Here's the Bible's "Hook"

Yeah, I know that headline needs some work. But hey—it’s 7:00pm on Friday October 31st (on *ahem Reformation Day), 12 hours before this email has to hit your inbox, and this is a newsletter about music ministry/worship.

Gotta go with what works. 🤷‍♂️

Anyway, I’ve been listening to a TON of podcasts on how apologists confirm confidence in the historicity of Scripture by examining the common threads of names, places, concepts, and phrases in various copies of the original texts, and comparing that to archeological evidence that corroborates the events.

It’s really fascinating (and has me on fire for listening to seminary lectures… 🥴), and it sparked a thought about one the coolest common threads in the Bible…

It’s like the “hook” of a song, showing up as a recurring phrase in much of the Old Testament and echoed as a theme in the New Testament.

Here, we’ll dive into what this phrase and how you can reflect on its essence (the character of God) as you lead congregational worship.

(Plus, there's a treat if you make it to the end of the newsletter!)

The Character of God

Alright—so the phrase in question comes from the book of Exodus, where Moses has:

• Already led the people through the Red Sea.

• Took them to the mountain of God.

• Went up the mountain of God by himself.

• Received tablets with the 10 Commandments.

• Broke those tablets when he found the Israelites worshipping a false idol.

• Went back up the mountain.

• Cut new tablets.

Then, the Lord Himself descends and stands with Moses, where He speaks:

This where God speaks His holy name, “Yahweh,” and then describes Himself first through characteristics of mercy, grace, patience, love, and faithfulness. (He goes on to proclaim more characteristics about His judgment, but it’s these first few words that we’ll be focusing on.)

This is a pivotal moment for God’s people understanding who exactly the Lord is, not just by His name, but by His nature. It’s here that God renews His covenant with His people, following through on His promises made in His proclamation, all after His people had broken their communion with Him through practicing idolatry.

In fact, this moment is so profound for the Jewish people that generations later, writers of other Old Testament Scriptures and spiritual poetry recall the character of God in their inspired writings:

There are even more that echo the sentiments of Exodus 34:6, even if they aren’t direct quotes.

Every verse here echoes back to who God is, the reality of our transgression/sin, the need for repentance, and the promise of both God’s mercy AND judgment.

So what does this mean for us, today?

Applying in the Here and Now

It’s important to understand that (in the words of Wes Huff): “The Bible was not written to you, but it was definitely written for you.”

We, the members of God’s people by being in His church, aren’t the primary audience of the text; each of these verses are written to a specific people, for a specific purpose. Still, we can look at the constant promise and reality of what is repeated and echoed on these verses, and we see that God’s faithfulness to His people is unwavering, demonstrated in revealing Himself to us through His Word and in His unwavering nature.

Just as Moses did in the later verses, where he postured himself low before the Lord in the presence of His glory, you can lead your congregation, family, or community group in a heart posture of the same nature, joyfully submitting to awesome power of a gracious, merciful, loving, and faithful God. You’ll find that it will shape the songs you choose and the words you say, which in turn help “fill and form” how your church worships in spirit and truth.

As worship leaders, team members, and leaders of your families, think about how this “hook” from one of the earliest books of Scriptural history is woven throughout the rest of the redemption story, and then lean into those truths when you lead from the platform. You can do this through:

• Exhortations during and between singing.

• The curation of the set list as it aligns with the sermon topic.

• Written liturgies as a call-and-response between the leader and people.

And when you point God’s character from the early covenants culminating in the focal point/event of our faith—Christ’s death and resurrection—along with the promise of His ultimate return…

Then you’ve set the stage open for a powerful moment to take place as the Holy Spirit works to awaken your heart and affections to His truth.

Be blessed 👊✌️

(Now that you’ve made it to the end, you should listen to this setting of Psalm 145 by Shane & Shane—it’s a powerful song!)