Singing And
Making Melody
In Your Heart
1. A Melody In Your Heart
"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;." Ephesians 5:19-20
Our last topic was derived from an old song that God has used many times to speak to my heart, "Better Farther On". We began with the version that I hear most often today, and our last entry included an original version I found on the internet that was possibly written around 1877. Songs have always had a special place in my life. Mom told me that I used to sing "Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Baran" to my Aunt Barbara when I was just a toddler. I remember singing "Silent Night" in the church Christmas play when I was six years old. I still enjoy singing at church, and even singing when it is just me and the Lord. Yesterday, I read of Moses and the Children of Israel going through the Red Sea on dry ground. In Exodus 15 they sang a song of triumph. I felt that God was leading me to take a closer look at some of the songs in the Bible. Some don't feel like they have a talent for singing, but our verse above tells us we can sing and make melody in our hearts to the Lord, giving Him thanks. Join us as we learn a little more about these great Bible songs.2. A Song Of Triumph At The Red Sea
"1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.
6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power:..." Exodus 15:1-6
The Children of Israel heard of the power of God through Aaron and Moses. "And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped." (Exodus 4:29-31) They saw the power of God in the plagues on Egypt. "And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth." (Exodus 8:22) They experienced the power of God as He brought them out of bondage and led them across the Red Sea on dry ground. "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen... And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses." (Exodus 14:13-17, 28-31) Now the people believe. They heard, they saw, they experienced, and now they sang a song of triumph. "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him." (Exodus 15:1-2)
3. A Going Away Party That Wasn't
"20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.
21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.
22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.
26 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?
27 Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?
28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad." Genesis 31:20-29
Today there are all types of devices that allow us to enjoy music at any time. We see people jogging down the road listening to music through earphones. We can hear music in our cars, and some can even enjoy music as they work each day. It is fun to listen to our favorite types of music, and even more enjoyable to share it with others. Music is a great way to bring life to a party. In our scripture above, we find the story of a going away party that wasn't. Jacob served Laban twenty years and Laban cheated him in his wages ten times. So Jacob tried to flee from Laban with his wives and children. Laban was angry when he found out and would have harmed Jacob if the Lord had not warned him in a dream. He tells Jacob that he wanted to have a big going away party for his family with joy, and song, and music. This is an early mention of music in the Old Testament, but it is not the earliest mention. Do you know the record of the earliest music in the Bible? Check back with us this week to find out.
4. Was There Music On The Ark?
"16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.
19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.
21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ." Genesis 4:16-21
We can look all the way back in time to the fourth chapter of Genesis to find music. This chapter gives the history following the line of Cain, the first son of Adam and Eve. Most of the fathers in these generations are just mentioned by name, and we don't know anything else about them. But we are told that Enoch built a city and named it after himself. A few generations later we come to Jabal who must have not liked the city life, so he took his cattle to greener pastures and lived in tents. His brother was Jubal and we are told that "he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ." We are not given the age of each father as we are given in the line of Seth, but if the years are about the same, Jubal could have been born before Noah by a couple of generations. If so, there could have been harps and organs on the ark. I never thought about music on the ark. I have read studies of how music has been used to calm animals, and maybe Noah and his family had music on the ark to calm the animals during the storm. We read in I Samuel 16:23 that David played the harp to calm King Saul. We also read that Paul and Silas sang at midnight while in prison. (Acts 16:25) When we pull all these references together, it seems very possible that there could have been music on the ark. I can't play a harp, but if I was shut up on a boat for a year, even I could probably learn to play one. This gives us something to think about.
Check back tomorrow and find out what I think might be the first mention of music in time.
5. "The Morning Stars Sang Together"
"1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" Job 38:1-7
As we continue with our study of music in the Bible, I have traveled all the way back to the beginning of time, God's creation. Just look at these questions God asked Job. "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" The stars sang praise for God's creation. A few years ago I saw a science article which told how modern telescopes or other powerful instruments have been able to detect and record radio waves, or sound waves from the sun and stars. Just before typing this devotional I did a quick search on the internet and found some recordings that have been made of singing stars. I did not need this information to believe that stars sing. I have the Word of God which tells me that the morning stars sang together at creation. I believe God's Word, and I am always fascinated when I read of discoveries that go right along with the Bible. I enjoyed looking at pictures on the internet of Hezekiah's Tunnel, as mentioned in II Chronicles 32:30, when I was working on our Summer Bible Study two years ago. The singing stars remind me of the triumphal entry of Jesus riding on the colt in Luke 19:37-40. "And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." If the stars can sing praises to our God, and the stones could praise Him, how much more should we praise Him... for we alone have been given the wonderful gift of salvation.
