The Emancipation of Bella!

On writing this blog piece…..

 I once saw a poster that read…

“My mind is already made up. Please do not confuse me with the facts.”

Many a time we think we know (because the leaders must have told it all to us by now), all that the Bible teaches on certain doctrines, but as soon as I began my research for this piece, I discovered exactly how little it is we actually ever know! As a worshipper and ‘Levite’ I have fallen prey to also not knowing what on earth the title I profess, means for me and requires of me historically, currently, and for my future both as an individual and as a servant in God’s house and Kingdom. I had become victim to remaining under erroneous leadership without challenging how things are done against the word of God (because I hadn’t actually bothered to make time to see for myself what God had to say on my calling) hence remaining ignorant and a ‘Lost Levite’. This is sadly, often the place that many Christians end up in, regarding what they do not know.

The research for this was not easy, simply because the bible is set up as a reference book of sorts comprising over five hundred individual mentions on singing, music, instruments and Levitical leadership as opposed to a manual in which all relevant sections are grouped together for the benefit of the end user. Finding the references was easy enough (thanks to e-bibles) and made me realise that the word of God has far more to say about being a Levite than I ever knew.  But my attempt to distil from them all, the principles which apply to us as God’s people today, was for sure the challenging part.

I hope this blog piece comes as a blessing, but also as an education to all you fellow Levites out there. But it does not exist only for you, it should also serve as a benchmark for all Christians out there, what to expect and require from those who lead you in praise and worship at every gathering from home/ cell groups, to church services.

We cannot as children of God, chose to remain ignorant when biblical truths are there to be searched out because we are called to……

“Grow in in grace (undeserved favour, spiritual strength) and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (the Messiah).” 

(2 Peter 3:18 AMP)

The Biblical Purpose of Music

Please forgive me starting from such a basic foundation but I just want to be sure if any non-churched people or new Christians are reading this, then I walk them through for their benefit how we as Christians view the reasons why we conduct our church services in a particular way. In addition, I genuinely do not believe that all the people I know who minister as Levites in church are fully aware themselves of the comprehensive purpose of what they do as laid out in the scriptures.

So…….what exactly is the purpose of music as stipulated in the bible? The bible gives and backs up by example, many different purposes to praise and worship music. I have listed as many different ones as I could find below:

1.      Direct praise and worship to God

“I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.”

(Psalm 104:33 AMP)

2.      Prayer

“Yet the Lord will command His loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, a prayer to the God of my life.”

(Psalm 42:8 AMP)

3.      Declaring the goodness of God to other people

“With a voice of singing declare, tell this, cause it to go forth even to the end of the earth; say, The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob!”

(Isaiah 48:20 AMP)

4.      Facilitating worship for other people

“O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.”

(Psalm 34:3 AMP)

5.      As a vital part of spiritual warfare

“When you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you, then blow an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God and you shall be saved from your enemies.”

(Numbers 10:9 AMP)

6.      In obedience to the word of God

“O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless (affectionately praise) His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvellous works among all the peoples.” 

(Psalm 96:1-3 AMP) 

7.      To increase recognition and reception to the Holy Spirit

“After that you will come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is; and when you come to the city, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying.”

(1 Samuel 10:5 AMP) 

8.      Self-edification

“Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God.”

(Psalm 42:5 AMP) 

9.      The edification of others

“What then, brethren, is [the right course]? When you meet together, each one has a hymn, a teaching, a disclosure of special knowledge or information, an utterance in a [strange] tongue, or an interpretation of it. [But] let everything be constructive and edifying and for the good of all.”

(1 Corinthians 14:26 AMP) 

10.  Testifying

“Come and hear, all you who reverently and worshipfully fear God, and I will declare what He has done for me! I cried aloud to Him; He was extolled and high praise was under my tongue.”

(Psalm 66:16-17 AMP) 

11.  Memorising Scripture

“This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.”

(Joshua 1:8 AMP)

12.  Teaching Scripture

“Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts.”

(Colossians 3:16 AMP) 

13.  Challenging and inspiring people to commitment and to action

“O you sons of men, how long will you turn my honour and glory into shame? How long will you love vanity and futility and seek after lies? Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself [and given distinction to] him who is godly [the man of loving-kindness]. The Lord listens and heeds when I call to Him. Be angry [or stand in awe] and sin not; commune with your own hearts upon your beds and be silent (sorry for the things you say in your hearts). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!”

(Psalm 4:2-5 AMP)

14.  Expressing one’s feelings

“Is anyone among you afflicted (ill-treated, suffering evil)? He should pray. Is anyone glad at heart? He should sing praise [to God].”

