046. Some Observations About Music

Some Observations About Music By Robert Yohe A Bible Helps Tract No.46 Is music important? If so, what shall we sing? A group of youth was marching in a parade. They were all timed rather well and keeping in step, except for one boy, who seemed to have a tempo all of his own. It was discovered that he was carrying a transistor radio under his coat, and his ears were tuned to music from far away. Music and singing are an important part of our lives. The Bible has a lot to say about music. Ephesians 5:19 says we are to speak to ourselves "in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in (our) hearts to the Lord." Colossians 3:16 says that we are to "let the word of Christ dwell in (us) richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in (our) hearts to the Lord." To sing "with grace in our hearts" means to sing with gusto; to engage in spirited singing; to let our singing be heartfelt. The word "psalms" refers to songs which address praise and glory to God, and is a reference to the Psalms of the Old Testament The word "hymns" refers to Christian verse with a strong theological content A good example is found in the words of the hymn "Rock of Ages." We sing, "Not the labor of my hands, can fulfill the Law’s demands." The phrase "spiritual songs" is a reference to music which is less theologically oriented, but which conveys spiritual In the Old Testament, we read frequently about music. Someone has said, "Music is a universal language." And indeed music is universal Through music we reveal our loves, our joys, our griefs, our hopes, our disappointments, and our faith. Music is a gift from God. It is the sugar that adds sweetness to life, and keeps us from becoming sour and bitter.

Music has untold power. It can soothe tired nerves and lull a baby to sleep. Music can set laughter ringing in the heart; it can also cheer the sad. Music can bring peace to a troubled mind. Music is a balm for the weary, and the devil knows all this. And so, in many cases, he has stolen the gift of music and distorted it until it becomes anything but sweetness.

    God has given us voices to sing praises to Him. And whether we can keep a tune or not, it is important that we sing hymns. We read in Psalms 66:1-2, "Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands; sing forth the honor of his name; make his praise glorious." Good Christian music should be an important part of every believer’s life.

1. REASONS WHY WE SHOULD SING

We sing because the Bible tells us to. Psalms 40:3 says, "And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God; many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the Lord." We sing, also, because of Bible examples Deborah and Barak sang a song of victory over their enemies. Asaph, who wrote some of the Psalms, was a singer. Jesus sang with His disciples at the great upper room service (Mark 14:26). Paul and Silas sang in prison at midnight (Acts 16:25). These accounts of singing, and many others, are given in holy Scripture. We also have hymn stories that stir our emotions. Some were written under dire circumstances. The following is one moving account of how a hymn came to be written. In the late 1800s, H. G. Spafford’s wife and children left the United States for Wales on an ocean liner. Mr. Spafford, who had some business commitments, was to join them later. As the ocean liner sailed along in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, it was hit by another vessel. All of the Spafford children drowned as a result of the collision. Later, in Wales, Mrs. Spafford sent a telegram to her husband. It contained two words: "Saved alone." Later, as Mr. Spafford was crossing the ocean, the captain of the ship on which he was traveling called him and told him that they were crossing the area where the other ship had gone down. There, out of heartbreak and pain, Mr. Spafford wrote words that linger in many of our minds over and over again. The words are, ’When peace like a river attendeth my way, (or) when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, ’It is well; it is well with my soul."

2. GOOD MUSIC CAN GLORIFY GOD

Music is a means of expressing a joy-filled heart. Suppose all the birds would suddenly stop singing, and all human lips would cease to utter musical sounds. Suppose we had a song-less world before us. Can you imagine it? Suppose when we gather to worship God, there would be no singing. We should be exceedingly glad for singing. It is wonderful that the wood thrush sings today like it always did. Thank the Lord for birds which need not change their music. They have not stepped up the tempo, or increased the volume, or thrown in any wild and weird offbeat discords in order to stay up with the times. Good music glorifies God. A song like, "I lift my heart today in praise.. . I’ll count my many blessings, O how bountiful and free, yet I can never count them all, so good is God to me"―certainly brings encouragement to those who sing it, and brings glory to our majestic God. There are other great hymns that edify the singer, such as:

"Blessed assurance Jesus is mine."

"God is love, His mercy brightens."

"There is power in the blood."

Also, there are many songs which are intended to exalt Jesus Christ. Among those hymns are:

"My gracious Redeemer I love." "In the rifted Rock I’m resting."

"On Christ the solid Rock I stand."

"To God be the glory, great things He has done."

    These kinds of hymns have words that are theologically correct and they have messages which exalt the Lord God.

