Music welcomed heroes and celebrated victories. Miriam and other women sang, danced and played timbrels when the Israelites miraculously escaped the Egyptians - Ex.15:20 - and the Song of Moses in Exodus 15 is the earliest recorded song in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. Jephthah's daughter greeted him with timbrels to celebrate his victory over the Ammonites. - Judg. 11:34 - David's triumph brought music. - 1Sam. 18:6 -
Music was used in making war and crowning kings. Wartime music-making was apparently little more than making noise, as in the fall of Jericho. There was music for banquets and feasts and royal court and harems. Examples of occupational songs, dirges and laments. - Judg. 7:18-20; 1King 1:39-40; 2Chr. 20:28; Joshua 6; Is. 5:12; 24:8-9; Eccl. 2:8; Jer. 31:4-5; Matt. 9:23 -
The Jews were apparently a very musical people. And Jubal was the ancestor of all those who play the lyre, harp and flute. - Gen. 4:21 - But professional musician do not appear in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible before David's time. Even before professional musicians became the norm during David's reign, the concept of court musician did exist. The young David was called to soothe king Saul with music. In this sense, David was a minstrel - a player of stringed instruments. - 1Sam. 16:16-23; 2King 3:15 -
The transition from spontaneous music to professional male musician chiefly associated with organized religion was a natural one. Israel's neighbour, Assyria and Egypt, had long had professional musicians. In spite of God's command to avoid other cultures, Israel was nevertheless strongly influenced by them - in music as well as religious practices. Exactly how music was used in the tabernacle and Temple services is not known but scholars are certain that it accompanied sacrificial rites. Sacrificial music was forbidden after the Romans destroyed the Temple in A.D. 70. The Levites, Temple assistants responsible for the music, seem to have kept this part of the service a secret.
King David introduced music into the sanctuary worship. His son and successor Solomon later retained it after the Temple was built. - 2Sam.6:5; 1King 10:12 - Music must have been considered an important part of the service, since Hezekiah and Josiah, the two reform kings, saw to it that music was included in the reformation. - 2Chr. 29:25; 35:15; 1Chr. 15:19-21; 16:4-6, 39-42; 23:5; 25:7-8 -
Our greatest clue to Hebrew music lies in the Book of Psalms, the earliest existing hymnbook. As hymns, these individual psalms were suitable for chanting and singing in the worship of God.
The New Testament contains little information about music. But it does give some additional hymns to add to the Old Testament hymns - those of Mary and Zechariah - the Magnificat and the Benedictus. - Luke 1:46-55, 68-79 - The New Testament minstrels were flute players employed as professional mourners. - Matt. 9:23 - Early Christians sang Hebrew songs accompanied by music. Matthew records that Christ and His disciples sang a hymn after the institution of the Eucharist (Passover/Last Supper) - Matt. 26:30 -
The apostle Paul refers to "God's praises, psalms, hymns and spiritual songs".
Late that night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God's praises while the other prisoners listened. - Acts 16:25 -
Do not drug yourselves with wine, this is simply dissipation; be filled with the Spirit. Sing the words and tunes of the psalms and hymns when you are together and go on singing and chanting to the Lord in your hearts, so that always and everywhere you are giving thanks to God who is our Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Eph. 5:18-20 -
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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