Deuteronomy 32 serves as ancient Israel’s national anthem. Moses the faithful leader is about to die and the nation will be entering the promised land under the direction of a new leader named Joshua. Once Moses is gone and the tribes are divided throughout the land the song will serve as one vehicle to keep the people on spiritual course.
The song is technically a poem and it was to be sung or recited in worship contexts. Below is a table that shows what the worship would have looked like.¹
This anthem was to ring in Ancient Israel’s ears, but what is often a new song in our ears with deep emotion in the heart overtime becomes dull. And in worship contexts a simple ritual detached from any thoughtful meaning. Today, what is the song that rings in your ears and filters through your heart? Is it faithful? Is it true? What is the message?
There is great power in music and if we want to understand ourselves and our culture we do well to study the songs we sing. Read what Daniel Block says about the power of music.
“THE POWER OF MUSIC . What is the enduring theological significance of the Song? The question may be addressed at several levels. At the literary level, this chapter testifies to the power of music not only to express lofty theological ideas, but also to shape people’s lives. In a sense we are what we sing or what we play. If we would understand another culture, the first step is not to read essays about it by dispassionate observers , but to listen to the music, to feel the rhythm of its songs, to hear the story of its poetry.”²
So what you sing matters in a very real theological sense. Consider what Martin Luther said concerning Christians of his day and what they did not sing.
“If any would not sing and talk of what Christ has wrought for us, he shows thereby that he does not really believe.”³
What do you believe? The songs you sing are a good place to start.
¹Block, Daniel I. (2012-08-21). Deuteronomy (The NIV Application Commentary) (p. 748). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
²ibid.
³ibid.