Musick Has Charms To Sooth A Savage Breast

# 234 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 16:15-17, “And Saul's servants said to him, "Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. 16 "Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well." 17 So Saul said to his servants, "Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me." (1 Sam 16:15-17) William Congreve, in The Mourning Bride, wrote, “ Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast, To soften Rocks or bend a knotted Oak.” He wrote that in 1697, but clearly the idea has been around a lot longer than that! Right or wrong, the harp is the musical instrument associated with angels. There is something especially soothing about the sound of a skillfully played harp. I have worked in radio for nearly forty years now, and whenever we want a listener to picture heaven, we would always break out the harp music beds. We know that the musician called to this task of soothing Saul was none other than David, the shepherd boy. It is highly unlikely that he was toting around the big and bulky harp of today's musicians. More likely it was a small stringed lyre type of instrument. Nonetheless, he was a skillful musician, and it worked! This is not the only time we read of the soothing effect of music in Scripture. The prophet Elisha was called to give a word from the Lord concerning a possible battle with the Moabites. But, disturbed by the sinful leadership in Israel, he felt he needed to calm down a bit and so he asked for a musician. 2Ki 3:15 says, "But now bring me a musician." Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.” Adam Clarkes commentary on this verse states that this music “ likely rendered “him more susceptible” to “the prophetic influence.” Scripture places a high value on music. Who knows? The songs sung in your house of worship may speak peace to those who need it, and even open up their hearts and minds to the prophetic influence of the spoken word of God. That bit of knowledge should help worship leaders in their weekly song selections.