(James 5:13 AMP)

15.  As an accompaniment to movement

• Processions

“And for the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites in all their places to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings, and with singing, cymbals, harps, and lyres….. And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, the people, the gates, and the wall”

(Nehemiah 12:27, 30 AMP)

• Dancing

“Let them praise His name in chorus and choir and with the [single or group] dance; let them sing praises to Him with the tambourine and lyre!” 

(Psalm 149:3 AMP)

16.  During special events

• Holy festivals

“You shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept, and gladness of heart as when one marches in procession with a flute to go to the temple on the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel.”

(Isaiah 30:29 AMP)

• Weddings

“[He exclaimed] O my love, how beautiful you are! There is no flaw in you! Come away with me from Lebanon, my [promised] bride, come with me from Lebanon. Depart from the top of Amana, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards. You have ravished my heart and given me courage, my sister, my [promised] bride; you have ravished my heart and given me courage with one look from your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How beautiful is your love, my sister, my [promised] bride! How much better is your love than wine! And the fragrance of your ointments than all spices! Your lips, O my [promised] bride, drop honey as the honeycomb; honey and milk are under your tongue. And the odour of your garments is like the odour of Lebanon. A garden enclosed and barred is my sister, my [promised] bride—a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.”

(Song of Solomon 4:7-12 AMP)

• Funerals

“So his servants took him out of the chariot and put him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. Jeremiah gave a lament for Josiah, and all the singing men and women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made them an ordinance in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments.”

(2 Chronicles 35:24 AMP)

• Coronations

“Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tent and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet and all the people said, long live King Solomon!” 

(1 Kings 1:39 AMP)

• Battle Victories

“As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the Israelite towns, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with timbrels, songs of joy, and instruments of music.”

(1 Samuel 18:6 AMP)

• Feasts

“They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, neither do they consider the operation of His hands [in mercy and in judgment].”

(Isaiah 5:12 AMP)

• Send-offs

“Why did you flee secretly and cheat me and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with joy and gladness and with singing, with tambourine and lyre?”

(Genesis 31:27 AMP)

• Marking the completion of projects

“And for the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites in all their places to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings, and with singing, cymbals, harps, and lyres.” 

(Nehemiah 12:27 AMP)

17.  During offering time

“Also Jehoiada appointed the offices and officers [for the care] of the house of the Lord under the direction of the Levitical priests, whom David had distributed [in his day] in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as ordered by David.”

(2 Chronicles 23:18 AMP)

18.  Celebrating the beginning of a new era

“In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; [the Lord] sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates that the [uncompromisingly] righteous nation which keeps her faith and her troth [with God] may enter in.”

(Isaiah 26:1 AMP) 

19.  Spontaneous songs

“From there the Israelites went on to Beer [a well], the well of which the Lord had said to Moses, Assemble the people together and I will give them water. Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well! Let all sing to it,”

(Numbers 21:17 AMP)

Although music is not theologically necessary, the long list above shows us how highly God cherishes it. Music is shown divinely all through the word as a way to celebrate the beauty and the extravagance of creation and of the creator, God, being worthy of nothing less.

The Dark Side…..

There exists, however, a darker side to music. The bible speaks of it being associated with:

• Slander (Lamentations 3:14, 63; Job 30:9)
• Idleness (Amos 6:4-6; Ecclesiastes 2:8)
• Drunkenness (Psalm 69:12; Isaiah 24:8)
• Immorality (Isaiah 23:15-16)
• Idolatry (Daniel 3:5-15)
• Hypocrisy (Isaiah 5:12; Amos 5:23; Amos 6:3-6) and
• False religion (Exodus 32:18)

Like all of God’s precious gifts, music can be corrupted. The Bible backs this up by telling us that not all music pleases God. (Amos 5:23). It is then no wonder today why some Christians are so concerned with the effect of secular music. It is true that music can usher you into the pure and unadulterated presence of God in the same way that it can usher you through the gates of hell and into communion with demons.

However, in its correct, God created context; music, the way it is played, the words of the songs and the way they are sung should draw deeply from biblical truths. This will gird it to stand above the abused music offered by the world, to go forward and complete as part of corporate worship in churches, that for which it was created; and fulfil our highest calling – to direct our music to our God who alone deserves all praise. But in order to follow the example of the psalmist, we cannot stop here. God does not just expect us to sing or pray our songs, but to live in the fullness of them, for His glory.

The Ministry of Music in the Old Testament

In the beginning…..

A careful study of the function of music in the Old Testament defines the ministry of the Levite.

“He appointed Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord and to celebrate [by calling to mind], thanking and praising the Lord, the God of Israel.” 

