Have you ever wondered why the Scripture begins with the phrase, "In the beginning"? Since this is the first thing God had written to humankind, we know it is of the utmost importance. But, what is it that we are to discern from this small phrase? Of all the things God could have said, why is "In the beginning" the first thing recorded in the Bible?
The phrase, "In the beginning," is actually just one word in the Hebrew. Remember, the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew. God did this purposefully. He could have chosen any language and He chose Hebrew. Why? Like many ancient languages, the Hebrew alphabet was originally pictures with each picture having a basic word meaning. The pictures were combined to make words, or more correctly, word pictures. As I've already mentioned, the phrase, "In the beginning," is just one word in the Hebrew. It is the word, barē'shēyt, and in Modern Hebrew it looks like this:
In its original picture form, however, it looked much different:
As you can see, the characters of the ancient Hebrew were actually pictures. Since the Hebrew language reads from right to left, the very first character in the Bible is the letter "B" or the picture:
The letter "B" was the picture of a home or tent, or more precisely, the floor plan of a home or tent. However, the emphasis of this picture was not on the physical home itself, but rather, on what was inside of the home. This picture became the first word in the Bible: the word "In".
At first, it may seem odd that the cornerstone of all Scripture is the word "In". Yet, God was actually revealing to the ancient Hebrews, as well as, to us today, an important spiritual truth and He revealed it to us in the form of a simplistic picture:
Simply put:
The heart of God is most concerned with what is inside of our heart!
If someone met me for the first time they might say I was tall and thin, had dark hair and wore glasses. They may even say I was kind or silly, etc. But, knowing what I look like or having a casual conversation doesn't tell someone who I really am. To really know me you must know what is inside of me, that is, what is in my heart. The same is true of God. While all creation declares His handiwork and tells us He is powerful and orderly, it doesn't tell us who He really is or what His heart desires.
Yet, in the first word of Scripture, our Lord reveals His heart to us. In fact, the first word of Scripture, "In", is equivalent to 1 Samuel 16:7 which says:
"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
Christ is concerned not only with our heart, but with the relationships closest to our heart; those of husband to wife and parent to child. In short, God's heart is most concerned with the home, as the first word in Scripture points out. His focus is not on the outer structure of the home, but on what is inside of the home. I love my home not because it is the most beautiful structure in the neighborhood, but because my wife and children are inside of it. Likewise, God doesn't judge us by our looks, but according to what is inside of our heart. Another way of expressing this truth would be to say:
The content of the package is more important than the package itself.
So, let's ask, "How do I apply this to my life in a practical way?" Since most of us are musicians / song writers, let's apply the spiritual principle of God being concerned with what is inside to the songs we write and sing. Let us ask, "What is the real heart of this song? What's inside of it?
Everything we do in life flows from our heart, from the inside out, including music. And everything that flows from our heart is either birthed by the Spirit of God or the old sinful nature. There is nothing in between. The Scripture speaks of life and death, light and darkness, blessing and cursing, good and evil, but never any middle ground. In the same manner, our songs give birth to light or darkness, hope or despair. Every song we sing is pleasing to God and receives His blessing, or else it grieves His Spirit.
God created music and He desires to create new songs in us. Music is a powerful form of communication that has the ability to reach people in the depths of their heart. As we seek God's Face He will give us songs that will impact people not only in the natural realm, but songs that will also lead them to Christ. So, let us go beyond the benefits of music in this life and seek to minister through our songs, so that in the next life we might hear Christ say, "Well done my good and faithful servant!"
My prayer for each of you is that our Lord will give you songs that touch people where they are empty and hurting. I pray the songs God gives you will do more that cause people to smile and clap their hands; I pray they will reach the inner depths of their being, giving them life and hope. I pray that you will begin to see yourself as more than a musician, that you will begin to see yourself as a mighty man or woman of God, called to share the Good News of Christ Jesus. I pray that you will allow Christ to search your heart and remove everything that has not been given birth by the Holy Spirit: for our God is a God of blessing and hope, and He desires to fill you with songs in the night, songs that will breathe life into the hearts of all who hear them. May each of us boldly proclaim the words of Joshua:
"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!"
May everything in your heart and everything that flows from your heart be pleasing to our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! You are the one God loves!
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