This week our devotional team is contemplating familiar worship songs. So it's worth considering why God intertwines His Word with music.
In past years my husband and I have invited people from other cultures who practice other religions to join us for Christmas celebrations. Their reactions to our singing have been eye-opening. One year a Buddhist student remarked "We never sing songs in our temples." Another time a Muslim student (Muslims chant, but do not sing, during religious services), sang along with a Christmas carol because she had memorized her favorites from a Celine Dione Christmas album.
I'd mistakenly assumed major religions intertwine music with religious words.
So why do God's people include singing with our gatherings and celebrations?
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. I Peter 2:9 ESV
As a royal priesthood we proclaim the excellencies of our God who has called us to himself. We engage these proclamations in song, not only within our congregations, but to the nations and the heavenlies. If we diminish the importance of singing or composing music, Psalms, the most extensive book in our Bibles, reminds us that composing music to lyrics is an integral part of Judaism's and Christianity's most ancient worship practices.
As the message of the Gospel of Jesus spread to different cultures and language groups, melodious compositions continued to flow from changed hearts.
The lyrics for the beautiful hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy" were first written in the early 1800s by the prolific hymnist Reginald Heber (1776 – 1826) while he was a vicar in England. (Later, he was the acting bishop of Calcutta, India). Heber's lyrics were based on two prophetic visions: Isaiah 6:1-5 ESV and Revelation 4:1-11 ESV.
In 1861, John B. Dykes wrote the tune "Nicaea" to accompany Heber's lyrics.
In line with modern trends, contemporary English speaking artists have chosen to popularize abridged versions of the hymn.
Sing this hymn to remind yourself of God's holiness, majesty and omnipotence.
by Kathleen Petersen
