Music That Pleases God

AS THE Bible shows, the Israelites were a musical people. Music was "a prominent art in ancient Biblical times, comments Unger's Bible Dictionary. As a part of everyday life, both vocal and instrumental music featured in their worship. But it was the human voice that was used more prominently.

King David appointed representatives among the Levites "for the direction of the singing" at the tabernacle, before the temple built by Solomon, his son, was inauguarated. (1 Chronicles 6:31, 32) When the ark of the covenant, representing Jehovah's presence, arrived at Jerusalem, David arranged for some of the Levites "to call to remembrance and to thank and praise Jehovah." They accompanied their vocal praise "with instruments of the string type and with harps, . . . with the cymbals playing about, . . . with the trumpets."" These men were "designated by names to thank Jehovah, because 'to time indefinite is his loving-kindness.'" 1 Chronicles 16:4-6, 41, 25:1.

The refrain "[Jehovah's] loving-kindness is to time indefinite" appears many times in the Psalms, the Bible book most associated with music. For example, it forms the second part of each of the 26 verses of Psalm 136. "Its brevity renders it adapted to a people's lips," observes one Bible scholar. "Everyone having heard it, could remember it."

The superscriptions to the psalms indicate the widespread use of musical instruments. Psalm 150 makes mention of the horn, harp, tambourine, pipe and cymbals, in addition to strings. Nevertheless, the primary appeal is to the human voice. Verse 6 exhorts: "Every breathing think-let it praise Jah. Praise Jah, you people!"

Since music expresses our feelings, mournful thoughts in Bible times prompted dirges or chants. This form of singing, however, was limited in the repertoire of Israel's music. "Only in a dirge or lamentation would the chanting style be preferable to either the melody of music or the modulation and oral emphasis of pure speech," observes the Bible encyclopedia Insight on the Scriptures.

Jesus and his faithful apostles sang praises to Jehovah on the night before Jesus' death, doubtless intoning words of the Hallel Psalms. (Psalms 113-118) How this must have strengthened Jesus' disciples to face up to the loss of their Master! More than that,their resolve to remain faithful servants of the Supreme Sovereign of the universe, Jehovah, must have deepened as they five times sang the refrain "for his loving-kindness is to time indefinite." -Psalm 118:1-4, 29.

The early Christians of Ephesus and Colossae sang "psalms and praises to God" (literally,"hymms"). To these they added "spiritual songs" that were sung in their hearts. (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16) By both song and speech, they fittingly used their mouths to express praise. Had not Jesus declared that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks"? -Matthew 12:34/

Next time: Music That Displeases God

Watchtower, 2000