THE PURPOSE OF MUSIC
No verse says it as well as Psalm 68:4
Psalm 68:4 shows us three ways for us to sing unto God:
Sing Unto God Praise Extol Rejoice
First, let's bring in two other Scriptures to help explain those three divisions.I Chronicles 16:7-12 Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
When we look collectively at Psalm 68:4, I Chronicles 16:7-12 and Ephesians 5:19, we can receive an even better understanding of Psalm 68:4. We will be able to see how all the verses in the Bible that have any direct application music relate to Psalm 68:4.
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Singing praises to his name is singing AT OTHERS, FROM ME, TO HIM!
Think on that phrase a few moments.
You will better understand this phrase as you continue to read the other segments of Psalm 68:4.
Praises are Popular - $$
Christians these days certainly seem to be aware of the words sing praises, yet many ignore the last three words to his name. It appears in our modern Christianity that singing praises about God has become so popular that it has even become popular within the secular world and that goes against the Scriptures.We should withdraw from them, why should they'want us?'
The sound of sin should not include God's praises, etc.Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
II Corinthians 6:17These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
Jude:1:19
To His Name
Christians today must see in Psalm 68:4 that these praises can only be sung TO HIS NAME, yet according to the Holy Scriptures, a lost person can not sing to his name until he is willing to first call upon his name!Important name - Matthew 21:9; Luke 10:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:26; Romans 10:13; I Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; Colossians 3:17; II Thessalonians 1:12; 3:6; II TImothy 2:19; Revelation 15:4
False name -Matthew 7:22; 24:24
Must be in His Name
Romans 8:8 tell us that a person IN THE FLESH cannot please God. In other words, a lost person is in the flesh and is still in your sins; however a saved person is NOT in the flesh NOR is he in his sins. Christ became sin for anyone willing to call upon his name and put their trust in Him, not in anything or anyone else.So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit,
if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Romans 8:8,9I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins:
for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
John 8:24No matter how 'great' or 'wonderful' and no matter how great the 'arrangement' or 'orchestration' is written & performed, a lost person cannot please God by singing unto God or even about God, etc. because that person does not know God and God does not know that person, thus God can not hear those praises!
Sacrifice of the Wicked - an abomination
Proverbs 15:8
Proverbs 21:27
Face to face?
Revelation 3:20
You will also learn in this book that much of the music being sung today in our churches would never be sung directly to His face."How can you say that?" you ask! Well, after you finish reading what the Bible says about music, you will see why we can actually expect the Lord to be saddened and the Holy Spirit quenched with most of the music from Christians, today. To put it into as simply as I can, I will state that much of today's Christian music is 'after the flesh' and we all should know that the flesh profiteth nothing - John 6:63.
David's O.T. Example/ Ensample
Looking to I Chronicles 16:8-12, we should see some phrases that apply perfectly well when it comes to singing praises specifically to his name. The Jews were told to make known his deeds; talk of his works; remember his marvelous works, wonders and judgments and glory in his name. That should help us understand more that our praises are to be to his name.
EXTOL HIM THAT RIDETH UPON THE HEAVENS BY HIS NAME JAH Keep this in mind when you extol God. To extol is TO HIM, FROM ME! Extol
Remember...
Praises are: AT others, FROM me, TO Him.
Extolling is: TO Him, FROM me!
The word extol is not a common word today, but obviously it is the word God wants us to know and use. Extol means to raise in words or eulogy; to praise; to exalt in commendation; to magnify.Extol is an even deeper form of worship! Our worship becomes even greater as we grow older and come to realize how great God truly is in our own personal life! To extol God is to pay divine honors to God; it is to give reverence and homage to him in adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving and the like.
David's O.T. Example/Ensample
Going to I Chronicles 16:8-12 reminds us that the Jews were to give thanks, sing psalms unto Him. So we can learn from them, amen?
Extol Whom?
We see in Psalm 68:4 that we are told to whom we should specifically extol: Him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH.A Jewish language instructor has said that notes from her Rabbi explain that Psalm 68:4 depicts a righteous judge riding on a horse to execute judgment on those who have done wickedness.
Furthermore, the instructor stated that according to Jewish mindset, anytime you have half a man's name, it refers to his son and JAH is half of JEHOVAH. Isn't that amazing? That is a direct reference to Revelation 19:11-16!
We should then see now that when we sing unto God, we are actually singing unto Jesus Christ.
As Psalm 68:4 states, we really are:Jesus Christ is God
- singing praises unto Jesus Christ;
- extolling Jesus Christ,
- rejoicing before Jesus Christ.
If Jesus Christ was not God manifest in the flesh, then we are not singing unto God at all. As it was in the Biblical days as well as it is today, folks just have a hard time seeing Jesus Christ as God!John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 1:1,14In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.I John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
I John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
II John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.Singing to AntiChrist today!
After reading those verses, it would appear that most modern Christianity is actually singing praises to the antichrist instead of to the real Jesus Christ. That should not be surprising as today's modern Christians are being led with bibles full of the spirit of antichrist and not the Holy Spirit. Click here for a complete series on Imitations in Modern Christianity.
REJOICE BEFORE HIM To rejoice before him would be FROM ME, FROM HIM! Before Him
As we were taught very specifically about singing praises and extoling, we see once again, that we are told very specifically also about rejoicing. We see that our rejoicing must be before him.Singing the Joy of Their Religion
If it has not become obvious yet, it will soon, that it is the "language of music" today that is causing people to express their joy and 'smile' when singing about their 'religion.'To state it quickly and simply, the word of Christ is what we are to have dwell in our hearts, NOT the music.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
It seems that people have come to need a specific musical style and/or arrangement to get them to 'rejoice'. Special 'orchesetrations' or a specific 'instrumentations' are being written to "aid and attract" in our rejoicing, but we must to be wary that we don't rejoice BECAUSE of the music; we should instead rejoice WITH the music BECAUSE OF HIM!
Remember how the elemens of music work us?
Melody - pleases God
Harmony - pleases man
Rhythm - pleases flesh/devilAgain looking back into II Chronicles 16:8-12 we see the Scriptures tell us to call upon his name; rejoice in your heart; seek the Lord, his strength, his face. With those in mind, you may see how better understand this portion of Psalm 68:4.
Where does Ephesians 5:19 fit in to this picture? Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
ConclusionPsalms are songs of praise.
Hymns are worship songs.
Spiritual songs are rejoicings.Psalm 68:4 even fits in the history of American music in that very order presented in the verse.
Psalms in early American history
Hymns in middle American history
Spiritual songs in latter America.Fascinating things to learn, eh!
Remember...
Praises are: AT others, FROM me, TO him.
Extolling is: TO him, FROM me!
Rejoicing is: FROM me, FROM him!Do you already see better why music should be a "concern" for a Bible Believing Christian?
"Playing around with music" means you are "playing around with God's praises!"It really can be the start of something bright OR dark in your Christian walk!
I. God's 'music' (Philippians 4:8) will:
Praise Him face to face,
Give Him His Worship,
Allow us to Rejoice before Him!Or...
Because that, when they knew God,
they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful;
but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Romans 1:21YOUR music played for yourself or for others can darken a foolish heart even more!
Proverbs 25:20
As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre,
so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.Don't Allow It To Happen To You!
Study "Music" in Your King James Bible!
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