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PSALM 33
LESSON #25
WORSHIP AND MUSIC
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 33:4
PSALM 33 IS A SONG OF PRAISE TO GOD FROM A REDEEMED PEOPLE. THIS IS ONE OF THE ORPHANPSALMS. IN OTHER WORDS, WE DO NOT KNOW WHO WROTE IT, PERHAPS DAVID OR PERHAPS SOMEONEELSE.
READ PSA 33:1-7 WORSHIP AND PRAISE
PRIMARY INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION:
THE PSALM BEGINS WITH A COMMAND TO REJOICE IN THE LORD. IT THEN TELLS US THAT A REJOICINGPRAISE TO GOD MAKES US BEAUTIFUL TO HIM.(1)
WE ARE TO PRAISE GOD WITH ALL KINDS OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.
THE HARP AND THE PSALTRY ARE MENTIONED HERE. THE PSALTRY IS A HARP WITH 25 STRINGS ANDLOOKED VERY MUCH LIKE THE INSTRUMENT I PLAY.
MOST CHURCHES USE MUSIC TO WORSHIP THE LORD BASED ON THESE PASSAGES IN THE PSALMS. THEREARE A FEW THAT USE NO MUSIC AT ALL.
I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT PEOPLE HAVE ALL KINDS OF EMOTIONAL OPINIONS ABOUT HOW THEYTHINK CHURCH MUSIC SHOULD SOUND…SOFT AND REVERENT, LOUD AND HAPPY, STATELY WITH AN ORGANACCOMPANIMENT, ETC.
DID YOU KNOW THAT SOME OF THE GRAND OLD HYMNS OF THE FAITH WERE CONSIDERED BY MANY AT THETIME THEY WERE WRITTEN TO BE WORLDLY MELODIES FROM THE BARS AND BROTHELS?
DID YOU KNOW THAT AT ONE TIME GUITAR MUSIC IN THE CHURCH WAS CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BEBLASPHEMOUS TO GOD?
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN NO CHURCH IN THIS COUNTRY WOULD HAVE ALLOWED DRUMS IN A WORSHIPSERVICE.
WHAT SHOULD BE OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD MUSIC IN THE CHURCH BASED ON SCRIPTURE?
PSALMS TALKS ABOUT THE USE OF ALL KINDS OF INSTRUMENTS. THERE IS NO MENTION IN SCRIPTUREPROHIBITING THE USE OF ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT BECAUSE THE INSTRUMENT ITSELF ISCONSIDERED SINFUL.
NOTICE THAT MUSICIANS ARE TOLD TO PLAY SKILLFULLY WITH A LOUD NOISE, JUBILANTLY. (3)
THE PERSON WHO LEADS THE WORSHIP SHOULD BE SKILLED OR TALENTED AND CALLED BY GOD TO DOTHIS. WHY? BECAUSE CORPORATE WORSHIP USHERS PEOPLE INTO THE THRONE ROOM AND PRESENCE OFGOD. AND GOD INHABITS THE PRAISE OF HIS PEOPLE. (PSA 22:3)
MUSIC SHOULD GLORIFY GOD IN WORSHIP. IF THE MUSIC IS SO LOUD THAT THE WORDS OF THESONGS CANNOT BE DISTINGUISHED, NO ONE IS EDIFIED BY THE MESSAGE. YOU MUST BE ABLE TO HEARAND UNDERSTAND THE WORDS.
SCRIPTURE DOES NOT PROMOTE OR PROHIBIT ONE STYLE OF MUSIC OVER ANOTHER WITH ONE EXCEPTION.
IN AMOS 6:5 THE PROPHET CONDEMNED THE “CHANT” OR “IDLE SONG”.
THIS WAS MUSIC ASSOCIATED WITH SENSUOUS PAGAN WORSHIP. IT AROUSED SEXUAL PASSION.
THEREFORE, IT SEEMS THAT THE MESSAGE IN THE MUSIC AND THE MOTIVE FOR IT IS OF PRIMARYIMPORTANCE. THE WORDS SHOULD NOT CONTRADICT SCRIPTURE, AND THEY SHOULD NEVER GLORIFY MAN.
“SING UNTO HIM A NEW SONG…” (3)
THERE ARE SEVERAL PSALMS THAT TALK ABOUT A NEW SONG AND THIS “NEW SONG” ISMENTIONED ELSEWHERE IN SCRIPTURE.
PSA 40:3 PSA 96:1 PSA 98:1 PSA 144:9
ISA 42:10 REV 5:9
WHAT IS THIS “NEW SONG”?
