The Spiritual Testimony of Music
.... In our previous postings we discussed how God speaks through the witness of creation, using a language that is expressed without words, that is nevertheless understood by all (Psalm 19:1-4; Romans 1:20). We comparred this to His method in speaking to the prophets long ago, as He foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow (1 Peter 1:10-11). For the prophets began with impressions; but through meditating on the things they received, they were eventually able to put them into words (see 1 Corinthians 2:13).
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.... In this posting we’ll discuss yet another example of communication without words. For as the face of the heavens above can stir us with thoughtful impressions, music in able to move us in a similar way, even when words are not being used.
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.... For example, in 2 Kings 3, Elisha was asked to seek the Lord on behalf of the nation -- but for some reason there was a problem. In response he said, "Now bring to me a musician, " (v 15). And as the musician played skillfully, "the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha" and he prophesied..
.... In this example, listening to music was conducive to receiving prophecy, just as the groaning and travailing of the creation could be conducive. Each conveys an impression or a mood that can make us thoughtful in specific ways, and make it easier for us to connect with God in ways that are conceptually similar.
.... "Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments and symbols."
(1 Chronicles 25:1)
.... In this passage, melody and prophecy were natural companions. David himself played an instrument and spoke of the mysteries that were expressed thereby: "I will utter dark sayings upon my harp." (Psalm 49:1-4). Through the music he wrote, most of the Book of Psalms took form, and went on to become the Scriptural praise songs to the Lord. And are the Psalms prophetic? Is there a testimony of ‘the sufferings of Christ and of the glories that would follow’ to be found in them? In fact, two-thirds of the Old Testament quotations that are found in the New Testament are coming from this book. .... Music creates a mood, an impression, a 'groaning' if you will, which can be discerned deeply within our own spirit through a thoughtful process of comparisons, as we allow the impressions to match different situations in our lives (1 Corinthians 2:13). Depending on the song, our hearts may be spiritually knit with the meaning, even to the point of reading our own lives into those lyrics (A well-known example would be Roberta Flack’s 1971 hit, ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’). Prophecy can be similar, except in reverse, as the 'lyrics' are reading themselves into our lives (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)..... "My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer."
(Psalm 45:1)
..... Just as the temple singers of long ago were appointed by David to prophesy, modern musicians will often become the ‘prophets’ of their generation. Thus, the spiritual influence they produce through their music can be used in both good or bad ways. But without deviating too far on that tangent, we’ll return to the subject of true prophecy in our next posting.
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Daily Bible Reading: Acts 7
posted by loren at 12:12 AM
8 Comments:
Let’s say you’re listening to an oldies station, and they are playing a series of tunes from a certain period of your life. Or maybe you’re just listening to an old recording. Listening to those songs takes your heart back to those days, so you connect with them again. Old memories are stirred, and their meaning comes back to you. This is another example of how music is conducive to your thoughts and meditation.
By
loren, at 9/19/2005 12:22 AM
Let’s say again that you’ve just risen for the day, and you turn on your radio. The first song you hear may set the tone for your entire morning. A peppy tune may liven you up (Fleetwood Mac, ‘Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow.’) Or a sad, melancholy song may leave you down in the dumps all morning (Gilbert O’Sulivan, ‘Alone Again, Naturally’).
In either case, the song has created a mood that opens the door for further thoughts along the same line, and one thought leads to another as you meditate on them.
If God, perchance, would want to speak to you in a similar tone, He would find this attitude conducive for introducing His own thoughts. To some extent, He might even use the music to interplay with His message, so you could ‘compare spiritual things with spiritual’ and reach a clearer understanding of His meaning (1 Cor 2:13).
By
loren, at 9/19/2005 12:24 AM
Interesting post. I knew that music was a spiritually powerful thing, but I never noticed the connection to prophecy in quite such a dramatic way before.
But, of course, as St. Augustine said, "Singing is praying, twice."
God bless.
By
Gregory, at 9/19/2005 3:00 AM
Loren,
I agree with these passages and I know what you are saying about music and creation and all. My only concern is that for many this opens up a door to estatic worship. In other words the New Age religions capitalize on these themes. Some give place in that it prepares the heart and that is where I stand. There is a false spirit out there that seeks to tweak the senses in order for people to get themselves going to worship. This is something I struggle with because in reality I find that true worship and growth comes from suffering and contenment outside of the realm of physical stimulation. I agree that music is spiritual but some believe so much to the point that they feel it regenerates.
i am an emotional person and God has had to work overtime in my life to lead me to the point of not trusting in those highs and lows but to be content in whatever state I am in.
By
Bhedr, at 9/19/2005 10:32 PM
Hi Brian,
My wife plays the keyboard at our church and she has very similar thoughts. Music itself can be used for good or ill, and sometimes Christians mean it one way but it can really be the other. One must be very discerning.
The real point though is that music, like the witnesss of creation, conveys impressions that contain further knowledge when we ponder it. In that sense, they are a familiar example of communication without actual speech, and that is similar to how God speaks to us.
It's really just designed to give a clue through a similarity that we are probably more familiar with.
By
loren, at 9/19/2005 11:18 PM
In the same way, nature itself can be used for good or for ill. It declares the glory of God--but many exchange God's glory for the glory of nature, as St. Paul puts it.
In the same way, music is a wonderful method of communing with God, but it can also be abused. That is why these methods of understanding must be judged on the basis of God's revealed truth, and not simply left as they are. It is not enough to eschew "organised religion" and worship God in nature, as some are wont to do. The balance between that mystical experience of God through the gifts He has given must be maintained with recourse to the truth found in His church.
By
Gregory, at 9/20/2005 3:49 AM
Hi Gregory,
Good thougths, but I think the key to using all of them properly is to keep God in view.
For example, the law of Moses is good for the one who uses it lawfully, which tells us that even the word of God can be misused (1 Tim 1:18). When we look to the letter instead of the spirit, it produces death (2 Cor 3:6). But when we look to Christ we find the spirit and the proper perspective for life (vs 17-18).
In a similar way, the creation can clearly reveal the divine attributes of God (Rom 1:20), and as long as we're looking for God we've found the 'lawful' use. But as you pointed out, it is also possible to focus on nature itself and miss God's intention. When that happens, and something that was supposed to speak of Him actually replaces Him, it is always a form of idolatry.
The same concept can apply in churches. As long as they are pointing to Jesus, they are finding their 'lawful' use, whether through worship, preaching, exhortation, etc.. In each way Christ Himself is God's intention, and He is the spirit and life.
But as Brian was saying (particularly, in regard to music) when a church allows these things to become an end in themselves, problems emerge. It is one thing to get into the music, and another to allow the Lord to speak to you through the music, and to sing a new song unto the Lord.
That was a thought provoking comment. Thanks for adding to the discussion!
By
loren, at 9/20/2005 12:47 PM
Hey guys,
Thanks for your thoughts on this.
By
Bhedr, at 9/20/2005 10:42 PM
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