EPHESIANS 5:19-20 - SPEAK TO ONE ANOTHER WITH SPIRITUAL SONGS

Speak to One Another 

With Spiritual Songs

“Sing me a lullaby, Mommy.”

“Listen, Babe, they’re playing our song.”

“Remember the first time we heard that tune?”

Our musical memories are long.

Let us speak to each other with psalms and hymns

Using spiritual songs to encourage.

Let us remind one another to turn to the Lord

When the world’s words try to discourage.

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

 Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,

always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 5:19-20 (NIV)

ōdē⁵⁶⁰³ – a chant or “ode” (the gen. term for any words sung; while 5215 [humnŏs] denotes espec. a religious metrical composition, and 5568 [psalmŏs] still more spec. a Heb. Cantillations): - song.

            I’ve heard many a sermon or Sunday school lesson on Ephesians 5:18 about not getting drunk but being filled with the Spirit. But I’ve heard very few indeed on the verses immediately following which define what being filled with the Spirit looks like.

            As I read over these verses, I couldn’t help thinking it would seem a little strange to run around spouting song lyrics at each other. Then I took a mental step backward and remembered the importance of music in many of my relationships. I will forever associate “The Band Played On” with the memory of my father taking his little toddler daughter up in his arms and waltzing me around the room while singing that tune. I also hold dear the more recent memory of singing the same song to soothe Daddy to sleep in his hospital room. The first boy I ever dated proclaimed that “Your Sixteen, Your Beautiful, and Your Mine” was our song even though I responded that although the first two statements were true, nobody was going to own me! Even my female friends and I have certain songs that spark wonderful memories of good times spent together.

            Song lyrics are powerful. Why shouldn’t we encourage one another with Psalms (even more potent because they are God’s word), hymns, and Christian song lyrics?  Reminding each other of the truths found in them may just help us to obey the next command which is to have music in our hearts directed to our Lord and to be thankful for everything he places in our path. How can we live as conquerors in a world bent on beating us down? Speak courage to each other through the lyrics God has placed in our memories and sing those songs back as praise to the Lord who enabled his servants to write them.

            Father, let the words of mouth be a witness and an encouragement to others (Psalm 19). Let the songs you have placed in my heart bring joy and comfort to my family and friends. For you are “my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in you, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy, and I will give thanks to you in song.” (Psalm 28:7 NIV)