The Role of Music in Worship-part 13

The Role of Music in Worship-part 13 

       We all know that we are commanded many times in the Bible to praise the Lord.  That is sufficient reason to engage in praise as we music unto God.  Robert Weber gives three benefits of praising God. “First, praise is always associated with the presence of God.”  “Second, praise testifies.”  “Third, praise has the power to deliver us.” (Robert Weber, Enter His Courts With Praise.  Hendrickson Books, 1997, pp. 22-23).   As we mentioned in an earlier post, we do not worship God for what we get out of worship.  We don’t sing unto God for some kind of spiritual high.  However, since God inhabits our musical praise [see Psalm 22:3], we do often receive as we give our musical offering.

       Earlier in our music worship posts we mentioned that the musician has to resist the urge to worship music rather than actually worshiping God as we music.  Michael Marshall stated, “The instinct to worship, as surely as any other instinct in our lives, needs to be directed if it is not to become corrupted.”  (Michael Marshall, Renewal In Worship. Marshall, Morgan & Scott, U.K., 1982. P. 3.) 

         The 32nd chapter of Exodus is a prime O.T. example of misdirected worship. The children of Israel were worshiping in a manner somewhat like their neighboring nations worshiped.  This new form of worship seemed, to these misguided worshipers, to be the thing to do.  They sang, but that wasn’t exotic enough, so they danced.  In their misguided worship, the worship leader Aaron added a third dimension that was even more exotic—he decided that they should dance naked as they sang their noise based music (see vss. 18 & 25).

        Oh yes, I forgot to mention that he also added a golden calf as the object of their exotic worship music!  Remember that they were only musicing in worship the way their worldly neighbors worshiped.  They hadn’t invented anything new that had not already been done by the heathen nations that surrounded them.  The ancient Hebrews were merely musicing in the same manner that others worshipers musiced.  They were simply utilizing the “fine art” of dance in their worship like many of the other nations that surrounded them danced to a plethora of gods.  I think you get the point, and if you don’t, a few more paragraphs probably wouldn’t help much. 

       So, out of all the previous discussion, learn to guard your heart, your worship motives, and your time honored forms of musical worship that were given to you by your forefathers. Do not become discouraged or embarrassed because your church does not worship with trendy noise based styles of music or hire some dancers to make public worship look current or trendy.  Furthermore, be thankful that your fellowship of believers sings an occasional (meaningful) gospel song or even a hymn or two.  Remember that the Bible instructs believers that although we are in the kosmos (2889) we do not have to become part of the aion (165).