(1 Chronicles 16:4 AMP)

The three verbs highlighted in this verse tell us that the music ministry was a vital part of the worship experience of God’s people, used to invoke the presence of God, praise Him and thank Him in His relationship towards us.

Levite in the middle!

The change from the unsettled, nomadic desert life to a lasting lifestyle under the King resulted in the development of the music ministry that would meet the needs of the worshipping congregation at the Temple (the origins of what we practice today). Prior to this change the references to music are mostly of women singing and dancing to celebrate special events (Exodus 15:1-21, 1 Samuel 18:6-7, Judges 11:34).

The book of Chronicles defines in quite some detail how David organized the music ministry of the Levites.

• To ensure that there would be no conflict or confusion between the music ministry of the Levites and the sacrificial ministry of the priests, David carefully demarcated the position, rank, and scope of the Levitical ministry (1 Chronicles 23:25-31) as being subordinate to the priests (1 Chronicles 23:28) despite having its own potent responsibilities
• The Levites were professionally employed temple workers paid out of the same tithes given towards the support of the priesthood (Numbers 18:24-26; Nehemiah 12:44-47; Nehemiah 13:5, Nehemiah 10-12). This gives us an indication of the importance of the music ministry teaching us that the work of an officiated, ordained minister of music should not be “a labour of love”, but should also be a ministry supported by the tithe income of the church. It is important here to stop and clarify that if a lay person volunteers to help in the music program of the church (you and me for example), there should be no payment for the worker who volunteers their time as despite serving under the same expectations, we are not employed professionally by the church
• The ministry of the Levite was tightly controlled. They used only few specific instruments, and played only on limited and special occasions. There was no possibility to turn the Temple service into entertainment of any sort as the music was rigidly controlled in the Temple.

The principles behind these choices that were true then remain so now. In music, as in all areas of life, God does not ever authorise us to “do our own thing.”

Success!

The Levitical ministry at the Temple was successful for several reasons which remain relevant for our church music today.

• The Levites were mature and musically trained

“Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in singing, was put in charge of carrying the ark and lifting up song. He instructed about these matters because he was skilled and able.” 

(1 Chronicles 15:22 AMP)

• The Levites were spiritually prepared. They were consecrated and ordained like the priests

“And said to them, You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, both you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it……….. So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel.”

(1 Chronicles 15:12, 14 AMP) 

• The Levites were full time workers

“These are the singers, heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites, dwelling in the temple chambers, free from other service because they were on duty day and night.”

(1 Chronicles 9:33 AMP) 

• The Levites were ministers in the temple and not artists invited to entertain people

“These David put over the service of song in the house of the Lord after the ark of the covenant rested there [after being taken by the Philistines and later placed in the house of Abinadab, where it remained for nearly 100 years during the rest of Samuel’s judgeship and Saul’s entire reign and into David’s reign]. They ministered before the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting with singing until Solomon had built the Lord’s house in Jerusalem, performing their service in due order.”

(1 Chronicles 6:31-32 AMP)

The Ministry of Music in the New Testament

The New Testament hardly speaks of any type of Levite office in the church other than in the book of Revelation, where only a dozen passages refer to music as part of the rich eschatological drama that unfolds. However, none of these passages point to the role that music played in church services during New Testament times. This is no surprise because New Testament church gatherings were not much different from those of the synagogue, in that they were conducted in an informal setting, with lay people leading prayer, reading, singing, and exhorting the congregated believers.

Directions on Music

Instructions, though few, however, are found in the Epistles.

• Singing should come from a cheerful heart

“Is anyone among you afflicted (ill-treated, suffering evil)? He should pray. Is anyone glad at heart? He should sing praise [to God].”

(James 5:13 AMP)

• People should sing with their mind as well as their spirit

“Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and understanding also.”

(1 Corinthians 14:15 AMP)

• Singing should be spiritually edifying to the congregation, contributing to the growth of the believers

What then, brethren, is [the right course]? When you meet together, each one has a hymn, a teaching, a disclosure of special knowledge or information, an utterance in a [strange] tongue, or an interpretation of it. [But] let everything be constructive and edifying and for the good of all.

