Chapter 41: God Gives Moses a Song
Q1 - The book of Psalms, with 150 chapters, is one of the longest books in the Bible. It is a of prayers, poems, and hymns written by various people over a period of years. At least some of the Psalms were meant to be set to music. Moses is credited with writing Psalm 90 and possibly others. Modern church songbooks often contain a variety of songs based on a Psalm or a portion of one.
Do you have a favorite Psalm? How does it speak to you? Under what circumstances do you find yourself singing or reciting it?
A1 - Answers will vary. It will be interesting to hear what the group members have to say. On a personal note, my grandmother, who was born in 1899 and lived through the Great Depression and several wars, would quote Psalm 37:25 (NKJV) as one of her favorites: “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.”
Q2 - Although songs and singing are mentioned many times in the Old Testament, the New Testament contains relatively few references to either. Concerning Jesus and his disciples, Matthew 26:30 (NKJV) states: “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Mark 14:26 gives a parallel account of this occasion.)
What event had just transpired? What event would soon occur? Why do you think they chose to sing a hymn at this particular time?
A2 - Jesus and His disciples had just partaken of the Last Supper. Soon, Judas would betray Him, and He would be crucified. Jesus understood the events that would soon occur, and singing a hymn likely encouraged Him and His disciples and helped them focus their minds on God. It would be interesting to know which hymn they sang and if it came from the book of Psalms.
Q3 - The account of Paul and Silas being thrown in prison is given in Acts 16:16–40. Verse 25 (NKJV) states: “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”
What impact do you think their singing had on Paul and Silas themselves and on their fellow prisoners? How do you know God heard their songs and prayers?
A - Singing a hymn helps us focus our thoughts on God. Depending on the hymn, we can praise God, ask for His blessings, or communicate with Him in other ways. While we don’t know which hymns Paul and Silas were singing, these hymns likely offered them comfort and solace after being beaten with many stripes and chained down in stocks in the depths of the prison. The hymns they sang also served as a means for them to communicate their faith to the other prisoners, something which these people may never have witnessed before.
Hymns are a form of prayer to God, and we know that God loves to hear from His children. In the case of Paul and Silas, the prison doors flew open and the chains miraculously fell off them and the other prisoners. When the jailer realized that none of the prisoners had escaped, he knew that Paul and Silas were responsible for these events and came trembling before them. He asked what he should do to be saved, and after hearing the Word of God, he and all his family were baptized. He took Paul and Silas to his home, washed their wounds, and fed them. Truly, the Word of God is a powerful force that can change the hearts of people.