6. The Song Of Spring
"For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." Song of Solomon 2:11-13
As I looked out my kitchen window, I noticed how green everything has turned. April was a wet month for us, but God sends the rain to water the flowers and trees. There was an old joke when I was in elementary school that went like this... "If April showers bring May flowers, what do Mayflowers bring?" The answer was "Pilgrims." When my children were in school I asked them that old joke... "If April showers bring May flowers, what do Mayflowers bring?" My youngest son, Josh, was very young, but old enough to know the months of the year and he said, "June bugs". I thought that was a pretty good answer. I like spring. I enjoy watching the birds and listening to their songs of praise. God gave the birds their songs. God can give us a song when we put our trust in Him. "And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Luke 12:22-31)
7. Singers And Musicians In The Temple
"26 For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office, and were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.
27 And they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning pertained to them.
28 And certain of them had the charge of the ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by tale.
29 Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.
30 And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices.
31 And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the set office over the things that were made in the pans.
32 And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the shewbread, to prepare it every sabbath.
33 And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day and night.
34 These chief fathers of the Levites were chief throughout their generations; these dwelt at Jerusalem." I Chronicles 9:26-34
The book of I Chronicles begins, "Adam, Sheth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered, Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japeth." (I Chronicles 1:1-4) This historical book continues with the recordings of genealogies for several more chapters. The tribe of the Levites were set apart for service for the Lord. Chapter 9 records the names of the fathers and the specific duties they were to carry out. The verses we have above begin with the porters. They lived near the house of God because they opened the doors every morning. Some carried the vessels, or dishes, in and out of the temple. Some worked with the flour, oil, and spices, and others baked the bread. Each family had a job and it was passed down throughout their generations. When we come to verses 33 and 34 we see that some of the Levites were singers and they had no other job, "for they were employed in that work day and night." They sang praises to God day and night. If we back up a few chapters we can see the names of some of these singers. "And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had rest. And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order. And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel," (I Chronicles 6:31-33) And the list goes on and on. If we move forward a few chapters, we see that there were musicians with instruments also chosen from the Levites. "And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy. So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;... So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass; And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, ..., with psalteries on Alamoth; And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, ... with harps on the Sheminith to excel. And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful." (I Chronicles 15:portions of 16-22) When King Solomon dedicated the temple we find the singers again praising God. "Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God." (II Chronicles 5:12-14) The people sang and praised the Lord with music and the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. Can you imagine what would happen in our churches today if we put so much emphasis on praising the Lord? I'm not talking about praising the singers, or musicians, but I am talking about praising the Lord. Let's lift our voices in praise to God and worship Him with thanksgiving for His goodness.
8. Singers In The Army
Reading of the singers in the temple came as no surprise in our study yesterday, but today we may find it more than a little unusual to find singers marching in front of an army during war. Jehoshaphat was a good king, who did "that which was right in the sight of the LORD." (II Chronicles 20:32) We will begin our story in II Chronicles 20:1-4. "It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD." Jehoshaphat stood before the people and called on God to deliver His people. God answered him through Jahaziel who said, "Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, ... Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you." "And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD." (II Chronicles 20:14-17) The people believed God, and singers went before the army praising God, and God delivered them. "And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much. And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day." (II Chronicles 20:20-25)
9. Not All Singing Is Good
"15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.
18 And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.
19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it." Exodus 32:15-20
In the third month of their traveling through the wilderness, the Children of Israel came to Sinai and God called to Moses from the mountain and told him that if they would obey His covenant and keep His commandments then they would be His treasure above all people. "And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD." (Exodus 19:8-9) In chapter 20 God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and other laws. Moses went down and told the people all the words of the Lord and again they said they would obey God. "And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient." (Exodus 24:7) Moses went back up into the mount and God wrote the Ten Commandments on two tables of stone. Moses was there 40 days and 40 nights and the people went to Aaron and told him to make them false gods to lead them. (Exodus 24:18 & 32:1) How quickly they turned away from God. They saw the power of God in the plagues in Egypt and the miracle at the Red Sea. It took less than three months for the people to turn away from God and serve an Idol. As Moses and Joshua came down from the top of the mountain they heard the noise of the people. Joshua thought it was a noise of war in the camp, but it was the noise of singing and dancing. The people had sung a song of triumph to God at the Red Sea and now they sing and dance in sinful worship to a false god. We need to be careful today that we don't do like the Children of Israel. We go to church and sing praises to God on Sunday, but what are we singing during the week? The Lord deserves all our praise. Let's not give our praise to idols of man.
