The Place Of Singing

by J. L. Ferguson, Barrhead | Category: Worship | May 1964

There was no singing in the service of God in the Tabernacle which Moses built. The priests and the Levites moved around silently on the sandy floor. Nor is there any record of the worship of God ever being accompanied by singing while the service of the Mosaic Tabernacle proceeded in accordance with its original arrangement, until the days of David, when Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of the chosen ones were before the tabernacle in Gibeon (1 Chronicles 16.39-43).

It was not that singing and musical instruments were unknown in those days. The father of all who handle harp and pipe was in the seventh generation from Adam. Laban complained to Jacob that he had stolen away secretly "and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth and with songs, with tabret and with harp". We read of no song in Egypt, rather of sighing and crying, but when "the LORD saved Israel ...and Israel saw... Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD ...And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD ..." Yes, singing and music were much loved in those days.

Besides, in coming to the Place of the Name Israel was to rejoice greatly. Two of the many quotations from Deuteronomy will suffice.

"In the place which the LORD thy God shall choose... thou shalt rejoice" (12.18).

"Thou shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:... and thou shalt rejoice" (14.25,26).

So there was undoubted rejoicing before the court of the Tabernacle, but within the Sanctuary itself; amidst its several ordinances of divine service, there was silence. Priests moved around in the stillness (save only on occasions the sound of the golden bells on the garments of the high priest) of the holy place. Within the holy of holies the silence was complete. Was it that God did not love the songs of His people or their music? Of course He did, as later days were to show. But He was sovereign in His choice as to the manner of the Tabernacle service. He showed the pattern to Moses on the Mount with a warning that the structure and the service must be according to the pattern, and Moses faithfully carried it out to the letter, as is evident from the eightfold commendation in Exodus 40, "as the LORD commanded Moses", and again in Hebrews 3.5 and 8.5. So whatever singing and music might have been enjoyed by Israel within their own gates and dwelling places, and howsoever much they might rejoice before the Tabernacle, the divine choice remained as a decree - no song, no music within the Sanctuary!

By the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered. You read of it in 1 Chronicles 23. His longings after a resting place for the LORD had been lifelong and deep. Now he was old and full of days and ready to go. The Lord had not only given rest to His people but had secured also for Himself a house of rest for the ark of the covenant, a house for the sanctuary. And now the man after His own heart, the chosen instrument in bringing about His purpose, made his final arrangements regarding the service of the Levites. They were "to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD... and to stand every morning to thank and to praise the LORD, and likewise at even" (1 Chronicles 23.27-30).

The introduction of song and music into the Temple service was one of the most radical changes from the Tabernacle period. The first recorde6 indication of the new feature was in the great transitional days when the Ark of the covenant was brought to Jerusalem. David and all Israel set out from Kiriath0-Jearim in their first attempt to bring it up and as they did so they "played before God with all their might". Their joy knew no bounds. But the anger of the LORI) was kindled by reason of the new cart and the idle Levites. So Uzzah died and David feared, and pondered.

Three months later David, his lesson learned, brought up the Ark to the prepared place in Jerusalem, this time borne by the Levites. Heman, Asaph and Ethan, with others of their brethren, were appointed to the care of both song and music. And all Israel brought up the Ark of the covenant of the LORD and He was well pleased. Never before had men sung and played in the precincts of the sacred Ark. And all through the days when the service of God was temporarily divided, with the Ark in the tent which David pitched for it at Jerusalem (the Tabernacle with its altar of burnt offering was at the high place of Gibeon), Asaph and his brethren ministered daily in song before the Ark of the Covenant, while Heman and Jeduthun were similarly occupied at Gibeon. The story is told in 1 Chronicles 16. They sang, with their accompanying instruments, "the song of God", the substance was "because His mercy endureth for ever" and a typical song is given in 1 Chronicles 16.8-36. This ministry continues, according to 1 Chronicles 6.32, until Solomon's Temple was built.

So the Lord came at last to Zion, to Judah whom He had chosen and to the mountain which He loved. Here He would build "His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He hath established for ever" (Psalm "8. 69). And already He was making provision for a new feature in His service.

Just as Moses would have loved to see what Joshua saw - Jordan passed and the tribes go over dry-shod, so David must have longed to see what Solomon saw when "the glory of the LORD filled the house of God", in contrast to David's struggles as he prepared with all his might. The first recorded vow in Scripture was Jacob 5 in relation to the house of God: here was David who vowed unto the Mighty One of Jacob". "Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house nor go up into my bed; ... until I find out a place for the LORD a tabernacle for the Mighty One of Jacob (Psalm 132 2 5)

So to him God gave the pattern of the new Temple and its service To quote David's own words All this have I been made to under stand in writing from the hand of the LORD even all the works of this pattern" (1 Chronicles 28 19) It must have been a much more involved pattern than Moses received on the mount It is briefly summarised in verses 11-18 of this chapter And included in it was "the courses of the priests and the Levites and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD . This pattern then David gave to his son Solomon with the words Take heed now for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary be strong and do it" (verse 10). In th6se days Solomon was strong and he did it He built the new Temple according to the pattern and was thus just as faithful in all God's house as a servant as Moses had been

When then the Temple was built and everything complete except the Most Holy Place, the Levites carried up the Ark from the tent which David prepared and the priests brought it into its place in the Oracle of the house, the Most Holy Place As they did so the Levites appointed to sing in the new administration Asaph Heman Jeduthun with their sons and their brethren, took their stand at the east end of the altar with cymbals, psalteries and harps and with them one hundred and twenty priests with trumpets. And as the priests who had borne the Ark came out from the Oracle the trumpeters and the singers united in what must have been a tremendous paean of praise to the Dweller within the sanctuary saying For He is good for His mercy endureth for ever". Then the cloud filled the house an experience so awe-inspiring that the worshippers were silenced It was the glory of the LORD came down (2 Chronicles 5 13 14)

The new Temple arrangement provided for the priests the Levites to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing according to the order of David". It was David who introduced song and music into the service of God. And you might well ask by whose authority? By the One most competent to decree by the God of the house Himself. This is clearly seen in 2 Chronicles 29.25: " And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, and psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David and of Gad the king's seer and Nathan the prophet: for the commandment was of the LORD by His prophets." He had made David to understand this matter expressly in writing. So song and music were introduced by the LORD Himself into the Temple service.

