Learning To Sing the Psalms
When you love someone, you want to show that person your love in the particular ways that most please them. Your concern is not centered on how you most prefer to express your love, but rather on how the other person most prefers to receive your love. When our focus is on striving to demonstrate our love in the specific ways that we know will most strongly bless the other person, the genuineness of our care for them is far more greatly confirmed. As an example of this, consider the difference between receiving a generic birthday card containing only a signature, and receiving a handwritten letter that is filled with many expressions that reveal the history, depth, and intimacy of your relationship with that person. A card with a signature is still a very kind gesture, and may even be very appropriate at times, but even if you are not “a letter person” you can readily discern the difference.
This is a basic truth which we have all experienced in our varied human relationships. We understand the difference between cheap, generic, and self-focused expressions of love, and sacrificial, particularized, and others-focused expressions of love. However, this reality should also be true of how we approach our relationship with God—especially when it comes to expressing our love for God in public worship. The expressions of love for God which are offered by Christians in their local churches on the Lord’s Day should not be concerned with satisfying our personal preferences, but rather with demonstrating our genuine love for God in the ways which he has told us in his Word bring him most pleasure, honor, and glory.
Throughout history, our forefathers in the faith have called this truth The Regulative Principle of Worship. While there are complexities to this principle, the heart of it is simple: Believers should endeavor to worship God according to the teaching of his Word. That is to say, when we ask the question, “How should God be worshiped?” the one and only source to which we should turn for the answer is the Bible. Why? Because if our burden is to show God love in the way he most prefers rather than to use worship to satisfy ourselves, then we must dig into God’s Word to see what he has taught us.
Anyone who has read through the Scriptures cannot help but notice how seriously God takes the details of public worship. We need only consider the meticulous descriptions concerning the precise fabrics to be employed for the priest’s garments or the exact types of spices required for the particular recipe of incense in order to see that God cares about the details of public worship. Moreover, we need only read about the cavalier and irreverent approach to worship which Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took in order to see that God holds this issue in the highest tier, (Num. 10).
While there are many important considerations when it comes to the elements and order of public worship, there is a particular element which I want to draw your attention to now: singing psalms. When Paul describes New Covenant worship services in his letters to both the Ephesians and Colossians he reminds them that they should:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God,” (Colossians 3:16).
If we break this verse down to its most fundamental core we learn that the public worship services of God’s people should (at least) include:
Reading, Teaching, and Preaching of the Word of God
Congregational Singing of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
Various Prayers of Thanksgiving to God
It is the middle bit that we want to especially consider now. We have just seen that God’s Word clearly teaches us that part of our public worship is to include the singing of the inspired “psalms” of holy Scripture, (see also Eph. 5:19). However, there are two primary errors concerning this biblical teaching which have prevailed in our modern times.
The first is the error of exclusive psalmody. This error, though (usually) stemming from a good impulse to be sure that we are only singing the truth in worship, wrongly over-restricts which songs are to be sung in public worship to the psalms only. This is, however, an incorrect conclusion that does not consider the Bible’s full counsel on the subject. Yet, there is a second and far more prevalent error which more immediately applies to us: the error of exclusive hymnody. That is, the choice of Christians not to sing the psalms of holy Scripture at all but rather to only sing man-made songs. We need to understand that this second error is equally unbiblical to the first, even though it is less offensive to most modern sensibilities, (Deut. 12:31).
Much more could and should be said about the inclusion of man-made songs in public worship, how they should be carefully selected, etc. However, we will reserve that discussion for another occasion. My aim in the final remarks of this short article are focused on two other points of interest.
First, I want to let you know as the congregation of Covenant Grace that out of an endeavor to be more faithful to our God and and his Word, we will begin introducing the psalms into our times of singing in corporate worship. Being that this will be new for many of us, we will endeavor at first to choose psalms which have been set to familiar tunes. For example, this Lord’s Day we will be singing a version of Psalm 3 which has been set to the tune of Amazing Grace. The familiarity of the tune will assist us in joyfully lifting our voices to God together as we take this new step. Let me also say that it is okay if we struggle together through this endeavor. We are all learning and growing in grace, and our holy and merciful God does not require us to be expert singers, only to offer him genuine love as we gladly endeavor to worship him according to his Word.
Second and finally, I want to briefly introduce us to just a few of the wonderful benefits which we will enjoy as we learn to sing the inspired psalter given to us by our all-wise God. As we learn to sing the psalms together you will notice:
Greater familiarity with the inspired Word of God
A much wider breadth of theology in our songs
A much greater depth of conviction concerning the truth even as we sing to our God
Vivid, and even at times, uncomfortable clarity concerning the dreadful state of the wicked
Strong assurance of the blessed standing and future hope of all true believers in Christ
Unity with the Church of all ages and nations as we sing the same inspired songs back to our glorious Lord
Confidence that our worship is pleasing to God because it is worship which endeavors to conform to his Word
I look forward to growing in this area of our worship together with you. May God be pleased and may God be praised as we strive to show our sincere love to him in the ways in which he has told us are most pleasing in his sight. Soli deo Gloria!
Your servant in Christ,
Rev. Tom Brown