In Psalms, chapter one hundred, verse two, incorporates the individual and congregational singing that should be done primarily “unto the Lord,” as in verse one. “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands” compliments the theme verse for believers. Doing it with joy and out of a conscious awareness of His presence. In the song, we remember that He created and redeemed us, that we are now His people, and that He is our shepherd, as in verse three. We sing of His love, faithfulness, and truth that will endure forever, as in verse five.
Spirt-filled people are complete with three kinds of singing: “Psalms” refers to singing Old Testament psalms, the songbook both of Judaism and the early church, and represents singing the scriptures generally. “Hymns” were early Christian confessions of faith concerning God and the gospel, sung corporately. “Spiritual songs” involved spontaneous, unpremeditated words such as a prophetic song, as in First Samuel two, verses one through ten, Luke one, verses forty-six to fifty-five, sixty-seven to seventy-nine, respectively, that expressed the life of the Spirit within the believer and the body of Christ. The church is a singing people because of the life of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit within the redeemed of the Lord. Singing is the language of the heart and a way of expressing overflowing joy, worship, praise, love, longing, and thanksgiving to God.
Singing is a means of edification, teaching the Word, prayer, and even admonishing one another in the body of Christ, as in Colossians three, verse sixteen. The purpose of singing scripture, hymns, and spiritual songs is not entertainment or individual aggrandizement but worship of God and thanksgiving and praise to Him, as in Romans fifteen, verses nine through eleven, and Revelation five, verses nine to ten.