Power of Music

1.Samuel 16

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THE POWER OF MUSIC! (1Samuel 16:14-23)

1. Rumor had spread throughout Jerusalem that the king was in a very bad state of mind. As Saul sat upon his throne, he spent most of his time silently brooding. It was evident to all who saw him that deep depression had seized and clouded his mind.
2. Just a short time earlier, Saul had victoriously led the armies of Israel in battle against their enemies, the Amalekites. But he felt defeated now, for he had disobeyed the Lord’s command to „UTTERLY destroy“ all that belonged to the wicked Amalekites, and had taken it upon himself to spare their king, Agag, and the best of their sheep, oxen and other animals. (1Samuel 15:1-9) When God’s Prophet, Samuel, discovered Saul’s flagrant disobedience, he delivered a message from the Lord to Saul that signalled his downfall: „Because you rejected the Word of the Lord, the Lord has rejected YOU from being King over Israel! The Lord has TAKEN the kingdom AWAY from you this day and given it to a neighbour of yours who is better than you are!“ (1Samuel 15:11-29)
3. It was after receiving this ominous message that the Bible tells us, „The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an EVIL SPIRIT troubled him.“ (1Samuel 16:14)
4. His depression and melancholy were so severe that the servants who waited on the King grew increasingly alarmed over his mental condition. After conferring together, Saul’s cupbearer, Jabez, was chosen to approach the King to suggest a means to hopefully help their depressed and despondent master:
5. Jabez slowly entered the lavishly-decorated throne room. „My Lord,“ he respectfully addressed the King.
6. „What do you want?“ Saul sharply challenged. „Why do you trouble me? Can’t you see that I do not wish to be disturbed?“
7. „Sire,“ Jabez explained, „please be assured that your humble servant–and all of your servants here–are loyal and devoted to your service. Be it far from any of us to displease you! But we have seen how the King is troubled by an evil spirit, and we wanted to offer our help….“
8. „How DARE you speak to your King regarding such matters!“ Saul raged as he hastily rose from his throne and reached for his javelin.
9. „Have MERCY, Sire!“ Jabez cried out, trembling and falling to his knees. „Your servants only wished to request that you give us the order to search out someone who can skillfully play the HARP!–For when the harp is played, the evil spirit will DEPART and you will be relieved!“
10. Realising that his cupbearer had not intended to insult him, but was merely trying to be of assistance, Saul sunk wearily back down onto his throne, pondering what Jabez had just said. „Hmmmm,“ he thought to himself, „I wonder… I HAVE heard that evil spirits depart when music to the Lord is played. Perhaps it’s worth a try?“
11. „Very well, then, Jabez, GO and find now a minstrel who can play skillfully, and bring him to me!“
12. Another one of Saul’s servants ventured to step forward and say, „My Lord, last year, when visiting my mother in Bethlehem, I saw a lad there named David, the son of Jesse, and heard him playing his harp and singing to the Lord as he watched over his father’s flocks of sheep. He played and sang beautifully, and I’m sure the Lord is with him.“
13. Hoping that perhaps this lowly shepherd boy’s music might be able to somehow help him, Saul immediately sent messengers to Bethlehem, to Jesse, requesting, „Send me your son, David, who is with the sheep!“ Jesse obliged without hesitation, for it was a great honor to have one of his sons serving in the King’s courts.
14. Upon meeting him, Saul immediately took a liking to David. He then instructed his cupbearer, „Bring the lad into the royal chamber and have him play for me!“
15. So Jabez took David aside and briefly explained to him why he had been brought to the king’s court. Upon hearing about Saul’s problem, David thought to himself, „Who am I to play before the King of Israel?“
16. „Come now,“ Jabez told him, „the King is waiting for you. I will escort you into the King’s presence and show you where to sit.“ As they entered the dimly lit throne room, David silently and earnestly prayed, asking the Lord to help him and to have His way.
17. Saul did not greet David, but sat staring at him in silence. Feeling uncomfortable and unsure what to do, David looked at Jabez, who motioned him to begin playing. Taking his harp, David closed his eyes and began plucking its strings, picturing himself back on the peaceful hillside watching over his father’s flocks. Soon the entire chamber was filled with the beautiful, soothing and melodic sounds of David’s music, with which he sang, „The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not lack. He causes me to lie down in green pastures….“ (Psalm 23)
18. As the King attentively listened to this humble musician from Bethlehem, his emotions were stirred, and he began tapping his feet in rhythm to the music. Suddenly Saul realised that he felt something that he hadn’t experienced for what seemed like ages–PEACE!–Peace of mind and peace of heart!–And he knew that the evil spirit had LEFT him!
19. The Bible says, „And it came to pass, that when the evil spirit came upon Saul, that David took his harp and played: And Saul was REFRESHED and felt better, and the evil spirit DEPARTED from him!“ (1Samuel 16:23)