(1 Corinthians 14:26 AMP)

• Believers should behave in a certain way towards one another

“Therefore be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. But immorality (sexual vice) and all impurity [of lustful, rich, wasteful living] or greediness must not even be named among you, as is fitting and proper among saints (God’s consecrated people). Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency) nor foolish and sinful (silly and corrupt) talk, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting or becoming; but instead voice your thankfulness [to God]. For be sure of this: that no person practicing sexual vice or impurity in thought or in life, or one who is covetous [who has lustful desire for the property of others and is greedy for gain]—for he [in effect] is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one delude and deceive you with empty excuses and groundless arguments [for these sins], for through these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of rebellion and disobedience. So do not associate or be sharers with them. For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [lead the lives of those native-born to the Light]. For the fruit (the effect, the product) of the Light or the Spirit [consists] in every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, and trueness of life. And try to learn [in your experience]; what is pleasing to the Lord [let your lives be constant proofs of what is most acceptable to Him]. Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] [d]expose and reprove and convict them. For it is a shame even to speak of or mention the things, that [such people], practice in secret. But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light. Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light.  Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit. Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord, At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”

(Ephesians 5:1-21 AMP)

“If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. For [as far as this world is concerned], you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendour of His] glory. So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God). It is on account of these [very sins] that the [holy] anger of God is ever coming upon the sons of disobedience (those who are obstinately opposed to the divine will), among whom you also once walked, when you were living in and addicted to [such practices]. But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips! Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old (unregenerate) self with its evil practices, And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self-], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remoulded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it. [In this new creation all distinctions vanish.] There is no room for and there can be neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, [nor difference between nations whether alien] barbarians or Scythians [who are the most savage of all], nor slave or free man; but Christ is all and in all [everything and everywhere, to all men, without distinction of person]. Clothe yourselves therefore, as God’s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behaviour marked by] tender-hearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper]. Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]. And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony]. And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live].And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].  Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts. And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.”

(Colossians 3:1-17 AMP)

These last two texts are the most informative about the ministry of Levites in the New Testament. AND THEY FORM ONE OF THE MOST CRUCIAL PARTS OF THIS ENTIRE BLOG PIECE! THERE IS A MORAL CODE OF CONDUCT, AN EXPECTATION OF LEVITES, IN THEIR BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER………

This expectation is rarely honoured, in its entirety, if at all in the church that we see today.

Go Forward!

The Levite ministers chosen by David had names given to them that provide for us modern day Levites, a benchmark and plumb-line, against which we can measure ourselves.

• Chenaniah – Established by Jehovah
• Jeduthun – A choir consistent in praise
• Asaph – One who gathers and removes reproach
• Heman – Faithful and diligent

These are God’s expectations in order for you to go forward in your ministry. But to go forward, things must change; and for things to change, you must change! If you are a Levite, God has chosen and appointed you for service, which means that the change has to begin in you! God wants Levites who are consistent and established in his ways, who gather people into His house so that they can worship Him; Levites who are teachable, who will not usurp authority and who are faithful to the cause of the Kingdom.

As a Levite in the house of God, your service requires you to…….

• Sanctify yourself (separate yourself in the knowledge of the gravity of your calling, put on the righteousness of Christ and live inseparably from it, make an oath to God to live in His holiness)
• Submit yourself (totally to God, live a pure life, cleanse your spirit daily)
• Be sensitive to the Spirit of God (spend more time with/ getting to know God)
• Up-skill in your gift (keep learning, remain skilful and faithful)

Other requirements laid out for Levites to abide by include assisting in seeing to the practical duties of the church and choosing to maintain unity.

“But these Levites, the four chief gatekeepers, were in charge of the chambers and treasuries of the house of God. They lodged round about God’s house, for the duty [of watching] was theirs, as well as the opening of the house every morning. Some of them had charge of the serving utensils, being required to count them when they brought them in or took them out. Some of them also were appointed over the furniture and over all the sacred utensils, as well as over the fine flour, wine, oil, frankincense, and spices. Other sons of the priests prepared the ointment of spices. Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was responsible for the things baked in pans. Of their Kohathite kinsmen, some were to prepare the showbread every Sabbath.” 

(1 Chronicles 9:26-32 AMP)

“And when the trumpeters and singers were joined in unison, making one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and other instruments for song and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever, then the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.” 

(2 Chronicles 5:13-14 AMP)

But How-Exactly?

 

This part is crucial for everyone who is a Levite in the house of God; and should serve as a template for your heart, a plumb line for your character and a stencil for your decisions. It is the code of conduct, the standard, the process with which you should have been inducted into your ministry. But if no one told you, it’s not too late to learn and live!

1.      Delight absolutely in the will of God

Consider what spending every minute of the rest of your life slap bang in the centre of God’s will, will do for you? If that makes you feel cold and, or suffocated in any way then you have completely missed the truth of the freedom that is to be found in Christ and in His will, the obedience of which is the ecstasy of perfect and true love.

If you believe God is omnipotent, and then you should understand that He would not ask something of you that He considers is too hard for you, despite no matter how much you think its stretches you. Your opinions will never be objective because as your Creator, only God knows your true potential and what it requires to bring it out of you. So if the will of God seems like someone draping an oversized superhero costume on you, fear not! When God asks what seems like the impossible from you, the next breakthrough reward of your obedience (your next miracle), is around the corner!

