What Type of Music is Appropriate For Worship?
Maybe this is best answered by analysing one of
the items of music in the Bible, written especially for Sabbath worship, Psalm 92.
1 A Psalm or Song for the
Sabbath day. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing
praises unto thy name, O most
High:
2 To show forth thy
loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
3 Upon an instrument of ten
strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.
4 For thou, LORD, hast made me
glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
5 O LORD, how great are thy
works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
6 A brutish man knoweth not;
neither doth a fool understand this.
7 When the wicked spring as
the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they
shall be destroyed for ever:
8 But thou, LORD, art most
high for evermore.
9 For, lo, thine enemies, O
LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall
be scattered.
10 But my horn shalt thou
exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
11 Mine eye also shall see my
desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked
that rise up against me.
12 The righteous shall
flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon
13 Those that be planted in
the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bring forth
fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
15 To show that the LORD is
upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Verses 1 tell us the Object of our
worship: The Lord, the most high God.
Verses 1 & 3 tell us how to worship:
with thanksgiving and with music, what to sing (praises), to include musical
instruments if available*, and for the music to be solemn (Hebrew Higgaion,
meditation, solemn sound, not boisterous)
Verses 2 & 4 tell us why worship: To
acknowledge God’s loving kindness, faithfulness and the works He has done.
(Verse 5 describes these works)
Verse 6 warns against foolishness
(Hebrew keciyl – foolish, stupid, silly, not taken seriously) & brutish
(Hebrew Ba’ar – fiery, greedy, wasteful) behaviour.
Verses 7 & 8 contrast the transitory
life of wicked man with the eternity of God
Verse 9 highlight the fate of the wicked to
contrast verses 10-14, which highlight the blessings of acknowledging God.
The Psalm concludes with another reason for
worship, i.e.: To show that the LORD is upright: he is (our) rock, and there is
no unrighteousness in him
So how do we summarise:
Music in worship should be joyful yet solemn,
remembering that we are in the presence of the Most High God.
Music in worship should spring from gratitude
within our hearts (thankfulness) and an acknowledgement of who God is and what He has
done.
Music in worship should be taken seriously
Music in worship should not be conducted
foolishly, flippantly and without regard to the Object of our worship.
Music in worship is for the benefit of:
1. God – He is the Object of our worship and
deserves our thankfulness and praise (Verse 1, 2, 5, & 8)
2. The worshipper: (Verses 10-14) and
3. Observers and other worshippers: the music
should lead others to see the righteousness and surety of God (Verse 15)
* I have written to include
musical instruments if available because this Psalm is a worship item
not a command
From Lionel Hartley, Music in
the Bible, Available free from www.lrhartley.com/music
