Artwork by Lindsay S.
Psalm 148:1-14
by Susan Rucker
One of my favorite Christmas carols is “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.” I have always assumed that the carol was right, and the angels really did sing that night of Jesus’ birth.
Not everyone agrees. In fact, on several Internet sites talking about this carol, there are comments posted noting that the Bible does not say that angels sing. An example comment follows:
According to the 16 bibles I looked through, the angels DID NOT “sing.” Look it up in Mark 2:13. “…a multitude of angels SAYING…” What about “choirs of angels?” That’s not in the Bible either.
In his book, Angels: God’s Secret Agents, Billy Graham takes on this very topic. He writes:
Some Bible students insist that angels do not sing. This seems inconceivable. Angels possess the ultimate capacity to offer praise, and their music from time immemorial has been the primary vehicle of praise to our all-glorious God.
Our text today reminds us that we should praise the Lord at all times – and it is not just the people here on earth that should offer praise. According to the Psalm, the angels and hosts, the sun and the moon, the heavens and the stars, and all of the earth are called on to praise God.
Singing is a natural way for us to offer praise. Christmas would be a much different season without music. We all need to think about how we are going to offer praise to God throughout the year, but I am glad that in this season we can raise our voices in song as a part of our worship. The songs of the season add meaning and joy to our celebrations. I like to think that the angels are singing along with us.
Susan Rucker