10. Three Who Didn't Bow With The Music
"9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Daniel 3:9-18
Music was an important part of the Bible story we have today. King Nebuchadnezzar made it a law that all the people would bow and worship his golden image every time they heard the sound of the music. There are six instruments listed by name, and then he added, "and all kinds of musick". These three young men, called "children" in Daniel 1:4, were Hebrews who had been taken away captive into Babylon. They could have made several excuses and bowed to the image at the sound of the music... we're not at home anymore and we need to follow those around us... everyone else is doing it... we don't have a temple here to our God, so we will just have to serve their gods... how can we serve God if we are killed? Don't let the world pull you away from God with its music. Think of the reasoning today... your music is old-fashioned and we need to follow with the crowd... all my friends are listening to this music... I want to listen to the popular music. Do you think Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego would have used any of these excuses? Don't let the music of the world pull you away from serving the true and living God.
11. When You Hang Your Harps On The Willows
"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?" Psalm137:1-4
Back in the mid-seventies our youth group at church had a revival. God called several young men from our group to preach the gospel. They bought a used tent and set up tent meetings, had cottage prayer meetings and preached on street corners. The young ladies played the piano and the rest of us sang. Our preacher often preached at Camp Meetings and the youth group traveled to sing where he was preaching on Fridays, or Saturdays. Those were wonderful years and the Holy Spirit moved among us and lost sinners were saved. By the mid to late eighties some "crept in unawares" (as Jude 1:4 puts it) and the direction of the church changed. The young preachers had been called to preach at other churches. (Five of those preachers are pastors of churches still today.) The youth that followed wanted new paths to follow. By that time my husband and I had started raising a family and still longed for the old paths. We no longer felt at home in the church, so we sought another old fashioned church. It was very depressing leaving the church I had attended for fifteen years. This verse rolled over and over in my mind like a wave on the shore, "How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?" The churches we visited seemed strange to us. We did not know the people. I often did not know the songs, and singing in the youth group had been such a blessing to me. I felt like just quitting church altogether, but God helped me through those times. He led us to a church and gave me peace. I am thankful to God for allowing me to be a part of that time of revival. I am thankful for the church that I now call my home church. I am also very thankful that God gave me back my song.
12. A Song In The Night
Psalms 42:8 Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
Psalms 77:6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.
Last week we read in I Chronicles 9:33 that the singers of the temple sang day and night. "And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day and night." Isaiah mentions those songs in the night. "Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel." (Isaiah 30:29) In our two verses from Psalms above, we see that the Lord gives us a song in the night. We may face great troubles and trials in this life, but God gives us a song in the night. Job lost his wealth, his children, and his health, yet through it all we find this verse, "But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;" (Job 35:10) The best example I know would be Paul and Silas, who were beaten with "many stripes" and thrown into the inner prison, with their feet held fast in the stocks. Let's read about their songs in the night.
"25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." (Acts 16:25-34)
When troubles come into your life, turn to God in prayer and sing songs of praise to Him for the blessed songs in the night. We don't know who may be watching our lives, and come to trust the Lord through our faith and ability to sing songs of praise in the night.
13. Hymns And Spiritual Songs
"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." Colossians 3:16
When I sit in church and listen to the preaching of God's Word, I often think of songs I know that go with the message. As I read my Bible some verses instantly bring to mind songs that I have sung for many years. There are other times when I am singing and God brings verses of scripture to my mind. Some songs have a special place in my heart because God has used those songs to speak to me in the past. Paul tells these Christian believers, "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." Isn't it wonderful that God has given us spiritual songs and hymns to teach us and give us wisdom. When we teach our children to sing "Jesus Loves Me" we are teaching them the foundation for the Word of God. Don't take those old songs and hymns for granted. Listen to the words as you sing.
