Psalm 98:5-6

Psalm 98:5-6

Make music and shout for joy!

Let’s refresh our knowledge of ancient musical instruments, shall we? 

·      The earliest harps were shaped like bows but had very few strings when compared with modern instruments because they lacked the central column which is needed to support string tension.

·      In ancient times the trumpet was long and made of metal but without the sophisticated valves of modern instruments. It was used for many purposes as well as being an instrument of praise.

·      The ram’s horn is another name for the Shofar, that gives a loud cry that is usually a summons for people to gather. It is an instrument that cries out from deep within the soul!

Frankly, if you put this lot together you do not get gentle melodies or harmonies, imagine the racket when they are all playing! And that’s the point! This is about a joyful noise, it’s about jubilant songs, and shouts of joy, the Lord invites His people to come together and make a rumpus, to let go and celebrate. Sadly, we’ve left that to the football crowds and the Festival gatherings and allowed ourselves to become ordered and polite and restrained in our praises. The instruments here just added to the cacophony of noise, what was most important was the heart-felt expressions of joy of the participants. 

Some friends from our church recently visited a church that we support in Tumba Parish, Rwanda. We saw videos of the congregation worshipping, and someone asked about the words and the tune for these were hard to decipher. What we actually witnessed were brothers and sisters making a joyful “noise”, a far cry from polite British worship and perhaps far more authentic? Hallelujah! 

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