Singing hymns, psalms, or spiritual songs is as much a part of the church service as the sermon, though it should not surpass it or just about replace sermons as has happened in many churches. Many churches have singing groups come in or have fifth Sunday night singing. I am not against good godly music ministries, but they need to come on a Friday or Saturday night or during a week night except on Wednesday or whatever night you have the midweek service. The fifth Sunday singing needs to be done after the Sunday night service or also on another night preferably on a Friday or Saturday night. These should not take the place of a service especially a Sunday morning service. God commands us to sing to him. Singing brings you closer to his word. Singing godly hymns keeps your mind on the Lord and away from sinful thoughts and also strengthens you in times of despair as it did Paul and Silas while in jail. Righteous singing glorifies God. Psalms and hymns can teach you the word of God. (Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;) (Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.) Many churches have done away with some singing or worse have replaced what God commands us to sing with contemporary music, so called “praise songs” [some are okay, but many are not], “Christian” rock, and “Christian” rap. Many churches with this type of music use drums and electric guitars and have loud music. God is not pleased with this type of music to worship him and seems to have warned us of it. (Ecclesiastes 7:5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.) Many of these songs just repeat choruses over and over just like repetitive prayer which God condemns. Many believe just because a song mentions the name Jesus it is suitable for worship. They are not. Christian rock and Christian rap are anything but Christian. A Christian should not be listening to these outside of church, let alone in a church service. I know professing Christians who listen to secular rock music who have even said that rock music has no place in church. They are right. Christian rock music is just as much from Satan as secular rock music. The beat is the same in both. This beat is used in Africa by primitive tribes to call up their false gods which are devils. Missionaries have seen this when their children started playing rock music and the natives got agitated since this is the same beat they used for their worship of false gods. Christian rock singers often have the same appearance and habits of secular rock singers. They both often have long hair which God condemns on a man, have tattoos, piercings, drink alcohol, cuss, and often smoke and do drugs. Their album covers have satanic symbols on them. These are all things God condemns so why would he approve of this music to worship him? (I Corinthians 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?) (Leviticus 19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.) The printing of marks is tattoos.
Scripture speaks of many great men and women of God glorifying and worshipping God in song and music. It is always done with righteousness. Paul and Silas sang praises to God at midnight while prisoners locked in a Philippian jail. (Acts 16:25 ¶ And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.) Jesus himself sang hymns to worship his Father. Jesus and the apostles sang a hymn after they had the last supper before the death of Jesus on the cross. (Matthew 26:30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.) (Mark 14:26 ¶ And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.) The Psalmist in Psalm 104:33 says he will sing unto the LORD as long as he lives and so should we. (Psalm 104:33 I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.) Moses and the Israelites sang a song to the LORD after crossing the Red Sea. This is the first song mentioned in scripture. (Exodus 15:1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.) Miriam led the women in singing to the LORD after the crossing of the Red Sea. (Exodus 15:21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.)
Singing hymns to God can build up and comfort others such as when David played the harp before Saul to refresh him and drove away the evil spirit by his playing. (I Samuel 16:23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.) James 5:13 says to sing psalms if we are happy. (James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.) Singing psalms allows you to learn scripture as well as bring a joyous noise to the LORD.
God said to sing to him. (Psalm 105:2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.) We are to sing psalms to him. (I Chronicles 16:9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.) The Israelites often sang psalms to the LORD. Psalms 113-118 are sung as part of the feast of tabernacles. There are seven psalms that say to make a joyful noise unto the LORD. God commands us to sing unto him even if we or someone else thinks we are not good singers. It all sounds good to God if it is godly pleasing music and done with a righteous heart. Sing loud for the LORD. (Psalm 66:1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:) (Psalm 81:1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.) (Psalm 95:1-2 1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
2Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.) (Psalm 98:4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.) (Psalm 98:6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.) (Psalm 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.) We are triune beings just as God since man was made in his image. We all have a body, soul, and spirit. The spirit is what worships God. God said we are to sing to him in spirit. (I Corinthians 14:15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.) Many verses tell us to sing praises to God. Here are a few. (Psalm 147:1 Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.) (Hebrews 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.) God said to sing a new song to him. This should encourage and inspire those that God has given the gift of music to write new hymns and spiritual songs to him. God gave David new songs and he will give people today a new song that he has given the gift of being a musician. (Psalm 40:3 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.) (Psalm 98:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.) (Psalm 149:1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.) (Psalm 96:1-2 1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.) We will sing to God in heaven. The twenty four elders will sing to God during the tribulation as Jesus will be worthy to open the sealed book. It is possible that these are the twelve sons of Jacob and the twelve apostles of Jesus with Paul being the twelfth that replaced Judas Iscariot. (Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;) Those who have overcome the beast during the tribulation will sing in heaven to God. (Revelation 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.) The Levites that were the musicians were only given that duty so they could make sure there was music to worship God. This shows the importance of music by God in worshipping him. (I Chronicles 9:33 And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day and night.)
