Other psalms are directed toward men. Psalms 37 and 133 are examples of such psalms. This kind of hymn either preaches to men or encourages men to go to God. All the gospel hymns and hymns of admonition are sung to men.
Colossians 3:16 says, “Teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.” Here we see that psalms and hymns can be used for teaching and admonishing. This is toward men. But at the same time, it involves “singing with grace in your hearts to God.” This is also toward God. Therefore, even hymns that are toward men are directed toward God.
In the church there should not be too many hymns directed toward men. In the book of Psalms, this kind of song occupies a small portion. We can have hymns that are directed toward men, but it is not proper to have too many such hymns. When there are too many of this kind of hymn, we lose sight of the main purpose of the hymns. The main goal of the hymns is to direct men toward God.
There is still a third kind of hymn in the Bible—those which we sing to ourselves. Many passages in the book of Psalms include the phrase O my soul! All these hymns are directed toward oneself. Psalms 103 and 121 are good examples of such hymns. This kind of hymn is a person’s fellowship with his own soul. It is one’s counsel with his own heart and his conversation with himself. Everyone who knows God knows the meaning of fellowshipping with his own heart. When a person has fellowship with God, he spontaneously learns how to fellowship with his own heart. At such times, one sings to himself, shouts to himself, addresses himself, and reminds himself. Such hymns often end with a turn to God. A man may begin by fellowshipping with his own heart, but invariably he ends up fellowshipping with God.
Each of these three kinds of hymns can be used in its own way. Hymns on salvation, fellowship, thanksgiving, and praise are sung toward God. When the church gathers together, we should choose hymns which are directed toward God; our hearts must be directed toward God. When we engage ourselves in work, or when we address the saints or sinners, the hymns function as part of the preaching, and we sing toward men. When we are alone, we can sing hymns in fellowship with ourselves. In the church meetings (the bread-breaking meeting, the prayer meeting, and the fellowship meeting), we need to learn to sing to God; sometimes we can sing to ourselves. In the meetings of the work (gospel meetings and message meetings), we can use hymns that are directed toward men as well as hymns that are for God. When we are by ourselves or when there are individual needs, we can use the hymns that are meant for ourselves.
As far as we know, there are three ways to sing in the Bible: congregational singing, mutual singing, and solo singing.
In the Old Testament we find several instances when the Levites sang alone. The rest of the time the whole congregation sang. The book of Psalms is for congregational singing. When we come to the New Testament, we find hymn singing also being practiced in public. On the last night the Lord and the disciples were together, Matthew 26:30 says, “After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” This shows that they sang the hymn together. Therefore, congregational singing is found both in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament.
After the church came into being, mutual singing and solo singing were added to congregational singing. Both Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19 speak of the matter of mutual singing. In mutual singing, after one brother sings, another brother responds by singing. The first brother may sing again, and the other brother responds again. Or several brothers can sing and another group of brothers respond in singing. The first group of brothers sings again, and the other group responds again. This way of mutual singing was almost as common in the early churches as congregational singing. It was a singing by brothers to brothers. However, when the clergy-laity system was formed in the church, mutual singing turned into a kind of singing between the clergy and the laity, the so-called antiphon. Later, it became the so-called responsive reading.
We believe that the Lord is still recovering the matter of singing among us. There is such a thing as singing one to another in the Bible. Hence, we should sing one to another. We may sing alternately stanza by stanza, between the sisters and the brothers, between one person and the whole congregation, or between different groups. The ones who sit in front can sing alternately to those sitting at the back, or those sitting on the left can sing alternately to those sitting on the right. All these are good ways to sing.
There is also solo singing in the Bible. First Corinthians 14:26 says, “Each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.” The phrase each one has a psalm refers to solo singing. In the meeting one brother may receive a revelation. Another brother may receive a teaching, and still a third brother may receive a psalm. The psalm here is sung by the individual. A brother feels that he has a psalm or a praise; he is filled inwardly, and he wants to sing it out loud. He is not doing something alone, something that others do not want to do. He is singing on behalf of the whole church. This kind of solo singing may or may not be based on something written. It may or may not follow a familiar tune. Many times, we can sing “spiritual songs,” the kind spoken of in the Bible (Col. 3:16; 1 Cor. 14:15). While one is singing such songs, the Holy Spirit spontaneously supplies the music and the tune. The person is inspired by the Holy Spirit to sing. In this kind of solo singing, the singer should put his whole being into the hymn, and the audience should learn to receive the supply from his spirit. The audience must not pay too much attention to the tune; they should try their best to receive the supply from the spirit. This kind of solo singing, whether with an existing melody or with an extemporaneous tune, needs to be done under the special inspiration of the Holy Spirit; it is unlike the solos of those who love to exhibit their flesh. Those who do not have the supply of the spirit should not sing any solos.
We must first familiarize ourselves with the table of contents of the hymnal. We must remember clearly how the hymns are classified. If you understand the principle of classification, memorize the nature and use of every category, and know the location of each hymn, you readily will find the desired hymn when you have a need.
Find a hymn which is most applicable to you and learn it. Understand the words and the punctuation, and find how the writer’s thoughts unfold from beginning to end. Your heart has to be open. You have to have sensitive feelings, a pliable will, and a clear mind.
After all this, you still need to learn to sing. You can learn two to three hymns a week. At the beginning, if you cannot sing, you can hum a few tunes every morning, or you can make up simple tunes to hum to the hymn. Through this you will touch the spirit of the hymn and increase your spiritual senses. However, you still have to learn to sing according to the proper notes. After you have learned the proper notes, you can sing in whatever way the Spirit leads, whether it be congregational singing, mutual singing, or solo singing.
Hymns cultivate fine and tender spiritual feelings in a Christian. I hope that we can all learn something before God. If we can come to God in a fine and tender way, we will develop a more intimate fellowship with God. Thank the Lord that in eternity all our feelings will be fine and tender. We know that the praises in the heavens are more than the prayers on earth. Prayers will go away, but praises will fill the universe in eternity. On that day all of our feelings will be fine and tender. That will be the sweetest and happiest day.