Why Should We Sing Psalms? Part 1

Why Should We Sing Psalms?  Part 1

       Without doubt the most important reason that we should sing Psalms is that the Bible very clearly instructs us to sing Psalms.  It is amazing to me that many Christian musicians completely disregard this Bible command.  The Bible does not leave Psalm singing completely up to those who feel like it, but rather it commands us to sing Psalms unto God.  1 Chronicles 16:9 states, “Sing unto him, sing psalms (zamar 2167) unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.”  Psalm 105:2 repeats the command, Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.”

        James 5:13 also teaches very clearly, “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray.  Is any merry?  Let him sing psalms (psallo 5567).”  I suppose those who completely ignore psalm singing may only legitimately do so if they are afflicted and are not happy in the Lord.  So, the Old and New Testaments both mandate very clearly that we are to sing the Psalms unto God.

Thought for the Day

Some of the people that I have known for a long time seem to believe that singing psalms is to formal or too outdated to be useful or practical.  What would our worship be like if we believed that obeying many of the other commands given in the Bible were too liberal for committed Christians?