Cawson Street Church of Christ

Hopewell, Virginia

June 19, 2005

 

 

The New Song

 

Passages

 

   “Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.”  (Isaiah 42:10.)

 

   “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.”  (Rev. 5:9.)

 

   “And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.”  (Rev. 14:3.)

 

   “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”  (Rev. 15:3.)

 

   See Exodus 15:1-21  [The song Israel sang after Pharoah’s chariots had been destroyed in the Sea.]

 

   “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”  (Psalm 40:3.)

 

   “I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.”  (Psalm 144:9.)

 

   “Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.  Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.”  (Psalm 33:2, 3.)  See also Psalm 98:1, 149:1.

 

   In 1926, Christopher C. Stafford wrote “The New Song.”

 

It thrills my soul to hear the songs of praise

We mortals sing below

And tho’ it takes the parting of the ways

Yet I must onward go

I hope to hear thro’-out numbered days

The song earth cannot know

They sing in heaven a new song of Moses and the Lamb

 

The greatest joy that I have ever known

Is praising Him in song

I know some day when I have older grown

My voice will not be strong

But if good seed for Jesus I have sown

With angels I’ll belong

They sing in heaven a new song of Moses and the Lamb

 

The sweetest song that earth can ever boast

Was sung when Jesus was born

Yet He who walked the Galilean coast

Sometimes was sad forlorn

He left the earth to send the Holy Ghost

To guide us till that morn’

They sing in heaven a new song of Moses and the Lamb

 

Chorus: O to hear the angels singing to bid me welcome

To mansions bright and fair

I want to see the Master bringing

A precious life crown that I may own and wear

I want to hear the glad harps ringing

With voices blending rich and rare

I want to hear that mighty chorus sweetly sing

I want to hear it swell and ring

 

   

 

 

   

What is the New Song?

 

   The words, a new song, occur about a dozen times in the Bible.  But what is the new song; why is it called that?  The context will help us to identity what it meant.

 

   Perhaps, the easiest place to see what is meant is in Revelation.  In the context of Revelation 5:9, the Lion of the tribe of Judah is the only one found who can open the book in the right hand of God.  The four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, and ten-thousand times ten-thousand angels were around the throne watching what was happening.  They sang a new song saying,

 

Thou art worthy to take the book

And to open the seals thereof

For thou wast slain

And hast redeemed us to God by thy blood

Out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests

And we shall reign on the earth

 

   We actually know the words of the song that the angels, elders and living creatures sang to the Lord in heaven.  It is not the new song, but a new song.

 

   In Revelation 14:3, the one hundred forty-four thousand sang a new song.  Only those who were redeemed from the earth could learn that song.  Earlier we learned that Christians in Asia Minor were being put to death because they would not worship the image of Caesar.  This occurred under the fifth seal of the book.  (6:9-11.)  After being put to death, they are found are the throne of God and the Lamb in heaven.  These redeemed ones sing a new song to the Lamb.

 

   In Revelation 15:3, it is called the song of Moses and the Lamb.  We have some of the words of that song.

 

Great and marvelous are thy works

Lord God Almighty

Just and true are thy ways

Thou King of nations

Who shall not fear thee, O Lord

And glorify thy name?

For thou only art holy

For all nations shall come and worship before thee

For thy judgements are made manifest.

 

   The song of Moses is the song about the deliverance from Egyptian bondage.  It was a likeness of the freedom from the bondage of sin by Jesus our Lord.  This is the reason for it being called the song of Moses and the Lamb.  One additional point is made by Isaiah.  He wrote, “Sing to the Lord a new song from the end of the earth.”  (42:10.)  Why were they singing a new song?  Because here is another deliverance—from the Babylonian captivity.  “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”  (43:18-19.)

 

   We are now ready to see what a new song means.  We have noted three places where it was song.  It is not the same song.  The words may be different.  But each had something in common.  A new song was sung at the deliverance from Egypt, from Babylon, and from the Roman persecution (around the throne in heaven).

 

   “Because of God’s kind benefits, a new song comes from their lips.  The Israelites were to sing a new song about the recently bestowed mercies of God, a song that was old in form but new in content.  Each recent act of grace acknowledged in grateful appreciation.”  (Truth for Today: Psalms 1-50, Eddie Cloer, 442.)

 

   “A new song is one which, in consequence of some new mighty deeds of God, comes from a new impulse of gratitude in the heart.”  (Commentary on the Old Testament: Psalms, Vol. 5, Keil and Delitzsch, 402.)

 

   “That is to say, a new and recent composition on account of recent benefits; or constantly new songs, song succeeding song on daily new material for divine praise offers itself to the attentive student of the works of God.”  (The Treasury of David, Vol. 1, C. H. Spurgeon, 112.)

 

   “They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lam. 3:23.)

   But a new song did not and does not occur just when some new deliverance from God occurred on a wide scale—for the whole nation of Israel from Egypt or Babylon or the saints of the New Covenant being persecuted.  It occurs in Scripture when an individual is delivered. 

 

   “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.  And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”  (Psalm 40:1-3.)

 

   This explains why David so often spoke of singing a new song.  He was often pursued by enemies and the Lord delivered him from them.  David sang new songs of appreciation and praise.  In six different psalms, David refers to singing a new song.

 

When it is Sung?

 

   We have already said that a new song appears when a new expression of God’s kindness and mercy is shown.  It can be at the deliverance of nations and individuals.

 

   When Jesus was born.  The angels sang in the darkness of the night, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” (Luke 2:14.)  This is surely a new song; expressed with intense emotions.

 

   After Jesus died and arose.  Can you imagine the feelings and emotions when disciples first understood the meaning of what had occurred on the cross and by the resurrection?  We do not know what songs they sang.  But they surely were a new song in every sense of the words.

 

   When the lost are found.  When the prodigal came home, there was music and dancing in the house.  The angels rejoice when one sinner repents.  (Luke 15:7, 10.)  It is time for a new song when a soul is saved from death.

 

   When we join the redeemed above.  Upon death, the spirit of man returns to God who gave it.  (Eccl. 12:7.)  There will come a day when all the dead will be raised; they who have done good unto eternal life.  (John 5:28-29.)  The Hebrew writer described that astonishing environment in these words:

 

   “But you are come unto mount Zion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumberable company of angels; to the general assembly and church of the firstborn which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect; and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things that of Abel.”  (Heb. 12:22-24.)

 

   Often during one’s life.  These new impulses of gratitude and understanding come at various times in the Christian life.  A noted change occurred in the life of Saul of Tarsus.  He knew that he was under bondage to sin, but he did not know the solution to it.  He cried out, “O wretched man that I am!  Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  So then with the mind I serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.  There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”  (Rom. 7:24-8:1.)

 

   We need to rejoice when we reach new levels of understanding and appreciation for the Lord has done for us.  “It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”  (Lam. 3:22-23.)

 

   “But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings like eagles.  They shall run and not be weary.  They shall walk and not faint.”  (Isaiah 40:31.)