Music is an amazingly powerful medium to capture and transform the heart, and to push it toward good or evil. It can move the heart more quickly than any other form of art or communication on earth. Music can instantly create an emotion, a memory, a mood, or a passion. It can change the heart’s direction, focus, and purpose. It can alter behavior. It can heal or destroy the human heart. Music has the power to change an entire culture or even a nation.
In its purest form, music is a precious blessing from God, designed to uplift the thoughts to noble and godly themes, inspiring and elevating the heart. Music is also one of the major tools the Devil uses in spiritual warfare. It can turn us away from God, move us to sin, and emotionally sabotage us.
Cary Schmidt, in Music Matters: Understanding and Applying the Amazing Power of Music, writes:
Music is not only an idol in today’s culture, it is an addiction, and is the primary tool that Satan uses to indoctrinate, control and manipulate the hearts and minds of the masses … No tool in his arsenal is so powerful, so seductive and so subtle as music … I submit to you that music is the most prominent, powerful and pervasive form of communication that satanic spirits are using to control and shape our mass culture. Everywhere you turn, the world is hearing. Everywhere you listen, the voices are speaking. And everywhere you look, music is shaping the emotions, the spirit, and the hearts of people.[i]
Music is Never Morally Neutral
As Christians, we cannot be ignorant of the effects of music on the heart. We must be aware of the music we are allowing to saturate our hearts. Music is never morally neutral. It always carries a message to the heart that is either good or evil.
What is the soundtrack of your life? What music is being played on the chords of your heart? What music is at the top of the charts when it comes to your heart? There is a direct connection between the music we listen to and the spiritual health of our hearts. Music always produces and influences a lifestyle. Life, thought, mood, emotion and desire flow out of the music we listen to.
Listen to what philosophers, scientists, doctors, professors, and musicians have said about the moral and spiritual power of music.
Plato: “In order to take the spiritual temperature of an individual or a society, one must mark the music … Musical innovation is full of danger to the State for when modes of music change, the laws of the State change with them. Music is a moral law … Let me control the music for one generation and I will control Rome … Show me who writes a nation’s songs and I care not who writes its laws … Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.”
Aristotle: “Music has a power of forming the character, and should therefore be introduced into the education of the young … From what has been said it is evident what an influence music has over the disposition of the mind and how variously it can fascinate it.”
Albert Einstein: “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music … I get most joy in life out of music.”
Pietro Mascagni, Italian composer: “Modern music is as dangerous as narcotics.”
An inscription at the Alte Opera Haus in Frankfurt, Germany: “Bach gave us God’s Word. Mozart gave us God’s laughter. Beethoven gave us God’s fire. God gave us music that we might pray without words.”
Dr. Howard Hanson: “Music is a curiously subtle art with innumerable, varying emotional connotations. It is made up of many ingredients and according to the proportions of those components, it be soothing or invigorating, ennobling or vulgarizing, philosophical or orgiastic. It has the powers for evil as well as good.”[ii]
Alan P. Merriam: “There is probably no other human cultural activity which is so all-pervasive and reaches into, and shapes—and often controls—so much of human behavior.”[iii]
Dr. Adam Knieste: “Music is a two-edged sword. It’s really a powerful drug. Music can poison you, lift your spirits, or make you sick without knowing why.”[iv]
Jay Grout: “Music directly affects the passions or states of the soul—gentleness, anger, courage, temperance, and their opposites … When one listens to music that imitates a certain passion, he becomes imbued with the same passion. If over a long time he habitually listens to the kind of music that arouses ignoble passions, his whole character will be shaped to that ignoble form. In short, if one listens to the wrong kind of music—he will become the wrong kind of person.”[v]
Songwriter E. Y. Harburg: “Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought.”
Frank Zappa: “The loud sounds and bright lights are tremendous indoctrination tools; it is possible to modify the human chemical structure with the right combination of frequencies. If the right kind of beat makes you tap your foot, what kind of beat makes you curl your fist and strike?”
The Beatles: “Our music is capable of causing emotional instability, disorganized behavior, rebellion and even revolution.”
Drs. Daniel and Bernadette Skubik: “A driving drum rhythm in excess of three to four beats per second will put the brain into a state of stress, regardless if the listener likes or dislikes the music. And when the brain is in this stressful state, it will release opioids—a group of natural hormones that function like morphine—to help return itself to normal equilibrium and sense of well-being. These natural opioids, if experienced often enough, can be addicting, creating in the listener the continual desire for that ‘high’ somewhat like the high runners experience.”[vi]
The Power of Music to Alter Physical and Emotional States
Music is powerful enough to produce mental and physical effects in our bodies and our brains. Music can modify brain waves, slowing them down and creating a more relaxed, content, and peaceful feeling, or speeding them up, causing more agitation, anxiety, and nervousness. Norman M. Weinberger, professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at the University of California, Irvine: “Music can rapidly and powerfully set moods and do so in a way not as easily attained by other means.”[vii] Music not only creates positive or negative emotions, moods, or behaviors, but also can change them in an instant. Music can even affect the rhythm of respiration causing calmness and control of emotions or superficial and scattered thinking, emotional disturbance, and impulsive behavior.
Richard Wagner’s music was thought to be instrumental in the establishment of the Third Reich in Germany. Nietzsche once said, “My objections to Wagner’s music are physiological. I breathe with difficulty as soon as Wagner’s music begins to act upon me.[viii]” Wagner’s music had a strong psychological effect not only on Nietzsche, but also on Adolf Hitler. The power of music had a part in molding one of the most brutal, ruthless, and destructive dictators of all time. Never underestimate the power of music to influence, indoctrinate, and control the human heart.
Don Campbell, in The Mozart Effect, says:
The heart rate responds to musical variables such as frequency, tempo and volume and tends to speed up or slow down to match the rhythm of a sound. The faster the music, the faster the heart will beat; the slower the music, the slower the heart beats … As with breathing rates, a lower heartbeat creates less physical stress, calms the mind and helps the body to heal itself. Music is a natural pacemaker … Music can also change blood pressure … Excessive noise may raise blood pressure … Such noise may trigger the body’s fight or flight mechanism which causes adrenaline and norepinephrine, two strong hormones, to be released, speeding up the heart and straining the blood vessels.[ix]
Music also can change the body temperature, influence blood circulation, increase endorphin levels, and affect the body’s release of hormones. Music has a pulse, a life, and a flow of energy through its beat, tempo, tone, and rhythm that dramatically affects our spiritual hearts. Music is a spiritual medium where philosophies, emotions, ideas, and agendas are conveyed directly to the heart. All music has a message in both its words and its pitch, tone, and beat, and we must be wise as to who the messenger is in the music we are listening to.