3. GUARD AGAINST WRONG KINDS OF MUSIC

Someone may ask, "How can I know what kind of music pleases God? Are there any ways to check or test songs today?" The answer is "Yes," and we will examine three tests of acceptable music. a) We should test the spirit of the music. Are the words and the music and the lyrics true to the spirit of Christ and the message of Scripture? All music should glorify God. We read in 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

    b) We should test the message of the music.

There should be a clear edifying message in music. Not all songs have a good message. Even some "spiritual" songs are shallow and have very little worthwhile content The function of godly music is to edify Christians. Carnal music and healthy spiritual words do not mix well, because the flesh wars against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. All parts of music should obey God’s laws of order. We are to let all things (including music) be done decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40). Satan attempts to corrupt music by promoting imbalance. Lots of noise dulls the senses and causes us to forget what the message is to teach us. Be wary about listening to music where the strong, persistent rhythm overpowers the words and the melody.

    c) We should test the fruit of music

Sensuous tactics have no place in Christian music. By a breathy voice and sliding pitches, sung very close to a microphone, a sensuous appeal is communicated. The private space of a person is violated. Christian singers and musicians should see themselves as ministers, not as performers or entertainers. It would be less dangerous to let an unskilled doctor operate on our hearts, than for an unspiritual musician to minister to our souls. The function of music in the church is to teach and to admonish. Another purpose is to bring praise to God. It is important for us to think about the words we are singing, as well as to be aware of the musical tones. There are good reasons for not using musical instruments in church services. For one thing, there is no indication that the New Testament church used musical instruments in its services of worshiping God. We do read about heartfelt singing. Another reason why many worship without musical instruments, is that when there are instruments, the voice singing is not as good. Worshipers tend to listen to the instrument rather than sing with their voices. Another major reason for vocal singing is that there is a special blessing to the soul when there is four-part harmonious singing of edifying hymns. Our singing should always be reverent and dignified and in keeping with the seriousness of the message. Godly music is for instruction and inspiration, not for entertainment and show.

4.    NOT ALL MUSIC IS ACCEPTABLE

Supper was over, and the dishes were finished, when dad and mother settled comfortably in their living room Suddenly a series of discordant sounds broke loose. Their teen-age daughter had gone to her room to play some of the latest hit tunes. It was loud and it was raucous. A hoarse voice scratched out a monotonous drone to an accompaniment that sounded like an African rhythm band. Many people don’t realize the direct connection between their musical diet and their spiritual growth. What difference does it make? "We like that kind of music," some folks will say. A well-known recording company advertises this slogan: "We tend to live on the level of the music we listen to." Music creates an environment and sets an atmosphere for living. Subtle and insistent―it creeps into the crevasses of our minds, and lodges there. One kind of music that is undeserving of our listening is rock ’n’ roll music. It is one of the last great thrusts which Satan is making to invade and confuse those who are gripped by it A certain man went to a rock concert He said the first chord exploded with an ear splitting roar. They had two levels―loud and louder. He said, "I left the concert that night with my ears ringing my senses dulled, and my spirit depressed." Those who profit financially from the rock music don’t care about the effects it has upon their listeners. A young man said, "Some young folks like rock ’n’ roll simply because their parents don’t like it" How sad it is to note such signs of rebellion. Someone may say, "But I don’t listen to rock ’n’ roll; I listen to country and western singing" Country and western is hardly any more worthwhile listening to than rock music is. One well-known woman sings about lyin’ and cheatin’. Mother sings about woman chasing, honky-tonk. and whisky drinkin’. Another male singer sings about sex and drinking. Some of the songs lift up the occult Other songs contain filthy lyrics and illicit sexual insinuations. Much country singing gives one the blues. There is no other form of music that tries to mix a little religion in its lyrics to confuse people like country and western music does. We appeal to readers to remember that Christians cannot make worldly music clean. Worldly music will make Christians unclean. Christian music needs to teach the doctrine of Christ as revealed in God’s Word. The lyrics of Christian music will echo the attributes of a holy God. Christian music will advocate sexual purity and permanent marriage relationships. Christian music will strengthen the home and family ties. The music we listen to should be reputable and strengthening to the inner spiritual life. If you are not sure about the value of the kinds of music you are listening to, the challenge is to show it to the most godly person you know, and get his or her evaluation of what you are feeding into your mind and emotions. For young people, we hope this godly person will be your father.

Our plea is that every reader will choose music that meets God’s approval. We challenge readers to listen to and sing the psalms and hymns of the church which have stood solidly for many centuries. Remember that the singing and praise that come from your mouth have the potential of causing many to put their trust in the Lord (Psalms 40:3)! Additional copies of this tract are available free on request Ask for our sample packet of Bible Helps.

BIBLE HELPS Robert Lehigh, Editor

P. 0. Box 391 Hanover, PA 17331 U.S.A.