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by Wayne Blank
Singing has been a form of worship even before humans existed. The angels sang for joy during The Seven Days Of Creation -
"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4-7)
Hymns have been an important part of the worship of God, as recorded in The Bible, throughout all of Bible History.
The first thing the Israelites did after crossing the sea was to sing a hymn of thanks -
"Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to The Lord [see Rock Of Ages], and said, I will sing to The Lord, for He is highly exalted; the horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea." (Exodus 15:1) See also Miriam
Both King David and his son Solomon were very active in song and music. David, who played the harp (1 Samuel 19:9), is credited with the writing of 73 of the Psalms, and Solomon "spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five." (1 Kings 4:32)
The Temple in Jerusalem, then the most holy place on earth, was a very musical place -
"All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of The Temple of The Lord, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at The House of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king. Along with their relatives - all of them trained and skilled in music for The Lord - they numbered 288." (1 Chronicles 25:6-7)
A hymn closed one of the most solemn events of human history, the "Last Supper" -
"While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My Body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's Kingdom." After singing a hymn, they went out to The Mount Of Olives." (Matthew 26:26-30)
Fact Finder: What all happened during the night of Jesus' arrest?
Matthew chapters 26 and 27
See also The Fateful Night