God himself sang over Jerusalem. God sings and created his creation to sing to him as well. (Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.)Birds sing. Whales sing. The heavens sing to God as does his creation. The stars make music to him. Scientists have even heard the songs with the biggest stars having low deep sounds like tubas or double basses. Smaller stars have higher pitches like flutes. (Isaiah 4:23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.) (Isaiah 49:13 ¶ Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.) Angels sang as God laid the foundation of the earth during creation week. (Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?) Angels sang before the shepherds at the birth of Jesus. (Luke 2:13-14 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.) God created people and his creation with the ability to sing in order to sing in worship to him. God also gave the ability to produce instruments that are also intended to be used to worship him.
God wants music as a part of worship to him. He even included a hymnal in scripture with the book of Psalms. It consists of 150 psalms to sing unto the LORD. It consists of 150 psalms to sing unto the LORD. Psalms is the longest book in scripture showing how important God believes music is for worshipping him. Every English speaking Christian who is walking with the LORD should have a King James Bible and a great hymnal such as Living Hymns, The Baptist Hymnal, The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration, Heart-Warming Songs and Hymns, Majesty Hymns, or some other great hymnal. Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 speak of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Psalms come from the book of Psalms in scripture. Hymns are those great hymns found in a hymnal such as Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art and spiritual songs are songs such as the old Negro spirituals such as Go Tell it on the Mountain and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. Spiritual songs are also songs that the Holy Ghost gives to you all of the sudden such as when Moses and Miriam sang after the Red sea crossing. Godly music will honour the LORD and not the musician or singer as is often done with contemporary music and Christian rock. The glory should go to God, not the singer or musician. This is why I do not clap for singers in church, so that God gets the praise and not the singer. All singing to God should be directed to God, not ourselves. This is why there should be no crazy movements on stage as is done by Christian rock stars who want to bring attention to themselves and not God. Praise should only be directed to God.
Satan who was originally Lucifer was created with built in musical instruments and most likely led the heavenly choir. Satan and his angels after their fall are never again said to sing as sin brings about no desire or joy to sing praise to God which is what music is all about and meant for. (Ezekiel 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.) Lucifer had built in tabrets and pipes in his body that were to be used to sing praises to God.
Many great hymns have been written over the years by many godly hymn writers and musicians such as Charles Wesley, Fanny Crosby who was blind, Alfred E. Smith, Isaac Watts, William Cowper, Philip P. Bliss, Ira D. Sankey, and many others. Here is the history of a couple of hymns to show how the hymn writers were inspired by God to write them. The first is the unofficial Baptist anthem, the great hymn, Amazing Grace. This hymn was written by John Newton in 1779 and it essentially gives the testimony of his sinful life, but also aptly applies to us all. John Newton was the captain of a slave ship who was a drunk and one who loved sin. After he was saved by God’s grace, he would later go on to write this great hymn. The hymn It Is Well With My Soul was written by Horatio Spafford with the music by Philip P. Bliss in 1873. Horatio was a Chicago lawyer who lost nearly everything he owned in the great Chicago fire of 1871. In 1873 he sent his wife and children to England so his children could get an education since most of the schools in Chicago had not been rebuilt. At the last minute he stayed behind for a business meeting, planning to meet up with them later. His wife and children sailed on the ship Villa de Havre. Half way there in the middle of the ocean, the ship collided with another ship and sank. Horatio’s four children, all daughters, died with only his wife surviving. She sent him a telegram “Saved, alone.” Some say that when he saw this he was inspired to write the words to this great hymn. Others say he wrote them after he sailed to meet up with his wife in England. The captain notified Horatio at the point where the Villa de Havre had gone down. It is said that it was at this time that he wrote this great hymn. Either way, these two stories show how God can take tragedy and a sinful life and turn them into great hymns which honour and glorify him. May we all be inspired by these great hymns and their stories and always remember to worship God in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs and do not neglect singing as a part of the worship service. Praise God with our singing and may singing to God be a joy in our hearts.