The Involuntary Response to Music: Emotion by Design
One of the most amazing things about music is its ability to affect us subliminally. Rather than intruding on our conscious thought, it enters directly into our hearts. The human response to music is involuntary. One of the greatest examples involves the company Muzak, which began in the 1940s, and provides background music for all types of businesses. Cary Schmidt, in Music Matters: Understanding and Applying the Amazing Power of Music, writes:
No group on the planet has studied the power of music more than the researchers at Muzak. An article from The New Yorker magazine in April 2006 quotes, “Today, [Muzak] estimates that its daily audience is roughly a hundred million people, in more than a dozen countries, and that it supplies 60% of the commercial background music in the United States.” Muzak offers a service known as “audio architecture” to more than 350 corporations around the globe. Audio architecture is essentially the power of public influence and control—through music … Chances are, if you have been anywhere in public in recent days, you’ve been subject to Muzak’s influence without even knowing it. This is a company that owes its success to the manipulative power of music in mass culture. Muzak simply could not exist if music did not affect the attitudes and behavior of people. The New Yorkerarticle says in this story, “In the forties, Muzak introduced a trademarked concept, called Stimulus Progression, which held that most workers would be more productive if they were exposed to music gradually increasing intensity, in fifteen minute cycles. The process was said to be subliminal: Music affected you the way hypnosis did, whether you wanted it to or not. Only sanitized instrumental arrangements were used, because the absence of lyrics made the music less likely to intrude upon conscious thought … Audio architecture is a compelling concept because the human response to musical accompaniment is powerful and involuntary. “Our biggest competitor,” a member of Muzak’s marketing department told me, “is silence.” Did you catch that? “The human response to musical accompaniment is powerful and involuntary.” Are you getting the message? Are you understanding how powerful and dominant music is in our culture? Look at Muzak’s own promotional words, “Audio Architecture is emotionby design … It is the integration of music, voice and sound to create experiences that link customers with companies.” Its power lies in its subtlety. It bypasses the resistance of the mind and targets the receptiveness of the heart … These soundtracks bypass our intellectual resistance and create involuntary, heart-level emotions and responses.[x]
That is powerful! Consider this. If Muzak can do this with music, what can Satan do with music? More important, what is Satan doing with music, and what is the music of the culture doing to our hearts? If music is important for mass marketing, how much more powerful is it in the spiritual realm and in our relationship with Christ?
Can you imagine something so powerful that it can generate an emotional and behavioral response in your heart that you have no control over? Depression, anger, lust, and hatred can ride into your heart by the music you listen to as well as joy, peace, love, and inspiration. For the Devil to establish a stronghold in your mind and heart, it takes time to build ways of thinking and acting according to his subtle influences. But music can give him a free ride into your mind and your heart within a matter of seconds. Music is that powerful, and it can quickly change the composition, direction, and boundaries of the heart.
Music is emotion, music is passion, music is behavior by design, and it can subtly change our hearts without us even knowing it. It can be like a toxic vaccine that is injected into the bloodstream. We don’t see its dangerous effect on the heart until it begins to circulate throughout the entire body. Music can be a dangerous weapon to our hearts, and wisdom mandates that we are wise as to its powerful effects to influence our emotions, behavior, and lifestyle.
Music in the Spiritual Battle for the Heart
Music is intimately related to the spiritual battle that rages for the heart, because the music you listen to, the soundtrack of your life, can change you and dictate your emotions, your behavior, and your heart’s responses to circumstances in life. Music can create an emotion. Music can create an attitude. Music can create a desire. The music you listen to will affect your heart and your basic personal and spiritual mind-set, either drawing you closer to God or driving you further away. Every song is a sermon for either good or evil.
Cary Schmidt, in Music Matters: Understanding and Applying the Amazing Power of Music, writes:
The choices you make when you turn on a CD or an iPod are intricately related to your inner life. You will either be led by the flesh or by the Spirit of God. Your music is changing you. It is dictating emotions and heart responses that are either godly or ungodly … Ultimately your spiritual and emotional condition, as influenced by your music, will come out in your lifestyle. Your words, your deeds, your decisions, and your actions—the issues of your life—will be a product of your heart and what you’ve placed into it. Your music directly affects your heart. Both God and Muzak agree on this … The soundtrack of your life is closely related to the spiritual condition of your heart. You cannot separate the two. God’s Word is clear. Basic reasoning is clear. Medical and social statistics are clear. Our music always affects us personally and spiritually. God desires to grow you through music and Satan desires to destroy you through it.[xi]
Music in the Bible
In 1 Samuel 16, we see a vivid example of the effect of music on the heart. King Saul was having significant issues with envy, pride, anger, and bitterness. The Spirit of God departed from him and an evil spirit started tormenting him. When David played his harp, the music refreshed Saul’s heart and the evil spirit departed from him. The music of David facilitated the departure of evil from the heart of Saul. The right music is powerful enough to drive away demons and negative spiritual influences from the heart.
In 2 Kings 3, the prophet Elisha commanded the kings of Israel and Judah to bring him a harpist. While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha and he received a word from the Lord. Music can calm the heart and make it more receptive to hearing the voice of the Lord. Music can bring our thoughts, emotions, and desires into the presence of the Lord, where the life and words of God can flow into our hearts.
In Exodus 32, music caused an increase in evil in the hearts of the children of Israel, plunging them into idolatry. Moses and Joshua went to Mount Sinai to commune with God and receive His instructions and laws. Aaron remained at the camp with the children of Israel. When they grew tired of waiting for Moses, they pressured Aaron into making an idol in the form of a golden calf. They had a wild revelry of pagan worship as they sacrificed and bowed down to this idol. They sang and danced in this celebration, and the music sounded like the “noise of war” (Exodus 32:17).
In this instance, music caused them to forget the awesome things God had just done for them in their deliverance from Egypt. It opened the door of their hearts to the Enemy, driving their emotions, passions, and behavior. The words of the children’s song ring true to the health of the heart: “O be careful, little ears, what you hear.”
Angelic Music
Music is a vital part of heaven and the throne of God. It has been part of the worship and praise of God since the beginning. Lucifer was created as a beautiful and wise archangel, an anointed cherub, and music was an integral part of his being.
Thou [Lucifer] hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: Thou wast on the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. (Ezekiel 28:13–14, KJV)
Cherubim are the highest-ranking angels in God’s kingdom and are the most powerful, beautiful, and wise spirit beings God has ever created. Cherubim only do what God beckons, and they are to never turn away from it (Ezekiel 1:9,12; Ezekiel 10:11). The voice of the Almighty is always right above their heads, and they move swiftly, like lightening, to obey His commands (Ezekiel 1:14, 24-26). The fire of God burns brightly in the center of their beings, like coals of fire, and the glory of God rests upon them (Ezekiel 1:4, 13, 27-28; Ezekiel 11:22-23).
These spirit beings were the guardians and ministers of God’s throne, as Psalm 99:1 declares that God is “enthroned above the cherubim.” Revelation 4:6 also says these cherubim have special access to God’s heavenly throne. Revelation 7:11 says the cherubim fall down in humility on their faces before the throne of God and worship Him daily, saying, “Blessing and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power be unto our God for ever and ever.” Cherubim praised and worshipped God constantly, giving great honor to the holiness and majesty of God Almighty.
The cherubim are fiercely devoted to God, and their entire purpose is to serve God with undivided loyalty. C. H. Spurgeon called them “the flaming ones who gaze upon His glory.[xii]” The dazzling light of the Lord’s presence rose from within the cherubim as they lived and ministered in the very glory and presence of God. These living spirit beings never ceased to cry out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8). Words fail miserably in describing the magnificence of these cherubim that ministered daily before the throne of God.
The tabernacle and the temple were full of images of cherubim, the most significant being on the mercy seat that was the covering for the Ark of the Covenant, where the presence and glory of God was revealed. The cherubim images had their wings spread over the Ark, symbolically guarding its holy contents and the glory of God that surrounded it.
Lucifer: The Divine Musician
Lucifer, the highest ranking of the cherubim, was the guardian of the throne of God and His glory and holiness. In Ezekiel 28:14, God called him the “anointed cherub that covers,” illustrating the supreme responsibility Lucifer held in the kingdom of God. This is the only time the word translated anointed is used in the entire Bible, and in the Hebrew it carries the meaning of expansion. It could be translated as “the expanded anointing or the anointing of expansion.” This super-anointing on Lucifer enabled him to carry out his holy duties and assignments before God.
Patrick Fairbairn, in his exposition on Ezekiel, translates the name Lucifer as “the cherub consecrated to the Lord by the anointing oil.[xiii]” How special he must have been to the heart of God to give him such an extraordinary anointing. Lucifer was the mightiest supernatural being that He had ever created, and music was an essential part of this super-anointing of God.
