The purpose of the text: To communicate truth to be believed The purpose of the music: To add EMOTION, ENJOYMENT, BEAUTY, AND GLORY. (to the text)