As a musician, whether in a secular capacity or as song leader in a congregation, I know people love to hear their favorite songs again and again. When my wife and I attended a Paul McCartney concert last year, I can guarantee that the overwhelming majority of the 36,000 people in attendance wanted to hear the songs they have heard time and time again, and one more time. His new material is fine, but can we sing Band on the Run one more time? Or Two of Us? Come on Sir Paul!?

When it comes to being a pulpit minister, repetition is not wanted or hoped for. Give us a new song every week, or several times a week! Put the same notes in a different order, arranged with the melody and octaves we are used to, but with originality. A difficult task indeed.

The musician wants to do something new, but we want something familiar. The minister wants to build on something familiar, but we want something new. How can we understand this? And how can we avoid disappointment?

The Word of God is a song. Many in the church do not realize that the entire Hebrew Bible is set to a melody. It can be sang as a song. I’ve done it, many many times. In this weeks Torah portion, Ekev/because, Moses says something that speaks to our conundrum, in Deuteronomy 11:13:

וְהָיָה אִם־שָׁמֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ

“And it shall come to pass, if you hear what you have heard …”

Moses is revealing that we will hear the Word again, and again, even one more time. It will then, like a much loved song, become dear to us. It will become so familiar to us that we will recite it, just as we do a song. Simply, because it is God’s song.

The minister, whether rabbi or pastor, shouldn’t change the song, he will help you to hear it again, in a familiar yet new way inspired by the Holy Spirit. As I have oft said, in faith I’m not an originator, I’m an imitator. Why? Hear the words of a different Paul, the apostle:

“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:9; cf. 1 Cor. 11:1).

And:

“Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 1:13).

This repetition internalizes the message of God’s song, not for the sake of originality, but obedience and blessing. We seldom consider how influential the lyrics of popular songs are, and how deeply embedded they become in the heart and soul. Shouldn’t we pray that the words of God’s song, His Word, go deeper? I should hope so!

The Great Commission is disciple making, learners. Learners of what? Messiah Yeshua/Jesus, the Word made flesh. We teach, generation after generation, the Word that is forever settled in heaven (Ps. 119:89).

Studying the Word of God, daily, as we studied the song lyrics in pop culture, reminds us of His promises, and directs our steps in daily faithful living.

Someone once said to me, after a message, that they had heard the same thing before. I replied: “good!” Why? Hopefully, His Word was 1) confirmed, 2) we were reminded to live it, 3) His song remained the same.

We may want unlimited, reliably familiar originality from our favorite musicians, but from our teachers, pray not for originality but refreshingly faithful consistency for one rightly dividing His Word, and that we will actually hear what we have heard, and in hearing, do (Ro. 2:13).

Be well. Shalom.