Today's Scripture Reading (May 31, 2025): Psalm 59
I admit that I love loud
music. I have often commented that if you can't feel the bass in your chest,
the music just isn't loud enough. I also know that I am often in the minority.
So, I am learning to keep quiet when I am playing. I would often like to hear
the music much louder than I do; however, especially in a worship situation, it
just isn't about me.
Many years ago, I went to a
youth function with the teens from my church. The weekend event was planned
with times for relaxation, recreation, worship, and teaching. We were in one of
the worship situations when a teen from my group got up and screamed at the
stage, "Come on, it is louder than this at home in church." It was a
proud moment for me, one of the guitar players on the team at home.
I like loud music, but not
every sound is meant to be played at full volume. Growing up, I was a KISS fan,
and from their "Destroyer" Album, the song "Detroit, Rock City"
is meant to be played at a much higher volume than the piano and string-dominated
"Beth." I am old enough to remember when Destroyer was released, and
I had a friend who purchased the album before I did. We listened to the album
together, and when we came to "Beth," my friend thought the band had
lost their minds by including the track. In fact, it is the only KISS song that
is performed with none of the members of the band playing any instruments, instead
just using a piano and strings. Today, both pieces are often listed in the top
five songs of the band, but they are very different musical compositions, and are
intended to be played at very different volumes.
Unfortunately, we miss
something in the translation of this verse. In a moment of stress and trouble,
David writes this Psalm as a bare expression of his emotions at the time. As
with many expressions of emotion, parts of the Psalm might make us
uncomfortable. Then he comes to this passage. I am unsure if it is just
artistic license or something else, but he uses different words to portray the
songs that emerge from the core of his being. As he writes, "I will sing
of your strength," he uses the word "sir" (pronounced sheer),
which means to sing. But when he writes "in the
morning I will sing of your love," he changes his word choice to
"ranan" (pronounced raw-nan), meaning to shout, ring out, or express
loudly. It might be just an artistic change, but it might also be something
more substantial. I believe that David's choice of words might indicate that
while God's power is critical, it doesn't measure up to the essential character
of God's love. As a result, David shouts out the message of God's love because
it is in his love that he finds his fortress and a place of safety.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
1 Samuel 21
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