1 Chronicles 25 NLT
David and the army commanders then appointed men from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to proclaim God’s messages to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals… All these men were under the direction of their fathers as they made music at the house of the Lord. Their responsibilities included the playing of cymbals, harps, and lyres at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman reported directly to the king. They and their families were all trained in making music before the Lord, and each of them—288 in all—was an accomplished musician. The musicians were appointed to their term of service by means of sacred lots, without regard to whether they were young or old, teacher or student. (1, 6-8)
Sometimes we underestimate the importance of music and singing. God thought it was very important and created us in such a way that music ministers to our soul in a way that little else can. In King David’s day, he thought it was so important that he had an entire group of families dedicated to being the music troupe. They all practiced their craft, developed an ethos of excellence in their music, and passed that tradition down to everyone in their family. The bible says that all of them were accomplished musicians, and often they were inspired by God. Some of the Psalms are “Psalms of Asaph” and they are found in the text of Scripture and a part of God’s word.
These verses are fascinating to me because it shows the importance of music to the King and to his people. It was common in Israel for the band of musicians to precede the army as they went to war. They saw music as important for inspiring the troops, but also as a means of praising and pleasing God. They knew that when God was pleased with them He accompanied them into battle. In our day, entertainers are all about entertaining us. In the bible, however, musicians were vital because as this text says their charge was to “make music before the Lord” and “to proclaim God’s message.” (see vs.2-3) They didn’t sing to please people or to promote their own message… instead, they sang to please God and to proclaim His message. This is the spirit we need in our music ministry today. It is vital to all we do in God’s Kingdom and in His church.
