From the Drummer boy to Salvation Army bands, there is plenty of music at Christmastime. Whether we are thinking of real instruments that provide music or as symbols of praise there are often sights and sounds of musical instruments all through the season.
One of the loveliest must be the harp. Angels are often depicted either with trumpets or harps, and harp music is most often associated with worship. From the time of King David, at least, the sounds of the harp have calmed the troubled soul. The story of King Saul’s madness soothed by the plucking the harp is echoed with our own response to its tones.
Music Of The Season
The carols, with their familiar tunes, help bring a feeling of festivity to our preparations. The hymns of Advent center our minds on devotion to God by involving our mind, heart, and voice together, and it really does help drown out the worries and clamor that seeks to disturb us.
I’m glad that instruments are part of our celebration, it brings such a feeling of gladness to hear the choirs, and the many renditions of uplifting songs of Christmas. Almost all of them have a note of hopefulness.
Scripture:
“Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets.”
1 Chronicles 13:8
King David was very important in the line of the Messiah and as an example of him (a “type”a person or thing symbolizing or exemplifying the ideal or defining characteristics of something. of christ). So much so, that Jesus Christ is known as the “Son of David”.
During Advent, in the Jesse tree tradition, some hang ornaments depicting important people in the line of Christ’s ancestry and prophetic revelation. King David is one of those and the symbol for him is a hand harp or Lyre.
Carols
Angels We Have Heard On High
Silent Night, Holy Night
