The History of Music Education—part 2

The History of Music Education—part 2

            Music education and music philosophy taught in the Bible is often misunderstood and misrepresented.  For instance Michael Mark (p.3) quotes  Edward Dickenson’s Music in the History of the Western Church as saying, “The Hebrews were unusual among ancient people in believing that music was not an invention of the gods with the power to influence morality and affect behavior”.   This statement is simply not supported by Jewish history or by what is written in the Old and New Testaments.  First, the ancient Levite musicians believed very strongly that YHVH was the creator of all things.  It is true that some of Israel’s kings did not love and serve YHVH and during those times Israel served false “gods”, but the notion that ancient Israel believed that music belonged to man rather than God is nothing more than a false notion.

            We learn this from the first and last books of the Bible i.e. Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” and Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” that God created all things and that all things” included music.  So, it was not “gods” that created but rather YHVH the self-existent, independent eternal God who was and is the creator of music.  The Revelation of St. John the divine teaches us that the reason the Lord is worthy of glory and honor is because he created everything.

Thought for the Day

Ecclesiastes 1:13, “And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.”