The Hebrew word translated covers in Ezekiel 28:14 means to cover so as to secure and protect, to defend, to weave together, and to build a hedge. Lucifer was the great protector, and guardian of the throne of God. His music, praise, and worship were to surround the heavenly throne like a hedge. He was so close to the throne and to God’s presence as to be considered intertwined as one in purpose with God’s authority, power, and glory.
God created Lucifer with supernatural abilities and talents in music, to be used daily for the glory of God. Ezekiel 28:14 says that God set him in this position, which means he consecrated, ordained, and entrusted Lucifer as the super-anointed minister of music, praise, and worship.
We must examine some of the Hebrew words in this verse from Ezekiel to get a real sense of the Devil’s relationship with music. The Hebrew word translated workmanship means occupation, business, service, and ministry. It means the service or ministry that one is employed or sent to do in life. It describes the work of the artisan, the architect, the public servant, and the ordinary laborer. It is even used in Genesis to describe God’s work of divine creation (Genesis 2:2–3).
The Hebrew word translated prepared means to be firmly established, to be ordained, and to be fitted. The primary action of this verb is to cause to stand in an upright position. The word is used in Proverbs 3:19 of God “establishing” the heavens.
God created Lucifer with an occupation, a ministry, and a service in the kingdom of God, and it involved the skillful use of tabrets and pipes to make music that glorified God in the worship of Him at His throne. God firmly established Lucifer as a chief musician and ordained Him in this ministry of music. Music was the focal part of his occupation.
Tabrets and pipes are musical instruments that were created in the very being of Lucifer. Ezekiel says the tabrets and pipes were prepared, established, and ordained in him from the very day Lucifer was created. These percussion and wind instruments were a part of him just as our arms, legs, or fingers are a part of us. He was a living musical instrument. Lucifer was fitted and framed by God to have music as an essential part of who he was and what he was appointed by God to do. Music was his domain, and this was to be his ministry forever before the throne of the Almighty.
Ezekiel says Lucifer was perfect in all his ways before he sinned. The word translated as “perfect” means whole, complete, healthful, wholesome, sound, perfect, free from blemish and undefiled. It means to be perfectly in harmony and accord with the truth, and it could be summed up in the words “to speak and sound out the truth.” Lucifer’s music was absolutely perfect and complete, without any spot or blemish of imperfection. It was a literal sounding out of the truth of God’s awesome characteristics and glory, and it promoted wholeness and peace and righteousness. His music was like a healing balm throughout the halls of heaven. His music was the living Word put to sound that was glorious perfection in every note, arrangement, pitch, and beat. He was the heavenly composer, whose music elevated the heart toward God and filled it with praise, joy, and thankfulness in a great crescendo of exuberance and awe before the throne of God. All the perfection of musical composition and performance was created in Lucifer. He was the maestro of music in the entire heavenly realm.
Tabrets
In the biblical culture, a tabret was a thin wooden rim in the shape of a circle, covered with a membrane, usually with brass bells or rattles attached. It was basically a tambourine, and it was used in dance. The Hebrew word for “tabret” emphasizes beating or striking to produce a sound. The seventeen usages of this word in the Bible show that it was meant to be an instrument of joy and celebration.
The tabret was used in the praise and worship of God. It was also used to celebrate the joy of victory in battle against Israel’s enemies. The prophets and prophetesses also played the tabret, such as Miriam did after the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea (Exodus 15:21-22).
The following verses in Psalms show the tabret being used in the praise of God.
Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their king. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel [same Hebrew word for tabret] and harp. (Psalm 149:1–3, KJV)
Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 150:1–6, KJV)
The tabret accompanied songs of rejoicing, praising God for His mighty acts and breathtaking greatness. God’s intention for a musical instrument like a tabret is that it would be an extension of the heart, and its music was to reflect a heart that totally belonged to God and was overflowing with praise, adoration, and love for Him. The music and song that flowed from the musical instrument was an outward expression of the inward reality of a heart completely devoted to God. Music was to be an expression of the spiritual temperature of the heart that is on fire for God. Music was to convey the beautiful joy of knowing Him and the gratitude of being the object of His affection. Our hearts were made to sing His song.
Pipes/Flutes
The Hebrew word translated pipes refers to the grooves or holes of the instruments. It comes from a root word meaning to bore through. This Hebrew word for pipes in Ezekiel 28:13 only appears once in the Bible, which emphasizes the uniqueness of this wind instrument that was created in the very being of Lucifer. His musical abilities were in such perfection that they were far above human comprehension.
Like the tabrets, pipes were used to express great joy and celebration. In the Bible, pipes were played in celebration of the crowning of a new king. They were also played by the prophets before they prophesied and celebrated a word from the Lord. They accompanied a celebration by dance. They were played at marriage feasts and in mourning at funerals, as we see in Matthew 9. Pipes were used in the worship and praise of God as people rejoiced with songs of gladness about the Lord and His salvation.
Flutes were played in the temple on twelve special festivities, including Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The pipe, as with all other musical instruments, was intended to be used as an expression of a heart full of love and gratitude for its Creator.
Psalm 5 has the title “For the director of music: For flutes. A Psalm of David.” This psalm was meant to be a song of praise with a flute accompaniment. According to E. W. Bullinger in The Chief Musician, or Studies in the Psalms and their Titles, this subscription belongs at the end of Psalm 4 rather than at the beginning of Psalm 5.[xiv] Psalm 4 speaks strongly against turning God’s glory into shame and following false gods. It instructs us to not sin out of anger, but to search our hearts and be silent and offer right sacrifices to God, trusting only in Him.
Lucifer turned God’s glory into shame when he rebelled against God in heaven. In intense anger and hatred toward God, he sinned and failed to offer right sacrifices to Him. Lucifer did not search his heart to find the pride that turned his trust toward himself rather than God.
God used a wind instrument—which, like the tabret, was created in Lucifer—to accompany a psalm about the futility of worshipping any god other than the Lord. He used the flute to touch this psalm with music that encourages His children not to make the same mistake Lucifer made, which led to his tragic downfall.
Read this beautiful psalm and imagine a flute accompaniment that brings these words to life.
Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Selah[xv]
In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah
Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.
Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.
You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:1–8, NIV)
This psalm is an ode of joy from David to the Lord for being his righteous, merciful, and loving God. It beautifully declares that true joy, peace, and goodness come only from the Lord. The flute helps to drive these words home to the heart.
Stringed Instruments
Isaiah links one other musical instrument to Lucifer:
Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the sound of your stringed instruments; the maggot is spread under you, and worms cover you. How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! (Isaiah 14:11–12, NKJV)
Isaiah says “the sound of your string instruments” when referring to Lucifer. This phrase illustrates an extraordinary mastery of stringed instruments by Lucifer and the use of them to accomplish his wicked purposes. They must have been quite valuable to Lucifer for him to declare them as his own.
The Word of God does not say whether these stringed instruments were created in Lucifer, but it does say that he used them with “pomp.” The Hebrew word translated pomp means pride, arrogance, splendor, majesty and ornament. Music is the Devil’s original domain, and he uses music as an ornament for all to admire in order to bring glory to himself.
The Hebrew words for “stringed instruments” are translated as psaltery, lyre, and harp in various places in the Bible. The phrase refers to musical instruments in the harp family.
A portable harp was a popular instrument in the Hebrew culture. It had wonderful capacities in pitch and tone, and was believed to have ten to twelve strings. The strings were drawn over a sounding board, so this harp was like a primitive guitar. The strings were stretched over a skin soundboard, giving the lyre or harp an exotic timbre and considerable volume.
As this musical instrument advanced, its strings were stretched in high tension over woods like fir and algum. It was capable of producing loud music, as indicated in 1 Chronicles 15:26, where it was heard even among the rams’ horns, trumpets, and cymbals. It was also capable of producing musical solos.
