Music is powerful! Music can capture the emotions like nothing else! Music can pull us in through meter, tempo, rhythm. It can get our hands clapping! It can get us up on our feet and dancing! The joy! The happiness! Only music can move us to celebrate with such wholehearted abandon!
Music can capture dissonance … tension! Tension caught … and held … between conflicting notes. Then in a moment … with just a chord, just a note … resolution.
Music feels! Music offers expression for deep grief! The tone … the keys … these meet the broken heart in deep places. They unlock the tears. They open the door to healing.
Music is a pressure-release valve. Life’s inevitable anger … frustration … utter exasperation … music is a way by which to process these emotions.
And so we come to the book of Psalms. The book of Psalms was written by artists – musical artists, poetic artists, lyrical artists, linguistic artists. The book of Psalms is music!
Music expressing joy and celebration!
Music expressing tension, dissonance, conflict!
Music expressing deep grief!
Music expressing sorrow, disappointment, loss, pain.
Music expressing anger, frustration, utter exasperation!
Music rejoicing in the goodness and faithfulness of God!
Music expressing hope!
The book of Psalms meets us right where we are at.
– The Psalms give us words for the tension and the conflict! (Psalm 10; Psalm 11; Psalm 17)
– The Psalms give us words to voice our hope. (Psalm 16; Psalm 71; Psalm 86)
– The Psalms give us words for our deep grief! (Psalm 6; Psalm 38; Psalm 42)
– The Psalms give us words for venting our anger and frustration! (Psalm 52; Psalm 59; Psalm 69)
– The Psalms give us words to voice our fears! (Psalm 55; Psalm 56; Psalm 57)
– The Psalms give us words to claim our faith! (Psalm 27; Psalm 37; Psalm 46)
– The Psalms give us words to express our celebration! (Psalm 33; Psalm 47; Psalm 93)
You might be asking: But the original musical scores of the Psalms have been lost to history. This is true, but the Psalms themselves endure. Musical styles change over the years. Rhythm, meter, harmonies & melodies … they vary widely according to geographic region. Musical preference ranges across all generations.
However … we have the freedom to set these Psalms to rhythm, meter, harmonies & melodies that speak to us today … in the musical style and preference that reach our generation.
God has given His Word to us, not only to be read and pondered, but also to be sung!
God’s Word is powerful when sung! Melody and rhythm have a way of “playing over and over in your head” … additionally, rhyming lyrics are catchy and have a way of “sticking with you.” What better way to memorize and meditate on God’s Word!
What better way to apply God’s Word when faced with fear, frustration, anger, disappointment, bitterness, loss, grief, sorrow, etc. …
Music is one of the best ways to get God’s Word into your heart and mind!
What can we learn from the book of Psalms? A lot! But perhaps something we might have never considered before – sing God’s Word!
Jesus Christ in the Psalms – There are many prophecies & references to Jesus found throughout the Psalms. Here are just a few:
– Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23)
– Jesus is the sacrifice for the sin of all humanity (Psalm 40:6-8; also re-quoted in Hebrews 10:5-7)
– Jesus was rejected and crucified, but raised by God (Psalm 118:22; also re quoted in Acts 4:10-12
– Prophecy that God would raise Jesus from the dead (Psalm 2:7; Psalm 16:10; also re-quoted in Acts 13:32-35, Hebrews 1:1-5, Hebrews 5:5)
– Prophecy about the preeminence of Jesus (Psalm 45:6-7; also re-quoted in Hebrews 1:8-9)
– Jesus is eternal (Psalm 102:25-24; also re-quoted in Hebrews 1:10-12)
– Jesus is exalted above all (Psalm 110:1; also re-quoted in Hebrews 1:13)
– Jesus is our high priest (Psalm 110:4; also re-quoted in Hebrews 5:6-10, Hebrews 7:15-17, Hebrews 7:21-22)
