.png){kind=small}
Paul and Silas were journeying through parts of Asia Minor, heading to a town called Philippi. This in our day is located in North-Eastern Greece. There was a woman named Lydia, a seller of purple who had just believed and been baptized along with her household, who had provided a temporary home for Paul and Silas.
While these two men were staying in Philippi, a young woman with an evil spirit followed them and mocked their work. Eventually, Paul was upset at her and turned to her and called the evil spirit out of her. This made some very powerful people angry, and they turned to the city rulers to have Paul and Silas cast into jail.
Paul and Silas get severely beaten and cast into the most secure part of the town jail, and in the middle of the night, at midnight! they began singing praises to God even though they were in prison and in pain. Imagine being in the most secure, secluded part of a prison, and hearing two other prisoners sing. They would have to be singing pretty loudly to hear through those thick walls!
God heard their songs of praise, and sent an earthquake to shake open the prison doors. The Philippian jailor came to know Jesus as his Saviour, and brought Paul and Silas to his house. The songs of Paul and Silas brought a miraculous act of God, and an entire family came to know Jesus as their Saviour.
1. Singing is a good thing.
Psalm 92:1-2 – “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High;”
Psalm 147:1 – “Praise ye the LORD: For it is good to sing praises unto our God; For it is pleasant; and praise is comely.”
2. Every Christian is commanded to sing.
Psalm 98:4 – “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth; Make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.”
Psalm 150:6 – “Let every thing that hath breath Praise the LORD.”
3. We are to sing when we are in the presence of God, which is all the time.
Psalm 100:2 – “Serve the LORD with gladness: Come before his presence with singing.”
4. We are to know what we are singing about, and not sing absent-mindedly.
Psalm 47:6-7 – “Sing praises to God, sing praises: Sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: Sing ye praises with understanding.
The word sing is mentioned (by my count) 119 times. Parents repeat commands to their children that are easy to forget but important to life. God also repeats the command to sing, because it can be easy to forget, but it is very important in life.
Let's look at some examples in the Bible of people who sang.
Moses and the children of Israel sang in Exodus 15:1-19. They sang this song right after God delivered them from the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea and providing a way through their trial. It is interesting to note that God does not remove our trials, but rather gives the strength and path necessary for us to go through the trials. God leaves the choice of pressing forward to us. Israel had to press forward (Ex. 14:15, 14:22).
What was the content of their song? Moses praised God for His attributes (v. 2-3). This is similar to ”Holy, Holy, Holy.” Moses also praised God for His works (v. 4-10). This would be like what we know as “How Great Thou Art.” Finally, they sang of His power (v. 11-19). We could sing something such as “I Sing the Mighty Power of God.”
So how does this relate to us? When God gave the Israelites the strength to get through their trial, they sang. When God gives us strength to get through our trials, we should sing not only when we are through the trial, but also during the trial.
Another example is David in II Samuel 22 and Psalm 18. David sang this song after growing weary in a battle against the Philistines. This is the battle in which Goliath’s brothers were killed, and David waxed faint, or became delirious, in the battle. Instead of becoming discouraged at his declining stamina, he broke out into a song praising God for delivering him from the hand of all his enemies as well as Saul.
What did he sing about? David declared his trust and reliance on God (v. 2-7), in something similar to “I Need Thee Every Hour.” He declared the strength and power of God (v. 8-16). We could sing “How Big Is God.” He also declared the blessings and care of God, and what God did for him (v. 17-51). This is like what we know as “God Leads Us Along.”
What can we learn from this? David was called the sweet psalmist of Israel (II Sam. 23:1), but he claimed that it was the Spirit of the Lord that gave him his songs (II Sam. 23:2). When we submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit, He will put a song in our heart. The opposite of this statement is convicting to me: if I have lost my song, it is a good indicator that I am not yielded to the Holy Spirit.
Now we move to perhaps the most important example of all. Jesus and His disciples sang in Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26. Jesus had just instituted the Lord’s Supper, and was giving some of His final words to His disciples before His death, when they "sung an hymn."
Singing drew Jesus and His disciples closer together, and encouraged them before they went to the Garden of Gethsemane. I enjoy music in the church. Singing together with a group of people is just different than singing alone! It encourages me and lifts my spirit.
Now let's return to our original example of Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25.
Paul and Silas had just cast an evil spirit out of a young woman in Philippi. This made some powerful people mad, and they had Paul and Silas cast into jail. In spite of their difficulties, Paul and Silas decided to sing praises to God, at midnight! I’m fine with singing during the day, but midnight might just be stretching it for me. It’s interesting to note, Paul and Silas weren’t singing softly to themselves. They were singing loud enough for other prisoners to hear them, which is amazing considering they had been beaten severely, and were in the inner prison.
Paul and Silas sang praises to God. When God heard their songs of praise, it stirred Him to action, and He turned an awful situation into a pretty good one! When I sing praise to God, God hears the praise, and blesses me. Singing and praise activates God in our lives.
We've looked at what the Bible says about singing. We've also looked at some Biblical examples of people who sang. Now let's turn our attention to what we can sing in order to honor Christ.
Ephesians 5:18-19 says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”
Don’t be controlled by wine, be controlled by the Holy Spirit. How do I know if I am filled with the Holy Spirit? Sing. Be thankful. Serve others.
So what can I sing?
Sing the Psalms. Make up your own tune, or just read a few verses and use them to praise God. Here are some of my favorites: Psalm 34, 95, 98, 100, 101, 128, 136.
Sing hymns. Hymns praise the attributes of God. Sing about God’s power, grace, and love! Some hymns that I enjoy are “I Sing the Mighty Power of God,” “Holy, Holy, Holy,” “How Great Thou Art,” “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” and “How Firm a Foundation.”
Sing spiritual songs. Spiritual songs are songs that tell about our experience with God, or our testimony. Sing about how God saved you and blesses you! These are songs like “The Old Account Was Settled,” “Glory to His Name,” “I Need Thee Every Hour,” “Joy Unspeakable,” or “Canaanland Is Just in Sight.”
I want to leave you with five thoughts that you can take with you and remember throughout your day:
1. God is a God of music. He mentions music all throughout the Bible, and He loves when His children praise Him through song. God wants to hear you sing. Sing for God, not men.
2. When we sing praise to God, it activates the power of God in our lives. Things that we ordinarily would not have been able to do, now are possible because we have God’s power.
3. If you yield your heart to the Holy Spirit intentionally, you can have a song in your heart and on your lips. Set aside time every day to give God your heart.
4. Sing with all your heart in the church. Singing to God blesses, encourages, and strengthens yourself and those around you.
5. Always have a song in your heart. Never let a moment go by without a song in your heart.