Make a Joyful Noise

Well many of you who read this blog already know of my position on this topic, and some of you even agree with me about it, but the Lord has really been impressing the importance of this issue on my heart lately, as He always seems to do after I get to enjoy fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ at retreats as I had the pleasure of doing this last weekend. The issue is exclusive psalmody.

I was really stricken by something that was prayed aloud during a conversational prayer that I had the privilege participating in during the Gethsemane Challenge. Oh, before I go on further I'd probably better explain what the Gethsemane Challenge is for those of you who don't know. Basically, it is a weekend of fasting and prayer devoted to the purpose of growing closer to Christ in our walks with Him. It is a very difficult, but spiritually edifying experience.

So to paraphrase what I heard, "thank you Lord, for giving us the Psalms to sing, which we know are safe" and I was amazed at how accurately that thanksgiving summed up the issue of exclusive psalmody.

Truly when you think about it, what alternative is better than the Divine inspired Word of God? Our worship will always be tainted, because we in nature are fallen creatures, but when we sing the Psalms we are given the opportunity to offer a perfect and holy God something that he created holy and perfect to begin with...and that He in fact created for use as such.

Now I have heard it remarked that that is all well and good, but that if you follow that argument through to its logical conclusion, one inevitably reaches the point where all of the Word should be sung in corporate worship. But let's examine the book of Psalms for a moment. What is it at heart?

Primarily it is a book poetry, but it is more than that too...it is a book of poetry put to music. But the other unique feature of it is that it contains a summary of the entire message of Scripture throughout it's course. It has been made to be sung in praise to God.

James 5:13:
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.

(Notice: the word "psalms" is used in the New King James version quoted above...other translations use "songs of praise" from the Greek root "psalmos")

On that note, another argument against exclusive psalmody that has been brought before me is that the name of Jesus Himself is not expressly used within the book's course, because God had not taken on the flesh at that point in history. This is true. But examine with me the 22nd chapter briefly:

Psalm 22:1-31
1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.5 To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;8 He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.10
On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me;13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—17 I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me;18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!20
Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!22 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever!27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.28 For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive.30 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

Now cross reference that with the account of Christ's death in Mark 15:

Mark 15:17-37
17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. 21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, The King of the Jews. 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross! 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe. Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. 33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani? which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, Behold, he is calling Elijah. 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down. 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.

The parallel is clearly seen. So even in this ancient book, written long before the death of Christ, His crucifixion is referenced.

So again, why would we sing anything else in our worship, when God has already provided for us something better?