Psalm 119:54 says, “Thy statutes have been my zemirot [songs accompanied by plucked stringed instruments],” illustrating that all Hebrew Scripture could be accompanied by this wonderful instrument. It was designed to beautifully set the Word of God to sound.
In Revelation 5:8, we read that every cherubim and every one of the twenty-four elders had a harp that they used in singing a song about the great redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ.
Corruption of Music
The Devil did not lose any of his musical abilities and talents when he rebelled against God. They just became corrupted. And now he uses his musical abilities for his own wicked purposes.
Satan fully understands musical composition, as he was originally a living musical instrument, and he still carries music as an integral part of his spiritual being. He knows how to compose and inspire music that will seduce the human heart away from God. He inspires the writing of music and lyrics that disturb, agitate, or drive the heart with passions, emotions, and thoughts that lead it into his captive snare. The Devil uses a variety of instruments to construct a sound that can fundamentally change the direction and content of the heart. The Enemy understands music better than any human who ever lived on the earth, and he hates God. That is a dangerous combination.
In Isaiah 14, the Word of God declares that Lucifer weakened the nations, caused the earth to tremble, made the world a wilderness, shook kingdoms, and turned the world into a prison house. Although the Devil has many wicked schemes and methods in accomplishing these things, music is one of the ways he has weakened nations and made the world a prison house of captivity. Music is a supernatural weapon of mass destruction in the hands of Satan.
The Hebrew word translated weaken in Isaiah 14:12 means to waste away, to overthrow, to decay, or to disable. The Devil has used music to bring nations to their knees, causing their moral and spiritual foundations to decay and waste away. Music can change the moral and cultural climate of a nation, overthrowing its stability in the hearts and minds of its people, and weakening its strength as a nation. Music can crumble the pillars of a civilization and arouse in its citizens the worst passions of its fleshly sin nature.
The Hebrew word translated tremble in Isaiah 14:16 means to quiver with violent emotion, especially anger or fear. The Devil uses music to disquiet, agitate, and enrage the heart, causing it to quiver with violent emotions, like anger and fear. Music moves the heart like no other sound on earth, and Lucifer knows exactly how to use it to move the heart away from God. It is amazing how one song can move the heart to depression, discord, and agitation. Music can truly make the inhabitants of the earth tremble in great disturbance of heart.
The Hebrew word translated shake in Isaiah 14:16 describes a confused noise, a rattling, an uproar, or a crashing. One form of this word means “noisemaker.” The Devil uses the vibration of music, turning it into a confused noise that shakes the very core of the heart. Music can cause an uproar, shaking the hearts of a nation’s people with confusion and disorientation, causing them to disconnect from God and wander away from Him. The Devil distorts the beauty of music, which God intended to fill the heart with joy, into something that rattles it with disorder.
The Devil would “not let his captives go home,” according to Isaiah 14:17. Satan does everything he can to stop a person from going home to God, where He awaits with open arms.
Christians can experience wonderful deliverance at the cross of Christ, and then allow a careless choice of music to draw them back into their old ways and lifestyles, becoming enslaved again. Music can cause the heart to become a prisoner of war in Satan’s kingdom.
Lyrics: Conveying the Message
Lyrics are a powerful medium to convey a message. Yet many people don’t pay much attention to them. The message in a song is rarely checked at the entrance to the heart. Instead, we allow the words and sounds to flow in freely. Many song lyrics promote the works of the flesh and encourage self-mutilation, suicide, lust, greed, sexual perversion, and rebellion.
Some musicians are blatant about the source of their inspiration and the purpose of their songs. They consider music to be a form of advertising, a clarion call to entice the heart and mind into ways of thinking, speaking, and acting that are not from God Almighty.
Take a moment to reflect on the lyrics in the music you listen to. Does it promote the fruit of the Spirit of God or the fruit of the flesh? A spirit of holiness or of corruption? Does it encourage obedience to God and His Word or rebellion? When you listen to it, do you feel peace or anxiety, agitation, and fear? Does your favorite music build the love of God in your heart, or the love of the world?
Music as Idolatry
Music can establish a law, creed, or lifestyle in your heart that you follow with passion, not even realizing that the prince of the power of the air is the composer of the song that is molding your heart. Music can build a nest in your mind that allows Satan to take up residence there as he gradually deadens your conscience to righteousness and holiness.
Music can be a powerful idol builder. It can drive the heart to worship love, sex, money, self, and power while leaving God out of the picture. The Devil was the first idolater, and he uses music to get people to worship anything but the one true God.
The book of Revelation states that music is an important part of the world system of evil referred to as “Babylon the great.” In the coming judgments, God will stop this music.
Then I saw another angel descending from heaven, possessing great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his radiance and splendor. And he shouted with a mighty voice, She is fallen! Mighty Babylon is fallen! She has become a resort and dwelling place for demons, a dungeon haunted by every loathsome spirit, an abode for every filthy and detestable bird.
For all nations have drunk the wine of her passionate unchastity, and the rulers and leaders of the earth have joined with her in committing fornication [idolatry], and the businessmen of the earth have become rich with the wealth of her excessive luxury and wantonness.
I then heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out from her, my people, so that you may not share in her sins, neither participate in her plagues.
Then a single powerful angel took up a boulder like a great millstone and flung it into the sea, crying, With such violence shall Babylon the great city be hurled down to destruction and shall never again be found. And the sound of harpists and minstrels and flute players and trumpeters shall never again be heard in you, and no skilled artisan of any craft shall ever again be found in you, for your businessmen were the great and prominent men of the earth, and by your magic spells and poisonous charm all nations were led astray [seduced and deluded]. (Revelation 18:1–4, 21–23, AMP)
This great world system is infested with every type of demon spirit and loathsome angel of darkness that fed on all strata of society, including music. People from all nations had drunk of its wine, driving them into idolatry and rebellion against God. Many businesspeople, companies, and musicians have become rich off this music system fueled by the spirit of Babylon. These powerful icons have led the hearts of countless people astray with the poisonous and addictive charms of their music, which is pumped into every radio station and music store around the world.
One day God will say, “I have had enough,” and silence the music borne in the heart of the great rebel. This music will never be heard or played again for all eternity. The judgment of God will come to pass, as described in the book of Revelation 18:21-23, even on the music that has been an essential part of the world system of evil that God calls Babylon.
David Wilkerson, a wonderful preacher and man of God, pulled no punches on the dangers of becoming addicted to the music of this world. In a fiery sermon from the pulpit of the Times Square Church in New York City, he said:
I have been among young people so addicted to their rock and roll, so addicted to their heavy metal, and their punk music. I tell you as I stand here that an angel from God’s heaven could come down, in fact, Jesus Christ himself could come in the flesh and they would know he was Jesus and he could preach to them and they still would not let go of their music. I have had them stand up against me and say “I don’t care what you say, God told me it was alright.”[xvi]
David Wilkerson also described a disturbing vision that God gave him at a Christian rock concert:
At first, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing on stage. I said out loud, “This can’t be happening at a Christian festival-they can’t do this to my Jesus! These people can’t be this blind-the leaders of this youth ministry can be so undiscerning! Oh God-what has happened to your church that its leaders, its people, can’t see the evil …? I sat up and took another look at the stage. I was horrified by what I saw in the Spirit. I saw demonic images rising from the stage! I heard Satan laughing! Laughing at all the blind parents-the blind shepherds-the blind youth-the backslidden church! It was an overt manifestation of Satan-worse than anything I’ve ever seen on the streets of New York.[xvii]
Don’t be ignorant of this tool of the Devil in spiritual warfare, as music, inspired from the heart of Satan, can start a revolution in your heart against God.
What is the Soundtrack of Your Life?
If Jesus Christ came down from heaven and told you that your music was harming your heart and turning it away from Him, would you change your choices? Would the soundtrack of your life be any different under Jesus’ guidance?
