Isaiah - Verse By Verse | Isaiah

Isaiah - Day 92

versebyverse | September 05, 2008 17:35

Scripture: Isaiah 5:12 (NIV): "They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of His hands."

Thought: To me, music that has no regard for, or respect toward, God is vain.

Question: What makes me sing?

What are the reasons for our celebrations? Here the Israelites have not gathered to celebrate the LORD, nor do they even have "regard for the deeds of the LORD", or "respect for the work of His hands." By implication, they celebrate themselves, their own deeds and the work of their own hands. Their music, like the wine consumption in the previous verse, has become a vain, self-directed, self-glorifying activity. Even as they had "run after" wine in verse 11, so here they appear to pursue the pleasures of celebration for its own sake.

This verse strikes at the heart of an important truth: there is no reason to make song unless we do so to God. All music ought to be ultimately aimed at praising Him, either directly or indirectly, for Who He is and what He has done, or to extoll His creation. Any music that does not do this will only serve to emptily promote self and the devil. At the heart of a great deal of secular music is the tragedy of Godlessness; that is, disrespect for God as Our Holy Supreme, and subsequently, the lifting up of self and sin instead as the idolatrous substitute.

Our God is a "jealous" God. When He hears music upon the earth, He looks down to see the motive behind it.

Prayer: Lord God, may I ever remember Your great deeds and respect the works of Your hands. May You always be the inspiration of my music. Amen.