Music's History and Significance

Music's History and Significance  

            Music theorists and historians have stubbornly resisted the fact that the ancient Hebrew Scripture helps us to identify the beginnings of music.  Scholarly sources like The New Oxford History of Music report, “It is very difficult to say anything definite about the origin of music, because the phenomenon is quite outside the range of our observation.  Even in those primitive civilizations that still exist there is no race so primitive that it can be considered a relic of the beginning of human culture.” 1 The problem with this statement is that we should not look for the origin of music in any existing remnant of early civilization but rather in the Old Testament Scriptures.  It is true that the Pentateuch is relatively silent as to the specifics of the beginnings of music.  However, we do know that God imparted musical knowledge to man before the flood.  Genesis 4:21 states that Lamech’s son Jubal “was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.” 

            What really matters most to Christian musicians is not exactly where music started, but how it began.  As we have discussed earlier, "In the beginning God created" everything--that certainly includes music!  Every theory starts with a whole laundry list of presuppositions.  A Christian music philosophy also starts with presuppositions.  These include:  God created.  Gods created music in a very good condition.  God owns music.  God created music for his glory.  God created music so that we may music in a way that will bring honor and glory to his name. God create music for the edification of  man.  God created music not only as a science but also as a fine art.  God created music so that we could enjoy the beauty of "created music".  God expects the Christian musician to "subdue" music.  (We will discuss this in a late blog.)