Moses Sang

Moses Sang

Deuteronomy 32:44 ¶ And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea (Joshua) the son of Nun.

It seems only reasonable that Moses “sang” rather than “talked this song to the congregation of Israel.  It is my belief that intoning or singing the song that is now recorded in this Scripture was so common that Moses did not have to make a big deal about whether he sang or talked this song to the people. 

            Christian musicians need to remember that although quoting a sacred song can be effective, there is no substitute for singing and playing a song.  Musicing  the good news of the message of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a unique and special gift of God.  Throughout the history of mankind the ministry of music has had historically a unique and powerful place in both public and private worship.  This we know from the fact that Scripture often records instances of music in worship and commands us to praise and honor God through singing and playing unto Him. 

            What you do as a Christian musician has incredible value both toward god and man.  So, take heart today as you turn your heart to minister to and for Him.  God is honored by your musicing unto him and by your leading others in worship through music.  

 

Prayer, Song, and Qute for the Day

Prayer for the Day

Lord, I want You to know that I am serving you on purpose.  I also want everyone else to know that I am happy serving You.  Lord receive my song of joy as an offering of praise and adoration.  I love You Lord and want to serve You on purpose for the rest of my life.  Please help me to vent my joy through my offering of musical praise to You.  These things I am asking in Your name.  Amen.

 Song for the Day Wonderful Savior by J.M. Harris

Quote for the Day

“What you think about God is the most important thing about you.” ( Richard Grimilion)

 

 

 

 

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day

Lord, you know that I have the responsibility to lead our church in this next Sunday.  I am asking You to help me to select music that will help worship us all to worship You and to hear Your word.  Lord, I confess that I do not know which music to choose that will be most efficacious in helping us all to hear our pastor rightly divide the word of truth.  These petitions I am praying in Your wise and kind name.  Amen.

Song for the Day  Break Thou the Bread of Life  Mary a. Lathbury

Thought for the Day

The fact that music has so much power put even more responsibility on the Christian music who attempts to lead musical worship.

 

What Happened When the Minstrel Musiced?

What Happened When the Minstrel Musiced?

2Kings 3:15 states, “But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.”

           Why did Elisha ask for a minstrel during his time of need?  Surely Jehovah was abundantly able to help him and to supply the needed wisdom.  We know from other instances of prophesies that music was not a requirement for God’s prophet to receive the message of Jehovah.        I believe that the prophet of God called for a minstrel (nagan 5059) which was a singer-player because he recognized that music had great power.  Somehow the mood, associations, or calming effect that it produced made it possible, in this instance, for Elisha to hear the message of God.  It is no notion or joke that the music was efficacious in its ability to help the prophet receive the “word of the Lord”.  We know this as a fact because verse fifteen states, “And it came to pass, when the minstrel play, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.”

          Note that it states that “while” the minstrel musiced not after or before evidently the sound sequences prepared the prophet to receive the truth that God had for ancient Israel.  So, this OT example left for us in the Second Book of Kings teaches that our musicing can prepare the atmosphere before, during, and even after the congregation receives the Word of God from the minister

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day

Lord, I worship You because I love and honor the name of Jesus.  Lord, I want to truly worship You before the congregation, but also I want to worship You in my private time.  You are worthy of worship and praise so I enjoy musicing unto You.  I want to sing unto the name of the father, son, and Holy Spirit with loudest praise.  Thank You for forgiving all my sins and for purifying my heart. All these things I pray in Your strong name.  Amen. 

Song for the Day Crown Him with Many Crowns by George J. Elvey

Thought for the Day

Everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord—either now or later.

Worthy of Praise

Worthy of Praise

1Chronicles 29:10-13 states, “Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.  Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.  Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.  Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.” KJV

Revelation 5:9-12 states,  “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy art thou to take the book And to open its seals; For thou wast slain and didst ransom for God Men out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation; Thou hast made them kings and priests unto our God, And they shall reign on earth.’  Then I looked and heard a voice of many angels encircling the throne and a voice of the Living Creatures and of the Elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, singing aloud, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who has been slain, To receive power and riches and wisdom And might and honor and glory and blessing.’" Montgomery’s New Testament

David worshiped God before the congregation of Israel because he knew that the self-existent, independent eternal supreme exceeding God is worthy of all praise.  Likewise, in the Book of Revelation, the strong angel sang Christ’s praises because the Lamb of God was worthy to open the seven seals of the book because He paid the full price for the sins of every one of us.  Take time today to sing God’s praises with a strong voice that Christ, who suffered and died for our sins, is worthy to receive all praise, honor, power and glory.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

It should sober Christian musicians that the OT refers to the Major and Minor Prophets and the Chief Levite Musicians and even their musician sons in ancient Israel as naba or prophets.

The Levite Musicians Were Naba

The Levite Musicians Were Naba

            The Chief Levite musicians and their sons were referred to as naba (5012) or prophets in in I Chronicles 25: 1-3 and other places in the Old Testament.  The Chronicler recorded that they were separated (914) prophesy (5012) through their musicing.  The word naba used here is the same Hebrew word used of the prophet Jeremiah (26:12) and of Ezekiel (4:7) who were said to prophesy. 

 The biblical record gives no indication that the Levite musicians were separated or chosen merely to perform or entertain, but in clear contradistinction, they were set part as ministering musicians through the medium of sacred music.  Music making was serious business because they were presenting the message of YHVH to the ancient Hebrew nation.  Musicing was not only important business then but it still is today, because we are presenting the praises of God and the saving message of salvation from sin through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 Our musicing should be a means of grace to the people who hear and participate in church music worship.  As a matter of fact we should be as careful of the words and music that we sing and play unto God as we are of the words that we pray unto Him.  If we as Christian musicians would approach musicing unto God from this philosophical basis, we would be much more careful how we music in and out of the house of God.

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day

Dear heavenly father, I am convicted by this verse in the Book of Praises.  Although my strength is small, my heart is burning to in a greater way to lift up Your holy name with music.  I know that You are great and are high and lifted up, but I want all those who attend worship this week to experience you as being greatly lifted up.  Lord bless all those dedicated Christians around the world who are right now making preparation to lift up Your name in an even greater way this week.  These earnest petitions I am praying in your wonderful and worthy name.  Amen.

Song for the Day  I Exalt Thee  by Peter Sanchez Jr.

Thought for the Day

As important as musical nuance is to giving God our best musical offering, what is most important is that the music and the musicer give our great god a “greater rising”.

 

 

 

 

Giving God a “Greater Rising”

Giving God a “Greater  Rising”

Psalm 34:3 states, “O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together."

             I was pondering over this verse this morning and my thoughts ranged from “that’s a good idea” to “that’s what we should do when we music together in worship”.  It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word gadol (1431) that is translated magnify in this verse is one of the te’amim.  The Hebrew words zaqef gadol are used as a subordinate degree of the prosodic system and their combined etymological meaning is “greater rising”.

            I may be a little peculiar but I get blessed thinking that the actual musical structure of one of the embellishment figures of Bible music suggests lifting God up in a more profound way.  Christian worship leaders must be absolutely sure that the music used in public worship lifts God up in the minds and hearts of the people.  This Sunday ask God to enable you through music to give Him a “greater rising”