The Hope of Singing
Isaiah 35:1-10
There was once a woman who was talking to her parents who had recently retired. Her mother had always wanted to learn how to play the piano, so her father bought a piano for his wife’s birthday. A few weeks later, the woman asked her father how she was doing with the piano.
“Oh, we returned the piano,” said her father, “I persuaded your mother to switch to a flute instead.”
“How come?” the woman asked.
“Well,” he answered, “because with a flute, she cannot sing while she plays.”
Not all of us are musicians. We are not all great singers. But that’s all right. We can still make a joyful noise. Because to God, a song sung from our hearts will always sound like a beautiful melody.
Without the great Christmas hymns and carols, our Christmas season would be boring. Of course, this year has changed a lot of things. Every year, we have our Carol Service and 3-4 weeks of carol rounds. We go to each other's homes and sing songs and rejoice in the Christmas spirit with merry hearts. However, now, this year 2020, we have what you may call, “virtual caroling.” According to USA Today, more than 300 caroling videos have already been uploaded on YouTube this year alone. Spreading cheer virtually in your own homes.
Today’s prophecy from Isaiah tells us that when the Messiah comes, there will be singing. Isaiah 35 writes, “The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, The excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come . . . and the ransomed of the LORD will return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness (joy will overtake them), and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.’
Isaiah vividly illustrated the joy of the Lord which will come with the birth of our Savior. “They will enter Zion with singing . . .” Songs are very important to us at Christmas time. Every Christmas is a musical Christmas. Singing is an important part of this Christmas season. Singing expresses our joy and thanksgiving, it brings us closer as a body of Christ, and it allows God to speak to us.
1. Singing Expresses our Joy and Thanksgiving
Singing gives us the opportunity to express our joy and thanksgiving. The joy of salvation, joy of redemption, joy of forgiveness etc., The Gospel of Luke reads, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:13-14,)
Music is a wonderful gift from God. There is a quote attributed to Victor Hugo “Music attempts to express what cannot be said about something, on which it is impossible to remain silent.” - Victor Hugo. This helps to explain why music is such an important part of Christmas.
The famous preacher once said, “I used to know an old church member; and the first thing in the morning, when he got up, he began singing a hymn. If I met the old man during the day, he was always singing. I have seen him in his little workshop, and he was always singing, and beating with his hammer. When I said to him once, ‘Why do you always sing, dear brother?’ he replied, ‘Because I always have something to sing about.’ Our lives are full of blessings and miracles. We too, like the old man, have a lot to sing about. And even more, sing praises to the Lord for the salvation He has given to us.
In Isaiah’s prophecy, Isaiah 35:10 “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away the people that they will one day return to Zion.”
Zion is symbolic of Jerusalem, of the Promised Land. Isaiah was writing during the time of the divided kingdom. The land had been conquered numerous times by their enemies. Prisoners of war had been carried off to become slaves in distant lands. Isaiah prophesied that, one day, they will be able to return home to Zion, the city of God. For the Israelites, this will be a time of great joy and so they will sing. For Christians, Zion is that city of God, which is heaven. And again, when we enter the place of eternal promise, there will be singing.
Charles Duke, a former astronaut, came to Christ some years after walking on the moon. After his time working in NASA, he began to lack purpose and meaning in his life. His wife, Dottie, was also troubled and contemplated suicide. But then she began to attend church, she gave her life to Christ. Sometime later, at his wife’s Bible study, Charles Duke also gave his life to Jesus. He found a new and compelling purpose for his life. Today he offers this comment, “Walking on the moon cannot compare with walking on earth with Jesus.” - Charles Duke
Walking in the glory of God cannot compare to anything on this earth. And greater joy cannot be found than being blessed with the salvation of our God. The birth of our Savior and the sacrifice He paid for our sins, only brings thanksgiving to our lips. When you feel thankful, you will want to sing. Singing allows us to express our joy and thanksgiving. Christmas is a joyful day, and Christmas is a day of thanksgiving.
2. Singing Draws us Closer Together
Singing draws us closer together as family in Christ, as a body of Christ, and closer to God. Isaiah 35:3-4 says, “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”
When we are weak, feeble knees, fearful-hearted, the Word of God encourages you and gives you confidence that the Lord will come and save you. And the Lord is very near to you like family. We love to be part of a congregation that is singing hymns and worship songs. We love to be at a Christmas party, where someone suggests that we should sing carols. We sing together, and we feel like an extended family. That is the way Christmas should be.
