SING A
(Psalms 40:3)
By
Shelby G. Floyd
One of the Psalms of David helps
prepare God's people to worship him with joy and gladness of heart:
"Shout for joy to the Lord,
all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come before him with joyful
songs."
Psalms 100:1-2
NIV
This congregation enjoys singing
many of the old songs and many of the new songs. We are continually learning some new songs to
add to the old songs we have sung for years.
This is a good thing for our worship.
When we learn new songs someone
must teach them to us. We're grateful to
the talented men who can do this so effectively. And we must listen to the new songs to learn
the words, the rhythm, and the melody.
With practice and repetition we can learn any new song and sing it
effectively in our worship.
“HE
Our lesson theme is "He has
put a new song in my mouth," based on one of David's psalms:
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.
Psalms 40:3
Has God put a new song in your
mouth? Has God put a new song in your
heart? When we praise God, the songs
should not only be in our mouth, but also in our heart!
Speaking to yourselves in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to
the Lord;
Ephesians 5: 19
Let us notice a few Scriptures
where David and other writers of the Old Testament spoke of how much they
enjoyed singing a new song to the Lord.
They also exhorted the people of their day to sing a new song in worship
to God.
Psalms 33: 3
Sing unto him a new song
Psalms 96: 1
O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord,
all the earth.
God
wants the whole earth to sing a new song in praise and worship to him.
Psalms 98: 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.
We
notice that the basis for singing a new song is the salvation God would give
his people and the marvelous things he had done in creation and
redemption. This would also be a good
reason why we should want to sing a new song today!
Psalms 144: 9
I will
sing a new song unto thee, O God:
In this reading
David is announcing to the Lord what his intentions are. He is going to sing a new song and praise his
God!
Psalms 149: 1
Praise ye the Lord.
Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
We
observe here that praising God and singing a new song is to be done in the assembly. This means that when they came together as a
congregation to worship God in the temple or some other place, they would sing
a new song unto their God. In New
Testament worship singing is often done in an assembly or congregation of God's
people.
“He says, I will declare your name
to my brothers;
In the presence of the congregation
I will sing your praises.”
Hebrews 2:12
NIV
And David was not the only one who
spoke about singing a new song to the Lord.
Isaiah, the prophet who spoke so much about the coming of Christ, also
cried out for the people to sing a new song:
Sing unto the Lord a new song,
and his praise from the end of the earth,
ye that go down to the sea, and all that is
therein;
the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
Isaiah 42: 10
Isaiah is proclaiming that God is so great, that he is
to be praised in a new song even throughout all the earth and sea.
You have probably been surprised at
the great number of references to singing a new song. Most of them were from David. But we should not be surprised, for David
seems to be the most spiritually minded out of all the Old Testament characters
revealed to us. The psalms of David are
inspired and also the expression of his great heart and soul. How can one reconcile the sentiments of Psalms
22 with those sentiments that are expressed in Psalms 23? In Psalms 22 David cries out, "why have you forsaken me?" But in Psalms 23 he is confident the Lord is
his shepherd. We can account for this
because that is the way we sometimes feel.
Some days everything is against us and we wonder where God is. At other times, everything is great and we
see the hand of God leading us. David
and Christ fulfilled both of these Psalms.
David was very honest and he continually wanted to praise God with a new
song.
MOSES
Let us look at a new song that
Moses and the congregation of
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
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: thy right hand, O Lord, hath
dashed in pieces the enemy.
7.
And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that
rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath,
which consumed them as stubble.
8.
And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the
floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of
the sea.
9.
The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil;
my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall
destroy them.
10. Thou
didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty
waters.
11. Who
is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like
thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12. Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
13. Thou
in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast
redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
14. The people shall hear, And be afraid: sorrow shall take hold
on the inhabitants of Palestina.
15. Then the
dukes of Edom
shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them;
all the inhabitants of
16. Fear
and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as
still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over,
which thou hast purchased.
17. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of
thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell
in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
18. The
Lord shall reign for ever and ever.
19. For the horse of Pharaoh went in with
his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought again the
waters of the sea upon them; but the children of
Exodus 15: 1-19
MOSES
That was a long song. We do not know the melody or rhythm. That is a beautiful song. It is a song about victory over their
enemies, it is a song about deliverance, it is a song about salvation, it is a
song about hope, it is a song about their destination—the promised land of
It is a new song, but they could
only sing this new song after they had been delivered from bondage and had been
saved by the mighty hand of God!
MIRIAM SUNG A
Now Miriam, Moses sister also sung
a new song. It is not as long as the
song of Moses, but it is a beautiful song:
And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron,
took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went
out after her with timbrels and with dances.
And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord,
for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into
the sea.
Exodus 15: 20-21
Miriam basically repeated a verse
out of the song of Moses and the Israelites.