How thoroughly David did it, you will read in 1 Chronicles 25. The three chief singers were Asaph the Gershonite, Heman the Kohathite and Jeduthun the Merarite. Their sons were with them. In total they numbered two hundred and eighty eight. They were in twentyfour courses, with twelve in each course. They served at the sanctuary by day and by night, with the twelve tribes thus always represented each of the twenty-four hours in the day. Among them were scholars and teachers, small and great alike. They "were instructed in singing unto the LORD", skilful in song and in music. They are seen in Psalm 134, standing by night in the house of the LORD, lifting up their hands to the sanctuary, and blessing the LORD. The blending of the Temple song and its music must have been exceedingly sweet.

So God wished it. They sang the sweet psalms of David, as for example in 1 Chronicles 16.8-36, probably also the psalms of Asaph and of the sons of Korah, but in all that they sang the emphasized keynote was this, "For He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever". Israel's songs in worship were associated with the mercy of the LORD. They were songs associated with the altar (see 2 Chronicles 29.26-28). The singers, in the day when the Temple service was established, were positioned at the east end of the altar. In tabernacle days that was described in Leviticus 1.16 as "the place of the ashes". They might have sung with us, "I have been at the altar and witnessed the Lamb, burnt wholly to ashes for me". Their song was born of sacrifice. And in Hezekiah's time this truth was still in 'view, for in his great day of revival in the service and worship of God, "when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also" (2 Chronicles 29.27).

Yes, the singing and music must have been a most attractive feature of the temple service at Zion, both pre-captivity as we have seen, and post-captivity as Ezra 2.41 and Nehemiah 7.44 clearly indicate.

With the resurrection of the Lord Jesus the service of God for God's New Testament people is centred in Jerusalem above. Israel's Temple was left to them desolate and with the Lord's ascension the words of Solomon took on a new significance: "Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into Thy resting place, Thou and the Ark of Thy strength: let Thy priests, 0 LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let Thy saints rejoice in goodness" (2 Chronicles 6.41). The way of the Holies was now made manifest. Henceforth the true worshippers ("true" as distinct from the worshippers under the shadows of the law) would worship and serve in the true Tabernacle. Born-again men and women would be regarded as living stones. Baptized and brought into churches of God, they would together form the house of God. It would thus be a spiritual house, in which the holy priesthood would offer up spiritual sacrifices. They would gather together in the local assembly but their place of worship would be the Sanctuary above and thither they would draw near. Calvary had opened the way to a lofty service indeed.

And in the pattern of this glorious sanctuary service there was a place for song, but no instrumental music. Inwrought into this service was the breaking of the bread, and the simplicity of the institution of that ordinance was to be its dispensational setting. "And when they had sung a hymn, they went out unto the mount of Olives" (Matthew 26.30). Humanly, a mixed group; spiritually, a united band; under their Master's leadership they sang the Hallel (we suggest) as for long their fathers had done. Some fifty days later the spiritual house of God was to be in being and the sweet Singer of the upper room would bring to fulfilment Psalm 22.22. Saved from the lion's mouth, answered from the wild oxen's horns, now He would sing the praise of God in the midst of the congregation. What an uplifting contemplation! The New Testament people of God is to be a singing people, and in the divine presence their great Priest sings in their midst.

During the forty days after His resurrection the Lord Jesus gave to His apostles, and subsequently to Paul, just as accurate a pattern of the spiritual house and its services as in earlier days Moses and David had been given. In the epistles we have it committed to writing for the guidance of the holy priesthood in successive generations. The manner of the spiritual sacrifices will be dealt with, God willing, in our next issue. Meantime we mention the two leading references to the place which song was to have.

"Speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5.19).

"Teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God" (Colossians 3.16).

Though these two Scriptures may have general application when God's people are gathered together, they have their place on the first day of the week when gathered together to break the loaf, that gathering of the church of God in church assembled.

Thus an integral part of the service of worship in the house of God today is singing hymns of praise to God or spiritual songs, all melodious with the spirit of grace and appreciation in the hearts of the worshippers. Indeed the singing of hymns of various types was evidently the spontaneous expression of joy, as in the case of Paul and Silas when they sang praises in the prison in Philippi (the same word in verb form as Matthew 26.30 and Hebrews 2.12 and in noun form found in Ephesians 5. 19 and Colossians 3. 16), and James tells the cheerful to sing praise (5.13). Men sang with the spirit and with the understanding (1 Corinthians 14.15).

But what about the music which was inwrought of the Lord into the pattern of Solomon's Temple? We can only say, borrowing David's words and applying them to our own day, that in all that we have "been made to understand in writing from the hand of the LORD, even all the works of this pattern" we find no provision for musical instruments in the worship of God. Thus we perceive that the music which God left out in the Tabernacle service but introduced in the Temple, He has again left out in His spiritual house.

And when the seer of Patmos was given his vision of things to come he heard a new song being sung, and the singers had harps (Revelation 5) and when others came victorious from the beast and stood by the glassy sea they were given harps of God, and they sang!(14.2, 3).

J. L. Ferguson, Barrhead | May 1964
Worship