What’s in a worship song? Well, it’s a song. So there’s music, unless it’s “a capella”. And it’s worship, so there must be words. After all, worship is about praising and honoring. Words are kind of important when doing that. More specifically, in a Christian worship song, it’s about praising God. The God we believe created – everything. The songs should reflect that. What else should be in Christian worship songs? Love. And Truth.
These things probably seem like no-brainers. Of course, they should all be there. But when we sing or listen to them, do we really think about what’s in the worship song that we’re directing to God? Do we just blindly sing the words, whatever they might be? Or do we meditate on them as we’re singing? In essence, are we praying those words?
Asking about praying leads to one more question. Are the words, both actual words and the intent of those words, biblical? If they aren’t, then two issues immediately come to mind.
What should be in a worship song?
First, are they true? If there’s nothing biblical in the words, as Christians, we should question why those lyrics were chosen. Remember the part about truth? If the Bible is the source of truth about God, and the words or even the intent of them isn’t reflected in the Bible, then where do they come from? What are they saying? Are they even appropriate to be directed to the God we’re supposed to be worshiping?
Second, are the words even about God? I mean God as He describes Himself. The God that we claim to believe in. Or are they about a god that we’ve created? A god that we’d like to substitute for the God in the Bible? If that’s the case, then we’re not worshiping God when we sing them. If we’re not careful, we can easily end up reshaping the God we used to love to the point where we start to love and worship the god of the song(s) – rather than the God of the Bible.
Maybe it’s accidental. Maybe it’s intentional. Who knows what the author of the song was thinking? We don’t – unless we check it out. As we can see, it’s important to know. Honestly, we’re offering these songs up to God as a form of praise. Shouldn’t we take the time and effort to know what we’re telling Him? Or if, at the very least, we’re really even singing about Him?
What’s really in a worship song?
We’re going to look at some words from two different worship songs. Not the whole song. Just a few lines. We’ll look at them with the above items in mind. See if, when we sing them, are we really worshiping God? Of course, different people will view songs differently. I’m giving my point of view about these lines as a way to show you how to pray over the songs you might be singing.
What’s in a worship song – a fire that I can’t control
Here’s the segment we’re going to look at:
Set a fire down in my soul
That I can’t contain, I can’t control
Maybe Set a fire down in my soul is supposed to be about the Holy Spirit. I couldn’t find anything on what this song is really about, so the best I can do is assume that to be the case. In the New Testament, fire is used in four different ways.
Once, God is referred to as a consuming fire.
Heb 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
That doesn’t seem likely for a worship song – wanting a consuming fire in our souls. As we’ll see – a fire from the Holy Spirit is one thing, but a consuming fire appears to give a very different picture.
From time to time, fire is exactly what we normally think of – fire. Such as for cooking food over a fire.
Obviously, that kind of fire makes zero sense.
The other two are summed up in something John the Baptist said to the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Mt 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
So fire could refer to the unquenchable fire of Hell. That makes no sense at all for a worship song.
Or it could refer to the Holy Spirit.
What’s in a worship song – a fire that I can’t control – really?
Question – a fire that I can’t control – is that biblical? Is it True? Answer, to both – no!
Remember, the unquenchable fire, something we obviously can’t control, is the fire of Hell. There’s just no way that can, or at least should, be in a worship song to the God of the Bible.
What about the Holy Spirit? Well, truth be told, there’s a problem here too. Remember when the Pharisees accused Jesus of healing people through the power of the devil? Check this out:
Jesus and Beelzebub – Matthew
12:25-29 pp — Mk 3:23-27; Lk 11:17-22
Mt 12:22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
Mt 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
The Pharisees are upset, so they claim Jesus heals by the power of the prince of Demons – Satan. And Jesus responds below. I include all of this for context, but the important part for our discussion of the Holy Spirit being a fire we can’t control is a few verses later.
Mt 12:25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Mt 12:29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.
Mt 12:30 “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Here we go. Jesus says, blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Tell me, if the Holy Spirit is a fire we can’t control, how can we blaspheme the Holy Spirit? It’s only because the Holy Spirit will not take control of us that we can speak against Him.
Mt 12:33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
So far, this line from the song seems to not be true or biblical.
In Luke, Jesus taught about prayer.
Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer – Luke
11:2-4 pp — Mt 6:9-13
11:9-13 pp — Mt 7:7-11
Lk 11:1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
The Lord’s Prayer is usually discussed from the Matthew passage – Mt 6:9-13, although the full passage is actually Mt 6:5-15. However, Luke includes something that Matthew didn’t. For our purposes here, that additional thought is important.
Lk 11:2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“ ‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Lk 11:3 Give us each day our daily bread.
Lk 11:4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’ ”
Luke records a shorter version of this prayer than Matthew. After that, he sets up a scenario. As you read it, pay attention to the response in verse 7. Think about saying “Don’t bother me” in light of the Holy Spirit being a fire we can’t control.