If you believe that God is omniscient then you should understand that in every situation you face, God knows all the truths – past, present and future – a million times more than you could possibly grasp. When God places a demand on your obedience, He is granting you exclusive access, a unique privilege of tapping into the greatest mind in the universe-His own! God Himself gives you have the opportunity to exercise infinite wisdom.

If you believe that the love of God is boundless then you should understand that God loves you beyond what your understanding of love to love yourself will ever amount to. He is more committed to your wellbeing, happiness and fulfilment than you will ever be capable of being. You can revel in the extravagance of all the goodness that God wants for you. That is how trustworthy He actually is!

If you believe deep down in your heart that God’s knowledge, power and love are infinite then disobedience will no longer be a necessity and instead the joy of obedience will be yours. If you find yourself walking in disobedience, then you need to repent from your unexposed belief that God does not love you, that you know better than God or that He is so frail that your insecurities will overwhelm Him into a state where He will be void of power to free you.

In any situation and in every season, enacting the will of God keeps us in gratitude. His will is a thrilling display of His love for us which casts out the fear that overwhelms and rules. His revelation of His will is Him sharing His heart for us, with us. Our total surrender and unwavering obedience as a response to His revealing, leads us to security in Him. Our obedience tells of the reality of His love.

2.      Be selfless in your love, empowered, controlled and motivated in your sacrifice

Levites exist to serve God’s people, to have a basic and fundamental servant’s heart is essential for a fulfilled ministry. The greatest master is the most humble servant. This is the secret of a purpose-driven ministry.

This servant’s heart should lead you to strip yourself of all flesh when ministering to God’s people so that only that which has been ordained and confirmed by God, as He sees necessary for the edification of the saints, remains.

3.      Be devoted and remain in prayerful communion with God

The ideal Levite understands how much prayer is such an integral part of worship, and not just an optional activity.  And so in the same way, you need to get to know that prayer is the structural framework around which the entire church is formed. Levites need to move in the spiritual realm and in that realm prayer is the only key. Secular music success achieved without the spiritual cannot be superimposed on the affairs of heaven.

4.      Give praise to God, always filled with thankfulness

“He appointed Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord and to celebrate [by calling to mind], thanking and praising the Lord, the God of Israel”

(1 Chronicles 16:4 AMP) 

“David told the chief Levites to appoint their brethren the singers with instruments of music—harps, lyres, and cymbals—to play loudly and lift up their voices with joy.”

(1 Chronicles 15:16 AMP)

“Also King Hezekiah and the princes ordered the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness and bowed themselves and worshiped.”

(2 Chronicles 29:30 AMP)

“Also Jehoiada appointed the offices and officers [for the care] of the house of the Lord under the direction of the Levitical priests, whom David had distributed [in his day] in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as ordered by David.”

(2 Chronicles 23:18 AMP)

This is a permanent command linked to the ministry of being a Levite. Praise and worship is not optional nor is it time boxed. Your entire life must be lived to praise and worship God, at all times, every day whether on the platform or not. Your heart is worship and your life praise and both your heart and life are to be offered up in thanksgiving, on a daily basis to God.

5.      Be continually filled with The Spirit

“Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord, At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.”

(Ephesians 5:19 AMP)

Being filled with the Spirit of God results in the production of songs and in praise and worship that take and keeps leaders and congregation into a place of utter dependence on the Spirit!

6.      Walk in the prophetic

Church music falls broadly into one of three categories:

• Communication of testimonies and of Bible truths from people to people
• Communication of prayer and praise from people to God
• Communication of prophecy from God to people

All throughout the bible you can see the indissoluble link between worship and speaking the heart of Christ to His people. In the Psalms that often foretold the future (Psalm 22, Psalm 46:10; Psalm 50:7-23; Psalm 81:7-16; Psalm 91:14-16, Psalm 110) and in the song of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:16-21, Deuteronomy 29, Deuteronomy 32:1-43) amongst other examples. However above the times when this occurred and are documented in scripture, we are shown that the crux of the prophetic was not in simply isolated times that a prediction of the future was given, but is God speaking continually through His servant, often time, a Levite.

