Big Worship

Here are some portions from the 138th Psalm, dealing with the power of praise and significance of music in the Christian life:
(1) I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You. 2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.    7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. 8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. There is a dynamic of music that is so beneficial in the Christian life.   Here at Faith Radio, we place a priority on the spoken word, through quality Bible teaching, but we also recognize the importance of worship in the Christian life.   Music is a powerful force that can contribute to our experience of God.   You can probably think of a song lyric that has penetrated your heart in a particular moment of your life, or perhaps a melody will play over and over in your mind - in a positive way - to remind you of the presence or the promises of God.    Those that participate in musical worship have that God-given opportunity to experience a unique resource that God will use in our spiritual experience. 

In 2nd Chronicles 5, we can read the narrative of the dedication of the Temple and the role of the musicians;
11 And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place...   12 and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets-- 13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever," that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

There was a momentous occasion recently in St. Petersburg, Russia:  a crowd of some 4,335 Russian singers performed outdoors in St. Petersburg with the goal of setting a world record for the largest choir.

This massive mass choir, reportedly comprised of members from nearly all of the city's professional and amateur choirs sang from the steps of St. Isaac's Cathedral before thousands of spectators who sang along on a rainy day in the large Russian city.

There were 14 songs performed included some of the most popular and patriotic songs of Russia and the Soviet Union, including a hymn celebrating the country's victory in World War II.

You can just imagine the sound and spectacle of over 4000 choir members who raised their voices together.   And, it reminded me of some of the larger choirs who were documented in the Bible:

Such as the 2 large choirs assembled to celebrate the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, according to Nehemiah chapter 12.

I think about the army of Jehoshophat, which was given specific instructions to stand still and see God's salvation, as a choir was appointed to go out front and sing praises to God - the worship became the warfare.

And, I referred earlier to the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem by Solomon, who had a tremendous musical accompaniment.

God appoints us to sing to Him for a very specific purpose - He inhabits the praise of His people, and I believe His is pleased as we honor Him with our musical worship.  And, as we strive to offer up a song from the heart to God, it brings a greater awareness of His presence.  The principle is the same for 4 or 4000 - He has ordained musical praise for a very specific purpose - music can stir the soul and carry a message in a unique manner that sometimes will even transcend the spoken word.   A line from a song or a worship chorus can minister to our hearts in a very powerful way.   And, a time of worship can prepare our hearts to receive the teaching of the spoken word.