Music and prophesy

1 Chronicles 24:1–25:31; 2 Timothy 3:10–17; Psalm 89:1–22

Today’s OT reading says something I’ve never noticed before (probably because I’ve too often scanned all the genealogies, names, and lists in Chronicles?) I’ve underlined the words that surprised me . . .

“David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was: Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord.” (1 Chronicles 25:1–3)

The first one is a noun: prophet. The other two are verbs. The middle one says this was done under the direction of the king, and since David represents the Messiah, this is not a surprise. What surprised me is that the prophets used musical instruments to do it.

Most of us associate prophesy with predicting the future, but this word actually means ‘a message from God.’ It could be a prediction, but also could be His direction, or a statement of His standards. In this passage, He says that He can give that message through music. For that reason, it pays to pay attention while we sing those hymns and choruses; God could be speaking!

God certainly speaks through His Word also. The NT reading contains these well-know words, favorites of mine: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

I particularly love Christian music that uses Bible verses. I’ve even marked a musical symbol beside the verses I recognize as part of our current worship songs. Those verses, as this passage says, are messages from God. He teaches what I need to know, rebukes me for not heeding what I’ve been taught, corrects to help me know what to do instead of my mistakes, and instructs me in right living. While this comes primarily through the Word of God, it can come through the words of others, including my pastor, and even through music!

Besides hearing God speak, today’s music and the music of the OT gives me opportunity to praise Him. Today’s reading from the psalms, like most of them, is rich in praise. The psalmist lifts up the qualities of God that he appreciates . . .

“You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.” (Psalm 89:13–16)

I’m blessed to read what happens to those who stay close to God in obedience and praise; we are blessed and because of having His righteousness, we are exalted!

Quickly to my rescue

Every year I read through the Bible. Right now I am reading Hosea, written by that prophet who was told by God to illustrate the unfaithfulness of His people by marrying a harlot. Hosea did what God told him to do.

I started thinking of the things God has asked me to do, none of them even close to being that difficult. Then my mind wandered from the text for a few minutes and I began feeling heavy for all the times I have disobeyed Him. I feel as if I didn’t teach my family as I should have, nor interceded for them nearly as much as I ought.

Then I read Hosea 4:6: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

Only someone with wayward kids would know the effect that verse slammed on me. With a lump of sorrow for a past I cannot change, I turned to my devotional guide and discovered that the reading for today is the same as yesterday based on Isaiah 44:3, “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.”

The first verse from Hosea is what God can do against those who disobey Him. I know that is true, yet immediately the enemy began telling me all was lost. Because I failed, God would never bless me or my family. My situation is hopeless. Yet very quickly, the God who can do all things did not let that hopelessness take hold. He immediately gave me the second verse to remind me that when I am deficient, when I fail and cannot do anything the way I should, He is able to do all that I long for and He can bless whoever He wants to bless.

The reading from the devotional in Ears from Harvested Sheaves blesses me also. With a bit of editing to personalize it (and because it is written in a very wordy manner), here is what it says:

How often does my soul, born and taught of God, feel that I am “dry ground!” I desire to be adorned with every grace of the Spirit within and with every good and godly fruit without. There is nothing too holy, too heavenly, too spiritual, or too gracious but that I long to experience and produce it in my life. But I know I cannot by any exertion of my own produce this fruitfulness. Just as a barren field cannot convert itself into a fruitful garden without being tilled by human hand or without rain from the sky, I know the barrenness produced by my own exertions.
Yet the Lord knows the desire of my heart and my mourning over this barrenness. He gives me this sweet and gracious promise, “I will pour floods upon the dry ground.”
A partial shower would not be enough; dry ground quickly absorbs a few drops of summer rain. Floods must come, either from the skies or from the streams of that “river which makes glad the city of God” to produce this mighty change. These floods are the promises poured into my soul along with the love of God shed abroad in my heart.

God speaks to me with reassurance that when my heart is not fearful or defensive but instead honest and contrite, Christ will manifest Himself and the power of His atoning blood in my life. From Him and from His Word come an inflow of grace and truth that washes away the guilt and crud of sin and flows like a river of peace into my heart.

Not only that, my family is not under His curse. He is powerful and able to pour out His Spirit on them as well, doing in their lives that which they are far too barren to do for themselves.

