What Are We Commanded to Sing in Worship? - A Brief Response to the Exclusive Psalmody Position

Introduction

When discussing how we ought to worship God corporately, let us never lose focus on the One whom we worship. For the One whom we worship is the Sovereign Creator (Genesis 1-2; Proverbs 16:4; Ecclesiastes 7:13), Holy and Majestic in all his ways (Isaiah 6:3). He is true, right, pure, and wise (1 Corinthians 1:25). He does not fail. He does not falter. He is God, the glorious, radiant, Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth (2 Chronicles 2:12).

And yet, He desires worship from his corporate body (Exodus 20:5). Not only does he want worship from us, but he reveals to us how we ought to worship him. Among Reformed churches, there exists agreement that we should sing to the Lord corporately on the Lord's Day, but disagreement exists on the content of what we should sing. Some say Exclusive Psalmody, singing only the 150 Canonical Psalms, is regulative of God's people in worship. Here, with a focus on the One whom we worship and in response to the position of Exclusive Psalmody in worship, three passages of Scripture shall be set forth arguing that the Church: 1) Must sing the faithful teachings of the entirety of Scripture, and 2) Include the 150 Canonical Psalms in their singing.

Habakkuk 3:19

The minor prophet writes, "God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments." At the end of a faithful prayer, Habakkuk addresses the choirmaster. He also reveals his intent for his words to be accompanied by stringed instruments. It is difficult to discern why Habbakuk's words are addressed to "the choirmaster with stringed instruments" if they were not intended to be used for corporate worship. Many psalms include the phrase "To the choirmaster with stringed instruments" (Pss. 4; 6; 45; 54; 55; 61; 67 and 76). Isaiah uses the phrase "stringed instruments," referring to the music that will be played "in the house of the Lord" (Is. 38:20). The Psalms, Habakkuk, and Isaiah testify that the phrase "To the choirmaster with stringed instruments" is intended for corporate worship. Habakkuk 3 is another example of words outside the 150 Psalms that were, at a minimum, submitted for public worship.

Ezra 3:11

The context of Ezra 3 is corporate worship. In verse 11 of this chapter, the priest writes, "And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, 'For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.' And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid."

The phrase "sang" in this verse is unique because the words "toward Israel" do not appear in the 150 Psalms. The corporate worship setting in Ezra 3 took place after the events of 1 Chronicles 16 and 2 Chronicles 29, where the people sang various portions of the Psalms together. Ezra 3 includes "lyrics" outside of the book of Psalms in a public worship setting. This reveals a stronger argument for the inclusion of the psalms than for the exclusion of any words outside the Psalms.

Hebrews 2:12

Now, we turn to our Lord and Savior, Jesus - the One whom we worship.

Psalms must be included in corporate worship (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), but to suggest that a believer is sinning when singing words outside the Psalms is to overlook the examples of Ezra 3:11 and Habakkuk 3:19 or to include Ezra and Habakkuk in the group of sinners. Additionally, in Hebrews 2:12, it is said of our Savior, "I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise." In this text, the Lord Jesus sings praise in a corporate setting (cf. Romans 15:9). The content of his praise is "Your name," and the basis for the praise is in verses 9-10:

But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.

Here, Christ praises God the Father among the sanctified people (v. 11) for the deliverance of Himself (Psalm 22) and the salvation of "many sons" (v. 10). Praise for such salvation is present only provisionally in the Psalms. If Christ praises His Father for accomplishing such a deliverance corporately, his people can and must do the same. Therefore, praising God corporately from outside the Psalms for fulfilling what the Psalms point to is appropriate for God's people in worship.

Conclusion

It is with grace and gentleness that I disagree with the Exclusive Psalmody position. The people of God in Ezra sang words outside the 150 Canonical Psalms. Habakkuk wrote inspired words intended for corporate worship outside the 150 Canonical Psalms. Our Savior sang praises to God for the eschatological fulfillment of salvation and deliverance of himself and God's chosen people with praises outside the 150 Canonical Psalms. Therefore, God's people must sing the faithful teachings from all Scripture, including the 150 Canonical Psalms.