(33) The Heart of Worship is Musical

(Note: This is part of a continuing series of posts on The Heart of Worship & Psalm 95)

Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

“With psalms” indicates the use of instruments in the Hebrew. The Hebrew mizmôr and the Greek word psalmos, signify music accompanied by an instrument, particularly the harp. Scripture describes a large variety of musical instruments including stringed (Dulcimer, Harp, Lute, Lyre, Psaltery, Sackbut, Trigon, Viol), wind (Clarinet, Cornet, Flute, Organ, Pipe, Shophar, Trumpet) and percussion (Bells, Castanets, Cymbals, Rattler-Sistrum, Tabret, Timbrel, Gong).

Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!  (Psalm 150)

The Bible is full of invitations and commands to worship God through music. Various styles and expressions are encouraged from melodious and peaceful to very loud and expressive. Biblical, God honoring and reverential music can be very calm and peaceful or it can be very loud with many instruments and “shouts” of joy. It even includes rhythmic dancing with timbrels. (If you attend a church with a conservative, formal worship style, I don’t recommend you try to start a congo line down the aisles this Sunday!) In Heaven, the worship sounds like thunder! So, biblical worship can include a wide variety of instruments and a wide variety of expressions.

I have heard some claim that “church music” does not include drums or guitars. They say these are not in the Bible. But neither are the piano or the organ. The mention of a particular instrument in scripture or its absence from scripture does not determine if it is appropriate. Scripture does not mention numerous things that are a part of our church services today, even the most formal and conservative churches.

In terms of the lyrics of the songs used in worship, examples of worship in scripture exhibit variety here as well. Sometimes worship in scripture recounts the stories of God’s dealings with His people, sometimes several of God’s attributes. Sometimes it is progressive in its thoughts, sometimes it is very repetitive . . . “Your love endures forever (Psalm 136).” (Please take note of this extensive repetition in light of the criticism that contemporary worship is repetitive.)

There is no biblical style of worship. Let me pose a hypothetical situation for your consideration and judgement. Imagine that you go to a jungle in the Amazon rain forest and lead a tribal group to Christ. You give them the Bible in their language and miraculously, they can read it immediately. As yet, you have not taught them about worship or modeled worship for them. Now, you challenge them to study all the biblical passages related to worship and music. What would their worship look like? I can tell you without fear of contradiction that if they only went on their study of the Word of God that their worship would hardly look anything like our worship in western civilizations. Their worship and their music would in many ways mirror their existing cultural expressions. The content would change, but much of their musical forms would probably not change. Why? Because they would find nothing in scripture to tell them it should change! Scripture indicates there will be people in Heaven from all cultures worshiping God according to their ethnic style of worship.

The critical element in genuine worship is not the instruments or the style, it is the necessity of biblical content and the heart.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs

Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.

(Ephesians 5:19)

God is a God who loves variety and creativity.  In His Word He encourages us to have variety and creativity ino our worship.  Let's not put ourselves in an artificial, traditional or cultural box that God doesn't put us in.  There is a great deal of worshp expression encouraged in scripture that many of God's people, especially we who are doctrinally conservative and reformed, have never put into practice and in some cases, have even shunned.

Soli Deo Gloria

Next:  (34)  The Heart of Worship is Focused