Music is hugely addicting and through the wonders of technology, music is more readily available now than at any time in human history. In seconds, many musical choices can be downloaded and instantly start pulsating into the heart. The church must awaken to what is pouring into their hearts through habitual listening to the music of the god of this age.
Don’t be deceived into thinking this is just a harmless song on the radio or your iPod. Music is powerful, and it can influence the spiritual temperature of your heart for God. It can either promote or destroy the awesome plans that God has envisioned for your life.
Many Christians idolize the music of this world, and their hearts have become so addicted to it that they need to have it pulsating in their ears, like a heroin junkie who needs his fix. The Bible takes a backseat to their iPod tunes, and the Devil gets to proclaim his message into their hearts through the music ringing in their ears.
Music will change the composition of your heart if you are not careful. Once we become Christians, our listening habits should not be the same as they were before we were born again. Walk by the Spirit of God when it comes to the music you listen to and practice some spiritual discernment.
Ask God if the music you are listening to is bringing your heart closer to Him or driving it further away from Him. When you bring up a tune on your iPod, ask yourself, Will this song brings the joy, love, and celebration of God into my heart, or the fleshly desires of this world? We must guard our hearts when it comes to music, just as we would guard it from anything that contaminates and pollutes.
The Beautiful Design of Music for the Heart
Music originated from God, and it has a beautiful purpose: to minister healing, peace, and inspiration to His children. The human heart needs music to function in its optimal healthy condition. We are designed to crave music that inspires us to praise and worship God with an attitude of thankfulness. We were created to have a song in our hearts for God. Psalm 144:9 says, “I will sing a new song unto thee, O God.” Spurgeon said, “When the heart is in its right state, it must praise God, it cannot be restrained; its utterances leap forth as waters forcing their way from a living spring.”[xviii]
This is where music was born: in a heart that is overflowing with praise, joy, and awe of our magnificent God. Music is meant to stir the heart into action for God. Music is the refreshing drink of water that rejuvenates our passion for God to fight the good fight of faith and finish the course that God has set for our lives. Music plays a vital role in preparing the heart to worship God in spirit and in truth. Music fills the courts of heaven with praises of the Lord God Almighty. Music was created to be an expression of celebration and reverence of the wondrous works and nature of our God.
David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets. (1 Chronicles 13:8, NIV)
Hear this you kings! Listen you rulers! I will sing to the Lord, I will sing; I will make music to the Lord, God of Israel. (Judges 5:3, NIV)
Praise the Lord with the harp. Make music to him on the lyre that has ten strings. Sing a new song to him. Play with skill, and shout with joy.
What the Lord says is right and true. He is faithful in everything he does.
The Lord loves what is right and fair. The earth is full of his faithful love. The heavens were made when the Lord commanded it to happen. All of the stars were created by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea together. He puts the oceans in their places. Let the whole earth have respect for the Lord. Let all of the people in the world honor him. (Psalm 33:2-8, NIRV)
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. (Psalm 95:1–3, NIV)
God is so awesome and magnificent that the heart yearns for a way to express and proclaim His glory. Music is meant to be an outward expression of the awe-inspiring magnificence of our God. Music that blesses, inspires, and heals comes from hearts bubbling over with joy, love, and passion for their Creator. Music was intended to draw people closer to God and to place their hearts on the same pitch as God. True music is the song of a heart in love with God. Music is meant to ignite the heart with the presence of God and infuse it with the joys of His kingdom.
Revelation 4:11 says that God created all things for His pleasure, and this includes music. The beauty and splendor of music were birthed from the heart of God. God also made the human voice to praise Him. He created the musical scale, with its potential for amazing harmonies and melodies, to express the wonders of His artistic heart.
Dennis McCorkle, in The David Cipher: Unlocking the Hidden Music of the Psalms, says:
From the early chapters of Genesis through the pages of the entire Bible, music has played an integral role in the history of the Hebrew people. Not only defining and solidifying their own culture, religious beliefs, and practices; the music of the Hebrew people and the Bible have shaped the music of our day in the works that have been passed on from generation to generation since the time they were written.[xix]
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary says:
Expression of the full range of human emotions vocally or instrumentally through music was as much a part of the lives of biblical people as it is in modern times … Indeed all of life could be touched by song. The celebrations of a community, ritual practices of worship, even the act of warfare gave rise to song.[xx]
Some of the great men of the Bible were musicians and composers.
Moses the Songwriter
Moses was a wonderful songwriter in the Bible and we see his first song in Exodus 15 after the miraculous deliverance of the children of Israel from the Egyptian army. In Deuteronomy 32 we see another song of Moses written shortly before his death. In Revelation 15, the song of Moses is sung in heaven.
Dennis McCorkle, in The David Cipher: Unlocking the Hidden Music of the Psalms, writes:
Moses and the people eventually arrive at the Sea of Reeds (Red Sea) in advance of the pursuing army and are miraculously provided an escape route through the waters. Safely reaching the far side, they witness the destruction of Pharaoh and his troops in the water. It is now we get our first glimpse of Moses, the songwriter. Now most people do not generally associate Moses with the field of music, but he was evidently well-versed in this art. We know from the biblical texts that Moses, raised apart from the general population of Israel in the house of Pharaoh during his youth, had learned to not only read and write, but as demonstrated in his later years, to read and write music.[xxi]
Yahweh is My Melody
McCorkle says that this first song of Moses has a fundamental statement of truth in its first lines that becomes the foundation of the music compositions of Israel and is echoed in the musical system of the Levites, the psalms, and the prophet Isaiah. This beautiful lyric is, “Yah [abbreviation for Yahweh-God] is my melody!” What an awesome truth that God is our melody, and that God is our song! This is the true heart of music. When music has “God is my melody” at its center, it will have a profound spiritual impact upon the heart.
God fills our hearts with melody and makes them overflow with joy. This is the love song of all love songs, as Psalms 89:1 declares, “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever.” When our love for God is the motive for the song of our hearts, music will be an incredible healing balm to our souls because it is birthed in love and praise.
Colossians 3:16 says that our hearts should be “singing with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in our hearts for God.” Our hearts should not be singing the latest “top 40” songs on the charts, but rather a love song of thankfulness to our God. When the word of Christ dwells richly in our hearts, we cannot help but sing this song of love, for God is our melody.
Make Music in Your Heart for the Ears of God
Ephesians, one of the greatest revelations to the church, states that music and song is an important part of fellowship with God, with one another, and in the church of Jesus Christ.
Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:19, NASB)
Express your joy in singing among yourselves psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making music in your hearts for the ears of God. (Ephesians 5:19, PHILLIPS)
Christians who walk by the Spirit of God will express their joy in song and melody to the Lord. We are to make music in our hearts for the ears of God. This music comes from a Spirit-filled heart that overflows in love, adoration, and devotion to God.
We are also to sing along with others in the church, in concert with our joy and love for God. A symphony of praise with our brothers and sisters in Christ should be present wherever Christians fellowship together.
The Greek word translated psalm means a sacred song sung to the accompaniment of instrumental music. The Greek word translated hymn means a sacred poetical composition whose main purpose was to praise. A spiritual song is the natural outburst of a joyous heart prompted by the indwelling Spirit of God.
God loves it when a heart is full of music for Him and sings His praises. This type of music brings us back to the light of God’s presence and focuses our attention on the wonders of God. Exuberant joy and thankfulness overflow from music dedicated to God.
All Music Originates in the Heart
All music originates in the heart, and the content of the heart determines the content of the music. The musician’s music is a reflection of his or her heart. What is in the heart will come out in the music. When the heart is devoted to God and full of love and praise for Him, the music composed will be a melody pleasing to God and a song that glorifies Him. When the heart is not devoted to God, but full of selfishness, lust, greed, and other forms of darkness, the music composed will be a song that pulls the heart away from God to idolatry.
