Jubal's Lyre: More Music to Explore in the Bible

In no way, within this short series, have we begun to exhaust what can be observed and said about music in the Bible. In this final offering, I highlight further musical references — some fascinating, some curious, and all of them interesting. I hope that these short reflections spur us on to further study and continued guidance in our vital offerings of joy and praise to God.

Large musical forces, even orchestras, are not just a modern phenomenon. Compare the Babylonian band, when Daniel’s friends are commanded to worship a large image of gold as told in Daniel 3, to the group gathered for the dedication of the new wall in Jerusalem as reported in Nehemiah 12:27-47. Both are large, diverse, “Middle Eastern” aggregations, but with vastly different targets in praise. Size and makeup do not matter, but the focus of the mind and heart do. Also, Nehemiah’s description includes antiphonal practice, choir to choir call-and-response. What a momentous day of praise on the walls of Jerusalem that was, and how utterly different from Babylon, though the instrumental combinations seem similar.

And did you know scripture tells us God sings about us? Zephaniah 3:17 says, “He will rejoice over you with singing.” That intensity is echoed in reverse, rather negatively, in Ezekiel 33:32: “Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.”

That verse always brings to my mind another obscure musical reference in the Bible. In Amos 6:5-7, the prophet warns of complacency, and even misuse, in sacred music-making: “You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful…” Quite the indictment! It reminds me of another of Ezekiel’s prophecies, this one against the city of Tyre and its musicians: “I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more,” (Ezekiel 26:13). Yes, we can sometimes get it wrong, can’t we?

We really cannot begin to exhaust the many references to music, sacred and profane, in the Bible. What we can do, when we offer up our own music, is be guided by the basic principles that emphasize total surrender to God’s Spirit throughout all our efforts. After all, it is not about the music, is it?

And maybe we will be privileged, as Job relates in chapter 35 verse 10, to feel the moving of our Lord in what we offer, and we will know for certain of “God my Maker, who gives songs in the night…”