songs

While I don’t deny differences between worshiping the Lord and speaking about Him, my last few blog posts showed how the Bible integrates the two. (Here are the links to the first, second, and third entries in the series.)

And now that we’re in the Christmas season, I’m finding this issue in texts we associate with Advent.

One that gets a lot of attention now is the Magnificat. Here’s the passage:

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord ⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ⁴⁸for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me–holy is His name. ⁵⁰His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. ⁵¹He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. ⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful ⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as He promised our ancestors.” – Luke 1:46-55

I quoted this from the NIV which gives it the title, “Mary’s Song.”

But is it?

Verse 46 describes Mary’s communication with the verb “said” rather than “sung.” That would seem to settle the matter; it’s a statement not a song. But remember that Paul used a similar verb when he wrote about Christians “speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs” (Ephesians 5:19; compare Colossians 3:16). Was the apostle telling Christians to sing to each other? Was Mary singing or proclaiming?

Many Bible teachers assume she was singing. For example, Timothy Tennent, the president of Asbury Theological Seminary, wrote an article about the similarities between the Magnificat and Psalm 146. According to him, “when Mary sings her Magnificat, it resonates with this great psalm.” The mother of the Lord sang her words like she was chanting a psalm of praise to God.

And Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE International) made the following comment: “Luke 1:46–55 is both a beautiful hymn sung to glorify God and an interpretive puzzle. This text, widely known as the Magnificat, is one of several songs Luke uses at a crucial moment in the birth narratives in order for characters to explain the amazing ways in which God is moving.” 

So not only is the Magnificat a song, it’s not the only one in the opening  chapters of Luke’s Gospel.

What other songs?

These could qualify:

• The angel Gabriel’s message to the priest Zechariah (Luke 1:13-20)
• The Annunciation (the proclamation of the angel Gabriel to the virgin Mary (Luke 1:28-37)
• Elizabeth’s blessing of Mary (Luke 1:41-45)
• The Magnificat of Mary (Luke 1:46-55)
• The priest Zechariah’s prophecy about John the Baptist (Luke 1:68-79)
• The angels’ announcement to shepherds about the birth of Christ (Luke 2:10-14)

If all six of these were akin to “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,” it would cast Christmas as a musical! Angels, priests, women–everyone’s singing their lines!

But were they singing? I get the impression Gabriel spoke to Zechariah and Mary in plain speech. Elizabeth’s blessing is poetic but not necessarily musical. After the birth of John the Baptist, Zechariah prophesied over his son (that’s the verb in verse 67).

Yet a few passages lean toward the lyrical: the Magnificat, Zechariah’s prophecy, and the announcement of the angels. The first and third mention glorifying God (1:46 and 2:14). The second and third refer to praising the Lord (1:68 and 2:13). So we can interpret them as musical, but they don’t have to be. It’s an open question.

The point these selections make is that biblical communication is often lyrical.

• Proclamation
• Prayer
• Praise

We associate the last one with music, but all three lend themselves to melodic expression.

Singing to the Lord is a wonderful way to worship Him. Music helps us remember the words and as a result, we grow in our understanding of who God is and what He has done for us.

While many Christians treat prayer as conversational, we shouldn’t forget that most of the psalms are prayers. Through their verses, we pour out our hearts to the Lord. Prayer is conversation with God, but it’s more than that. It includes celebration, declaration, and intercession, too. While we don’t have to sing every prayer, it would be a shame if we never sang our cries to Him.

Musical proclamation? Does that mean we sing our sermons? It can, but I hope those who do so have good voices!

Many of the passages listed above were prophecies. They were statements of God’s will for His people. They declared what the Lord would be doing to keep His promises.

We can even treat preaching as lyrical in this sense. When Gabriel rebuked Zechariah for doubting his word, the angel said God dispatched him “to tell you this good news.” This phrase is the verb “evangelize.” That the old couple would have a child was great news! And that he would be a prophet to prepare Israel for the Messiah was amazing! While the angel may not have sung these words, he spoke them in a lyrical form with which Zechariah was familiar.

Whether the Magnificat was a song, I can’t say. Whether the prophecies and praises in the first chapter of Luke were musical, I’m uncertain. But what I know is that God has designed His Word to capture our hearts at every level. His truth grabs the attention of our minds, but its beauty also touches our souls. Its challenges and instructions guide us in the way of righteousness.

God wrapped the gift of His Son in all these garments. As we honor the birth of Jesus our Savior, let’s appreciate the depth and extent of God’s revelation to us. 

Let the carols and hymns of the church teach you about the wonderful plan of God.

That’s wise worship.