In Exodus 15 we see the heart of Moses, the musician, in his song for God. As you read this passage, imagine Moses and all of Israel lifting up their voices and singing this magnificent song of victory. It has been estimated that as many as three million Israelites came out of Egypt in this Exodus. How awe-inspiring it must have sounded to hear the melody of God sung by millions of people!
David the Musician and Songwriter
David was a wonderfully skilled musician and songwriter. He was also an inventor of musical instruments (1 Chronicles 23:5, 2 Chronicles 7:6, Amos 6:5). He helped to reestablish the functions of the Levites in regards to music in the tabernacle and also selected singers and musicians from the non-priest Levites to participate in worship services of song and music to God. At the heart of their music was the wonderful book of Psalms.
Psalms is the hymn book of the Bible. These compositions were played and sung by the Levites in conjunction with the formal rituals of the tabernacle and later the temple. The Psalms are a compilation of 150 songs written by composers who were moved by the Holy Spirit over a period of about five hundred years. The Hebrew word translated psalm means “praises,” and it comes from the root word meaning “to make a jubilant sound.” This word included all that is worthy of praise and celebration, especially the works and ways of Yahweh. Most of the psalms were composed for public worship in Israel and praised the ways and works of God. These were songs of God, breathed into the heart of a musician to give the listener inspiration, comfort, and guidance. The book of Psalms contains some of the most beautiful passages in the Bible. The lyrics express joy, grief, wonder, faith, love, and suffering in poetic song to our amazing God.
David is believed to have written as many as forty-seven of the psalms, and they set forth the heart of this man who loved God passionately. They describe the trials and joys of walking in intimacy with his Creator. The Bible calls David a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), so his music must have been especially important to God.
Here is one of the magnificent psalms written by David:
My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered. (Psalm 108:1–6, NIV)
David’s heart was established and steadfast in God, and from this firm foundation he sang, composed music, and played instruments with every ounce of his soul. He played musical instruments, praising God for His love and faithfulness. His music exalted God.
David’s music taught people to trust God for help and deliverance. It elevated the listener’s heart to worship God. His sacred songs filled hearts with the glory and majesty of God Almighty. David had a heart full of music that filled the earth and the heavens with awesome lyrics. As with Moses, God was David’s melody and his song.
Music Igniting the Flame of God in the Heart
This is the beauty of music at its highest level and for its most noble purpose. The Spirit of God moved mightily in David’s music to lift, inspire, and ignite the flame of God in the hearts of His people. This is truly music as it was supposed to be—a divine healing balm, a divine joyous celebration, a divine song of thankfulness that rockets the heart into the presence of God and establishes it in His love. The energy, power, and glory of God flows like a rushing river into the hearts of those whose ears are tuned to the music of the musician who walks with God and is moved by the Spirit of God.
Playing the Name of God with Music
In the psalms, musicians not only sang about the name of God, some actually played the name of God.
I will be glad and rejoice in you: I will play your Name, Most High. (Psalm 9:2, KJV)
I will give thanks to Yahweh according to his righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of Yahweh Most High. (Psalm 7:17, WEB)
I will play your Name forever, that I may fulfill my vows day after day. (Psalm 61:8, KJV)
Sing to God, play His Name. Raise Him up who rides upon the desert plains by YAH, his name, and be joyful before Him. (Psalm 68:4, KJV)
Dennis McCorkle, in The Davidic Cipher: Unlocking the Hidden Music of The Psalms, explains what it means to play the name of God:
To a non-musician, the above interpretation of these verses might seem strange and you are probably asking yourself, “How can you play someone’s name?” If you are trained classically in music, you may however be familiar with the Italian phrase soggettocavato … In a musical sense, the phrase soggettocavato refers to a type of compositional device in which the letters of a word or name are mapped to specific tones of a musical alphabet or scale … For example, during the Renaissance it was common for composers to honor their patrons and rules with compositions using names as the source for the themes and melodies … King David, who was directly associated with four of the five instances in which this technique is alluded to in the Scriptures, was apparently familiar with this type of compositional device … This compositional device literally enabled the Levite musicians and singers to not only sing the Name of God, but also to play the Name of God as the Scriptures state … The Names YAH and YHWH were directly integrated in the music that was written and the instruments that were played.[xxii]
David loved God so much, and was so in wonder of His magnificent works and covenant with His people, that he designed his music to contain the name of God in both musical lyrics and notes. This music was like a sweet song in the ears of God, as every note and every word glorified Him. It was a musical masterpiece, an exquisite symphony of song that brought the listener’s heart to the throne of God Almighty, where it would ascend to joyous celebration.
The Levites as Musicians
David taught the Levites the essence of this music of worship. 1 Chronicles 23:4 declares that four thousand Levites were designated to praise the Lord with instruments that David gave them for giving praise. In 1 Chronicles 15, when the ark of the covenant was brought to Jerusalem to be placed in the tabernacle, David assembled a ceremonial marching band of Levites playing harps, cymbals, lyres, trumpets, and horns. Skilled singers raised sounds of joy and praise to God. King David was leaping, dancing, and celebrating as he led this band of musicians into Jerusalem. What a breathtaking musical demonstration of love, joy, and celebration this must have been.
Once the ark had been set in Jerusalem, David appointed some of the Levites to minister in music and praise before the ark of the Lord.
He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to extol, thank, and praise the Lord, the God of Israel: Asaph was the chief, and next to him in rank were Zechariah, then Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.
That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise to the Lord in this manner:
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.
He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations.
Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols; but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are his dwelling place.
Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations the Lord reigns.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.” (1 Chronicles 16:4–15, 23–29, 31, 34, 36, NIV)
What beautiful lyrics! We can worship God in the splendor of His holiness and ascribe to Him the glory, majesty, and greatness due His name. This inspiring music gave thanks to God in song for His goodness and unfailing love. Does the music you listen to glorify God with this type of awesome heart?
King David used his musical abilities to proclaim God’s name, to make Him known, and to tell all who would listen of the might, strength, and glory of the God of Israel. His music led people to seek the face of the Lord. What does the music you listen to lead people to do?
Music always leads the heart to seek something, and we must be vigilant to not allow the songs we listen to lead our hearts down a path that God has not ordained. Our music should encourage us to seek the Lord.
Biblical Kings and Music
The Bible is full of other examples of men of God who understood the importance of music in the worship of God and even in bringing great victory against the enemies of God. When King Solomon had the Ark of the Covenant brought to the temple at its dedication, he had the Levites play cymbals, harps, lyres and trumpets. Singers raised their voices to praise God with this magnificent musical accompaniment. The glory of the Lord filled the temple with a cloud after this musical display. (See 2 Chronicles 5:12–14.)
When a vast army of Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites came against Jerusalem, King Jehoshaphat and all of Judah stood before the Lord and prayed. They received a word from the Lord to go out and face their enemies in battle, for the Lord was with them. Early in the morning, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out ahead of the army. As these men sang and praised the Lord, God set ambushes that caused this mighty army of the enemies of Judah to be utterly destroyed. When the Israelites returned to Jerusalem in victory, they went to the temple of the Lord with harps, lutes, and trumpets, praising God in music and song. (See 2 Chronicles 20:21–22, 28.)
In 2 Chronicles 29:25–28, we read that when King Hezekiah opened the doors of the temple and cleansed it from idolatry, one of the first things he did was reestablish music and song there. He furnished the Levites with cymbals, harps, lyres, trumpets, and all the instruments of David. As they began to sacrifice a burnt offering on the altar, they sang to the Lord, accompanied by music from all these wonderful instruments. The entire assembly bowed in worship while the singers sang and the trumpeters played.
