Focus: Psalms 137:4 - KJV
4. How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?
Psalms 137:1-4
It is desired of believers to worship God in all circumstances and situations. When we do worship, our God is attracted to us. Nonetheless, the things of God, particularly the art of worship, is sacred and therefore cannot be handled with levity. There was a time in the life of the Israelites that they were taken into captivity in Babylon and their city, Jerusalem, was left in ruins. Nehemiah was so concerned for the things of God that he prayed and his countenance was sullen to the extent that the king noticed and asked what he wanted, which eventually led to the rebuilding of Jerusalem at the king’s fiat. Nehemiah was not using the Lord’s song or prayers for sport. He kept the sacred things sacred. There was however, a point when the heathen asked the Hebrew captives to sing worship songs to them – more like for sports than for the worship of God. That is a no no in that the heathen had nothing good to do with the songs and they were not likely to understand or appreciate what they heard. Hence, the people of God declined to sing, particularly in a strange land. It is better done where God is consecrated.
How does this relate to us? It is a common place today to find people using worship songs for their entertainment and the enjoyment of those who are clearly of the world. Even when the songs are rendered in a supposed worship center, it is done in such a way that God is not honored in it. Jesters and all manner of worldly people now mingle with believers to pretend they are in worship. These things infuriate our God. The Israelites at a point in time got Aaron to build them a golden calf. And they were full of worship of the nonliving calf, singing songs as they knew it and dancing making loud noise. The Lord told Moses the manner of desecration Israel was into. When Joshua heard the noise, he assumed it was a noise of war. But Moses was clear to tell him it was the noise of them that sang. Unless worship is directed at the living God, it is cacophonous and therefore noisy. Worship is never horizontal but vertical. When we sing songs to entertain ourselves, we are at best, noise makers. Let us be careful to worship God in spirit and in truth. Some may assume souls may be won by singing the Lord’s song “in a strange land”. Not so. Spiritual things have spiritual effect when done properly for spiritual purposes.
May the Lord aid us to know when and where to genuinely sing in worship to attract His being, in Jesus’ name. May our songs rendered in worship bring forth the desired effect in heaven and on earth in Jesus’ name. May the Lord equip us with boldness to decline when the heathen seeks that we perform unto them and not necessarily worship God, in Jesus’ name. From this day hence, may we worship the Lord in spirit and in truth that we may be in true fellowship with Him and never cause Him to depart from our assembly, in Jesus’ name. All that we did in the past that made us appear like stiff-necked people as He saw Israel back in the day, may the Lord forgive and take us fully back, in Jesus’ name.
SOLUTION: Please use the Lord’s songs for the Lord’s worship and not entertainment, sport or fun. Let God be your focus in worship.
If you are blessed by this post, kindly share with your contacts, as well as others, that they may be blessed also. Thank you and may God bless you abundantly as you do so, in Jesus’ name.
Comments