"Come, Thou Fount"
by Robert Robinson
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise the mount -- I'm fixed upon it --
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
14. "Sing Unto The Lord, All The Earth"
"1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth." Psalm 96:1-13
Hearing the birds sing in the spring brings joy to my heart. They seem to be lifting up their sweet songs in praise to the Lord. Look again at verses 11 and 12. "Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice" We can find nature praising God again in Isaiah 55:12. "For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." Let's take a lesson from the birds and sing songs of joy to the Lord. If the sea can roar its praise to God and the trees of the wood can rejoice and clap their hands to God, then we should be ashamed if we are not praising the Lord. Sing those songs of joy and be glad in the Lord!
15. Songs Of Thanksgiving
"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving." Psalm 69:30
There are so many good thankful songs. I enjoy singing them and I enjoy hearing others sing them. Sometimes if I am feeling tired or discouraged, or just a little down, I can start singing a song of thankfulness to the Lord and He blesses me and gives me a sweet peace and contentment that I can't explain. God is so good to me. Today I was almost out of something that I needed and I prayed that God would bless me like the widow woman whose barrel of meal and cruse of oil "wasted not" and God gave me enough. (I Kings 17:12-16) So today I want to give Him praise for being all I need. We don't have to wait until Thanksgiving to sing songs of praise to our wonderful, awesome God. He is so deserving of our thanks daily.
16. Happy Mother's Day
Mary's Song
"46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever." Luke 1:46-55
As we continue with our songs in the Bible, I wanted to choose a song of a mother for Mother's Day. I know of no other mother who is described more graciously than Mary. "And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS." (Luke 1:28-31) She found favor with God. What a testimony! Mary's song is one magnifying the Lord. She praises Him for choosing her to be the mother of the Messiah. She glorifies God for for His holiness, His mercy, and His strength. As a descendant of Abraham, she looked for the coming Messiah as did her people. With this message from the angel, Mary praised God for remembering His promise to His chosen people.
17. Songs Of Praise
"And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off." Ezra 3:10-13
I really like the story of the verses above, but let's begin with a little background information. The Children of Israel were taken into captivity to Babylon and their great city and temple of Jerusalem had been burned and destroyed. The book of Ezra tells of the small remnant of people that returned to Jerusalem and worked to restore and rebuild the temple. When the temple foundation was laid the people sang and gave thanks to the Lord. Notice the difference in the worship. The priests played with their trumpets and the Levites with their cymbals in praise to God. They sang praises with thankful hearts to God for His goodness. Some shouted to see the foundation laid. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off." We can all sing praise to the Lord for His goodness and He may bless us in different ways. Some may play with great skill on instruments of various sorts. Some may sing heartfelt songs of praise. A few may even shout the victory. And those who are older, I won't call them ancient, may cry tears of joy as they remember where God brought them from to where they are today. We can worship the Lord in many different ways, and it can often begin with songs of praise.
18. Do You Whistle While You Work?
"And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water. Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it: The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:" Numbers 21:16-18
Do you whistle while you work? Back in my childhood, I remember the old Disney movie with the seven dwarves singing, "Whistle While You Work". In my search for songs in the Bible I came to these few verses about the Children of Israel singing while they worked. They had been wandering in the wilderness throughout the book of Numbers and we come to chapter 20 and Miriam died, then Aaron died. In chapter 21 the people complained and God sent serpents among them. "And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth. And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising. From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared. From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites." (Numbers 21:9-13) They are making progress toward the Promised Land. In their wanderings, the Children of Israel often murmured of having no water, but these verses don't record complaining. "And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water. Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it: The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves." The princes and nobles dig while Israel gathered around and sang, "Spring up, O well". Could it be that they have finally come to trust God? It is not hard to say which is more pleasing to God, murmuring and complaining, or singing while we work.
19. A Song Of A Vineyard
"1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry." Isaiah 5:1-7
When I was in the fifth grade our class studied "The Ballad Of Barbara Allen" in music class. It was like a love story with a sad ending. This song in the book of Isaiah reminds me of a ballad. "Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes." The song begins as a love story, the love of the Lord of hosts and His love for the house of Israel. He did all He could to make them fruitful, but they "brought forth wild grapes". Hear the sorrow in the music as the Lord poses the questions. "What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?" Feel the sadness of the lyrics as the song ends. "And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry." What a sad song. We should take heed. God has blessed our nation with mercy and grace. Are we a fruitful people or a land of wild grapes?