• Moses, (Exodus 15:1; Deuteronomy 18:18; Deuteronomy 31:30)
• Deborah (Judges 4:4; Judges 5:1)
• David (2 Samuel 22:1; Acts 2:29)
• Isaiah (Isaiah 5:1; Isaiah 23:15; Isaiah 26:2)
• Habakkuk (Habakkuk 1:1; Habakkuk 3:1-19)
• John (Revelation 1:3; 5:9; Revelation 15:3)
• Miriam (Exodus 15:20)
• Asaph, Heman and Jeduthum (1 Chronicles 25:1-7; 2 Chronicles 5:12; 2 Chronicles 35:15)

With the last three mentioned above (Asaph, Heman and Jeduthum), the key Levitical musicians appointed by David, the bible individually calls each of these three founders a ‘seer’, in other words, a prophet. (1 Chronicles 25:5; 2 Chronicles 29:30; 2 Chronicles 35:15). Psalm 50, that carries the title, ‘a Psalm of Asaph,’ is prophetic in that it says ‘God says’ (Psalm 50:7, Psalm 50:16). Even in the case of Solomon (the only one person named in the bible that was never specifically called a prophet, but was clearly stated to have composed a biblical song), evidence of the prophetic can be seen in the revelations that He received from God (1 Kings 8:33, 1 Kings 35, 1 Kings 37, 1 Kings 41, 1 Kings 46; 1 Kings 9:2-9; 1 Kings 11:11-13).

The bond between prophecy and music is strong and holy, and Levitical prophecy in our day must be just as supernatural and prevalent as it was in Old Testament times. Every Christian musician should prophesy. This is the biblical norm.

7.      Be Christ centred

The Bible speaks of songs which focus so much on God that they are referred to by such expressions as ‘the Lord’s song’. (2 Chronicles 29:27; Psalm 42:8; 137:4). In addition to this, at least three times in the bible we find the same verse…….

“The Lord … is my song.”

(Exodus 15:2; Psalm 118:14; Isaiah 12:2 AMP)

For Levites, the focal point should be Christ; in life, in love and in song. Everything must come from Him, through Him and end in Him.

8.      Fill yourself with truth from the scripture so that you can teach others

The Bible calls the Levites ‘Israel’s teachers’ (2 Chronicles 35:3). And yet most people are not aware of the high proportion of theologians that form well known old-time hymn-writers, nor are they aware of the same truth that the theology in the sermon should be a seamless continuation of the theology sung earlier in the church service. This makes me question if perhaps this is the reason why church songs have departed more and more from core biblical principles and meandered into meaningless songs that do nothing but express how we ‘feel’ about God or about things He has done or given to us.

“Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts. And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.”

(Colossians 3:16 AMP)

The bible teaches us that the ministry of the Levite is a powerful, holy ministry and therefore it should only be handled by the theologically sound and mature leaders in the house. The colossal power of praise and worship in song should not be placed in the hands of people inept at discerning the truth of the word.

“Your statutes have been my songs…….”

(Psalm 119:54)

This should be the trademark of a Levite living a true Levitical life.

9.      Live a life disciplined according to the word

The Levites had to be available for ministry ‘day and night’. That meant having the power factor of discipline to uphold a tenacious, constant; punctual, dependable, dedicated and excellent service; the discipline to excel in prayer, study of the word, and practice. This is still what God expects even now. A life disciplined according to the word is not a futile try to win the approval of people, but a revelation and understanding that we already have the only divine consent that matters through Christ.

10.  Learn the qualities of a leader

Leaders lead. Levites lead God’s people into praise and war (2 Chronicles 23:13; 2 Chronicles 8:14, Nehemiah 9:5). Therefore, Levites are leaders (Psalm 68:25; Nehemiah 12:31). The Levites in the Old Testament were literally foremen. And this remains the mandate of modern day Levites.

Christian musicians are to be leaders, not performers. You should not look to win the acclamation of audiences, but to bring fellow believers into a greater cognisance of the presence of God, a deeper love for the Lord, an increased capacity for worship, a heightened sensitivity to and hunger for the Holy Spirit, a more accurate understanding of biblical truth, and a fuller outward manifestation as an expression of Spirit-led unity.

A great Levite should lead the people in unity, in the same direction, to communion with God so that the congregation can best express their hearts to God. Since the needs of the congregation are known only to God, a Levite’s dependence on the Holy Spirit of God for prophetic insight before leading God’s people is obvious. This means that one distraction in a Levite can greatly hinder the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people by breaking the bond between worship and God speaking His heart into people-this is often felt as ‘cold and empty worship’ at church.

As a Levite you need great sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and great obedience to God in order for your flesh never to get in the way of the atmosphere of worship and of the prophetic. Ideally, only those Levites who have a real fear and reverence for God should be entrusted with leadership. But often time in practice, Levitical leadership positions are either grabbed by those who are power hungry, or apportioned according to popularity and unholy alliances. This is not the heart of God, neither is it a safe place to be for anyone who has not been placed there by God Himself as He is looking for servants who’s joy it is to take the people to the mountain, not celebrities who want to stand on the mountain looking down at everyone else.

