MANY are the ways by which Jehovah’s servants can bring praise to him. Without a doubt, among the most beautiful and among the ones bringing great joy to his heart is that of ‘singing and making melody to him.’ (Psalm 105:2) It has well been observed that music is one of the “hallmarks of man’s humanity.”

Of course, the best use to which music can be put is in praising Jehovah God. Such singing of praise goes back about 3,500 years to the time when Israel sang Jehovah’s praise after their deliverance at the Red Sea. (Exodus 15:1-21) Praising Jehovah with song and musical instruments was made very prominent in worship at God’s temple. The temple music involved more than one tenth of the total number of Levites. (1 Chronicles 23:3, 5) A huge orchestra and chorus were on hand at the dedication of Solomon’s temple. (2 Chronicles 5:12, 13) Most fittingly, the Hebrew Scriptures (especially in the book of Psalms) time and again urge us to sing and make melody to Jehovah God.

Coming to the Christian Greek Scriptures, we read of Jesus and his apostles singing at the time of the Lord’s Evening Meal. The apostle Paul and Silas sang when they were in prison in Philippi. (Matthew 26:30; Acts 16:25) First Corinthians 14:15 suggests that singing was a regular part of congregational worship in apostolic times. Most fittingly, Paul counseled as we read at Colossians 3:16: “Keep on teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, praises to God, spiritual songs with graciousness, singing in your hearts to Jehovah.” You will find similar instructions at Ephesians 5:18-20.

In keeping with these commands, from earliest times the modern Christian witnesses of Jehovah have made good use of the gift of music in their formal worship. The very first year Zion’s Watch Tower was published (1879) also saw the publication of a songbook, Songs of the Bride. In 1896 the Society published an issue of Zion’s Watch Tower that consisted entirely of songs composed by Bible Students. The next issue of the magazine stated: “The singing of the truth is a good way to get it into the heads and hearts of God’s people. . . . We thank God for the musical and poetic talents granted to some of his saints.” After a hundred years of publishing songbooks, the one revealing the greatest musical and poetic talent was published in 1984. It is entitled Sing Praises to Jehovah.