20. A New Song
"1 <<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.>> I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered." Psalm 40:1-5
We can't complete our look at songs in the Bible without looking at a song of David. The book of Psalms contains many such songs, and today we are looking at Psalm 40 which was sent "To the chief Musician". It is a song of deliverance. As we read what the Lord did for David, put yourself in David's place. "I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." Then David proclaims, "And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD." Has the Lord lifted you up our of the horrible pit of sin? Did He set your feet on the solid rock and established your goings? Did He give you a new song in your heart? Paul told the Coringhian believers, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (II Corinthians 5:17) Praise the Lord for lifting you out of your old life and giving you a new song.
"1 O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
2 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity." (Psalm 98:1-9)
21. A Psalm Of Praise
"1 <<A Psalm of praise.>> Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100:1-5
If the book of Psalms were our hymn book, then this would be one of my favorite songs. Psalm 40 and 98 both opened with praise for all God has done for us. Psalm 100 tells us how we are to respond to the Lord for His goodness, and His everlasting mercy and truth. Look again at the ways we are to praise Him.
-- Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
-- Serve the LORD with gladness:
-- come before his presence with singing.
-- Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
-- Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
-- and into his courts with praise:
-- be thankful unto him,
-- and bless his name.
22. The Lord Will Joy Over Thee With Singing
"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." Zephaniah 3:17
We have mentioned several things that sing. "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:7) "And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." (Luke 19:40) "The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;" (Song Of Solomon 2:12) "And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day and night." (I Chronicles 9:33) "Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice" (Psalm 96:11-12) We can find the sum of it all in Psalms 150:6, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." But did you know that the Lord will sing? Look at our verse above. "The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." What a blessed day that will be, to see my Saviour and thank Him for all He has done. What a wonderful sound, to hear the joy of the Lord in song, "He will joy over thee with singing." Of all the things in heaven and earth that sing, it will be most enjoyable to hear the Lord sing for joy!
23. Songs To Teach God's Word
"19 Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
20 For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.
21 And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.
22 Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel." Deuteronomy 31:19-22
God gave Moses a song to teach to the Israelites to remind them of God's Word. God told him that the song would be a witness against them because each generation would remember the song. We can sing songs to be a witness to others. We teach our children to sing, "Jesus Loves Me" and pray that they will remember this truth always. As we begin our last week of "Songs Of The Bible", let's look at some of the hymns and songs we sing that contain the holy scriptures. I can't help but feel that God moved these song writers through the reading of His precious Word and they wrote their message in song, that stirred their heart.
24. "Cleanse Me"
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24
When I thought about using songs with scriptures, this was the first to come to my mind. "Cleanse Me" was written by J. Edwin Orr in 1934. My three sisters and I sang this song forty years ago, and it has been a favorite of mine through the years. What a difference it would make in our Christian walk if this were our prayer daily.
"Cleanse Me"
1. Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray:
See if there be some wicked way in me:
Cleanse me from ev'ry sin, and set me free.
2. I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin:
Fulfill Thy Word, and make me pure within;
Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame:
Grant my desire to magnify Thy name.
3. Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine:
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine;
Take all my will, my passions, self and pride;
I now surrender: Lord, in me abide.
4. O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee:
Send a revival -- start the work in me:
Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need:
For blessing now, O Lord, I humbly plead.
25. "Come Unto Me"
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Do you ever get tired? I mean really, really tired? We get tired in our physical bodies from our work. We can get tired mentally from the stress in our everyday life. We also grow weary from all the emotional drama we face. The Lord Jesus can help lift our burdens and give us rest. Charles P Jones wrote this song giving out the Lord's message, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
"Come Unto Me"
1. Hear the blessed Savior calling the oppressed,
“O, ye heavy-laden, come to Me and rest;
Come, no longer tarry, I your load will bear,
Bring Me every burden, bring Me every care.”
CHORUS:
Come unto Me, I will give you rest;
Take My yoke upon you, hear Me and be blest;
I am meek and lowly, come and trust My might;
Come, My yoke is easy, and My burden’s light.
2. Are you disappointed, wand’ring here and there,
Dragging chains of doubt and loaded down with care?
Do unholy feelings struggle in your breast?
Bring your case to Jesus—He will give you rest.
3. Stumbling on the mountains dark with sin and shame,
Stumbling toward the pit of hell’s consuming flame;
By the pow’rs of sin deluded and oppressed,
Hear the tender Shepherd, “Come to Me and rest.”