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1. What an amazing story and demonstration of the spiritual POWER of inspired music! Music that is INSPIRED by the Spirit of God CARRIES the Spirit of God.–And the Devil hates it and cannot stand it, as Saul’s case demonstrates. The evil spirit fled from Saul as soon as he tuned in and listened to God’s inspired musician, David, who played and sang the Lord’s song!
2. But sad to say, just as GOOD music which is inspired of the LORD carries the Spirit of GOD, so EVIL music, the DEVIL’S music, carries the spirit of SATAN!–Which is why a lot of today’s so-called popular „music“, much of which is little more than NOISE, such as hardrock, „heavy-metal“, „punkrock“ etc., has an absolutely HORRIBLE, hellish effect on its listeners. Listening to this kind of audio pollution is like entertaining the very demons of Hell, and unless you FIGHT it and RESIST it, you cannot help but be spiritually INFLUENCED in the WRONG way!
3. Even doctors and psychologists have observed and become concerned about what they call the „adverse psychological effect“ that much of today’s modern music is having on young people, particularly those who frequently go to discos, rock concerts, and who blast their eardrums on stereo headphones! As „Little Richard“, who was once making $10,000-40,000 an hour as a rock star, confessed after coming to Jesus and forsaking the Devil’s music, „Rock-and-roll dulls the senses and hypnotises the brain!“
4. Reputable psychologists and doctors have observed and noted that hard rock triggers epileptic fits in susceptible individuals, causes house plants to wither and die when they’re constantly subjected to it, frightens and drives away birds, and has caused a severe loss of hearing in an alarming number of young people! An increasing number of murders and suicides have also been linked to individuals who were avid fans and fol lowers of various popular rock groups whose hellish songs openly promote witchcraft, Satanism, occult rituals, Devil-worship and a host of other fiendish anti-God practices!
5. The book, „Man and His Whole Earth“ by Gary Nole, tells us of a study at the University of Pittsburgh, where an experiment was conducted on the effect of rock music on the nervous system of guinea pigs: „For two weeks, twenty guinea pigs were subjected to continuous rock music played at 80 decibels, a normal volume for teenage listeners. The results were frightening: The animals changed their behavior markedly; there were instances of cannibalism and homosexuality. Some lost their fertility and others suffered heart failure!“
6. No wonder so many poor kids who’ve been sucked into the Satanic, barbaric, savage, violent noise of today’s so-called „rock“ have gone mad!–The Bible says, „God is NOT the author of CONFUSION, but of PEACE!“ (1Corinthians 14:33) But the confusing, violent, so-called music that is leading the youth of the World today astray is anything but peaceful!–It is absolute CONFUSION from the author of confusion himself, SATAN! This is why it’s so important that you listen to the RIGHT kind of music! If you have received JESUS and are a child of GOD, then FORSAKE the horrors of Hell and screams of demons as found in much of today’s popular horror-noise!–The pulsating African jungle beat of a lot of today’s rock is enough to drive EVERYTHING out of your mind, including YOU, opening wide the door for evil spirits and demons to enter in!
7. Just as GOD’S music through David drove the evil spirit AWAY from Saul, so the DEVIL’S music CONJURES UP evil spirits to PLAGUE and even POSSESS those who listen to it!–BEWARE!
8. The Bible warns us not to be like „the dog that returns to eat his vomit, or the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire“ (2Peter 2:22).–This is the picture of the child of God who has found Jesus and the wonderful new life He offers, but has returned to the garbage of this WORLD and the godless life he led before finding the Lord.
9. If you’re truly „BORN AGAIN“, a „NEW CREATURE in Christ“, then you don’t want to drag some of the dirty old empty husks from the swinepit with you into your new life with Jesus, do you?–And if you’re used to drowning yourself in the Satanic sounds of the Devil’s damned domain, for God’s sake-and your own SOUL’S sake–DUMP the GARBAGE and leave it behind! If you still hunger for and like listening to that kind of spiritual pollution, you need to PRAY and ask the Lord to CHANGE your appetite, and start listening to something more wholesome and healthful!
10. Try OUR own beautiful, lively and inspired Family music tapes!–Music that will inspire you to do the will of GOD and LOVE GOD and His CHILDREN!–Whereas the DEVIL’S music makes you want to do the will of SATAN and love Satan and the children of the DEVIL! That’s not what YOU want, is it? „CHOOSE ye this day whom ye will serve!“ (Joshua 24:15)
11. „O sing unto the LORD a NEW song, for He has done MARVELLOUS things! He brought me up also OUT of an HORRIBLE PIT, and OUT of the MIRY CLAY, and set my feet upon a ROCK! (JESUS!) And He has put a NEW SONG in my mouth, even PRAISE unto our GOD!“ Amen? (Psalm 98:1; 40:2,3) Listen to lovely music that glorifies GOD!–Not the Devil!–WILL you?