Text: Luke 2:9-14
Theme: Good News through Songs
Greetings: The Lord is good and his love endures forever.
Introduction
Luke 2:”9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Joke:
Two men were discussing after their Christmas gift to their wives:
First Man: ‘My wife told to me that if I got her another senseless gift this Christmas, she would burn it.’ I brought a Gift, presented to her, and she burnt it.
Second Man: What gift you gave her?
First Man: I gave her a candle.
The first man asked the second man, what did you to your wife:
When I asked my wife what she wanted,
She said she’d be happy with anything with lots of diamonds in it.
Then I presented a pack of playing Diamond Cards.
Today, we will mediate the importance of Music instruments, Songs, Singers and Message through the Music and Songs.
THE MUSIC INSTRUMENTS
The Music is part and parcel of the Judaism and Christianity. Music and the Instruments are synonymous. They produce the four elements of music such as, melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre.
The different types of tones to enjoy in worship are Vocal, a Capella, Instrumental, and Acoustic music.
The Four-part music of soprano, alto, tenor, and bass (ranging from highest to lowest, respectively).
I try to fit in, I could not: Then I found that I have the fifth part of the Music known as Terror.
1 Chronicles 15:16 “David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.”
2 Chronicles 5:13 “The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud”.
2 Chronicles 34:12 “The workers labored faithfully. Over them to direct them were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites descended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descended from Kohath. The Levites—all who were skilled in playing musical instruments.”
2 Chronicles 7:6 “The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the Lord’s musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the Lord and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.”
Ecclesiastes 2:8 “I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart.”
Singers
Songs were dedicated to the Director of Music, none other than the Lord. Habakkuk 3:19.
1 Chronicles 15:19 “The musicians Heman, Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals” Heman was the son of Kohath son of Aaron (1 Chronicles 6:33).
1 Chronicles 9:2 “Now the first to resettle on their own property in their own towns were some Israelites, priests, Levites and temple servants, from Judah, from Benjamin, and from Ephraim and Manasseh who lived in Jerusalem were: Uthai son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, a descendant of Perez son of Judah.”
1 Chronicles 9:33 “Those who were musicians, heads of Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night.”
1 Chronicles 15:16 “David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.”
1 Chronicles 15:27 “David clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs.” Ezra had 200 male and female singers (Ezra 2:64).
Ezra 7:24 “You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.” – Sometimes sing follow this bible verses very clearly.
Songs
The saints in the Old Testament composed many songs.
- Moses after the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-2, Numbers 21:17).
- Deborah Sang a Triumphant Hymn after defeating the Sisera (Judges 5:1-3).
- Hannah wrote a Thanksgiving Song (1 Samuel 2:1-2)
- David composed the mourning songs over the death of Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:18-19, 3:33).
- Solomon wrote 4000 songs (1 Kings 4:32)
- Hezekiah sang before the battle ( Isaiah 38:10-11)
- Jeremiah wrote Lamentations over the Calamities and ruins of Jerusalem and another on the death of Righteous King Josiah (2 Chronicles 35:25).
- Psalms to celebrate the weddings are: Song of Songs and Psalm 45.
- Songs of Virgin Mary and Songs of Zechariah (Luke 1:46, 68; 2:29-30)
- Songs of Praises (Psalm 7:17, 9:2, 57:7, 61:8, 104:33, 34:1).
- Songs are the Testimonials Deuteronomy 31:19-22).
- Sing a New Song (Psalm 96:1, 98:1, 149:1, 144:9).
- Job 38:7 “When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
The Message
Ministering with singing (1 Chronicles 6:32). Singing with Psalms and Hymns (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16).
The Glory of God has revealed to all of us through the natural beauties as Psalmist declared the heavens declare the Glory of the Lord. Glory is a big concept to understand it (Psalm 19:1). The glory of God isn’t just a feeling, an event of an Old Testament experience but it’s a spiritual tsunami of everything contained in the character of God. The word glory is literally translated “heavy weight” meaning the heaviest, biggest, grandest thing about someone to explain and understand (ref:blog.kcm.org/4-ways-tap-glory-god).
Therefore the Glory refers to the entire embodiment of God. Please read Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols (Isaiah 42:8).
Therefore, the glory of God is the beauty of His spirit. It is not an aesthetic beauty or a material beauty, but it is the beauty that emanates from His character, from all that He is. It is eternal. The glory of man is the beauty of man’s spirit, which is fallible and eventually passes away. It is temporal. But the glory of God, which is manifested in all His attributes together, never passes away (James 1:10-11).
Man’s glory will pass away like the flowers fade away in the heat of the Sun.
Prophet calls, “Arise and shine, thy light has come, the glory of the Lord has come upon you” so your glory has come (Isaiah 60:1). God created man and woman in his own image and likeness refer to the Glory of God. (Genesis 1:26-27). He formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7), Man was sharing the Glory of God by naming the animals (Genesis 2:19).
The Lord put the man in His Garden of Eden with His full glory (Genesis 2:15-17). Therefore, he told that ‘Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made’ (Isaiah 43:7). Psalm 87:7 says “All my springs are in you.” The springs of grace, mercy, love, faith, provision, healing and everything that will lead you to give glory to His Holy Name. But man has lost that glory of God by sinning. Hence, Paul writes ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).
To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:21). Glory of the Lord filled the tent of meeting (Exodus 40:34). Glory of the Lord filled the temple when the cloud filled the temple (1 Kings 8:11). Prophet Isaiah has seen this glory of God in his vision in the Temple (Isaiah 6:1-3).
The glory of God is a visible power. This visible power is also known as Shekinah, which the Hebrew name given to the presence of God is dwelling on the earth. The nation of Israel saw the glory when God came down to meet them on Mount Sinai. Exodus 24:17 says, “The sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount.” The Glory of God is nothing but the presence of God with the People for simple and deeper understanding.
The same glory that raised Jesus from the dead was manifested as fire by night and a cloud by day in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21). This same glory separated Israel and the land of Goshen from the rest of Egypt when there was light in the land of Goshen, but not in Egypt (Exodus 10:23). The glory of God’s presence.
Glory of God is Good News of Messianic Salvation. Light is the Glory and glory is the life of the Light (Luke 2:10-11).
Amen.
