COMMANDED TO . . . SING!

We are a singing people because God has commanded us to sing.

“At the end of the day, we are commanded by God to pray—so we must do it!”

The same is equally true of singing. We are commanded by God to sing—so we must do it. Not to sing is to disobey.

God’s commands are not arbitrary—they are always for His people’s good. Part of the glory of God’s commands are that His law is the “perfect law that gives freedom” (James 1:25). Just as we are told to study the Scriptures, to pray, to give, to take communion, so we are commanded to sing with the saints because we need to sing. Our spiritual health depends on it.

Our pleasure and our duty, Though opposite before; Since we have seen his beauty, Are joined to part no more.5

Christian singing is far more than doing our duty, but it is never less. We are commanded to, “Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints” (Ps. 149:1).

Repeatedly and throughout Scripture, we are commanded to be a singing people. There are more than four hundred references to singing in the Bible and at least fifty direct commands.

Just a Few Examples

Psalm 47:6 (ESV)

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

Psalm 67 “To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!”

Psalm 81 “To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. Of Asaph. 1 Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! 2 Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. 3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. 4 For it is a statute for Israel, a rule of the God of Jacob. 5 He made it a decree in Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt. I hear a language I had not known: 6 “I relieved your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket. 7 In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah 8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me! 9 There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. 10 I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11 “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not…” Imperative - Raise

We are not to disregard the command because we don’t like the music or the personnel or are not in the mood. The command in Psalm 149:1 contains no caveats or conditions.

Note to worship leaders -

It should go without saying that the leadership of a church should be facilitating congregational singing so that we can all honor the Lord in this together.

WHERE WE SING

Psalm 149:1 (ESV)

Sing to the LORD a New Song

149 Praise the LORD!

Sing to the LORD a new song,

his praise in the assembly of the godly!

The command is not to sing just into ourselves or by ourselves (like in the shower or in the car), but out loud as part of “the assembly of the saints”—that is, in the company of other believers, with your church.

It is not a metaphorical or optional or seasonal suggestion, but a clear directive from our Lord and Savior to sing as a regular part of our worship life, primarily and especially with other believers.

It may sound like a rather obvious statement to make, but in the assembly each of us will not be in the majority.

That means you are going to be singing songs

you may not have chosen because they are not your favorite, to arrangements or with accompaniment that you may not have chosen because they are not your favorites.

You are going to need to be willing to lay down your own tastes for the good of the wider assembly.

For as long as we have the health and the ability, we are each called to sing with the people of God, and to love our people enough to serve each other in the way we sing.

WHAT WE SING

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col. 3:16 ESV)

We have so much creative freedom in our music and songs, which of course is magnificently seen in the diversity of sounds and styles expressed in the Church all over the world.

One of the ways the Word of Jesus can dwell in us richly is for us to sing it to one another. We are commanded to sing the Word of God—the truth revealed in the Scriptures, the story of redemption. Fundamentally, we’re to sing about God, revealed in Christ and supremely in His suffering and His glory, since that’s what the Word of God is all about (Luke 24:26–27). “Richly” brings to mind words like generously, magnificently, fully, thoroughly. Content matters.

How to interact with musical worship -

If you are singing the songs as a member of the assembly of the saints, then don’t just sing, but think. What are you singing?

How does it point you to Jesus as He reveals Himself in His Word?

What truths are being laid on your heart, and how is your singing being used to lay them on the hearts of those around you?

Which lines in the lyrics flood you with joy because they move you to consider Christ afresh, and how will you sing them to others and back to yourself this week?

HOW WE SING

Colossians 3:16 (ESV)

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

The disposition of our hearts is not begrudging—“I sing because I must”—but rather “with thankfulness in your hearts to God”—“I sing because He is marvelous.”

It is hard—impossible, in fact—to sing what you are excited about in your spirit and grateful for in your heart in a way that is tepid, tentative, and withdrawn. Deeply felt thankfulness produces a sound from our voices that is robust and enthusiastic.

How we sing does reveal how we think and feel about something.

If we aren’t, (showing our conviction) our children or visitors looking on have every right to wonder if what we are singing is truly important to us. In this sense, our singing betrays the truth about us, for better and for worse.

NOTE - When doing family worship sing with conviction! Your in-authentic actions will be see through and detrimental to them and yourself.

OUR SINGING SAVIOR

As He walked toward His arrest, Jesus sang. In the depths and heights of His passion, Jesus sang. Imagining the Lord Jesus singing with His followers a few short hours before the agony of the cross is an incredible and humbling thought. Even as He approached the darkest hour, our Savior was singing and leading these men in singing. Even on the cross itself, He famously quoted from a song, a psalm, that He would have grown up knowing. The songs He was trained in as a child sustained Him and, we might say, shaped Him through His most anguished moment of suffering;

My God, my God why have you forsaken me? . . .My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. (Ps. 22:1–3)

As we digest the Word set in song and respond with thankfulness in our hearts to God, we are guided into His path of peace. That peace is Him. Singing, as with all these outward expressions of our worship, will never save us. But singing will help lead us to the One who will. The command to sing leads us to Christ with joy to praise and follow Him. How kind of God to command us to do something so wonderful!

1. What response do you have personally to the “command to sing” praise to God?

2. How do you feel about singing not only songs you like but songs you need to sing?

3. What is the link between thankfulness and singing?

4. What are some things that might help you cultivate singing with intentional thankfulness?