The Holy Spirit and Music Ministry--Part 10

  The Work of the Holy Spirit in Music Ministry-Part 10

The chief musicians Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun were to (naba 5012) or prophesy.  Strong says that naba means to speak or sing by inspiration.  I Chronicles 25:1 states:

Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy [or make music under the divine influence] with harps [lyres], with psalteries [harps] and with cymbals [double-tinklers-metsaleth]. ( words in brackets are mine)

The Word of God records that they were separated to prophesy through music.  The word naba used here is the same word used of the prophet Jeremiah (26:12) and of Ezekiel (4:7).  The Word did not say that these musicians were set apart to entertain or perform, but in clear contradistinction they had a message from God for God’s people.  Are you catching on?  The business of music making was serious business.  It was then and should be today a means of grace to the believer.  We should be as careful of the words we sing to God and the melodies we play to Him as we are of the words we pray to God.  Church musicians need the appropriate message for the appropriate hour.  Moses had two such messages.  We hear a lot about the song of Moses in Exodus 15:1-21:

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. 

This song was a great paean of praise written at a moment of great national victory.  However, Moses wrote another song which we hear very little about.  Deuteronomy 31:19 states:

Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the Children of Israel. 

This song of Moses was a setting forth of God’s mercy and vengeance on the Children of Israel.  It was a serious song and Moses knew that it was.  Verse 22 states:

Moses, therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the Children of Israel.

Verse 30 says,

And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.

This song is recorded in Deuteronomy 32:1-43.  Moses told them of God’s mercy and he warned them of God’s vengeance.  If we as church musicians today would include the whole Gospel in our music ministry – if we would consider the songs of the Lord to be urgent and important, church music would take on more of a concept of urgency like that of Bible times.  Musicians, I submit to you that maybe just once in a while, the Holy Spirit doesn’t want your music to bring the service to a high point.  Maybe He has ordained that you should plan, the pastor should water, and God should give the increase.