King Hezekiah ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph, another psalmist. They sang these praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshipped. After this worship service of song and music, King Hezekiah declared that the people had dedicated themselves to the Lord and that they should bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the Lord. Music can often be the catalyst to a rededication of the heart to the Lord and a commitment to follow Him with thanksgiving and love.
After rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah immediately established the singers in the temple. At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites joyfully celebrated with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres. At the dedication, Nehemiah formed two large choirs to give thanks to God. They positioned themselves on top of the wall on opposite sides and were joined with the music of trumpets and all the instruments David had prescribed for the worship of God. Their joyous music and song could be heard from far away, as all Jerusalem rejoiced on this wonderful occasion in the history of Israel. (See Nehemiah 12:27–43)
The book of Nehemiah indicates in the time of David there were directors of music for the singers and songs of praise and thanks. All Israel contributed to the daily portions for the singers. (See Nehemiah 12:44–48) Nehemiah realized how important music was in the service of God in the temple and for the worship of God among the people.
Jesus Singing with His Disciples
After Jesus instituted communion as a memorial of His death, Matthew 26:30 says, “When they had sung a hymn, they went to the Mount of Olives.” Mark 14:26 states that Jesus sang this hymn along with His disciples right before He prayed in Gethsemane shortly before He was crucified. This was probably not the first time they had sung together, but this is the only time recorded in Scripture that our Lord sang. Jesus sang right before He gave His life on the cross and endured the most horrible torture and beating ever known to mankind.
This hymn is believed to be from the psalms called the “Great Hallel” or the “praise Psalms,” which were Psalms 113–118 and 136. I can only imagine how Jesus’ heart poured out to His heavenly Father in song before the most trying time of His life, realizing that He would bear the sins, sicknesses, sorrows, and punishment of the whole world. Knowing this road of rejection, persecution, and death was hours away, Jesus sang. How important this song was to the heart of our Savior! How the lyrics must have comforted and strengthened Him.
If music was so important to Jesus that He sang with His disciples on the evening He was taken to be crucified, how important should music be to us! A song can lift us into the presence of God and comfort our hearts even in life’s darkest hours. It can encourage us to follow God’s will and stand for Him even in the midst of the fiery darts that Satan is throwing at us. Our hearts should always be singing to God, because nothing in heaven or earth compares to Him.
Paul and Silas Singing in Prison
Paul and Silas were severely beaten for preaching the gospel and thrown into prison with their feet in stocks, but they sang praises to God in the midst of this seemingly hopeless situation. God moved with a great earthquake that shook the entire foundation of the prison and they were set free. The world longs for a song in the night when all seems lost, and only God can deliver this song to the depths of the heart.
Music in Church History
Throughout time, great men in church history have understood the profound effect of music on the heart and the importance of godly music in the life of a Christian.
Martin Luther: The Composer
Martin Luther, who is credited with igniting the flame of the Protestant Reformation, was a wonderful composer. He must have understood the importance of music to the Lord in the midst of relentless persecution.
Luther began singing at a young age as a soprano in the choir. He later studied music theory and composition, and learned to play flute and lute quite skillfully. He wrote thirty-seven songs. One of his greatest contributions was the return of music to the church.
For about a thousand years, congregations had not sung as music and melody to the Lord had died in the church. Some hymns were written during this period, but they were use only on special occasions outside of the church. Luther brought music back to the church and made the congregation an active participant in song.
One of his greatest hymns, which was one of my favorites growing up, is “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” The words and music are majestic and heavenly, and they never failed to motivate my heart to stand for God, no matter what the world might throw at me.
Don Cusic, in A Sound of Light: The History of Gospel Music, expounds on Luther’s heart for music:
Martin Luther had a legendary love for music. He was an accomplished lutenist and could improvise accompaniments for singing. He often played after dinner with his family and guests and composed songs for his children. Through his life, he carried his lute with him on his travels and entertained friends and guests after dinner with singing and playing. Music was not just a recreational tool for Luther—it was an integral part of his life and he found a source of strength and comfort in music.
He stated that we “should praise God with both word and music, namely by proclaiming (the Word of God) through music” and another time said “He who believes (the gospel) earnestly cannot be quiet about it. But he must gladly and willingly sing and speak about it so that others may come and hear it … Luther’s prophetic statement “I intend to make … spiritual songs so that the Word of God, even by means of song, may live among the people” became a guiding principal in his life …
Luther was well aware of the power of music and insisted that its proper use was “to the glorification of God and the edification of man.” He said, “We want the beautiful art of music to be properly used to serve her dear Creator and his Christians. He is thereby praised and honored and we are made better and stronger in faith when His holy Word is impressed on our hearts by sweet music.” Luther said of music, “Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise.”[xxiii]
The power of Luther’s music, which came from a heart fully devoted to God, helped to fuel the Protestant Reformation and renew the beautiful worship of God and the lyrics of His mighty Word in the body of Christ.
Charles Wesley: The Inspired Man of Thousands of Hymns
Another revival in history was inspired by a man who was also a composer of music and song. During the Wesleyan Revival in the 18th Century, Charles Wesley wrote more than six thousand hymns, including some that became classics of the Christian church, like “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.”
A. W. Tozer: The Love of the Hymnal
Christian writer and preacher A. W. Tozer loved hymns and acquired an extensive collection of old hymnals. The Fellowship of the Burning Hearts states this about Tozer:
He longed for a “God-conscious soul”—a heart that is aflame for God. … He often used these hymnals as means for meditation and devotional reading. Often, he would counsel people to get a hymnbook—“but don’t get one less than a hundred years old.” In one the articles for the Alliance Weekly he wrote, “After the Bible, the next most valuable book for the Christian is a good hymnal.”[xxiv]
Music: Times of Refreshing from the Lord
Listening to music is not meant to replace a Christian’s time in studying and meditating on the Bible, or prayer and intimate fellowship with the heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus. This is always our first priority. However, to keep the heart spiritually tuned to the heartbeat of God, and continually renewed and refreshed, music can be of critical significance.
The soundtrack of the heart is a measuring stick to its overall health. We must never be careless about this vital truth, that music can be either a healing balm or a toxic poison to the life of the heart. Music can help us stay on the path that God has ordained for our lives, or quickly turn the heart to a path that leads to destruction. Music either pulls you into the heart of God or pulls you into the heart of the world. God is crying out to the church and to every Christian believer, “Do not be ignorant or fooled by music and think your listening choices are harmless to your walk and relationship with Me!”
Since the fall of Lucifer, music has been a major weapon in the battle for the heart. When we examine the condition of our hearts, we must ask ourselves this vital question: “Who is the great musician of my heart? Who is feeding my heart its song and melody?”
These great men in church history also illustrate that we must have a vibrant and joyful song in our heart for God. Whenever we remember God’s faithfulness, mercy, and love, a great song will come forth, praising Him for His goodness.
Music in Times of Trouble
Often our greatest songs of praise are borne in trials and temptations. Martin Luther was relentlessly persecuted and hunted for his faith in God and his belief in the Scriptures. David was hunted and hounded by King Saul and his army, who were trying to kill him at every turn. Hezekiah was attacked by hostile kingdoms at the outskirts of Jerusalem. Charles Wesley faced unbelievable persecution as he was threatened, mocked, hit, and violently opposed. Moses had to deal with a rebellious and idolatrous nation of murmurers and complainers who challenged his every move. Jesus faced the callous hearts of the religious elite, the betrayal of a disciple and a friend, the vicious beating of His body to the point where He could not even be recognized as a man, and the horrible death by crucifixion. Yet each of these men had songs in their hearts.
Many Christians today have lost the song in their hearts for God. They cry like the psalmist, “Oh, how could we ever sing God’s song in this wasteland?” (Psalm 137:4). When the heart is bitter and unforgiving, when the heart forgets God, when the heart becomes entangled with the things of this world, it loses its song. An unforeseen problem, a tragic circumstance, or a bewildering turn of events can cause Christians to question God and lose the song in their hearts for God.