If you are a Levite, you are a leader of God’s people and you need to:

• Understand where God wants His people to go
• Know how to get there
• Be courageous and full of faith to take God’s people there

11.  Be strong in your faith

Strong faith is a prerequisite for being a spiritual leader.

“When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy [priestly] garments as they went out before the army, saying, give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!” 

(2 Chronicles 20:21 AMP)

The singers took the dangerous position of going out in front of Jehoshaphat’s army, when approaching three enemy armies of formidable force and great strength. It is with the same faith that Levites lead a congregation every time into unknown territories of battle and war. This is your example of faith!

12.  Be Holy

Levites lived inside the temple (1 Chronicles 9:33; Ezekiel 40:44), not being able to dwell therein if they ever became temporarily unclean (Leviticus 21:1-3; 2 Chronicles 29:34; 2 Chronicles 30:3, 2 Chronicles 23:19; Psalm 24:3; Exodus 18:10-13; Joshua 7:13). Living and sustaining a holy life was a prerequisite for the Levitical ministry.

2 Chronicles 5:12 tells us the Levites were clothed in white linen (significant in Revelation 19:8 as a symbol of righteousness). The pursuit of holiness was the precursor for Levitical leadership. And this has not changed. Wrong living nullifies your entire ministry before God.

13.  Walk in Godly and visible humility

Christ looks for the opposite of what the world does when it comes to Levites. The secular music industry wants stars (whom they can plunder of their money, self-esteem and talents in return for temporary acclaim) and yet God demands servants and willing partakers who are ready to sacrifice what it takes to complete the work.

Humble Levites are spiritually sound, discerning, wise, and free from inflated ego-in direct contrast to world stars who are the antithesis of all the above. They understand that humility (a secret weapon that operates in several ordinary and supernatural ways), is the key to exaltation by God that truly satisfies and the lasts beyond the temporary counterfeit popularity offered by the world. They recognise that they are on a journey and so therefore seek good counsel to stay them on course. They know that God resists the proud. (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).

14.  Sustain a dynamic and intimate relationship with God

The result of a deep relationship between a Levite and God are given for us to follow in the bible. To walk in the ministry like the man referred to ‘the sweet psalmist of Israel’ (2 Samuel 23:1) requires:

• A beautiful, patient and forgiving spirit, (2 Samuel 16:6)
• Humility (Psalm 51:1-5)
• Faith (2 Samuel 12:15)
• Intense hunger for God (Psalm 143:6)
• Deep yearning for holiness (Psalm 139:23) and
• Zeal to obey the Lord (1 Samuel 13:14)

These are the fruit of a genuine relationship with the living God.

Another thing of note is that of the thirty-eight thousand Priests and Levites chosen by David, ALL OF THEM were all aged 30+ years old (1 Chronicles 23:3-5). The principle behind this is often overlooked in churches. Young men and women are given the entire pulpit to blossom and shine in their gift and yet no provision is made for their character until they fall (the fall in question always being as public as the platform they previously stood on). This would be so easily avoided if attention was paid to maturity and strength of carry before positions heavier than the young can bear are handed out.

“If any man [eagerly] seeks the office of bishop (superintendent, overseer), he desires an excellent task (work). Now a bishop (superintendent, overseer) must give no grounds for accusation but must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, circumspect and temperate and self-controlled; [he must be] sensible and well behaved and dignified and lead an orderly (disciplined) life; [he must be] hospitable [showing love for and being a friend to the believers, especially strangers or foreigners, and be] a capable and qualified teacher, Not given to wine, not combative but gentle and considerate, not quarrelsome but forbearing and peaceable, and not a lover of money [insatiable for wealth and ready to obtain it by questionable means]. He must rule his own household well, keeping his children under control, with true dignity, commanding their respect in every way and keeping them respectful. For if a man does not know how to rule his own household, how is he to take care of the church of God? He must not be a new convert, or he may [develop a beclouded and stupid state of mind] as the result of pride [be blinded by conceit, and] fall into the condemnation that the devil [once] did. Furthermore, he must have a good reputation and be well thought of by those outside [the church], lest he become involved in slander and incur reproach and fall into the devil’s trap. In like manner the deacons [must be] worthy of respect, not shifty and double-talkers but sincere in what they say, not given to much wine, not greedy for base gain [craving wealth and resorting to ignoble and dishonest methods of getting it]. They must possess the mystic secret of the faith [Christian truth as hidden from ungodly men] with a clear conscience. And let them also be tried and investigated and proved first; then, if they turn out to be above reproach, let them serve [as deacons]. [The] women likewise must be worthy of respect and serious, not gossipers, but temperate and self-controlled, [thoroughly] trustworthy in all things.”