Rich Mullins was a beloved artist and songwriter in the world of contemporary Christian music. However, he tragically died in a jeep accident on September 19, 1997. He has written many beautiful praise songs that have touched the hearts of many people. On one Christmas season, he said, “I love to be in church. I love to listen to people sing and play from their hearts. In my profession, we worry about being in tune and sounding good, but this music tonight is the closest to God, because it is real, and it comes from the hearts of the children of God.”- Rich Mullins
We all know the famous song “Hallelujah.” It is sung in every country, no matter what language or dialect they speak. Every single christian can sing this song together no matter where you are in the world. And when we sing together, we unite as the family of God.
As the children of God, we know about the power of music and how it draws people together in worship. Singing reaches across the boundaries of social status, and gender, and race. And it calls us all together as children of God. Titus 2:11 tells us, “for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” Birth of Jesus means salvation came down from heaven for all people. Jesus did not come for a single particular group of people, but He came for all.
Christmas reminds us that Christ came to shine His light into the hearts of everyone on this earth, of whatever ethnicity or region. When we sing, we sing as the family of God. God created us all with voices that are very different. The soprano can hit high notes, and the bass can sing very low. But then we blend our voices together, it becomes one glorious sound. To me, it easily qualifies as proof of God’s existence. How could blind evolution give us such a gift? Music calls us together into one beautiful family. The Family of God; the body of Christ. When we sing “Joy to the World” and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “What Child Is This”, I believe the angels sing with us also. When the Messiah comes there will be singing. All the children of God will be singing, as one family. Singing draws us closer together in Christ.
The apostle Paul gives a beautiful advice for us in Colossians 3:16, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching, and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
3. Singing Help us Speak to God
Isaiah 35: 5-6 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing”
Isaiah prophesied that, when the Messiah comes, He will open the eyes of the blind, open the deaf ears, cause the lame to leap like a dear, and loosen the tongue of the dumb so they can sing. Jesus answers this prophecy in Matthew 11:4-5, “Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”
Isaiah explains that when the messiah comes, we will be healed, freed from our sins, and sing joyfully and proclaim His glory. And when Jesus was born, the prophecy of the messiah was fulfilled. Just as Isaiah prophesied, our Savior was born. When He was born, the angel said to them (Luke 2:10). “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
Several years ago, there was an article in a church journal about a church in Jackson, Tennessee. They used music to help children who were abandoned or abused by their parents. They used volunteer piano teachers to give lessons to underprivileged kids. The program caught the attention of the Rockefeller Foundation for Fine Arts in New York. The foundation thought the program should be developed nationally.
So they sent a world renowned pianist, Lorin Hollander, to go to Jackson and take a look. While Hollander was there, he shared with them his own experience of being a broken child. He said that music can bring the spirit of love into the lives of these children, who have become lost. By allowing them to discover creativity in music, they can begin to express the divine love of God. Finally, Mr. Hollander stated: “When I was a little child and first heard Bach, I told my sister we didn’t have to be afraid of the dark anymore; someone is watching over us. I heard it in the music.” - Lorin Hollander
Singing can remove the darkness of our life. Singing has always been a cherished part of worship. Singing is a practice that every member of the congregation is capable of joining in. Singing songs from the Scriptures has great devotional value. Music speaks to us of God. That is why music has always been part of the church. But God can also talk to us through music. For example, when we are weary from work and we turn on KSBJ and we hear a song telling us God is “right here, right now.” God speaks through His music. We might come to church with a weary heart, and one of the songs sung during worship service might touch your heart and speak to you. That is God speaking to you. God speaks to you through His songs. And, of course, that is why music is such a big part of Christmas.
Dear brothers, and sisters, sing praise to the Lord. For when we sing His praise, He will speak to us. Singing helps us to speak to God.
CONCLUSION
This week we will have our Carol Services. Although we are not able to fully gather like previous years, we are still joyful and merry with a spirit of singing. Christmas would not be the same without cheerful carols and carolers singing. When we come closer to God, our hearts naturally long to sing His praise. Especially during this Christmas season. Jesus is the reason for the season.
So, let us prepare for the birth of Christ with songs of joy and thanksgiving. Rejoice and sing price to our Lord for the salvation, the countless blessings, and the protection He has given us this entire year. Let us sing as God’s people with one unified voice. Let us come closer together as God’s children as we sing His praises. And let us pray that in the music we will sense the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. Let our hearts be touched by the words we hear through His songs. And when we sing, let us also be able to touch others and let others hear God’s voice as well.
Isaiah writes about the coming messianic age, (Isaiah 35:10) “The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; with everlasting joy will crown upon their heads. They shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” That’s the promise of Christmas. Because our savior was born to us on this earth, we have been given the hope of eternal life. And, dear brothers and sisters, that is worth singing about. Amen.
