Presentation 2
What does the Bible say about making music? / Music
in the Bible

Biblical overview: Music-making is found
in Scripture from beginning to end.

• When was 1^st
  song ever sung?

At creation Job 38:4-7

Where were you when I laid the
earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its
dimensions? Surely you know? Who stretched a measuring line across
it? On what were its
footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars
sang together and all
the angels shouted for joy?

• In
  eternity/heaven, will there be music? Yes, Singing in heaven

  • Rev 5: 8 the
    four living creatures, the elders, the angels, and all creatures
    sing to the Lamb,

  • We know one fo
    the songs we’ll sing there:

  • Rev.15:2-4
    They sang Song of Moses and Song of the Lamb

• Why do we sing?
  We sing b/c we are made in God’s image — Do you know…..God
  sings? Zeph. 3:17

The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in
you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

but will rejoice over you with
singing.”

Voices are the #1 instrument!

• Three Bible
  books are songbooks. Which ones?

  • Psalms,
    longest book in Bible is a songbook

  • Song of
    Solomon

  • Lamentations

  • Also, Habakkuk
    chp 3

  • (we will see
    that there are many other parts of songs in the Bible, too)

Musical terms in Psalm headings:

• Ps 53, 56,
  58-60; Ps 67 (for stringed instruments)

Perhaps the tune, or specific tuning of the instrument

• Selah (71x in
  Ps) – pause or break?, brings action down a notch Ps 54

So, music is mentioned throughout the Bible; it is important for us
to understand what it teaches.

Occasions in the Bible that mention music-making

Music had a place in most all aspects of Jewish life

What are some? (Don’t look at your papers yet!)

• Tabernacle/Temple
  1 Chron 6:31, 32;

• Dedication of
  temple – God chose to inhabit temple when music was sounded to his
  praise 2 Chron 5.11-14

• Joyful send-off
  Gen 31:27

• Lament, funeral
  2
  Samuel 1:17-27;
  Matthew
  9:23

• wedding

• war Jehoshaphat
  2 Chron 20:19-28

• victory Ex
  5:20-21 (Miriam); I Sam 18:6-10; Deborah deliverance from Barak Jdg
  4

• when happy
  James 5:13

• calm evil
  spirits (fights disease) I Sam 16:23

• royal
  court/installation of Solomon I Kings 1:39-40

• In Jesus’
  most desperate hour, after last supper Matt 26:30 (he didn’t chose
  silence, or mourning)

• in hardship
  /Paul and Silas sang hymns in prison Acts 16:25

• Thanksgiving
  Col 3:16

• Praise of God
  Ps 150

• Teaching Deut
  32 (Song of Moses)

• Encouragement
  in dark times Job 35:10; Ps 42:8, 77:6,

• Corporate
  worship Is 30:29

What might early Jewish music have sounded like? Play Michael Card Ps
121

Top 5 references in Bible to songs and music are

1. 
   Praise & thanksgiving…. Adoración y Agradecimiento

2. Prayer &
   lament…. Oración y lamento

3. proclamation/evangelism…..
   Proclamación y evangelismo

4. teaching….
   Enseñanza

5. edification of
   believers/helping them grow in faith… Edificación de los
   creyentes /ayudar a otros creyentes a crecer en la fe

Let’s look at each one…….

1. Praise (and thanksgiving) What are some
reasons God’s people sing songs of praise?

• Ps 71:22,23
  Why? Faithfulness, he redeemed us

• Ps 95:1,2 Why?
  For who He is, what He’s done

• Ex 15 Moses &
  Isr cross Red Sea – God delivered His people

• Ps 13:6 Because
  God has been good to me

2. Prayer – what are some requests people bring
to God in song?

• Ps 57:1 Help
  from enemies (David in cave)

• Ps 51:10-12
  confession of sin

• Ps 13
  complaining; How long, O Lord?

