Night Songs

“Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.” (Isa 30:29 AV)

 

One commentator suggests the evening song referred to here is the beginning of the Passover in which the Assyrian army may have invaded Israel.  However, this would not go with the context here.  There is gladness.  There is solemnity.  The point to be made here is the Sabbath started in the evening and the psalm sung would have been one of solemnity.  Whether it be the Passover, or an ordinary Sabbath, the song sung in the evening would have been quiet, meditative, and deeply moving.  The context of this verse is the wonderful grace of God in the greater context of God’s correcting hand toward Israel.  The encouragement for Israel is to not get so overwhelmed by the hand of God that they forget just how good God is.  God must correct.  He wouldn’t be a good God if He didn’t.  The hope is seen above.  No matter the circumstance, whether trial of faith or correction, the LORD will give songs in the night.  Songs of solemnity.   Songs of deep emotion.  Songs of quiet devotion that rest the weary soul.  It is not necessarily the cause for these songs which the writer wishes to think upon.  Rather, the nature of the songs which speak to my heart is what I wish to think upon.

There is a special place from my childhood that comes to mind every now and then.  This special place was only accessible during the summer months.  There was a special event that happened at this special place and as a child, it seems God was extra close during these times.  Every Wednesday evening, during Boy Scout camp, there was a church service held at a simple open-air chapel overlooking our lake.  The back of the chapel faced west, so our church service was conducted as the sun set in the west.  A protestant Chaplin held the service as we sat on log benches in the open air. This happened no matter the weather.  Some of these services were in the rain.  The only type of weather that would cancel the service was an active thunderstorm.  The Chaplin would lead in common hymns sung without instruments. He would usually read a passage of scripture, give a brief sermon, and read other passages of scripture.  Depending on the Chaplin, we might have partaken in the LORD’s supper.  These special services were different than normal church services in that they were more solemn, quiet, and meditative.  They were not designed to be rowdy.  They were not organized to pump us up.  It was a quiet time to reflect on how great and all-present God was to us.  We called them vespers. 

Fast forward to a few years ago.  In one of my churches, I attempted to hold Christmas Eve vespers.  They were ok with the type of service I had in mind.  Just not the name.  They thought the term, Vespers, meant some liturgical church service styled after the tradition from which I came out.  There is something to be said about quieting down our worship and allowing the Spirit to work in different ways.  I do not think being meditative and solemn is more profitable than celebration and verbose praise.  All of this has its proper place and time.  Condemning one as opposed to another shows ignorance of the word of God and makes for an unbalanced saint.  There are times when the songs of the evening are appropriate.  These songs of praise may even use the same words as the songs of volume and quick tempo.  The message has not changed.  But the emotions involved do.  I love the songs of the night.  They are very special to me.  They are times when all is quiet.  They are times when God can speak to my heart with less to overcome.  They are very special to me in that the Holy Spirit of God often becomes far more personal.  These times are precious.  These times are priceless.  These times are necessary.  And, these times must be pursued.