I am becoming better at managing my morning time (yay me!). This morning, I not only did my full yoga routine, journaled, and ate a good breakfast of poached eggs and toast, I also took a walk and even read my Bible. (This is something I am sad to say I’ve been lax in lately.) Now granted, I had an extra hour this morning, as I was heading into work a bit late, but hey, I’ll take my victories when I can.

I pulled out my hefty Key Word Study Bible and opened to 1 Chronicles, where I’ve been reading off and on about David. I read chapter 15, where the ark is being brought back to Jerusalem. There’s a section of “Asaiah descendent of dude whose name I can’t begin to pronounce” that I skimmed through. (I’m glad those sections are there for historians and Bible scholars, but I don’t need to take in all those details every time I read.) I got to a verse that made me smile:

David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.

I Chronicles 15:16

I love when musicians are singled out in Scripture. Reminds me of how important they are.

I went on to read a bit more, and it lists the musicians and what they were in charge of. There are some words that I suppose were left in the original language because they weren’t sure how to translate them; alamoth and sheminith. The only footnote offered is, “probably a musical term.” Really. Gee thanks. Now I’m really curious what these words mean.

As I read further, I arrived at Kenaniah, the head Levite. He apparently was left with the task of singing, “because he was skillful at it” (v. 22). This verse made me smile too.

I am a bit of nerd when it comes to Bible Study, and I love learning the original meaning of the Greek and Hebrew. My Key Word Study Bible has a bit of a dictionary in the back with the original words and then a definition. Often you can pull way more out of the definition than you can from whatever word they used to translate. So bear with me while I share my nerdy original Hebrew tidbit.

I looked up the word singing. I expected to see some definition about the physical act of lifting one’s voice in song, specifically in praise of God, or something like that. The Hebrew word is Massa. Here is the definition I found.

To carry, lift up. Burden, load; desire, longing.

It goes on to talk about the physical act of carrying burdens, on the backs of donkeys, etc. But then the last part says

In a figurative sense, massa describes the uplifting of souls; that is, the desire of hearts. Translated ‘singing’ in 1 Chronicles 15:22,27.

Interesting.

Not a single mention of the physical act of singing. I am kinda floored that the definition has all to do with lifting up of souls. But I suppose that’s what singing does. It lifts people up (cue Josh Groban’s You Lift Me Up) and encourages them. It uplifts and inspires.

It kinda puts pressure on me as a vocalist. I’m not just singing, I’m uplifting souls. In a way, I’ve done this though. One of the things I always say yes to if my schedule allows is singing at funerals. I know that God has gifted me with a voice for a reason, and I know that singing at funerals is a way to offer back my gift. I have stood at simple graveside services and sung Amazing Grace and been told how much that meant to those grieving. In those moments, I am uplifting souls.

Thanks for the reminder, God.