Lk 11:5 Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’
Lk 11:7 “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
As Christians, we receive the Holy Spirit when we’re baptized. If the Holy Spirit is a fire we can’t control, then how can we possibly turn down that request from a friend – a friend – for a loaf of bread? Jesus told us to love our enemies. How then can we turn down an enemy, let alone a friend if the Holy Spirit is in full control?
The only way that can happen is if the Holy Spirit Himself says no. That’s not going to happen, because the Holy Spirit is, as Paul tells us, the mind of Christ. So what – the mind of Jesus in us is going to do something 180 degrees opposite of what Jesus taught while he walked the earth? Not gonna happen!
Lk 11:9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Lk 11:11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
We see something important in that last verse – how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. The Holy Spirit in us, His ability to work through us, is up to us. We receive something of the Holy Spirit at baptism. However, we can reject Him. We can also be satisfied with that little bit received at baptism, or we can ask for more. However – we will never be so “full of the Spirit” that we’ll be perfect all the time. Jesus is, was, and ever will be, the only one who ever had that ability in this fallen world.
What’s in a worship song – a fire that I can’t control – sorry, but no.
I think we can see by now, the line about a fire that I can’t control just isn’t biblical. Not from any evidence that I can find.
Now, the person(s) who wrote the song might have a legitimate reason for what they wrote. I can’t imagine what it could be. I’ve felt the same way about other songs too. So I looked them up. Sometimes I’ve found a write-up on the song from the author that changes my mind. But in this case, I couldn’t find it. If you know something different, I’d love to hear from you.
For me, that’s a problem. I can’t see singing a song of worship to God when I don’t know what I’m singing. I don’t see the words as being biblical. So how can I offer them up to the Creator of everything? I can’t. Not until, or unless, I know why I’m singing it.
What’s in a worship song – hide me under Your wings
Here’s the second song. I need to include four lines for this one. They aren’t in order, since some come from the chorus and others from one of the verses. They’re presented in an order to show the potential issue.
When the oceans rise and the thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm
Hide me now under Your wings
Cover me with your mighty hand
Question – will God protect us from the bad things in life, to the point of hiding us, covering us, and carrying us away above the storm? My answer – ranges no – to it depends – to yes. It depends on the point of view from which we ask that question.
It is a nice thought. That God would always protect us. And to a certain extent, from a certain point of view, He will.
From the Bible – God protecting us.
If you look for the word “protect” in the 1984 NIV, you’ll find it 28 times. Most of those are from Psalms, such as twice in Psalm 12.
Psalm 12
For the director of music. According to sheminith.A psalm of David.
Ps 12:1 Help, LORD, for the godly are no more;
the faithful have vanished from among men.
Ps 12:2 Everyone lies to his neighbor;
their flattering lips speak with deception.
Ps 12:3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue
Ps 12:4 that says, “We will triumph with our tongues;
we own our lips—who is our master?”
Ps 12:5 “Because of the oppression of the weak
and the groaning of the needy,
I will now arise,” says the LORD.
“I will protect them from those who malign them.”
Ps 12:6 And the words of the LORD are flawless,
like silver refined in a furnace of clay,
purified seven times.
Ps 12:7 O LORD, you will keep us safe
and protect us from such people forever.
Ps 12:8 The wicked freely strut about
when what is vile is honored among men.
David begins with a pretty dark picture of the world. Honestly, it seems a lot like today’s world in many respects.
And yet, in verse 5, we read: I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will protect them from those who malign them”.
Obviously, protection isn’t all the time. Or is it? Again, it depends on protection from what?
By verse 7, we read: O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.
Here, protection apparently is forever?
So which one is it? Protection from some point and for some time – or forever?
I submit, it still depends on what protection means. Protection from what?
Let’s take a look at a time when Jesus prayed for protection for His disciples.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
Jn 17:6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
Jn 17:13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”
What’s in a worship song – protect who?
Before we look at protect from what, let’s look at protect who? That will give actually give us important information about protect from what. As I’ve said before, there’s a reason Jesus tells us to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. It takes time, effort, thinking, prayer and more to truly follow Jesus. We talked about the Holy Spirit above. It’s through Him that we have the ability to do these things. However, we have to want Him to help us. If you’d like to learn more about that process, allowing the Holy Spirit into our lives and what comes from us doing that, please check out the series on the Beatitudes, with begins with that very thing – allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in our lives.
So let’s go forward with that in mind.
For this particular prayer, Jesus says it’s about I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. At that time, it was the original disciples. Well, actually, eleven of the twelve. Before you think this is only for that time, and for those eleven, think about the Great Commission.
The Great Commission
Mt 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
make disciples. That includes today’s Christians. Disciple-making has been going on for about 2,000 years. Why would Jesus care any less about us than about any others? He wouldn’t. And so the prayer is for us today as well. The true followers of Jesus, who love Him and try to follow His teaching.
I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. OK – that may not be something everyone wants to hear. And yet, there it is. God would like everyone to love Him. But Jesus knows full well that’s just not going to happen. Please see, Tears of God, for more on that.
