Training Our Own part 3

 

Training Our Own   part 3

 

     One more concept is note-worthy in this passage of Scripture. 1 Chronicles 25:1 records, “Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals…” The musical sons of Jeduthun prophesied (naba, nabiy 5012, 5030--to sing by inspiration as a prophet) with the harp.  It is significant that the six sons were taught to sing by inspiration while they played the harp, psaltery, and cymbals by their God-fearing chief musician father.  He taught his sons to give thanks i.e. hold out their hands in avowal and thankfulness to God.  He also taught them to praise (halal 1984) and to show or to boast about the self-existent, eternal God as they sang and played by the inspiration of God.

Many parents who love and serve the Lord do not recognize the great need for the next generation to be “instructed in the songs of the LORD”. As a matter of fact some Christian parents do not recognize that their children need any music education at all.  Many parents who are not Christians are more consistent in training their children musically than some Christian parents. Assuming that an astute music educator recognizes the necessity of quality music in elementary and secondary education, we are now ready to consider the necessity of a study of music philosophy at the elementary and secondary levels.

 

Training Our Own part 2

 

Training Our Own   part 2

 

 The Christian music educator has an awesome responsibility like Heman to be the King’s “seer” or a beholder of a vision of God’s kingdom (see 1 Chronicles 25:5).  Christian musicians are responsible to pass that vision on to those with whom they minister and those who are “under your hands”.  1 Chronicles 25:3 states, “Of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, and Mattithiah [and Shimei mentioned in verse 17], six under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the LORD.” This Scripture is an example of a musician in ancient Israel who was wise enough to musically educate his own sons.  According to 1 Chronicles 25:7, “So the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the LORD, even all that were cunning, was two hundred fourscore and eight.”  These ancient musicians did not send their children to the Philistines to receive music lessons.  They trained their own because they had musical massa (4853) or burden for the musical training of his own household like Chenaniah mentioned in 1 Chronicles 15:22. 

 The concept of training our own is not only an Old Testament concept but also a New Testament principle.  1 Timothy 5:8 states, “But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”[i]  Although this New Testament verse does not specifically mention music education, I believe the concept mentioned here is broader than the care of widows.

 

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Training Our Own part 1

 

Training Our Own   part 1

1 Chronicles 25:6 tells us, “All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God according to the King’s order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.”  The Levite sons were under their father’s “hands for song” (yad shiyr 3027, 7891).  This Scripture is probably a reference to cheironomy i.e. the use of hand signs to designate pitches to the Levite musicians.  So, these musicians were under the hands of their father who was a cheironomer or at least knew how to teach others the ancient art of cheironomy.  Now many centuries later, young people are under our hands for song like the Levite sons in ancient Israel.  The conducting gestures used by the conductor actually place these ministering Christian musicians under his or her hands.

           It is an awesome responsibility to have children, young people, and adults who are depending on us for musical and spiritual leadership.  Chapter twenty-five of 1 Chronicles is a discourse about the chief musicians who were music directors and the young musicians who received musical training and leadership from godly musicians like Asaph, Heman (Ethan), and Jeduthun.  These Levite men taught musical matters in the context of service to Elohiym the supreme exceeding God.

 

A Music Education Credo

 

A Music Education Credo

          The more than 600 references to music in the Bible are given by inspiration of God and are profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction (that includes music and musicing) today. The Bible provides timeless, relevant, and practical spiritual guidance for twenty-first century musicians.  The principles of musicing set forth in the Bible are relevant for developing a music education philosophy and praxis.  The only completely safe teacher of Christian music education and music philosophy is the Holy Spirit who is willing to guide Christian musicians into all truth concerning music education in this century.  

           There are absolutes concerning music education and its place in a Christian organization’s ministry.  A prescriptive Christian music education philosophy must be   built on Bible principles of musicing, profundity, appropriateness and standards of correctness.  There is room for taste in music in the context of music education, but the use of music in education is not all a matter of personal taste since it must be congruent with the principles of a changed life.  God thought music into being.  He owns it and His Word addresses it specifically.  Therefore, we should study Gods Word to *ascertain what He thinks about music and musicing. The Old Testament teaches that it is the responsibility of Christians to educate their own musically so that good causes in music may be served.  His Word commands us to instruct our children in “the songs of the LORD”. (1 Chronicles 25:7)

           Although Christian musicians live in this present evil world, they are not of this present world system and therefore a philosophy of Christian music education should be of a higher renovated character than secular, humanistic philosophies of music education.  A Christian music educator’s music philosophy matters to God, and although there is much evil in this century, conservative Spirit-filled musicians can effect changes in Christian music education that will have a positive influence in this century.  Parents, churches, Christian schools, and Bible colleges who have a Chistocentric music philosophy can and should catechize the next generation of Christian musicians.