The text: “What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” 1 Corinthians 14:15
KNOW THE BIBLICAL REFERENCES
I love new songs and have very little to complain about them. But, these newer songs we sing tend not to have the depth of theology that older songs have. Maybe its because younger song writers are not as familiar with the biblical text as older song writers were. I offer three examples.
Send the Light: Observe verse 2, where the author writes: “We have heard the Macedonian call today, “Send the Light!” What is that “Macedonian call?” It comes from Paul’s second missionary journey in Acts 16. He had wanted to go to Galatia at that time but the Holy Spirit said, “No.” He then desired to preach in Bithynia but the Holy Spirit said, “No.” In a vision given to him at night, Paul saw a man from modern-day Greece, Macedonia, calling to him, saying: “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” From that vision and that call, Paul drew the conclusion that they needed to hear the Gospel preached to them (16:10). The “Macedonian call” is the call to preach the Gospel, or to “send the light.”
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing – Old Testament references tend to be more obscure than NT references (Do you know the background to “Beulah Land”?). In “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” notice verse 2: “Here I raise my Ebenezer Hither by thy help I come And I hope by thy good pleasure Safely to arrive at home.” “Ebenezer?” What’s that?
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A Balm in Gilead. What is a “balm?” It is an ointment used to heal or soothe the skin. “Balm” is found 6 times in the OT but the “balm of Gilead” is found only once – Jeremiah 8:22. In Jeremiah 8, the prophet of God was lamenting the sin of his people. In verse 2, he says they were worshipping the sun, moon, and stars. They loved the heavenly creation; they served them; they had gone after them; sought them; and worshipped them. In verse 7, Israel did not know the ordinances of God. They rejected the word of God, verse 9. They had their prophets and priests but these were following a false message. In verse 11, Jeremiah says, “They heal the brokenness of the daughter of my people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace’ but there is no peace.” Why? Because they weren’t following God’s pattern, God’s message. They needed a healthy dose of the true medicine to be healed – the balm provided by God. The people needed healing (vs 15) but none would come until they repented of their sins. Verse 22: “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored?” Yes, there is a balm for the sting of sin. Jesus is the Great Physician. Healing and help come to people who hurt from the Lord Jesus Christ. So, “tell the love of Jesus, and say He died for all.” Let’s sing with the understanding…
Don’t just sing the lyrics. Meditate on the message and the medium.
–Paul Holland
