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A SONG OF WARNING (DEUTERONOMY 31:19-22)

REFLECTION
“Song of warning” is the theme for our reflection.  A song is a piece of music composition with words intended to be sung. A warning is something said or written to tell people of a possible danger, problem, or other unpleasant things that might happen. A song of warning is a musical composition that is sung to remind believers of God’s wrath against disobedience and unrepentance. We shall reflect on the fact that a song of warning reminds us of God’s wrath against disobedience, unfaithfulness, unrepentance, and its consequences.

Beloved in the Lord, before God ushered the Israelites into the promised land He made Moses compose a song that will serve as a witness and a reminder to the people and their generations of their history, God’s faithfulness and His covenant with them, their obligations and the consequences of failing to fulfill their obligation. God said to Moses “Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. ²⁰ When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their ancestors, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant. ²¹ And when many disasters and calamities come on them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.” ²² So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites. (Deuteronomy 31:19-22) The full song is found in Deuteronomy 32. The importance of the song is to remind them of who they are, who their God is and what He expects from them and what will happen to them if they fail to meet His expectations. Indeed, the song of warning is a summary of the history of Israel, the Law of God and the consequences for disobeying the Law. It is significant to note that the Lord chose a song as a source of witness and a reminder because a song is easy to learn and remember than written text in Books. Again, historical facts are easier to transmit in the form of songs than in written text. Israel had both the Law in written form and a song to remind them of God’s Covenant relationship with them.

Beloved in the Lord, one of the cardinal features of the Reformed Christian faith is the importance of hymns and singing in our worship services and meetings. There are thousands of songs written by great men and women of God who had been inspired by the Holy Spirit. These songs have been compiled and sang for many centuries. These songs are based on the Word of God hence they augment the sermons and teachings of Scripture. They remind us of the attributes of God, His love for us, our obligation as believers and the ramifications of disobedience and sin. Apart from the Bible, every believer must own a hymn book as an important Spiritual resource. Songs plays a pivotal role in every religion in the world. In Christianity, songs enable the worshippers to easily remember the Sacred Words of Scripture. We are greatly encouraged to sing our hymns and meditate on the Words as a reminder of our relationship with God and our obligations in His covenant relationship with us.

For instance, Hymn 481 of the E.P.C.G Hymnal was composed with the words of Matthew 16:26 which warns a believer against over indulgence in materialism at the expense of one’s salvation. “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? (Matthew 16:26). Unfortunately, many Christians of our time are being lured into worldly music, entertainment and pleasure. Many identify with mundane music that focuses on materialism and immorality. We are greatly reminded by this reflection to get ourselves acquainted with songs that warns or reminds us of God’s judgement when we remain unfaithful and unrepentant. Let us develop the love and the habit of learning the timeless and priceless songs in our hymnals. Let us sing them at our family meetings, personal devotions and even at our leisure time. Just as worldly music has impact on the minds and attitude of people, the Hymns and other songs sung during our worship services also have impact on our spiritual lives. It is for this reason that Paul admonished us when he wrote to the Church at Ephesus, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-20). Thankfully with the gift of the technology, we have access to thousands of Hymns and Gospels songs in cyberspace. We are greatly encouraged to download them and listen to them daily as a source of reminder of our relationship with God and also as an inspiration to remain faithful and obedient to His Word.

In summary, we have reflected on the theme, “Song of warning”. We have learnt that a song of warning reminds us of God’s wrath against disobedience, unfaithfulness, unrepentance and its consequences. May we be transformed and empowered to make godly songs and hymns an integral part of our lives even as we prepare for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

PRAYER
Holy Spirit, empower us to remain focused on songs that will edify us. May we be moved to repentance and regeneration by the hearing and singing of Your songs of warning. Amen.