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"Also the Levites, which were the singers . . . . . having cymbals and psalteries and
harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests
sounding with trumpets. It came to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to
make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up
their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the
Lord, saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was
filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that the priests could not stand to
minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God"
(verses 12-14).
What an uplifting yet awe-inspiring scene and sound this must have been, and the
Lord accepted it as a token of praise when He entered with His overwhelming glory to
claim His house.
When one thinks of the arguments and upsets that have occurred in some sections of
Christendom over the introduction of instruments such as the organ to support the
singing, one wonders what the objectors would have felt like had they been present on
this great occasion! Would they have been offended or joined wholeheartedly in the
paean of praise? We have little doubt as to this.
We know of course that undue emphasis on music can be a snare in public worship,
specially when the praise is coming from the lips only and not from the heart. But then
anything that is out of proportion can become a snare. Holiness is whole-ness and
balance and we do well always to remember this. To hear the Lord's praise in the
Temple must have been an unforgettable and uplifting experience. May all our praise
today when we meet together be likewise, as with heart and voice we honour and worship
Him Who loved us and gave Himself for us. Let us never forget that the Lord listens to
our praise as much as our prayers and with that in view we should give Him our best even
though this is imperfect. May the Lord keep us ever praising and thanking Him. This is
such a bulwark against failure and declension!