We shared on Christmas Eve that the heavenly choir that appeared to the shepherds wasn’t singing. They were rapping. (Text: “saying”) I closed with the observation was that God likes all kinds of music.
Fittingly, Psalm 150 closes with a confirmation of that fact. It begins:
Praise the LORD! (By the way, each of psalms 146 – 150 starts AND ends with “Praise the Lord!”)
- Praise God in his sanctuary;
- praise him in his mighty heavens!
- Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness. (Psalm 150.1, 2, ESV)
There are Christian traditions that insist on no musical instruments in their worship services. I applaud the quality of their singing! I also decry services where the sound coming from the stage (organ or praise band, doesn’t matter) is so loud that you can’t hear the congregation singing. This blog describes a positive example and links to John Piper’s essay on the importance of singing.
That said, Psalm 150 affirms (and confirms) that God likes all kinds of instruments in worship:
- Praise him with trumpet sound;
- praise him with lute and harp!
- Praise him with tambourine and dance;
- praise him with strings and pipe!
- Praise him with sounding cymbals;
- praise him with loud clashing cymbals! (Psalm 150.3 – 5)
Musical instruments go back to the beginning…
His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. (Genesis 4.21, ESV)
…and continue to the end…
And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5.8 – 10, ESV, emphasis mine)
…and in-between, singing…
Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, (Ephesians 5.18, 19, ESV)
…singing with instruments and dancing!
Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! (Psalm 149.1 – 3, ESV)
A fitting close to our journey through the Wisdom books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 150.6, ESV)