Singing Praises to God
Gospel preachers sometimes are also capable song leaders, but it isn’t often we enjoy leading the brethren in song instead of leading them in study and understanding via preaching the word of God. According to the apostle Paul, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs is teaching and admonishing the brethren (Colossians 3:16). Therefore, song leaders are also “preachers” in that they are teaching God’s word in song. The other night, brethren from the Spencer, IN church of Christ invited me to lead them in song. Frankly, it did me good to do so! It was a welcome and refreshing change from “oration.”
Throughout scripture, singing is shown as a wondrous praise to God! Among those several passages is the following: “Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.” (Isaiah 42:10 – 12) What a beautiful thought to think of mortals being able to praise God in song! While it may sound beautiful to our ears, our Father receives it as well-deserved praise for all His wondrous blessings given to us!
In the New Testament, five passages state we must sing. (Romans 15:9; 1 Corinthians 14:15; Hebrews 2:12; James 5:13; and Revelation 15:3) Also, there are two teaching us that singing is teaching (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). Acts 16:25 shows us Paul and Silas sang, and we find from Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26, Jesus and His apostles had sung a hymn before leaving for the garden of Gethsemane. Revelation 5:9 and 14:3 tells us “They sung a new song.” Thus, twelve New Testament references to SINGING show via example how the righteous express their praise to God while teaching and admonishing one another. Not a single passage in the New Testament authorizes the use of instrumental (mechanical) music in praise to God!
Those endeavoring to justify their use of instrumental music in worship to God refer to the Old Testament where David used instruments in bringing the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15). Please note the Temple had not been built. David was not permitted to build it (1 Chronicles 17:11 – 15). Therefore, these instruments were never used in the “house of God” and therefore cannot serve as an example to do so now! Also, many will use Psalms 150 as a defense of using instruments in worship. First, note the instruments are specified (trumpet, psaltery, harp, trimble, stringed instruments, organs, cymbals, high sounding cymbals.) Most defenders of instruments in worship stop with a piano and/or organ. Second, the decree (if considered “law”) is from the Old Testament which law was taken away when Jesus died on Calvary (Hebrews 10: 1- 10). Therefore, there is no New Testament authorization for the use of instrumental music in the Lord’s church which came to be within the New Testament, i.e., the law of Christ and not the law of Moses.
God desires to be praised (Romans 15:11). For the Christian, blending our voices in songs of praise exhilarates us as we simultaneously praise God and teach and admonish each other! It is amazing how a single voice might not be able to “carry a tune in a five-gallon bucket.” But when blended together with all the voices of praise in singing, to our ears it is such a wondrous melody! But dear reader, it isn’t about how beautiful it is to our ears – it’s a matter of how much praise it gives to our Father!
Singing usually occupies at least a third of our worship services. Typically, there are two songs, a reading of scripture, another song, the preaching followed by another song, a song before communion, and a closing song. Six songs: is that enough praise? Sermons often take up to thirty or forty minutes of an hour’s worship. That leaves twenty minutes for prayers, communion, giving, and singing. That doesn’t seem “well balanced” does it? Sure, we can reduce the time of preaching, but why? Instead, why not ignore the clock and dedicate our day to truly worshipping God as we should? In the earliest days of the church, we can prove those brethren met for extended periods of time to study, pray, communion, and give (these two upon the first day of the week) and to sing praises to God! No one ever said, “We’ve been here long enough!”
How I miss the days when a service in the morning often lasted two hours, and then the brethren met in the afternoon for what they announced as a “Song Service.” Often starting at 2:00 in the afternoon, these services (which saw full meeting houses with additional seats and children sitting on the pulpit!) often lasted more than two hours and flowed right into the evening services. Brethren learned from these psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and their fellowship always increased! So, brethren, let’s sing! It will fill our hearts with joy and give worthy praise to our God!