Created and Commanded to Sing
Songs have existed since before the beginning of time. When the foundations of the world were being laid by the Lord, the book of Job 38:7 says, “while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy.”
Creation sings together the Father’s song. All streams, mountains, rivers, valleys, deserts, singing birds and all other living things cry out in a song of praise to the Creator. But there is a song that is worth more to God than any other. The song of His children is one that He adores.
We are created by God to sing.
Psalm 96:1-2 says, “Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.”
The command to sing is given throughout the Bible in verses such as Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19.
“Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” Colossians 3:16
“Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.” Ephesians 5:19
Why does God want us to sing and not just recite words? One reason is that according to Zephaniah 3:17 that God himself sings.
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you with his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
Even the night before his crucifixion Jesus sang hymns. “Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.” Matthew 26:30
In Ephesians 5, we are reminded that a by-product of being “filled with the spirit” is “addressing each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
The triune God that we praise sings! And He commands us to sing too.
