Singing has become more of a performance than worship because most churches have lost any concept of biblical singing. Singing was not intended to be something performed by the few to be witnessed by the multitudes. All of God’s people ought to sing, but how shall we sing? According to 1 Chronicles 13:8, God’s people should worship the Lord in song “with all their might.” In agreement with that passage, the Bible suggests that God’s people should be singing aloud (Nehemiah 12:42; Psalm 51:14). This is further confirmed when the Bible likens singing to a breaking forth (Isaiah 14:7). This breaking forth should come from an overflowing heart (Ephesians 5:19).
Throughout history, various motives have moved men to sing unto the Lord. Some men sang as a testimony of some specific thing God had done for them (Exodus 15:1; Psalm 126:1-2). Others sang in order to teach truths set forth in the word of God (Colossians 3:16; Psalm 101:1). Some even sang songs that would testify against them in times of disobedience (Deuteronomy 31:19). Though some things have changed throughout history, God’s people still should sing songs of personal testimony like My Jesus, I Love Thee; songs that teach like Holy and Reverend Is the Name; and songs that witness against disobedience like He Was Not Willing.
Rarely does man have the opportunity to participate in heavenly activity while still on earth. Singing is one of those rare events that enables the Christian a glimpse into a heavenly behaviour. Job chapter 38 sheds light on some of the events surrounding creation when it proclaims that “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). These spiritual beings saw the creation of God and could not help themselves but to burst into song. The origin of singing is heavenly, though it has been more often used in unholy ways. Not only is musick’s origin heavenly, but long after the world has sung its last song, heaven will continue to enjoy God’s gift of musick (Revelation 5:9). For this reason, God’s people should never take this for granted but enjoy this heavenly benefit as often as possible.
The book of Ezra provides the details concerning the time when the Israelites returned to their land to rebuild the temple. As they began to build, adversaries within the land became jealous. They did not want the people of God regaining their strength and restoring their true form of worship. The adversaries hired counsellers against the people of God in order to stop the work. Unfortunately, some things never change. Our work may not involve rebuilding a temple, but God's work always has a purpose that the enemy will seek to undermine. Christians should not be surprised when the Devil sends people into our lives who offer counsel contrary to God's will. God's enemies may even seek to hire counsellers to deter us from what we should be doing.
The scripture offers many examples of those who suffered the consequences of choosing to follow ungodly counsel. As children of God, it is imperative that we do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Following the wrong counsel results in severe consequences. For example, Rehoboam in 1 Kings chapter 12 sought counsel from both the older men who had served his father and the younger men who were his peers. However, he chose to follow the counsel of his peers while refusing the counsel and wisdom of the older men. The unwise counsel resulted in splitting the kingdom with the vast majority following Jeroboam as their new king. Jereboam unfortunately led many of the Israelites into pagan worship (1 Kings 12:25-30).
The devotions on the subject of counsel have thus far dealt specifically with counsel received from another person. Yet counsel received from the Lord is the greatest counsel. In Joshua 9:14, the people refused to seek counsel from the Lord and made decisions that caused them trouble for many years. Though God does not speak to us audibly, we are not left to our own devices. We find a more sure word of consultation through His written word. This is why each decision should be carefully checked against the word of God. The Bible is able to discern our thoughts and intentions (Hebrews 4:12) and can determine if we are making the right choices. No better counsel can be received than that which you will find in God’s word.
Though not all counsel received will be wise counsel, it is still wise to receive counsel. A foolish man neglects to consider the need for counsel. He believes his own understanding sufficient (Proverbs 12:15). A wise man, however, not only seeks counsel, but hearkens to the wisdom found in such. The Bible says that the absence of counsel causes people to fall (Proverbs 11:14) and purposes to be disappointed (Proverbs 15:22; Proverbs 20:18), and that only a fool would go to war without it (Proverbs 24:6). Not only does counsel help to develop godly plans, but also ensures that our motives are pure. Counsel provides safety on a variety of levels (Proverbs 11:14; Proverbs 24:6).
Men who think they need a simplified version of the Bible to assist in understanding misunderstand God's grace found throughout scripture. For instance, the Lord graciously provides associated words to help understand less familiar words. Even if we did not know what the word counsel meant, the Bible provides hints like the one found in Judges 20:7. Judges connects the word counsel with the word advice. Psalms tells us that counsel is gained when people consult together (Psalm 83:3). A counseller is one who can give an answer when asked a question (Isaiah 41:28). Additionally, Proverbs 20:5 points to counsel as a well of deep water that the wise seek to draw out of a man. Anytime we go to someone to seek his advice or input in a matter, we are seeking his counsel. It is important to note that counsel can be wise and righteous, or it can be ungodly. For this reason, the word of God must be the spiritual gauge.
