THE SPRITUAL DIMENTIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE

Now this might not mean much to you or probably you have never really given it much thought. But since we all here and now, just do stick around a little longer and satisfy your curiosity.  You would? HALALLUYAH!

I bet you’ve heard the saying; ‘MUSIC IS FOOD TO THE SOUL’, sure you must have! What does it mean to you? Just hold that thought!

Am sure it means many things to many people; however may I bring your attention to an aspect that is by far of least importance to many of us in this chosen career? Now put back on your imagination cap and come along with me and see…..

  

Have you ever seen a snake charmer at his best? With aid of a tune from a flute, he tends to make any snake do as he wishes. Now that’s awesome! What if we say you take the same flute and learn how to play the same tune? That’s easy right? Anyone can do that. Sure! But there is a catch!! Do you think you will be able to have the same effect on the same snake as that of the snake charmer? Your guess is as good as mine. Why is that? Well for one it has nothing to do with the snake not liking what your face looks like or your height. No Sir! This effect is the phenomenon called the spiritual dimensions and significance.

When the Bible says “Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.  Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.  Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.” (Psalms 33:1-3(KJV)), this is only an aspect of playing like the big boys; that is doing all you could as far as skill is concerned to give out the very best music as possible. That is why with skill alone you cannot in a thousand years have the same effect on the snake the way the charmer those. Yes! your skillful music is food to the soul (the faculty of intellectual reasoning, emotions and will) but that’s all it can feed. Not the SNAKE, neither the spirit of a man talk less of GOD.

I have lost you right? Not to worry, it always seems that way at first. You see the whole essence of the skillful part of music not minding the instrument of choice is to produce pleasant sounds or tune to the best of your ability. If one is able to do just that, it’s so overwhelming the responses you get from the souls that get fed by the show of your craftsmanship. It is hard not to notice the many that have perfected this skillful art of communicating (feeding to say the least) with the souls of many with their instrument of choice.

Am I saying that one can not only feed the soul but also the spirit of those that listen to the music one makes? No! I am saying you can do far better than that. HUH? Alright, I have your attention I guess. Let me quickly show you what I mean before I lose you. Just try and get the whole gist very fast from hear on; alright?

The bible says; “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on a harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. And Saul said unto his servants, provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him…. And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. (1 Sam 16:14-23(KJV))

Now here is someone that has not only mastered the skillful aspect as clearly stated from the narrative (to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on a harp), but also has something extra. He is able to do to King Saul (the evil spirit) what the charmer does to the snake. Did I hear you say WOW!? You can say that again and still be far away from the truth. I don’t know about you but I believe this is what it really MEANS to play like the big boys don’t you think so? Now stay with me a little longer please and try not to lose your calm. I know is quit hard not to but do try.

There is yet one more illustration of a big boy kind of playing I would like to show you, after all a matter is settled in the mouth of two or three witnesses abi?

In 2 Kings 3:6-15, the Bible says; “And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel. And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, the king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses. And he said which way shall we go up? And he answered, the way through the wilderness of Edom. So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.  And the king of Israel said, Alas! That the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab! But Jehoshaphat said, is there not here a prophet of the LORD that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the kings of Israel's servants answered and said, here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah. And Jehoshaphat said, the word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? Get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.  And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah; I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him”. (KJV)

By definition from the Microsoft Encarta dictionary 2009, a minstrel is a medieval traveling musician: a medieval singer, musician, or reciter of poetry who traveled around from place to place giving performances. Whatever the most accurate definition might be depending on the dictionary of choice, the point is that this man (or woman as the case may be) has this extra phenomenon of the spiritual dimensions and significance under his sleeves. In his case he could move the “HAND OF GOD” to come over the prophet when the need arises. This is mind boggling!!! Instances abound to the fact that this aspect of playing like the big boys is not for a few selected elite group NO! It is for as many as are willing to pay the prize to grace the stage of this noble calling. The list is endless but here is just one reference to make it the third witness: 2Chronocles 20:21-23. One for the road if you wouldn’t mind; Joshua 6:6-20.

Let me wrap it up this way, recently I heard a music minister said “music is only music until words are put to it”. Many in the gospel music parlance have done so much injustice to this statement (I believe it’s a quote by Rick Warrens’ Purpose driven life) that today we can’t really tell which is gospel or Maryam Makeba, Awilo Lubamba or R Kelly. Many secular tunes are rebirthed into gospel by taking the same tunes; note for note and given lyrics with religious inclinations. The point is this; are you a minstrel? Then you can get inspiration from the Holy Spirit for sound made only by and from the throne room of God.