4. Have you by temptation often conquered been,
Has a sense of weakness brought distress within?
Christ will sanctify you, if you’ll claim His best;
In the Holy Spirit, He will give you rest.
26. "Come And Dine"
"4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. ...
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." Portions of John 21:4-17
"Come and dine." Isn't it amazing that the Lord wants to fellowship with us. We have been extended an inviation in Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." C. C. Widmeyer wrote a song to send out the Lord's invitation in 1907.
"Come And Dine"
1. Jesus has a table spread
Where the saints of God are fed,
He invites His chosen people, “Come and dine”;
With His manna He doth feed
And supplies our every need:
Oh, ’tis sweet to sup with Jesus all the time!
CHORUS
“Come and dine,” the Master calleth, “Come and dine”;
You may feast at Jesus’ table all the time;
He Who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine,
To the hungry calleth now, “Come and dine.”
2. The disciples came to land,
Thus obeying Christ’s command,
For the Master called unto them, “Come and dine”;
There they found their heart’s desire,
Bread and fish upon the fire;
Thus He satisfies the hungry every time.
3. Soon the Lamb will take His bride
To be ever at His side,
All the host of heaven will assembled be;
Oh, ’twill be a glorious sight,
All the saints in spotless white;
And with Jesus they will feast eternally.
27. "Revive Us Again"
"Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" Psalm 85:6
Preacher J. Woods spoke on revival Wednesday night. His text was Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Revival is a time of repentance, a time of restoration, a time of spiritual refreshing, and a time of rejoicing. In Matthew 5:6 we see the Privilege of Revival, "Blessed..." or happy are those who seek God. Next, we see the Pursuit of Revival, "... are they which do hunger and thirst..." The Purpose of Revival follows, "... after righteousness..." and we end with the Promise of Revival, "... for they shall be filled." If you are seeking revival in your soul and you live in the area of High Point, North Carolina, I would like to invite you to our Revival Services next week, May 27th through May 31st at 7:30 each evening. Our church is Pine Grove Baptist Church on 6308 Modlin Grove Road, Archdale NC.
"Revive Us Again" was written by William P. Mackay in 1863.
"Revive Us Again"
1. We praise Thee, O God!
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.
CHORUS
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
2. We praise Thee, O God!
For Thy Spirit of light,
Who hath shown us our Savior,
And scattered our night.
3. All glory and praise
To the Lamb that was slain,
Who hath borne all our sins,
And hath cleansed every stain.
4. All glory and praise
To the God of all grace,
Who hast brought us, and sought us,
And guided our ways.
5. Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.
28. "Almost Persuaded"
"21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds."
Acts 26:21-29
I wonder how many people in our churches today are at the same state as King Agrippa. How many are almost persuaded to be a Christian? Look at Paul's remarks to King Agrippa, "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest." Maybe King Agrippa did believe the prophets' messages that the Messiah would come. Maybe you believe the Bible that Jesus came. But, have you ever put your trust in Him to save you from your sins? We don't read anywhere in our scriptures that King Agrippa was ever saved. If not, do you think these words roll over and over in his mind in torment? "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."
"Almost Persuaded" is a heart searching song written by Philip P. Bliss and published in 1871.
"Almost Persuaded"
1. “Almost persuaded” now to believe;
“Almost persuaded” Christ to receive;
Seems now some soul to say,
“Go, Spirit, go Thy way,
Some more convenient day
On Thee I’ll call.”
2. “Almost persuaded,” come, come today;
“Almost persuaded,” turn not away;
Jesus invites you here,
Angels are ling’ring near,
Prayers rise from hearts so dear;
O wand’rer, come!
3. “Almost persuaded,” harvest is past!
“Almost persuaded,” doom comes at last!
“Almost” cannot avail;
“Almost” is but to fail!
Sad, sad, that bitter wail—
“Almost,” but lost!
29. "There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing"
"And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing." Ezekiel 34:26
I have thoroughly enjoyed our look at "Songs In The Bible". I want to end on a joyous note with "There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing". This verse brings to mind one of my favoite verses in the Bible, Malachi 3:10, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." The Lord gave me this verse a few years ago and I have tried it and found His promises true. God continues to bless me abundantly with showers of blessings.
"There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing" was written by Daniel Webster Whittle under the psuedonym of El Nathan and published in 1883.
"There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing"
1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
CHORUS
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
2. There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
3. There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
5. There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.