Yes, this prayer is for Jesus’ disciples. And them / us alone. Maybe realization of that will provide some incentive for us to really work on the Great Commission, rather than what Dallas Willard called the Great Omission.
What’s in a worship song – protect from what?
Now, finally, we can look at protect from what? We know it’s about protecting Jesus’ disciples.
Obviously, the whole passage is important. However, what it boils down to in terms of protecting us is: My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
Sure, there are times when we’d love to be taken out of this world. At least I’ve felt that way. But Jesus tells us very clearly, that’s not going to happen.
And as far as protecting us from all the things that can go wrong in this world, forget that too. Just look at David, the author of the Psalm we looked at. He messed up big time. And yet, God still said of David, I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart. 1quoted in Acts 13:22, from 1 Sam 13:14
Ultimately then, it’s about protect them from the evil one. Protecting us from Satan. Preventing us from falling prey to the devil and ending up in the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels that Jesus told us of in The Sheep and the Goats.
The Sheep and the Goats
Mt 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Mt 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Mt 25:37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
Mt 25:40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Mt 25:41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
Mt 25:44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
Mt 25:45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Mt 25:46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
they (the evil ones) will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. What we, true followers of Jesus are always, yes always, protected from is Satan. We cannot lose our salvation. The wide path to eternal punishment is something we’re protected from.
That’s what David was protected from. He surely wasn’t protected from sinning. He also wasn’t protected from things in his life going wrong. But in the end, he was still a man after God’s own heart.
oceans rise and the thunders roar
So, When the oceans rise and the thunders roar, we are protected for the next life. Yes, we may suffer because of the oceans rising, a common biblical symbol for troubles in life. In fact, Jesus told us to expect them.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Yes, we can have peace, even in the midst of life’s troubles, because Jesus has overcome death. And He promises that we will as well, through His power and because of His love for us.
soar with You above the storm
We won’t literally soar with You above the storm, but we’ll be protected from its effects. In essence, soaring above the eternal destruction caused by the storm. Again, because of Jesus having conquered death and promising the same for those who love Him.
Hide me now under Your wings
Hide me now under Your wings is something Jesus actually made a reference to. Not literally, but figuratively.
Mt 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’’”
Notice – I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Sounds a lot like what we looked at when talking about the Holy Spirit, doesn’t it? The Holy Spirit would love to guide our lives, but we must allow it to happen. Jesus would love to protect us in the manner we’ve seen here, if only we would love Him.
Cover me with your mighty hand
Cover me with your mighty hand. I had to look this one up. The only references to mighty hand that I could remember were all from the Exodus. Given that I originally restricted this to looking for meaning in the New Testament, I thought this one’s going to be a problem. Sigh of relief – there’s one reference in the New Testament.
1Pe 5:5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
You know what though? Even that is a reference to the Old Testament. Every single reference to mighty hand in the Bible can trace back to this:
Ex 3:18 “The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.
And that passage, if you don’t recognize it, is when God was first speaking to Moses, giving him instructions before sending him off to rescue God’s people, the Israelites, from Pharaoh. In a very real sense, to protect His people. Not only them, but through them, even us, today.
What’s in a worship song – hide me under Your wings – protect me
That’s protection. Maybe not the kind of protection we think of right away. Not always the kind of protection we’re looking for. And yet, in God’s perfect way, it most certainly is the kind of protection we need.
Now, maybe that song doesn’t bring out those same feelings in you. Maybe it will now? Maybe in addition or instead of what you already thought. However, regardless of what we sing, the important things are that the words really are directed at the God of the Bible. And they really are praise. Not to mention, that they’re true and accurately portray both God and us.
What’s in a worship song?
Hopefully it’s at least more clear now, but what’s in a worship song are words about us and God. Words that we’re comfortable with, knowing what they mean to us, and that they’re true to what the Bible says about God.
Different people will have different interpretations. We’re at different places in our relationship with God. And different places in our study of God. Some are just getting started, while others have been “walking” with God for many years or decades. There’s just no way we’ll all feel the same.
I don’t like to pull words from the Bible out of context, but I believe these words stand alone – or in any context. Regarding the Holy Spirit, Jesus said,
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. 2John 16:13
Depending on how much we’ve allowed the Holy Spirit into our lives, the level of truth that we’ll comprehend will vary. However, no matter how much we do or don’t understand, God’s truth is always Truth, and never changes.
I want to close with this, from Paul:
2Co 6:3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
And so, with sincere love and with the Holy Spirit, I suggest that it’s important we know about the worship songs we sing. If possible, what did they mean to the author? For sure, what do they mean to us? But even more than that, are what they say and what we think they say biblical? Do they portray God’s truth? It’s important.
Whether worship leaders explain the songs we sing, whether we talk about them in small groups or among other Christians, or if we have to look them up ourselves, I believe it comes down to one big question. Do we love God enough to want to take the time and effort to learn about the words that we send to Him when we sing worship songs to Him?
Image by Jensie De Gheest from Pixabay
Footnotes
- 1quoted in Acts 13:22, from 1 Sam 13:14
- 2John 16:13