What does the Bible say about music?

• Genesis 4:21, "Jubal . . . was the ancestor of all those who play the lyre and pipe"
• Exodus 15:1, Moses and the Israelites sing a song to the Lord
• Judges 5:11, repeating the triumphs of the Lord to the sound of music
• 1 Samuel 19:9, "Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing music"
• 1 Chronicles 15:16, musical instruments raise the loud sounds of joy
• 2 Chronicles 5:13, praising the steadfast Lord with trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments
• 2 Chronicles 7:6, musicians played music in praise of the Lord
• Psalm 68:25, "Your solemn processions are seen, O God, the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary — the singers in front, the musicians last, between them girls playing tambourines"
• Psalm 98:1-7, make a joyful noise to the Lord
• Acts 16:25, "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them"
• Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God"
• Revelation 4:10-11, singing at the throne
• Revelation 14:2-4, singing a new song before the throne

Sermon ideas about music

With music, human beings exercise their calling as image-bearers of God by harnessing the very sounds of creation for God's praise. It begins with the human voice, to which is added poetic words and the rhythm of nature. Then people discover all kinds of creaturely elements, from wood to metal, animal skins to reeds, to fashion a staggering variety of instruments to add to this praise. Music is a way of taking the cacophony of creation and cultivating it into a "new song to the Lord.

At the heart of the Old Testament stand the psalms. The very word means "music," whether sung or with instruments. It is clear from the ancient introductions appended to many of the psalms that they were meant for singing in worship, and the antiphonal nature of the literary structures shows how they were often meant for choral singing. The psalms remain today the bedrock of the church's singing.

It is important to note that the premier musician of the Bible is King David, who was also a great warrior and statesman. That his musical skill is featured so prominently despite his other accomplishments shows the importance of music in Israel. David also organized the musical elements of Israel's worship, overseeing and no doubt underwriting its vast musical repertoire (1 Chronicles 15:16).

Temple worship employed ost of the kinds of instruments we use today: strings, wind, percussion, and brass. Scholars say that Second Temple Judaism employed whole orchestras with a minimum of twelve and as many as thirty-six instruments. But it was no mere cacophony; the goal was always unity, and it was thought that the more unified the playing and singing, the more fitting and glorious the praise (2 Chronicles 5:13).

There is little mention of music in the gospels, but in Acts we find the inspiring scene in which Paul and Silas sing hymns of praise to God in the night while in prison in Philippi (Acts 16:25). Paul mentions Christian song in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16, indicating that singing must have been also a prominent aspect of early Christian worship. The psalms he mentions were likely the biblical psalms, while hymns were early Christian texts put to music (possibly Philippians 2:5-11 and others), and spiritual songs were likely an ecstatic, Spirit-inspired form of music.

In Revelation's visionary pictures of heavenly worship, music and song also play a prominent role, as angels, living creatures, and saints all sing exuberant songs of praise to God and to the Lamb.

Throughout history, Christian liturgy was often sung rather than spoken. This has several advantages. It slows down the words and gives them extra resonance and meaning. Music and song in a liturgical setting also allow the worshipping congregation to participate in worship rather than leaving it to the leaders. Among the Reformers, John Calvin especially advocated singing the psalms in worship (following the monastic tradition), inspiring a movement that spread through worship.

In contemporary church worship, music and praise have become nearly synonymous, with "praise bands" and a "praise and worship" liturgical style. While this music can often be emotionally stirring, it sometimes lacks the cohesion and biblical grounding of music that is embedded in the liturgical movement itself.