IT SEEMS TO BE A SONG THAT COMES FROM THE HEART AND THE LIFE EXPERIENCES OF A REDEEMEDPERSON WHO LOVES THE LORD. IT IS AN INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSION OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOUPERSONALLY. THEREFORE, THE “NEW SONG” WOULD BE DIFFERENT FOR EACH PERSON BECAUSEEACH PERSON HAS HIS OWN UNIQUE EXPERIENCES WITH THE LORD. MANY OF THE OLD HYMNS OF THEPAST ARE JUST THIS KIND OF EXPRESSION. FOR EXAMPLE:
THE HYMN, “AMAZING GRACE” WAS WRITTEN BY JOHN NEWTON WHO LIVED A LIFE OFDEBAUCHERY AND BECAME THE CAPTAIN OF A SLAVE SHIP. HIS LIFES WORK WAS TO MAKE ASMUCH MONEY AS HE COULD BY CRAMMING AS MANY BLACK SLAVES INTO HIS SHIP AS POSSIBLE. HE DIDNOT CARE THAT MANY DIED ON THE JOURNEY DUE TO EXTREMELY UNSANITARY CONDITIONS, BECAUSEENOUGH SLAVES SURVIVED TO MAKE IT WORTH WHILE. THEN GOD SAVED HIM AND CHANGED HIS LIFE. HESPENT THE REST OF HIS LIFE CRUSADING AGAINST SLAVERY. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT OUTLAWEDSLAVERY THE YEAR JOHN NEWTON DIED. HE WROTE “AMAZING GRACE” OUT OF HIS PERSONALEXPERIENCE WITH GOD. THAT WAS HIS “NEW SONG”.
THERE IS A PROPHETIC ASPECT OF THIS “NEW SONG” WHICH WE WILL CONSIDER LATER.
“FOR THE WORD OF THE LORD IS RIGHT, AND ALL HIS WORKS ARE DONE IN TRUTH.” (4)
PRAISE SONGS SHOULD INCLUDE SCRIPTURE: THE WORD OF THE LORD.
HYMNS SHOULD INCLUDE THE WORKS OF GOD: THE ACTS GOD HAS DONE.
READ PSA 33:8-22 COUNSEL TO A NATION
“LET ALL THE EARTH FEAR THE LORD…” (8)
BECAUSE GOD IS THE CREATOR, WE SHOULD HAVE AN AWESOME RESPECT FOR HIM.
WISE INSTRUCTIONS FOR A NATION:
1. A NATION SHOULD ENCOURAGE THEIR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE YOUTH, TO FEAR THE LORD.
IF A NATION ENCOURAGES THEIR YOUTH TO FOLLOW GODS WAYS, YOUTH WILL SOON LEARN THATWORLDLY COUNSEL PRODUCES NOTHING GOOD. (10)
THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE ISRAELI PEACE PROCESS ARE GOOD EXAMPLES OF MAN TRYING TOACHIEVE SOMETHING GOOD BY WORLDLY MEASURES. IT IS ONLY GOD WHO WILL BE ABLE TO BRING PEACETO THIS WORLD.
2. A NATION SHOULD LIFT UP AND PROMOTE GOD AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY. (12)
3. A NATIONS BEST NATIONAL AND MILITARY DEFENSE IS FAITH IN GOD. (16-17)
4. A NATION”S BEST ECONOMIC POLICY FOR NATIONAL PROVISION IS FAITH IN GOD. (19)
THE RESULTS OF THIS WISE COUNSEL (18-22)
1. GOD WILL WATCH OVER THE NATION. (18)
2. GOD WILL PROVIDE. (19)
3. GOD WILL GUIDE THE NATION TO MAKE WISE DECISIONS. (20)
4. GODS VICTORIES AND PROVISIONS WILL CAUSE THE PEOPLE TO REJOICE. (21)
5. PEOPLE WILL LEARN TO LIVE BY FAITH IN GOD. (22)
PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
READ REV 5:8-10
THIS IS A SCENE IN HEAVEN. JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOKTHAT WILL BRING THE TRIBULATION JUDGMENT FOR EVIL AND A REDEMPTION FOR THE RIGHTEOUS.NOTICE THAT THOSE WHO SING A “NEW SONG” ARE THE REDEEMED. THIS EXPERIENCE OFREDEMPTION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST IS SOMETHING THAT ONLY HUMANS CAN EXPERIENCE. THE ANGELSCANNOT SING THIS NEW SONG. THEY ARE NOT REDEEMED. THEY CANNOT KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THISEXPERIENCE OF BEING BORN AGAIN.
APPLICATION:
THEREFORE, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HUMAN BEINGS TO PRAISE GOD IN WORSHIP AND SONGWITH WORDS OF OUR REDEMPTION EXPERIENCE, WORDS ABOUT GODS MARVELOUS WORKS, AND WORDSFROM SCRIPTURE.
HOMEWORK
PSALM 34
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION FOR PSA 33
WHAT ATTITUDES TOWARD MUSIC AND WORSHIP DO YOU NEED TO CHANGE TO MAKE THEM CONFORM TOSCRIPTURE?
PREPARATION FOR PSA 34
READ PSA 34:1-22
FOR BACKGROUND READ 1SAM 21:10-15
DAVID GIVES NINE STEPS INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD DURING TIMES OF FEAR. HOW MANY STEPS CANYOU FIND IN
PSALMS 34:1-9?
WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS TO RECEIVING BLESSINGS FROM GOD IN PSALMS 34:10-15?
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 34:1