Hope is rising . . .

Today my best-laid plans were foiled once again. I know that God is teaching me to let Him plan my day, but I’m not there yet. Finally, after several distractions, I was able to sit down with Him and realize all over again that He also likes to surprise me. He offered me a wonderful reading from the Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah.

Too many Christians don’t bother with the Old Testament. They rightly say that we are no longer under that covenant, but they miss something; the Old Testament tells us about God and through knowing what He is like, we are blessed and our lives are changed.

For instance, Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

I already know the comfort I get from reading the Old Testament, particularly the Psalms, but this verse says that I will be given hope through the “patience” of the Scriptures (in this case, Old Testament). What an odd way to describe the Bible. After checking, I find that this word “patience” is about endurance. In other words, the Bible perseveres. What God says “abides forever” (1 Peter 1:23, 1 John 2:17, etc.) and remembering that is a source of hope! Also, if I didn’t bother with the Old Testament, that would be tantamount to blocking my ears to a great deal of what God has to say. How foolish.

What He says this morning surprised me because I’m always concerned and praying for many people that have made professions of faith, but have seemed to abandon God. Either they were insincere in the first place, or they have starved their spiritual lives by neglecting spiritual activity and feeding themselves all the wrong stuff. I’m burdened by their empty lives and by their failure to follow through and be the people God intended. They could be glorifying Him and blessing others, but they are not.

Sometimes as I pray I would never say out loud that I don’t think God can do it, but after years of praying for some of these people, the enemy (whose first lie was that God doesn’t really mean what He says) gets at me with doubt. Will God bother with these people? Can He do anything? Or are they just too stubborn? When I think that way, I need some of that hope promised in Romans 15:4 and today, God renewed my hope from Jeremiah 32:37-42 . . .

‘Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’ For thus says the Lord: ‘Just as I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them.’

God is talking about His role in the captivity of Israel by the Babylonians, and His plan for their future. While this is not about me or those on my prayer list, it shows me that God can do it. God can put people in bondage if it suits His purposes for them, and He can bring them out of bondage whenever it is best to do so.

He can also give them singleness of heart and purpose. He can fill them with awe and respect for Him. He can change them so much that they will never depart from Him again. He does this for their good and for the good of their children.

For me, the best part is in near the end of this passage: God rejoices in doing good for His people! He will take care of those I pray for, not because I am pleading with Him to change their lives, and not reluctantly, but with all His heart and soul!

At church we sing a chorus with the line, “Hope is rising . . .” and as those words fill my heart, I’m sure that whoever wrote this course also knew where that hope comes from!

I may waver, but He never does

Someone threw something at me yesterday that made a good shot at putting my faith into a tailspin. For a while, I was thinking things like What if Jesus doesn’t do anything for us? What if all these blessings are coincidences? What if the Bible is wrong?

Normally I can counter all that with the truth that I know, but yesterday was a long day, I was tired, and my mind was not working very well. My husband, who is as solid as the Rocky mountains, said all the right words. I prayed and felt the smile of Jesus, but I still woke this morning with these nagging questions.

Again, God knows how to speak. My reading for today is from Romans 15. It says, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we though the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

One word caught my eye—patience. How can the Scripture be patient? I checked. This is a rather awkward translation of a Greek word that means endurance, the ability to remain strong and stable under extreme pressure. Now the verse makes more sense.

The Bible is the world’s best-selling book. It hits that mark every year, without fail, even though no one bothers to put it at the top of their charts. The Bible endures because it is true, because it does what it says it will do. It instructs people how to live and gives us comfort and assurance of the love of God.

But there is more. Psalm 19 says, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.”

Whatever things were written beforehand does all this. The Bible converted me from darkness to light. It gives me insight that in my simple-mindedness I would not otherwise know. The truth from its pages fills me with joy, shows me what is right and how I should live, warns me when there is danger, and puts to flight all those ideas from anyone who speaks against it.

Throughout the centuries, all questions, challenges, efforts to destroy it, and claims that it is bogus have failed. The Bible endures. The Word of God stands forever. Because of that, I can stand against the lies tossed against my faith, not because I have any strength, but because this book upon which my faith is based is as true and powerful as its Author.