Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 2

            Isaiah’s writings recognized noise in relationship to music in ancient Israel in verse eleven in chapter eleven, “Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.” The word that Isaiah used was hemyah (1998) is derived from hamah (1993) which also connotes noise or tumult.   Amos 5:23 also recognized noise in relationship to music. “Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.”  The Hebrew word that Amos used was hamown (1995) which means a rumbling or noisy sound.  Surely the twenty first century Christian’s ear should be able to recognize noise in relationship to worship music.

            As far back in history as the writing of the 89^th Psalm there was an understanding that there would be those who could not (or would not) be able to distinguish between the two types of sounds.  One of the shades of meaning of the word yada (3045) which was translated “know” in the AV is comprehension or discernment.

            According to Herbert Lockyer Jr. “Since the dawn of creation, artists have been exploring the many ways which music communicates beyond words.”  All the music of the Bible, p. xi.  I believe that Dr. Frank Garlock accurately assessed music’s ability to communicate with the time honored statement “Music is the message”.  What and how music communicates is a complicated matter.  The problem with music communicating is not that it exudes some ethereal, subliminal, hidden, or esoteric message or that it has some kind of magic ability to control the auditors mind.