This gives us some idea why people ought to write new songs. When one is glad and rejoices over the
salvation in Christ, or one has achieved a great victory over Satan, or
something has happened to which you can ascribe glory to God—then write a new
song about it!
A SCENE IN HEAVEN
Next, let us look at a scene in
heaven, for that is where we are going.
This will give us a picture of what it will be like when we are with God
and our savior Jesus Christ. You will
recall that John the apostle was in exile on
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the
throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as
it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven
Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
And he came and took the book out of the right
hand of him that sat upon the throne.
And when he had taken the book, the four beasts
and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them
harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the
prayers of saints.
Revelation 5: 6-8
Let us pause here and point out how
the book of Revelation and figurative language is to be interpreted. Notice that they were holding golden bowls of
incense. That is what John saw. But we're not to conclude that the message
was about golden bowls of incense. The
golden bowls of incense "are the
prayers of the saints." Much of
this book is in images and signifies something else. The prayers of God's people ascending to
heaven can be compared to the sweet smell of burning incense as it rises into
the air.
THEY SUNG A
In heaven the worshippers
sung a new song unto him on the throne and to the Lamb:
9. And
they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the
seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed
us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and
nation;
10. And
hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
11. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of
many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the
number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12.
Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, honour,
and glory, and blessing.
13. And
every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and
such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and
honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and
ever.
14. And
the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and
worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Revelation 5: 9-14
Now there is a new song that is
actually an old song, for we are singing that song now. We sing the sentiments of that song today,
but not always in the same words. We
sing that song of worship and praise for the same reasons they are singing that
song in heaven—because the Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world. Tens of thousands of the redeemed and the
Angels in heaven are singing that song of praise and worship? Won't it be wonderful when we hear the Angels
singing as we join in that mighty chorus?
We will praise God and the Lamb that was sacrificed with that glad
throng throughout eternity.
SINGING A
They sung a new song. (Revelation 15: 9.) So singing a new song is
not just an Old Testament idea. It is
also plainly taught in the New Testament.
Let us also study another statement in Revelation:
1. And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand,
having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
2. And I heard a voice
from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and
as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the
voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3. And they sung as it were a new song before the
throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that
song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the
earth.
4. These
are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are
they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits
unto God and to the Lamb.
5. And
in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne
of God.
6. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of
heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the
earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7.
Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour
of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the
sea, and the fountains of waters.
Revelation 14: 1-7
Praise God with a Loud Voice
From these two readings in
Revelation we learn that sometimes it is good to sing praise to God with a loud
voice. We all understand that some hymns
and songs are written in such a way that they are to be sung softly. But according to that reading in Revelation,
God is so great that those praising him in song, burst out in a loud voice! Worship is more effective and joyful when everyone
sings out with some volume. When
congregational singing is so soft and quiet, hardly anyone will sing out, for
fear they will be heard off key or singing a sour note. Let us encourage praise in worship by having
more volume in our singing. When we all
sing out with a loud voice, even visitors will be encouraged to join in worship
to God.
Secondly, the lamb on
The next day John seeth
Jesus coming unto him,
and saith, Behold the
Lamb of God,
which taketh away the sin
of the world.
John 1:29
THEY SUNG A
We next observe that they sung a
new song:
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice
of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of
harpers harping with their harps:
And they sung as it were a new song before the
throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that
song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the
earth.
Revelation 14: 2-3
John Heard Perfect Rhythm
Let us zoom in on these verses and
take a closer look. Notice the
grammatical structure of the statement in verse two: “And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as
the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with
their harps.” "I" is the
subject. "Heard" is the
verb. I heard "a sound." This is the direct object of the verb heard. The principal sentence is, "I heard a
sound." John heard a sound
"like rushing waters." This is
an adverbial phrase describing and modifying the sound John heard. John did not hear rushing water. He heard a sound that was like rushing
waters. When one stands by
John Heard Perfect Volume
John said he heard a sound from
heaven like a loud peal of thunder. John
did not hear loud peals of thunder, but he heard a sound that could only be
described like loud peals of thunder.
All those who have listened to the thunder in a great storm can
understand what John was saying. But the
sound John heard was a commanding sound, like thunder.
John Heard Perfect Melody
Again, John said the sound he heard
was as harpers harping on their harps.
What kind of sound is that? The
sound of a harp being played is beautiful and pleasing indeed. I once performed a wedding where the
beautiful sound of the harp was played before the ceremony. How would we describe a sound that was like
the sound of harpers harping on their harps?
The sound of harps being played would be the sound of perfect
melody. Now it is important to note that
John did not hear harpers playing on their harps, but he heard a voice or sound
that could be described like that of perfect melody being played on harps.
