Music in Isaiah

One of my favorite verses from Isaiah is this one, found also in the Book of Mormon: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2).  This is one of only four verses in the Old Testament that uses the name Jehovah directly (besides a few other hyphenated place names), and I believe it is significant that here the prophet would describe Jehovah as “my song.”  We can perhaps interpret this in two ways.  One is that He is the subject of our singing; we sing of Him and to Him, declaring by music our faith and devotion and trust in Him. 

               A second way that the Lord might be “our song” is that His influence to us is like that of good music.  In other words, He influences and helps and heals us like righteous music can.  There are few influences that are more powerful to me, to change my heart and enlighten my mind, than inspired music.  If in the right frame of mind to really listen, when I take in the music of Dvorak’s New World Symphony or Handel’s Messiah or Rob Gardner’s Lamb of God or the tabernacle choir’s rendition of I Believe in Christ or a host of other powerful pieces of music, I am deeply moved and feel empowered to be better and do right and cast out feelings of darkness.  In the same manner, the Savior acts like one of these powerful pieces of music in that He changes us from the inside and enables us to overcome the natural man and be more than we otherwise would be.  The unforgettable power of the greatest music to motivate us for good is surely a symbol of the way the Savior Himself enables us to become a true saint. 

               There are references to music and song in several other verses in Isaiah.  We have one reference to a “song of my beloved touching his vineyard” from the Lord and another to the “songs and everlasting joy” with which future people will come to Zion (Isaiah 5:1, 35:10).  In a future day we will also have a “song be sung in the land of Judah” that encourages the people to “trust ye in the Lord forever” (Isaiah 26:1, 4).  Isaiah also recorded these words of Hezekiah, “The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord” (Isaiah 38:20).  Hezekiah’s way of praising the Lord for prolonging his life was through songs and instrument.  Another verse also refences the songs to be sung in the future: “Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof” (Isaiah 42:10).  Isaiah clearly appreciated the power that music can have to express our devotion to the Lord and to fill our hearts with His Spirit.