Singing: Making Melody to God from the Heart
Singing – making musical sounds with the voice – is a universal language of the human heart. Scripture gives it a central place in the life of God’s people, from the songs of the Old Testament to the worship of heaven itself.
Singing Throughout Scripture
Singing and music have a unique way of grabbing our attention and are an intricate part of all cultures. In the OT singing, accompanied with music, was a creative way to pass down oral traditions besides enthusiastically expressing joy and thanksgiving to God with a bold declaration or expression of praise, as this selection from Psalms shows (Ps 66:1-3, 81:1-2, 95:1-2).
In the corporate setting (such as in church services) this means of ‘singing in agreement with others’ involves our emotions, unifying body and soul in a rhythmic melodious way (which should lead the spirit to worship). It should be done ‘decently and in order’, so as not to disrupt others in their praise of God, as together we sing "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (1 Cor 14:40; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16; Jas 5:13).
Do I ‘sing and make melody in my heart’ to God?
Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs
Psalms are the collection of inspired songs written under the direction of the Holy Spirit that form part of the Scriptures. The Psalms have a timeless quality and are still relevant to our lives today providing encouragement, comfort and challenge. Many of our current worship songs are based on the Psalms, and when we sing them, we are singing God’s Word. Hymns although not written by divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit give praise, honour, or thanksgiving to God. They often incorporate portions of Scripture and are filled with rich doctrinal truth. It is recorded Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn at the last supper (Mt 26:30). The term spiritual songs covers a wide variety of themes that also communicate spiritual truths.
The Bible encourages us to “sing a new song to the Lord” as a natural expression from a heart overflowing with adoration for Him (Ps 40:3, 96:1, 144:9; Isa 42:10; Rev 14:3). Whether a psalm, hymn or a spiritual song, the purpose of Christian music is to glorify God, and He wants us to use this gift as a means of worshiping Him.
This means the content of the songs we sing matters. Before a song finds a place in our worship, it is worth asking: is it biblically sound, and does it put the emphasis on Jesus and the love of God? A song may be melodious and emotionally moving, yet if its words exalt the singer rather than the Saviour, it falls short of its purpose. The Word of Christ is to dwell in us richly as we sing (Col 3:16), so what we sing should teach truth, not sentiment alone, and magnify Him who is worthy (Rev 5:12).
God, rather than ourselves, should always be the object of our worship
Self is not to be the focus of our singing. The only rightful place for ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘my’ in a worship song is where it humbly portrays us as the object of His grace and mercy – the sinner saved, the wanderer brought home, the debtor forgiven (Eph 2:4-8; 1 Tim 1:15-16; Tit 3:4-5). Even then, the testimony turns our gaze back to Him: we love because He first loved us (1 Jn 4:19). A song measured by this standard will leave the singer with less regard for self and greater wonder at the God of all grace.
Worship in Spirit and Truth
Radiating outwards from a pure heart, genuine worship engages our total person – spirit, mind, and body – in offering heartfelt love and adoration, exalting Him for our salvation. Jesus declared, “God is Spirit, and His worshippers must worship Him in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23-24), and Paul embraced both dimensions in his own praise: “I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also” (1 Cor 14:15). The two are not rivals, but both are offered to God in worship.
He is worthy of all the praise
Singing ‘in the Spirit’ is often equated with expression in tongues – sometimes termed a ‘heavenly language’. In such singing the content is unknown to the singer, yet understood by God, for “anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God...they utter mysteries by the Spirit” (1 Cor 14:2, 14-15). Whether rendered ‘with the mind’ or ‘in the Spirit’, such worship is never a performance for an audience: it is communion with God Himself, who searches the heart, and even the Spirit helps us in our weakness by interceding for us (Rom 8:26-27). Each expression finds its place in honouring the One who is worthy of all the praise.
In heaven there will be a lot of singing, so why not get some practice now (Rev 5:9-13, 15:3-4).
The Bible records two significant events that happened when there was heartfelt singing to God. The presence of God came when "The trumpeters and singers joined in unison as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord...Then the glory of the Lord filled the temple" (2 Chr 5:13-14); when going out to battle at the head of the army were singers who sang praises to God. He set ambushes and the enemy destroyed themselves even before the Israelites got to the battleground (2 Chr 20:21-24). What might result if I praised God more?
Reflection and Application:
- Sing from a heart of love for God, not merely from habit or words.
- Choose songs rich in Scripture and doctrinal truth that honour Him.
- Sing ‘decently and in order’, considerate of others worshiping alongside you.
- Get some practice now for the singing of heaven.
See also: hymns, music, praise, presence of God, Psalms, tongues, worship.