Ministering With Music

Now these are the men whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after the ark came to rest. They were ministering with music before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they served in their office according to their order.
[1 Chronicles 6:31 NKJV]

Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
[Daniel 3:14-15 NKJV]

About two weeks ago, a meditation (‘All Kinds Of Music’), brought a lovely response, and one raised the question as to whether or not music can be a vehicle for the Holy Spirit, in the same way that Holy Scripture can.

Since then, I have returned to that thought on a few occasions, and I would have to say that ‘it depends...’ on what? On whether the music leads you to The Lord in your heart, your thoughts, your inclination. Are you drawn into The Holy Place?

I can recall several occasions since being ‘born again’ when ministry or church leaders would advise against ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’, for example. Some would be stricter than others in their interpretation. I for one, have a preference for instrumental pieces, often symphonic, but as I get older, the lighter, softer works are gaining ground. There are occasions when my thoughts are led heavenward by a particular passage, so I believe it is possible for The Holy Spirit to speak through music.

In the verses chosen today, we see that in ‘the service of song in the house of the Lord’ there was ‘a ministering with music’. Music appeals to the emotions, and the best of it — in a service or a meeting of the brethren — directs the emotions to follow the Spirit and seek His presence. The same can be said of listening to Handel’s oratorio ‘The Messiah’ wherever it is played. But even there it is the words that do a lot of the Holy Spirit’s leading work.

I find that with the video below. We know the music which leads us to recall the marvellous words which are really the point — the praise which leads us to Him.

In the verses from Daniel, we find that Nebuchadnezzar insisted that it was good if Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego would be lead by the music to worship the image which He had made — plainly directing them to the gold image instead of the real God. Their rejection of the wrong spirit and trust in God ensured their survival amid the fiery furnace.

At the end of the matter, it should be the spirit in which the music was created and played, which will seek to draw you away from God, or point you to Him. If we are standing sure in The Holy Spirit, “He shall direct thy paths”.

How often we have faced difficulties that never came, and every time we faced them we unfitted ourselves for the duty that lay before us. I have no business to be thinking about something else, my duty is always the duty that lies nearest.

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