• Hab 3
  acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty

• lament…..pouring
  out hearts in grief

• 2 Sam 1:17-27
  David laments death of Jon and Saul

• 2 Chron 35:25
  Jeremiah laments over disobedience of Josiah

• Jesus lamented
  over Jerusalem – probably in song

3. Proclamation…..what is being proclaimed in
song?

• Ps 105:1,2
  wonderful acts

• Ps 57:7-10 sing
  of God’s steadfast love

• Ps 40:3 music
  witnesses to others

• Ps 89:1 telling
  of God’s faithfulness to all generations

• When Paul in
  Athens – Acts 17:28 – he used their own poets and philosophers
  as a stepping stone to present the Gospel

4. Teaching….how can songs be used to teach?

• Ex 15 music
  used to teach next generations; they could remember history

• Ps 49:1-4 music
  will be used to teach a riddle….God will care for his people

• Ps 119:54 Your
  decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge (NIV)

• Ps 60 (heading)

• Deut 31-32 Song
  of Moses (32:1-43) to teach law and be a witness against Isr when
  they disobey

5. Edification of believers…. how can songs
help believers in their faith?

• Col 3:16 give
  instruction and correction

• [Eph 5:19
  similar]

• 1 Cor 14:26
  When you come together, each of you has a hymn…

• Heb 2:10-12
  Even Jesus is in our midst encouraging us with song

Scripture also tells us to sing a new song to the
Lord

Bible tells us repeatedly to “sing a new song” Ps 33:3; 40:3;
96:1; 98:1; 144:9

What is a “new” song?

• New b/c of its
  age?

• No, new b/c of
  its subject matter

  • The Lord’s
    mercies are new every morning Lam. 3:23

  • We are new
    creations in Christ 2 Cor 5:17

Power of music

Music is powerful:

• like a medicine

  • Saul

  • Elderly;
    brain-injured

  • African-Americans
    slaves’ songs helped give strength and hope

• Catches our
  emotions; “ear-worms”

• Can shape the
  way we think – lyrics

  • Easy to
    memorize concepts to music: ABC’s

  • Preliterate
    societies – recount histories through music

We saw examples of how music is used in a positive way = express
love, joy, praise, worship

But like anything good God gives us, it can be used for bad/sinful
purposes

• Amos 6:1,5,6

• Ex 32: 17, 18

Does that make music bad?

So, we must use the same test for music that we use for anything else
– Phil 4:8

Bible tells us to sing w/ understanding (along with our spirit)

Remember the music I played at the start of today? Did you
understand it?

Paul talks about singing w/ understanding — I Cor 14:15

excel in spiritual gifts that build church

How might we apply this?

You’ve probably noticed that most of what we’ve
talked about music is from OT

OT spans 2000 yrs – huge cultural change during that time –
nomadic  highly
developed civilization (Solomon’s temple 900 BC)

Many more references to music in OT than in NT – over 500 in Bible;
most in OT

Musical details also became more apparent as time went on in OT

We’ll find songs can be:

• Long (Ps 119)
  or

• short (Ps 117)

• Complex (Ex
  15:1-18 Moses’ song) or

• Simple (Ex
  15:21 Miriam’s refrain)

• Spontaneous,
  emotional (Numbers 21:17-18 Israel sings after God provided water
  Spring up , O well!; 1 Sam 18:6-7 women sing after David
  kills Gol) or

• highly
  structured (in Temple; 2 Chron 5)

Musicians of the Bible

• Jubal – Gen
  4:21, father of those who play harp and flute

This is in list of occupations – along with agriculture and
industry

• Moses: wrote 3
  very famous Biblical songs

  • Ex 15:1-8,
    after Red Sea crossing

  • Deut 32:1-43,
    to recount God’s acts of faithfulness to Israel/ their rebellion
    just before he died

  • Psalm 90

• David

• Levites in
  Temple service

  • 1 Chron 15 &
    16 David appoints musicians

  • 1 Chron 25:6-8
    All trained and skilled in music

  • Chenaniah, (1
    Chron 15:22) leader of all the Levites A great singer and skillful
    in music. His job was to train all the singers.

  • Asaph, (1
    Chron 16:4-6) the chief of all musicians, 55 Psalms are dedicated
    to him; played cymbals

  • Heman,
    associate chief musician He apparently wrote Psalm 88.

  • Jeduthun
    (sometimes referred to as Ethan), associate chief musician His name
    is mentioned at the beginning of three psalms: 39, 62, 77.
He was
    a skilled musician and prophesied “to give thanks and praise
    the LORD.”

  • These men’s
    sons also were musicians

Be thinking how these things can apply to your churches