Singing
Happy Songs?
“As he that taketh away a
garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs
to an heavy heart.” Proverbs 25:20
The reason must be engaged before the mouth is opened. The wise man tells us that singing songs to a person who has a heavy heart is comparable to taking away a warm coat from a person on a cold day. It is bad to be caught in a snowstorm, but it will be made worse to have your covering taken away. The situation is just made worse. An unstable situation is created when acid is added to soda; in the same way, wrong words can make a matter much worse.
Words must fit the
situation. There are people who are
masters of aphorism and moralisms, who always have something to say, whether or
not it fits the situation. There are
times to sing, and there are times to weep.
Christians are supposed to know the difference. We are to weep with those who weep and
rejoice with those who rejoice (Rom.
12:15)
It takes reason and wisdom
to fit the words to the situation. This
is what Paul meant by telling Timothy, “Study to show thyself approved unto
God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15 Even the words of
Scripture need to be fitted to the occasion.
There are wonderful songs in Scripture, but even these might not be good
to sing to those of a heavy heart. Words are powerful things. Without wisdom, they may fall like acid upon
soda. The tongue may be set on fire of
hell, and kindle a very great matter (James 3:5). Or the tongue may speak wisely and words may come forth as cool
water from a well of life (Proverbs 10:11).
The difference is the discrimination of reason and grace. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold
in pictures of silver.” --Proverbs
25:11
