Sing a New Song

Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. Psalms 33:3 KJV

I've read this verse a million times, but I was reading Matthew Henry's commentary on it today and it outlines some great guidelines for worship.

1. Sing a NEW song, not an old one you've sung hundreds of times. When you do something repetitively, it loses its value. When you buy a new car, it's shiny and exciting for a while. But after a few months of driving it 2 hours a day, every day, it gets filled with coffee cups and Burger King bags and dust. When a worship song moves you and you sing it over and over, week after week and year after year, it turns into more words than worship. Sing God a new song, one that flows from your heart and reflects what you are feeling at that moment that his presence touches your heart in an intimate moment of worship.

2. Play skillfully. Those that are involved in worship, whether its leading, singing in the choir, or playing an instrument, must play skillfully. And everyone knows that it is difficult to play anything skillfully if you never practice. Its even more difficult to sing a new song skillfully if you've never practiced it.

3. Play skillfully with a loud noise. I've been told "bless'em, don't blast'em" ever since I picked up a guitar. And while you don't want to hurt anybody's ears, this verse commands us to be loud. Not simply for the sake of being loud, but because of enthusiasm. If church worship is to be anything more than a boring sing along, micky-mouse-follow-the-bouncing-ball, there has to be enthusiasm. And enthusiasm does not breed quiet mumbling, but rather boisterous shouts and singing at the top of your lungs from the bottom of your heart.

God has given us such a great tool with which to worship Him, and that is music. Chords and sounds are like colors for the ears, invoking different feelings and emotions. Words are the same way for our minds. When we combine the emotional side of music with anointing of the Holy Spirit, it will move people every time.

Conversely, when we play the same songs in the same style and mumble the same words, we limit ourselves in what we can do through the music and we limit God by putting people's minds on auto-pilot with repetition.

Below is what Matthew Henry's commentary has to say about Psalms 33:3.

"Sing unto him a new song, the best you have, not that which by frequent use is worn, thread-bare, but that which, being new, is most likely to move the affections, a new song for new mercies and upon every new occasion, for those compassions which are new every morning.’’ Music was then used, by the appointment of David, with the temple-songs, that they might be the better sung; and this also is here called for (v. 2): Sing unto him with the psaltery. Here is, (1.) A good rule for this duty: "Do it skilfully, and with a loud noise; let it have the best both of head and heart; let it be done intelligently and with a clear head, affectionately and with a warm heart.’’


Cheers, and God bless!

Hoss