Worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ through Music and Song

Title

Worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ through Music and Song

Book Title

The Jesus Christ Focused Old Testament: Making Sense of a Monumental Book

Publication Type

Book Chapter

Chapter

45 Year of Publication

2022

Authors

Parry, Donald W. (Primary)

Pagination

121-123

Publisher

Book of Mormon Central

City

Springville, UT

Show Full Text

King and Stager write: “Music, song, and dance were an integral part of daily life in antiquity, just as today. They were closely associated with Israelite religion, society, and culture, particularly Temple worship, warfare, festivals of every kind, and the life of the court.”[1] More specifically, music and song served to prepare prophets to prophesy, to praise God for His greatness, mercy, and goodness, to signal the New Year, to sound alarms, to call assemblies, to accompany the sacrificial service, to celebrate deliverance from one’s enemies, to rejoice while worshipping in the temple, to accompany temple dedications, and more. Ultimately, the most significant purpose of inspired music is to encourage individuals to worship God and to give glory to Him.

God often inspired music. According to a Dead Sea Scrolls passage, David “wrote psalms: three thousand six hundred; and songs to be sung before the altar over the perpetual offering every day. . . . And all the songs which he composed were four hundred and forty-six. . . . He composed them all through the spirit of prophecy which had been given to him from before the Most High.”

Similar to our own day, inappropriate music also existed in antiquity and was associated with revelers (Isa. 5:12; Amos 6:5), idol makers, and false worship (Dan. 3:5).

Musical instruments consisted of three categories—stringed instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. Hebrew technical terms that denote musical instruments generally do not equate with modern instruments, and the English terms in the chart remain tentative. According to the scriptural record and archaeologists’ discoveries, ancient musical instruments were made of silver, gold, bronze, iron, pottery, or bone.

The chart’s listing of music, song, and musical instruments is not comprehensive. Other passages, such as the Psalms, reveal additional elements of music in the biblical world.

[1] King and Stager, Life in Biblical Israel, 285.

Person(s)	Miscellaneous notes	Reference
Jubal	“The father of all such as handle the harp and organ.”	Gen. 4:21
Laban	Laban wished to send Jacob away with music and singing.	Gen. 31:27
Moses and the Children of Israel	A song that praises God for Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.	Ex. 15:1–19
Children of Israel	“When the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount” (Sinai).	Ex. 19:13
High Priest	Had bells on his sacred robe.	Ex. 28:34–35
Children of Israel	Trumpets were blown on the New Year.	Lev. 23:24
Children of Israel	Silver trumpets were used to call assemblies, sound alarms, and accompany select sacrifices.	Num. 10:1–10
Children of Israel	A song that marks the occasion when God provided Israel with water.	Num. 21:16–18
Tribes of Israel	Trumpets were sounded in war.	Num. 31:6; 2 Chr. 13:14
Moses and Joshua	Shortly before Moses’s death, Moses and Joshua “spoke” a song to all Israel.	Deut. 32:1–46
Seven priests	Jericho fell at the sound of rams’ horns.	Josh. 6:1–20
Deborah and Barak	A song that celebrates Israel’s deliverance from Canaanite bondage.	Judg. 5:1–31
David	David played the harp, and an evil spirit departed from king Saul.	1 Sam. 16:14–23
Women of Israel	A song marking David’s victory over Goliath.	1 Sam. 18:6–7
David	A song to the lord when David was delivered from his enemies.	2 Sam. 22:1–51
Israelite musicians	Royal coronations were accompanied by music.	1 Kgs. 1:39–40; 2 Chr. 23:11–13
A musician	Prepared Elisha (and others) to prophesy.	2 Kgs. 3:15–16; cf. 1 Sam. 10:5–6
A choir of Levites	Singing in the tabernacle.	1 Chr. 6:31–32
David, Israel, and Levite choir	Sing and play musical instruments as the ark is moved to Jerusalem.	1 Chr. 13, 15, 16
A choir of Levites	A song of thanksgiving and praise that is sung at the Jerusalem temple dedication.	2 Chr. 5:12–14
King Asa and Judah	A covenant with the lord that was accompanied by trumpets and cornets	2 Chr. 15:8–15
Appointed singers	A song for the Israelite army as they warred against the Ammonites and Moabites.	2 Chr. 20:18–23
Levite choir	A song of worship at the temple and connected with sacrifices.	2 Chr. 29:25–30
Priests and Levites	Song and music on the occasion of the laying of the temple’s foundation.	Ezra 3:10–12
Group of singers	Accompanied Ezra and the priests on their return to Jerusalem.	Ezra 7:7
Levite choir	Associated with the temple and temple worship.	Neh. 11:22–23
Levites	The dedication of Jerusalem’s walls.	Neh. 12:27–28
Sons of God shout for joy	When God laid the earth’s foundations, “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted with joy.”	Job 38:6–8
Various singers and musicians	Male and female musicians were a part of the king’s court.	Eccl. 2:8
Israel	Music accompanied feasting.	Isa. 5:12
Babylonians	People commanded to worship a golden image when they heard certain music play.	Dan. 3:5

