The Power Of Music

Paul Aurandt tells this fascinating historical example of the victory of the

underdog. Sybaris was one of the wealthiest of Greek cities. The people

lived in luxury and were the envy of others. But some people are never

satisfied, and so one of the leaders persuaded the tribunal to confiscate all

the wealth of the 500 richest men in the city. These 500 fled to the city of

Crotan, which was 75 miles away. The Sybarites sent messengers to Crotan

saying return the 500 or risk war. Crotan was only one third the size of

Sybaris, and so it looked like a wise thing to do to cooperate.

They sent 30 diplomats to Sybaris and they were all killed. This made

the Crotans so angry they decided to risk war even if the odds were against

them. The amazing thing was that they won the war and totally demolished

the city of Sybaris. They even diverted a river so that the very sight of the

city was eliminated. How could they do it? By the power of music. As the

two armies approached each other for battle the Crotans had their musicians

play a favorite Sybarite tune. It was a tune they used in their parades.

Their magnificent horses had been trained to dance to this music. Now in

the midst of battle they began to dance and prance. The Crotans were able

to sweep in and put the entire cavalry out of commission, and the Sybarites

were defeated. There is power in music when it is rightly and cleverly used

to even win a war.

Music has always been one of the weapons of warfare. The bugle,

trumpet, drums, and the song have all been used to motivate men to march

out to engage in battle. The sound of these instruments alone use to drive off

the Indians when they signaled the coming of the cavalry. The Bible has

examples of the power of music as a weapon. When Joshua fought the battle

of Jericho, the priests were to march around the city seven times blowing the

trumpets of rams horns. It was on the signal of a long blast from these

trumpets that all the people were to shout, and when they did the walls came

tumbling down. We have all seen the high pitch voice that breaks the goblet,

but here was a spectacle of trumpets and voices breaking down a city wall.

When Gideon with his 300 men took on the vast hoard of Midianites he

did so with 300 trumpets. All of his men blew their trumpet and broke jars.

This threw the enemy into a state of panic, and they began fighting each

other and defeated themselves. We know there is power in missiles, but we

forget the power there is in music. Psa. 150:3 says, "Praise Him with the

sounding of the trumpet." The trumpet can help win a war, or help us

praise God, and numerous other things that demonstrate the power of music.

Music has the power to give life meaning, and so one of the worse judgments

God can inflict on a people is to deprive them of music. Listen to the

punishment on the city of Babylon for its great wickedness. In Rev. 18:22 we

read, "The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters,

will never be heard in you again."

There will be no music in hell, but there will be music forever in heaven,

and it will be both vocal and instrumental. God enjoys singing, and the

prophet implies that the trumpet of the Lord is really an instrument that He

plays. Zech. 9:14 tells us that God shall sound the trumpet. It is important

that we keep instrumental music in mind, for the Bible clearly exalts the

power of both vocal and instrumental music. Because the early Christians

did not use instruments it has lead to a history of controversy on the subject.

The early Christians were a persecuted people, and so the blowing of

trumpets, or even the playing of the harp, would not have been good for their

health. When you were meeting in secret and trying to keep from being

raided by the Romans, the one thing you would not do is play any type of

instrument.

Unfortunately, many took this unusual situation as the standard for all

time. They said Christians should not use instruments in worship. The

Eastern Orthodox church uses only vocal music. There is a whole history of

how primitive Baptist and Free Methodist, old Mennonites, and some

Presbyterian groups fought the use of instruments. This prohibition is

waning, however, and is most conspicuous in certain Churches of Christ

whose leaders insist on strict adherence to the New Testament practice.

I don't want to take time debating the issue, but to simply point out that