(1 Timothy 3:1-11 AMP)

Paul instructs us in the bible that leaders in the church must present as mature in the faith lest being lifted up with pride they fall into the condemnation of the devil. Perhaps that was the most important part of this blog, and yet most will pass it by.

15.  Allow the Holy Spirit to quicken to your Spirit the song in season

The Holy Spirit moves you to respond to God in the way that God wants, in order to increase your faith in Him, encourage you to yield in a greater way to Him, lead you to repentance, enable you to lift your praise to Him, help you pray to Him, inspire you to love Him, unburden you and open a channel through which your praise, worship and prayer can flow to Him and His gifts can flow to you.

He does this via quickening of your spirit which is dependent on your relationship with God. If you put the latter in place, it gives way to the former – which in every season, with every song, is powerful, relevant and life-changing.

16.  Be fully committed to God and not to the cult of popularity often reserved for musicians

It is imperative that as Levites we never soil true spirituality with worldly ways in our continuous journey of leading the people of God to the promise land. We must only move when, and only when, God says we should move. Our clinging to the word of God as our sole authority (and not merely the fact that the name of God appears in the songs we sing), distinguishes us as Levites set apart. When success in the world demands a commitment to the industry and its powers at be and success in church demands a commitment to the status quo and the leaders; success in Christ Jesus demands fearless commitment to God which saves us from being slaves to human acclaim and renders us fully devoted, fully satisfied and fully rewarded servants of the Most High God.

It is only in this lonely and unpopular place that we can receive revelations of radical and mostly forgotten truths through which we become full and complete in our life and ministry, led by the Spirit of God and fuelled by the breath of God.

17.  Be integrated, in the exact way stipulated by God, into the body of Christ, the church

“For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love.”

(Ephesians 4:16 AMP)

“And not holding fast to the Head, from whom the entire body, supplied and knit together by means of its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.”

(Colossians 2:19 AMP)

Unless we are in our correct place, alongside our correct joints, connected to God the head, we are in the body of Christ, useless because we cannot function in ministry if we are disjointed and/ or disconnected.

This means that as a Levite, you need to be able to:

• Be subject to authority and leadership
• Relate well to other Levites and members of the body of Christ
• Contribute at every opportunity to meet a need and not for any recognition
• Look for ways to help out other ministries in the church and church members both inside and outside the confines of the church walls
• Love and serve everyone, truly, genuinely and with honesty

“For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another. For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is complied with in the one precept, you shall love your neighbour as [you do] yourself…….. Walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do. But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law. Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency, Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires. If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.] Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another.”

(Galatians 5:13-14, 16-26)

Without fully taking on this lifestyle, we cannot and will never reach our full potential, no matter how talented or spiritual we think we are.

In Closing……

From the institution of the Levitical ministry in the Old Testament, to today and beyond, it has been necessary that temple Levites be mature, musically trained, spiritually prepared and pastorally supported. To be a Levite in the house of God is a great privilege and a most responsible service and so therefore the principles established by God in the Old Testament for the Levitical priesthood should be applied as valid guidelines by all modern day Levites and those who depend on them for the ministry.

We must as Levites, get out of this mentality that our involvement in church music is just playing and singing as a starter to whip up congregational excitement before the main course of Pastor, as a precursor to the preaching of the word or as a filler in the church order of service. And churches must stop kidding themselves that the sole prerequisites for Christian vocalists and musicians are a simple confession of faith and musical ability with any additional spirituality being an optional extra. Christians rarely give the pulpit lightly to pastors who do not have a long list of vetted credentials and verified spiritual maturity, and yet across the globe, highly skilled musicians and vocalists are offered the same position of prominence as the preacher with no hesitation, irrespective of their maturity in the faith. Often hidden amongst the genuine Levites are fame hungry, temperamental artists maintaining resistance to the Spirit’s yearning to fashion their character in the image of Christ behind perfectly rehearsed performances of praise and worship via their obvious musical gifting.

Music is important, church music even more so. So we must have a conviction that to be involved in its production as Levites is a high and anointed calling. Consequently, we cannot dare exalt musicality over discernment and spiritual insight, elevate sound above character, or promote secular acclamation over God’s anointing.

True progress as Levites is as reliant on on pouring over sheet music as it is on scripture and on the Spirit Himself. Spiritual music comes from Spirit filled Levites. Prayer makes practice perfect!

To all my fellow Levites out there…..GO!

Stay Fabulous

Bella.x