In summary, John heard a sound like
many waters—perfect rhythm; John heard a sound like loud thunder —perfect
volume; and John heard a sound like harpists harping on their harps—perfect
melody.
WHAT WAS THE SOUND JOHN HEARD?
The only question remaining is what
kind of sound or voice was the sound John heard? John has only described so far what the sound
was like, but he specifically identified the sound itself!
A SINGING VOICE
The sound John heard had rhythm,
volume, and melody. May I emphatically
state that the voice John heard was a singing voice!
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice
of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of
harpers harping with their harps:
And they sung as it were a new song before the
throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that
song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the
earth.
Revelation 14: 2-3
THEY SUNG A
This says to me that we will have
congregational singing in heaven. There
is no instrumental music in these verses.
The music is acappela—in the style of the church. There is not any authority for using instrumental
music in our worship to God to be found here or any where else in the
New Testament.
The passage does
not say John heard harps. What he did
hear was the voice of 144,000 of the redeemed singing a new song. No one could learn this new song but those
who had been redeemed from the earth.
Therefore this new song is one that we cannot learn until we gather
around the throne of God. God will teach
us this new song and we will understand it because the blood of the Lamb has
redeemed us.
THE HUNDRED
Sometimes there
are questions about the 144,000 who have been redeemed from the earth. This is a figure of speech—a definite number
that stands for an indefinite number.
There were 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of
This indicates
there will be a vast throng of saved people in heaven. Because Christ died as a sacrificial Lamb
there will be multitudes from all the ages that will join in that mighty chorus
to sing the new song of praise and worship to the Lamb.
ONLY SINGING IS
AUTHORIZED IN
We have
established that God has delighted in his people down through the ages singing
unto him a new song. In the Old
Testament this singing was done sometimes with instruments of music. But now under the rule of the New Testament
we are only authorized to sing in worship to God. Everything we do in word or
deed must be in the name or by the authority of Christ. This includes the music of the church.
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.
And whatsoever ye do in
word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and
the Father by him.
Colossians 3: 16-17
There is not a single, solitary passage of scripture that authorizes the
church to use instrumental music in worship to God. Let us notice the teaching of one statement
that is indicative of all of them:
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
We are commanded to speak to one
another. That is reciprocal action. When
I am singing, I am singing to God and to you.
When you are singing, you are singing to God and to me. Our action of speaking or singing
reciprocates back on each other. In that
sense we are teaching one another. When
we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, we are not only praising God, but
we are also teaching one another about the whole duty of serving God. Paul instructs us in what type of songs we
are to sing. There is a slight difference
between psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
Yet they are all religious poems and odes set to some kind of
melody. This is the law of specifics
that also excludes any songs not comprehended in these three specific types of
songs. Yet the categories are
comprehensive enough to include a large variety of selections.
Next the apostle
instructs in what kind of speaking we are to do. We are to “sing and make melody in your
heart unto the Lord.” N. B. Hardeman, one of the great preachers of
past generations, had a debate on the use of instrumental music in worship to
God. His opponent prepared by studying
the Greek on the term psallo in Ephesians 5:19. Hardeman
threw him a curveball. He affirmed that
instrumental music is to be found in Ephesians 5: 19-20. But the instrument mentioned in this passage
is the heart: "singing and making melody (psallo) in your heart to
the Lord."
When we sing, we
are plucking, vibrating, and touching the literal vocal cords of the human
throat. You cannot sing without your
vocal cords vibrating. The words “making
melody” translate the Greek verb psallo, which literally means to
touch, vibrate, and pluck. When we sing
we literally touch, vibrate and pluck the vocal cords in our throat. Therefore, the verb psallo is translated in
the New Testament by the word sing or one of its synonyms.
But the apostle goes further and
says, "singing and making music in your
heart." Every one of us has
an instrument on which we can make melody or music. That instrument is our heart. God has not authorized the use of any
mechanical instrument of music in worship today. But he has authorized us to use the
instrument of our heart in worship to him.
God desires man's heart to be in every phase and form of worship. When we sing and praise God let it be done
out of a good and sincere heart:
This people draweth nigh
unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their
lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for
doctrines the commandments of men.
Matthew 15: 8-9
My friends, has God put a new song
in your mouth? We are going to sing a
new song in heaven. Some do not want to
sing new songs today. Then they probably
will not sing a new song in heaven.
Every old song was a new song at one time. The new songs of today will be old songs 50
to 100 years from now. It is good to
sing the old and the new songs.
EXHORTATION
You always have the opportunity to
obey the gospel and become a Christian.
Please repent of your sins, confess the name of Christ, and be baptized
for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:
38-41.) Accept the invitation of Christ and unload your burdens. (Matthew 11: 28-30.) *
*Shelby G. Floyd
delivered this sermon