Choice Word: “Shir” (Song)

Choice Word: “Shir” (Song). 

CAUTION: SKIM AT YOUR OWN RISK. In this era of amazing advances in technology, there are sometimes unexpected consequences that turn out to be harmful to our Christian faith. One of these harmful improvements is the flood of believers who read scripture online, on the smart phone, on the computer screen. I’m convinced there should be a warning label on every one of the online Bibles… CAUTION: SKIM AT YOUR OWN RISK. So many of us now read the Word like we would read our emails or social media or the daily news. We skim the material hurriedly, superficially, carelessly. We skim the Scripture. Skim-reading the Bible doesn’t really bury the seed very deeply, of course. And in our skimming, we would be more likely to just skip over an important word or phrase without thinking, a word that could be vital to the whole passage. The fact is, the Bible is full of single words or short phrases that are too important to simply gloss over as if it wasn’t there. There are times in the Word when single words are intended to feed us, nourish our faith, stimulate us to think at a deeper level about the biblical text.

There are single words in Scripture that are like stop signs asking us to stop and consider carefully, to pause before moving forward in the reading. This series on my blog will try to unpack some of these power-packed words or phrases in Scripture… Words like: Behold; Rejoice; Truly; Woe; Blessed; Beware; Come; If. And I will attempt to also explore the meanings of some short phrases that are single words in the original biblical language, such as “Himeni” (Here I am); “Shema” (Listen and Do’); “Splagchnizonai” (deeply moved with compassion); “pistence” (believe), and “kal-v’chomer” (How much more).  If it is poetically possible to “see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower, and hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour,” as William Blake once imagined, then certainly we readers of Scripture can find a world of meaning in a single word, we can grasp something profound in a simple phrase.

Music refuses definition. Music can be described, it can be lived, it cannot be defined. Music goes too deep for that. Deeper than we can imagine and deeper than we can possibly know until heaven, where music seems to be the common language. This makes us wonder if, at creation, God didn’t merely speak the words that brought everything into existence. No, perhaps God sung those words. God filled the new universe with the new song of creation. God didn’t merely shout “Let there be light!” No, God sung those words that brought light to life. God’s first creative act, a song. Is it any wonder that at creation “the morning stars sung together and all the angels shouted for joy.” (Job 38:7).

I believe that music is in the very soul of God, it’s in the repertoire of God’s self-expression. The Trinitarian Persons undoubtedly have spent eternity singing divine love songs to each other. If somehow music is a part of God’s essence, then we humans, being made in the image of God, also have music built into our human nature. Music has been part of the creative process, in both God’s and ours, since literally Day One.

It’s not surprising then, that the Bible, both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, are full of songs… from the first recorded song with Moses and Miriam at the Red Sea in Exodus 15, through the songbook of the Bible in Psalms, to the last recorded song in Revelation 19. Wherever there is self-expression in Scripture, there is bound to be a song. Rabbis say that the oldest texts in the Hebrew Bible are poems/songs. Because they were sung, they were remembered more precisely through the oral tradition, and they were probably less tampered with or paraphrased down through history. So it appears that the most authentic pieces of Scripture are the songs that were sung. They were memorized more easily, preserved more accurately, and handed down with more authority.

Songs in the Key of Faith. Any overview of the songs in Scripture would have to include:

1. The Song of the Red Sea, often called the ‘Song of Moses and Miriam,’ in Exodus 15:1-21, around 1445 BC;
2. The Song of Moses, at the end of the trail in Deuteronomy 32:1-43, about forty years after his first song;
3. The Song of Deborah, after her monumental victory in battle, Judges 4-5, around 1300 BC;
4. The Song of Hannah, in ecstatic praise after her son Samuel’s birth, 1 Samuel 2, around 1170 BC;
5. The Song of David in 1 Chronicles 16 around 1040 BC;
6. The Song of David in 2 Samuel 22, near the end of his life around 1018 BC;
7. The Song of Ethan the music director, Psalm 89, which is amazingly messianic;
8. The Songs of Isaiah, Israel’s supreme poet-prophet, especially in Isaiah 12, Isaiah 55, and Isaiah 60;
9. The Song of Jonah in chapter 2 of his memoir, singing Scripture while in the belly of a giant fish;
10. The Song of Hezekiah, in Isaiah 38, as he pleads for an extension of his life;
11. The Song of Habakkuk, perhaps the Scripture’s most powerful statement of faith, in Habakkuk 3:17-19;
12. The Song of the Virgin Mary, Luke 1:46-55, the Magnificat, the most quoted song in all of Scripture;
13. The Song of the Millions of Angels in Luke 2:13-14, world history’s best birth announcement;
14. The Song of Zechariah, the prophetic father of John the Baptist at John’s miraculous birth, in Luke 1:67-69;
15. The Song of Simeon, in Luke 2:29-32, the patient prophet who sings his song while holding baby Jesus;
16. The Songs of St. Paul, who loved to quote early Christian hymns in his letters to… the Ephesians (5:14); the Philippians (2:5-11); the Colossians (1:15-20); to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Timothy 2:11-13;
17. The Songs of Heaven in John’s Revelation… Rev. 4:8-11; 5:8-10; 5:11-14; 7:9-12; 15:2-4; and 19:6-9. 
18. The Song of Songs in the Hebrew Bible… This exquisite song was either written by Solomon or in honor of him, around 960 BC. The title of this love poem means that this is the best song of all the songs, the most important song, and that this one song surpasses all others. It has been understood to describe the love God has for his chosen people Israel (rabbinic tradition); the love of Christ for His church (the Christian tradition); the love Jesus has for each believer; a messianic song extolling the beauty and grandeur of the Anointed One; or simply the magnificent human love between lovers, the spouses in their bridal song. The Song of Songs is held in highest esteem in Judaism, as seen in this quote of Rabbi Akiva in the first century AD, “… All the Writings are holy, but the Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies.” 

“The beginning of prayer is praise. The power of worship is song. First we sing, then we understand. First we praise, then we believe. To praise is to call forth the promise and presence of the Divine. There is no knowledge without love, no truth without praise. The primary purpose of prayer is not to make requests. The primary purpose is to praise, to sing, to chant. Because the essence of prayer is a song, and man cannot live without a song.”  (Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel).

“The Lord is my song, The Song!” (Isaiah 12:2, Exodus 15:2, Psalm 118:14).

“The Lord Is The Song!” There are a few ways to understand this recurring biblical passage… The Lord is the reason I sing. The Lord is Who I love to sing about. The Lord is the object of my singing. The Lord is Who we sing to. The Lord is the one Who inspires our singing. I sing because of the Lord, in honor of the Lord, in obedience to the Lord. Many translations put this verse as saying, “The Lord is my song.” But biblical scholars say that this passage could just as correctly be translated as, “The Lord is The song,” or even, “The Lord is the song of God.”

The Song in the Flesh. So this important piece of Scripture captures the imagination as it makes clear that… Jesus Himself IS the Song. Christ is the divine song with flesh on. He embodies the Song of the universe. Jesus is God’s Song to the world. The life of Christ is itself a Song. The Christ-Song is a perfectly constructed piece of eternal music in the flesh. Just as a song is the composer’s method of self-expression, Jesus is God’s perfect and ultimate form of Self-expression. As our Savior, Jesus is the Song of Salvation. As the Redeemer, He is the Song of Redemption. As the Deliverer, He is the Song of Deliverance. As the Wonderful Counselor, He is the Song of Wisdom. As the Prince of Peace, He is the Song of Shalom.

“New Song” passages in Scripture all have one common element tying them all together… PRAISE! “The area of ancient Israel’s greatest creativity, and so what they did best, was the praise of God.” (Dr. Ellen Davis, Getting Involved with God). Scripture doesn’t define the word “praise,” but it offers plenty of descriptions and numerous praise-words. Praise can be described as an outward expression of gratitude for all that God has done for oneself, for the community, for the world. Praise is a recounting of the many blessings that God has provided in His grace and mercy. Praise is a grateful appreciation of God’s mighty works. Praise is an expression of thanksgiving to the Lord, an acknowledgement of God’s righteous deeds. To praise God is to thank God and celebrate His presence in the world.

“Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing His praises in the assembly of the faithful. O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King. Praise His name with dancing (“machol”), accompanied by tambourine and harp. For the Lord delights in His people; He crowns the humble with victory. Let the faithful rejoice that He honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.” (Ps. 149:1-5).  

The Endless Quest. When it comes to singing a new song to the eternal and almighty Lord, there will always be fresh material for a new composition. Every believer is on the endless quest to discover as much about the character and goodness of God as He is willing to reveal. There is always more to the Lord than we can understand or appreciate, so there is always something new to discover about Him and more to sing about. There will always be new ways to express our praises to God. There are countless reasons for believers to be singing new songs to God: Reasons from the past; Reasons in the present; Reasons for the future.

“Let the upright sing for joy to the Lord; it is fitting for the pure to praise Him. Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre; make music for Him on the ten-stringed harp. Sing a new song of praise to Him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.” (Ps. 33:1-3).

1. Singing New Songs because of the PAST: A new understanding of God’s faithfulness during one’s past; a fresh expression of recounting God’s grace in former life experience; an appreciation of new knowledge of God’s miraculous creation and redemption of the world; a new understanding of how God has revealed His character and goodness in past life experiences.

“Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory. His holy arm has shown His saving power! The Lord has announced His victory and has revealed His righteousness to every nation! He has remembered His promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.” (Ps. 98:1-3).

2. Singing New Songs because of the PRESENT: A fresh experience of God’s lovingkindness which is “new every morning; His mercies never come to an end.” (Lamentations 3:22-23); a new opportunity to seek God’s help and deliverance; a new time of thanksgiving after lamentation or repentance; a spirit-led song of spontaneous praise; a fresh inspiration of a new way to praise God; a renewed gratitude for the daily unfolding of God’s grace.

“Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Sing to the Lord, praise His name. Each day proclaims the good news that He saves. Publish His glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things He does. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! (Ps. 96:1-4).

3. Singing New Songs because of the FUTURE: A fresh way to express joyful faith in God’s trustworthiness for the future; a new appreciation of the eternal life that lies ahead; “Throughout the Hebrew Bible, the “new song” speaks of the Messianic Age when triumph will ultimately reign over misfortune.” (Dr. David Stern). Rabbinic authorities say, “In the time of the Messiah, every person will urge their neighbor to praise the Lord with the words of a new song.”

“I will sing a new song to you, O God! I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp.” (Ps. 144:9).

Dancing Because of the Lord’s Gracious Restoration. The Lord here is anticipating the joyful regathering of His chosen people after the Second Exodus from exile. These triumphant words introduce the New Covenant (vs. 31-34), which are perfectly fulfilled and fully established in the Person of Jesus Christ.  “I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore in my grace I have drawn you to Me with lovingkindness and mercy. I have continued my covenant faithfulness to you. I have never quit loving you and never will. From Me expect love, love, and more love. Again I will rebuild you, and you shall be rebuilt, O maiden of Israel! Again the young women shall take up your festive tambourines, and go forth to the rhythm of the joyful dancers, and the young men and old together shall be merry and join in the celebration. For I will turn their mourning into gladness, and will comfort them, and give them joy for their sorrow.”  (Jeremiah 31:3,4,13).

“Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing His praises from the ends of the earth! Let the whole world glorify the Lord; let it sing His praise! (Isaiah 42:10, 12).

“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed.” (Ps. 40:1-3).

Final Thought. “Any approach to salvation that does not eventually become worship reduces salvation to a concept or a program or a technique that we can master and therefore control. Song has always been basic to the act of worship… Salvation is the source of our song. Without the experience of God’s saving grace in our day-to-day lives, we are left with little to sing about.” (Eugene Peterson).