Winning by Singing.

Nothing arouses us more than music.  Perhaps it is a familiar song from our childhood; a military march which stirs our patriotic pride; a meaningful hymn from our worship.  Music is part of our soul.

In Isaiah 49:13 ”Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing!”  The prophet is telling us that all of creation will burst into song.  I believe this speaks of the new creation…the Messianic Age….when all things will be made new. But even before that day arrives, the scriptures are replete with music: singing coupled with joy, thanksgiving and worship.

In my other blog I wrote about the sounding of the Shofar signaling the return of the Lord….  the blast of the trumpet. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the Shofar was used to call the people to arms, for an assembly, or even to provoke the troops going into battle.  But singing?

In the face of fierce enemy armies, King Jehoshaphat chose a seemingly suicidal response.  In reading 2 Chronicles 20:22, we read where he did an amazing thing,.  He ordered the Levite singers into battle ahead of his warriors.  Did you catch that?  He sent the Singers!!! The amazing thing is that this tactic worked above and beyond any normal military response.
“As they began to sing and praise, the Lord sent an ambush against the Ammonites, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.”

So here is an amazing double meaning.  “Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger” (Psalm 8:2) This verse later quoted by Jeshua  (Jesus ) contains a play on words. Hebrew has layers of meaning in one word. We have a few in English.  You can think of many I’m sure however, perhaps not the richness of biblical Hebrew which is usually associated with God.

The word “bulwark” also has the primary meaning of strength and valor, with a secondary meaning of praise. This one Hebrew word captures the essence of the entire story of the army that won by singing.  They sang with strength and valor giving praises to the Lord!

A wonderful story to remind us that singing helps win victories in your own life as well.