In Exodus 15, the children of Israel sang the right song when they were delivered from the army of Egypt, but they sang it on the wrong side. They should have been singing this song even when they were in bondage in Egypt, not simply after a great miracle and deliverance from God. The song they sang was not really in their hearts, because just a few days later they were complaining against God and cursing Him for bringing them out of Egypt. The challenges of the wilderness took the song for God out of their hearts.
Our God will never fail us. He will deliver us from any foe. He is always faithful to His Word, and we are His children. Our God will never leave us or forsake us, and His strength is perfect in our weaknesses.
A Song in Our Hearts for God
What a song our hearts should have for God! We should always be singing and making melody to the Lord. Our hearts cannot remain silent. The song of our salvation and our love story with God should be filling our hearts with music every moment of every day.
Yes, indeed—God is my salvation. I trust, I won’t be afraid. God—yes God!—is my strength and song, best of all, my salvation! Sing praise-songs to God. He’s done it all! Let the whole earth know what he’s done! Raise the roof! Sing your hearts out … The Greatest lives among you. (Isaiah 12:2, 5–6, MSG)
Our song is never a song of anxiety, fear, or worry. The song of our hearts boldly declares that “God is.” He is everything we will ever need in this life, and He will come into any circumstance for us when we call on His name. God is our salvation. He is our strength, our defender, our provider, and our deliverer. The almighty God is our song. He is the greatest in heaven and earth, and He lives within us! We should be raising the roof with our praise-song to God.
When we begin to get a glimpse of how magnificent and glorious God is and that He cares about every detail of our lives, the song of God will rise in our hearts. We cannot keep silent about the wonder of our God and His amazing works. God is grieved when we rob Him of this song of love and praise. We lose our song when we do not completely surrender to Him, when we allow something else to be our first love, when we do not trust Him with our very lives. God cries when the song of our hearts goes silent.
Carter Conlan, in The 180 Degree Christian; Serving Jesus in a Culture of Excess, says:
What I believe grieves God most is we have robbed Him of our hearts. It is as if He would say to us, “You have robbed Me of the full heart of surrender that I was looking for that would have allowed Me to fill you from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet. If only you would have turned to Me! I would have caused you to live such a profound life that you would have stood out as a light shining in a darkened world.”[xxv]
Don’t lose your love song for God by turning away from Him when things get tough. If you sing praises to God in all circumstances, your heart will rest firmly in His presence and you will experience the faithfulness of our God.
God Sings Over You: You are His Love Song
Did you know God sings? Did you know that the song of His heart is about you? The Creator of the heavens and the earth has blazed in His heart a joyful song that He loves to sing just for you. The song that is constantly in His heart is a love ballad dedicated to you. He is singing this song to you right now, even as you are reading this book. He will sing this song to you in all your tomorrows, and He will sing it to you throughout eternity.
The Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. (Zephaniah 3:17, NLT)
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (ESV)
Yahweh your God is there with you, the warrior-Savior. He will rejoice over you with happy song, he will renew you by his love; he will dance with shout of joy for you. (NJB)
Can you imagine how beautiful it must be when God sings? It has to be simply breathtaking to hear God’s voice in song. The even more astounding truth is that is He is singing to you. The song bursting forth from His heart is about you. The Creator of every living thing, and the maker of every mountain on earth and every star in the universe, has a song that is constantly on His mind and it concerns you. You are His song! You are His melody! You are His music! God is rejoicing over you with a song that deeply expresses the joy and love He has for you. God calms our hearts with a lullaby of His love, like a mother singing sweetly to her child as she gently rocks him to sleep. God even dances over us with shouts of joy!
This song of God is a hymn of deliverance, victory, and salvation. Psalm 32:7 says that God “surrounds us with songs of deliverance.” He wants His songs of victory to fill our hearts with rejoicing and thankfulness for His mighty salvation. God sings because He knows that He has made you in Christ and that He has given you a name and a divine destiny.
The world will rarely sing over you in triumphant song. But God says, “No matter what anyone says, you are My beloved, My treasure, My pearl of great price, My heart’s desire. I have made you beautiful, precious, and more valuable than all the treasures of the earth. Let our hearts rejoice in song together, for you are My song and I passionately desire to be your song. Let our hearts make music together, for My song never fails, fades, or disappoints. My heart is always singing for you. Never forget My love song and My songs of deliverance for you.”
The music that is born of above, with its sweet melody, sounds out from every corner of our hearts. God sings to us. We sing to God. We are God’s melody and He is our melody. This is the music that can fill our hearts and transform us into the image of our glorious God and Redeemer.
[i] Cary Schmidt, Music Matters: Understanding and Applying the Amazing Power of Music (Lancaster: Striving Together Publications, 2007), Kindle Edition, 24.
[ii] Dr. Howard Hanson, “A Musician’s Point of View Toward Emotional Expression,” The American Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 99, (1942), 317.
[iii] Alan P. Merriam, The Anthropology of Music, (1964): 218..
[iv] Dr. Adam Knieste, quoted by David Chagall, in Family Weekly, January 30, 1983, 14.
[v] Jay Grout, A History of Western Music (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2009).
[vi] Daniel and Bernadette Skubik, The Neurophysiology of Rock, published separately as an appendix in John Blanchard, Pop Goes the Gospel: Rock in the Church (Durham, England 1991), 191.
[vii] Norman M. Weinberger, The Nonmusical Outcomes of Music Education (University of California Board of Regents, 1995).
[viii] Freidrich Nietzsche, The Joyful Wisdom (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1924), 343.
[ix] Don Campbell, The Mozart Effect (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2001), 67.
[x] Cary Schmidt, Music Matters: Understanding and Applying the Amazing Power of Music (Lancaster: Striving Together Publications, 2007), Kindle Edition, 24, 25.
[xi] Cary Schmidt, Music Matters: Understanding and Applying the Amazing Power of Music (Lancaster: Striving Together Publications, 2007), Kindle Edition, 41, 42.
[xii] Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of David: Volume 4, Study of the Psalms, (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1976), Psalm 99, Kindle Edition, 51882.
[xiii] Patrick Fairbairn, Exposition of Ezekiel (Mount Joliet: Sovereign Grace Publishers, Inc., 2001), 312.
[xiv] E. W. Bullinger, The Chief Musician, or Studies in the Psalms and their Titles (New York: Cosimo, Inc., 2007), 7.
[xv] Selah means to pause and carefully consider these words, and lift our hearts to God as we reflect on His magnificent truth.
[xvi] David Wilkerson, Sermon: “Counterfeit Christianity,” May 22, 2010.
[xvii] David Wilkerson, World Challenge Pulpit Series, “Driven to Darkness,” August 3, 1987.
[xviii] Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of David: Volume 4, Study of the Psalms, (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1976), Psalm 144, Kindle Edition, 87898.
[xix] Dennis McCorkle, The David Cipher: Unlocking the Hidden Music of the Psalms (Denver: Outskirts Press, 2010), Kindle Edition, 294.
[xx] Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 1159.
[xxi] Dennis McCorkle, The David Cipher: Unlocking the Hidden Music of the Psalms (Denver: Outskirts Press, 2010), Kindle Edition, 329, 330.
[xxii]Ibid., Kindle Edition 662.
[xxiii] Don Cusic, A Sound of Light: The History of Gospel Music (Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 2002), 15, 16, 18, 19.
[xxiv] A.W. Tozer, Fellowship of the Burning Heart: A Collection of Sermons by A.W. Tozer (Alachua: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 2006), 10.
[xxv] Carter Conlan, The 180 Degree Christian; Serving Jesus in a Culture of Excess (Ventura: Regal Books, 2012), 68.
Excerpt from “The Heart: The Key to Everything in the Christian Life”