Musical Instruments

Stringed Instruments
Lyre, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer	1 Kgs. 10:12; 1 Chr. 13:8; Neh. 12:27; Dan. 3:5–15
Wind Instruments
Horn, ram’s horn, trumpet, flute, pipe?	Josh. 6:4–20; 1 Sam. 10:5; 1 Chr. 13:8; 15:28; Ps. 150; Dan. 3:5–15
Percussion Instruments
Bells, tambourine or hand drum, cymbals	Ex. 28:34–35; 1 Sam. 18:6; 1 Chr. 13:8; Ps. 68:25

Table of Contents

Book

The Jesus Christ Focused Old Testament: Making Sense of a Monumental Book

Parry, Donald W.

56 Chapters

Introduction

Parry, Donald W. | pp. i-viii

Prophecies of Jesus Christ’s Mortal Ministry and Atonement

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 1-5

Symbols That Testify of Jesus Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 6-9

The Lord Jesus Christ: Conquering Hero

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 10-12

Jesus Christ Is the Lord of History: Nine Major Historical Eras

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 13-16

The Lord Jesus Christ: Potter, Captain, Shepherd, and More

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 17-21

The Lord Jesus Christ Controls the Nations: Book of Judges Case Study

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 22-23

Old Testament Passages Cited by Jesus Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 24-28

Messianic Prophecies in the Psalms

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 29-31

Psalm 22 and Its Fulfillment in Jesus Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 32-33

Isaiah's Prophecies of the Mortal Messiah

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 34–36

The Messiah in Isaiah 53: Four Recurring Themes

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 37-38

Names, Titles, and Metaphors of the Lord Jesus Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 39-43

Lord (Jehovah): The Most Frequently Used [Content] Word in the Hebrew Bible

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 44-47

Equivalent Designations of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old and New Testaments

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 48-50

God: Compound Names

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 51-53

Lord: Compound Names

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 54-56

The Lord Is Our Savior

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 57-59

The Lord (Jehovah) Is Our Redeemer

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 60-61

The Lord Is Our Atoner

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 62-63

Jesus Christ Is the Messiah

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 64

Jesus Christ Is the Lord

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 65-66

One, Three, and Seven: Sacred and Symbolic Numbers

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 67-69

Seven and Sacred Time

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 70-71

Eve: Life and Help: A Type of Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 78-79

Adam: "The Figure of Him that Was to Come"

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 80-81

Prophets and Prophetesses: The Lord's Messengers

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 72-77

Melchizedek: Type of Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 82-83

Isaac: Type and Shadow of Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 84-85

Joseph of Egypt: Foreshadow of Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 86-87

Moses: Type and Shadow of Jesus Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 88-89

Elijah: Symbol of Jesus Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 90-91

Job: Suffering Servant, A Type of Jesus Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 92-93

Hosea’s Family: Symbols of the Lord for Ancient Israel

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 94-95

The Sign of Jonah: Pointing to Christ’s Death

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 96-97

Priests and High Priests: Foreshadowing Jesus Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 98-99

The Lord Reveals Cycles of Sacred Time

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 100-101

Striking Blood on the Doorposts: The Passover Anticipates Jesus Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 1102-103

The Day of Atonement: Messianic Foreshadowing

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 104-105

"A Feast to the Lord": Sacred and Secular Meals

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 106-107

Parallelisms: Teaching About the Lord Jesus Christ Through Poetry

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 108-110

Chiasmus: Unique Presentations of the Lord’s Word

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 111-113

The Psalms: Praises to the Lord Jesus Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 114-115

Lord: Focused Prophetic Speech Forms

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 116-117

Prayers: Mortals Seeking the Lord's Divine Favor

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 118-119

Worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ through Music and Song

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 121-123

Law of Moses: Anticipated Jesus Christ and His Atonement

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 124-125

Manna: Symbol of Jesus Christ

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 126-127

Symbols of Christ in the Tabernacle of Moses

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 128-129

Sacrifices Under the Law of Moses: Six Acts

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 130-131

Sacrifices: Symbols of Jesus's Atoning Sacrifice

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 132-133

Diet Code: Unclean and Clean Animals

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 134-135

God Is a Holy Temple: Temples and Sacred Space

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 136-137

The Atonement-Focused Earthly and Heavenly Temples

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 138-140

Jesus's Royal Ancestry: Rulers of the Kingdom of Judah

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 141-142

Bibliography

Parry, Donald W. | pp. 144-145

Bibliographic Citation

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