20171218 - Harps Of True Worship : My first Harp Lesson

13/12/2017 Trying out a Harp for the very first time!

The above harp is a Rees harp with levers and has 26 strings.

And like Ps 150 - there are altogether 26 verses in this psalm.

"His mercy endures forever" is a phrase that contains such a beautiful picture of the harp in the bible!

The extract from this site:-

https://revelationofjesuschrist.wordpress.com/2015/03/11/the-harps-of-true-worship/

“And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.” ~ Revelation 5:8

The Bible often indicates that harps were used as part of the worship of God to express with joy and gladness their praise and honor to the almighty. The harp represents the happiness and the peaceful characteristics that are realized when people are in one accord, (as the true “heavenly Jerusalem”, the one true church,) to honor and worship God on the throne of their hearts.

There are many references to this in scripture:

“Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the LORD.” ~ 1 Chronicles 25:3

“Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.” ~ Psalms 33:2

Many of the psalms were written by David the harp player. His heart was so devoted to God in worship, that when he played, evil spirits would be driven away.

“And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.” ~ 1 Samuel 16:23

And so David expressed much of his praise while playing the harp.

• “Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.” ~ Psalms 43:4
• “I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.” ~ Psalm 71:22
• “Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.” ~ Psalm 98:5
• “Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.” ~ Psalm 150:3

Note: to the contrary, when God is not being properly honored by complete obedience, and there is mixed among religious people: self-worshiping, self-agendas, strife and division. In this condition, worship cannot be truly joyful, happy and peaceful. The reason is that any true worshipers have been mixed with the majority that are nothing more than fake Christians. This is a spiritual condition described as a “Babylon.” No true heart felt harp playing can be done there.

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.” ~ Psalms 137:1-6

The Jerusalem he is speaking of is the heavenly one, come from God out of heaven by the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. The true church of God.

• “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” ~ Galatians 4:26
• “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” ~ Revelation 21:2

“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” ~ Hebrews 12:22-24

This is why we need Jesus to be fully and properly honored in worship. Without being fully consecrated and submitted, as is shown in Revelation 5:8, there will be no Revelation opened by Jesus! There will be no playing of music or song from the depths of our heart in honor to him! And like as it was in Babylon, we will not be able to worship, and Jesus’ presence will not be felt. Jesus wants to commune with his true and faithful bride only!

Is your heart fully in tune with Jesus as a harp that is played beautifully? Is the place where you worship spiritually like a beautiful orchestra where everyone is playing the same melody in honor and praise to Christ?

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Reflection

It has been an honour and great opportunity for me to try out a harp on 13/12/17.

This so called chance upon meeting of a harper teacher was perhaps not a coincidence. From my niece carousell sale to this god-given chance to learn a new instrument.  Perhaps it was also a desire of my little heart.  I had always thought of those musical instruments like this harp and lyre.  What is the difference? How did the ancient ones invented such a beautiful sounding instrument.

Even Rev 14:2 mentioned about the sound from heaven.  The sound that John heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.  Oh my! I can only imagine!

So come 2018, I shall be taking up this new musical instrument for the new season!

A new season of worship of praise unto HIM! Amen!