“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. AND they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation…” (Revelation 5:8-9)
There are two things that are mentioned in these verses: there is prayer, and there is a song concerning the Lamb. It seems like, prior to this, they merely did one thing, and that was send up prayers to the Lord, but now there is something new that has been added. Take note: they have added something to the prayers—it is a song. And it is a song that glorifies the Lamb. And remember, this is a new song. This is a new song.
There are two things that are mentioned in these verses: there is prayer, and there is a song concerning the Lamb. It seems like, prior to this, they merely did one thing, and that was send up prayers to the Lord, but now there is something new that has been added. Take note: they have added something to the prayers—it is a song. And it is a song that glorifies the Lamb. And remember, this is a new song. This is a new song.
We see that again in Revelation 15:2-3:
“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb [they sing the song of the Lamb], saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”
They are talking about the victory and they are singing this song of the Lamb, but it says that they overcame the beast and they overcame his mark and they overcome all of these things. In Revelation 12, it talks about these things, and here we see the victory that they got and why they did not just sing the song of redemption like they did at the Red Sea, but they sing the song of the Lamb.
Revelation 12:10-11:
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation [now is come salvation], and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down…”
Well, I have news for everybody: he was cast down to the earth where they are at. He was accusing them in heaven, but now he is down there with them, attacking them — but they are singing a new song.
“…which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb…”
So that is actually the death of the Lamb where He shed His blood.
“…and by the word of their testimony…”
And the word testimony is martyrdom – the word of their martyrdom.
“…and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
So, this is all overcoming, not by the song, but by the Lamb that is within them, in relationship to us. I want you to notice that they did not overcome by prayer. I do not have anything against prayer; in fact, we are going to see that in relationship to the song.
Let us look at Psalm 42. There is a crisis. There is trouble.
Psalm 42:6-7:
“O my God,” —That’s kind of the way we do it— “My soul is cast down within me:” (Oh My God!) “Therefore, will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.”
He is talking about being cast down, and we usually use that term “deep calleth unto deep” as some sort of a spiritual thing, but he is saying, “All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” He is cast down into this situation. There is clearly trouble. There is clearly a crisis.
Verse 8: “Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.”
So, it is presenting that the Lord is commanding two things. He is commanding His lovingkindness in the daytime, but in the night, in the dark, when we are going through the dark times, He commands His song.
He is talking about being cast down, and we usually use that term “deep calleth unto deep” as some sort of a spiritual thing, but he is saying, “All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” He is cast down into this situation. There is clearly trouble. There is clearly a crisis.
Verse 8: “Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.”
So, it is presenting that the Lord is commanding two things. He is commanding His lovingkindness in the daytime, but in the night, in the dark, when we are going through the dark times, He commands His song.
Verses 9 and 10: “I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?”
There are two things going on in the darkness of night, when you are going through times of darkness, when you are going through the night and there is no light to be seen: There is (1) questioning and there is (2) His song. Questioning and His song. The words that we just read, David wrote those words, but it is also talking about Jesus on the cross. So, they are clearly showing that David is going through something, but he has found something. Jesus is going through something, but He also found something, if you can say that.
The questioning is this: Why hast thou forgotten me? Why hast thou forsaken me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? Why do the innocent suffer? Where is my God?
There are two things going on in the darkness of night, when you are going through times of darkness, when you are going through the night and there is no light to be seen: There is (1) questioning and there is (2) His song. Questioning and His song. The words that we just read, David wrote those words, but it is also talking about Jesus on the cross. So, they are clearly showing that David is going through something, but he has found something. Jesus is going through something, but He also found something, if you can say that.
The questioning is this: Why hast thou forgotten me? Why hast thou forsaken me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? Why do the innocent suffer? Where is my God?
Similar things are said in Matthew 27:42-43, 46:
“He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God…And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
“He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God…And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
These are the questions – but not for Himself, the Lord is not asking for Himself, and the way it sounds, David wasn’t either. But He is asking them for us because we need to ask these questions: “Why hast thou forsaken me?” We need to ask these in the darkness. “Why hast thou forgotten me? Why hast thou forsaken me? Why go I mourning? Why do the innocent suffer? Where is my God?”
Those are all right questions. They are correct. They are good questions to ask. So, when he asks his, “Why? What?” questions, he says this just before: he is asking “God my Rock.” He is not asking the hidden God. This is the One he stands on. This is the One he has faith on. So, he sings the song of the Lamb. He sings His song in the night, in the darkness, when things are scary. He sings that song. David sang it, and Jesus sang it on the cross. He sings it. Though sacrificed—they sing. He sings it even in the night and especially in the night. So, there is a divine harmony, a divine duet going on here, and it is His song and my prayer. His song and my prayer. And you heard what his prayer was, some of the things of his prayer, right?
So, in Psalm 42 we see both of those things at work—the two come together. And the Lamb song should accompany our prayer. Remember, we began in the book of Revelation and we were reading that these were the bowls holding the prayers of the saints; but they added something new now--the song of the Lamb. See? It is a new song. They are adding it to their prayers and so should we.
It is not faithless to include my prayer while singing His song. It is not faithless. My prayer may be in agony, but I am not waiting for His song to override my prayer. This is something we have to learn. But a lot of times we are looking for His song to override our prayers or fears or doubts or whatever that we are going through at the time, but the song should be in my heart while I pray the prayers.
Here is an example with Jesus in Mark 14:35-36:
“And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed…”
Notice that we have prayer; and He prayed that IF it were possible…
“…that IF it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt.”
Well, this is really kind of amazing. He is “falling to the ground.” This sounds like true agony. He is falling, He is praying, and He is saying, “If it were possible…” And then He makes this statement: “But all things are possible with You.” So, He knows that He could turn on the Lamb song. He knows that He could pray it away, that God would be capable. See? And a lot of times when we pray, we do not really know what to pray. We are wondering, “Should I pray that the Lord heal him or should I pray that God use it?” Well, I think you can pray both prayers—but you’ve got to sing the song! You’ve got to sing the song!
Then Jesus says, “Abba, Father!” And, I love that, and I cannot take the time to go into all of this, but Abba Father is at the cross! And He says, “…all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt.” Jesus asked the prayer. He does! He asks in prayer, but He chooses the song. Praise God!
So we do pray and when we pray, we usually pray a lot of times in the depths of our despair, when the night comes upon us. And how many people do you know that in the depths of despair, when the darkness comes upon them, they ask for a song? But, that is it! We need to ask for the song! Few people are asking for the song. Most expect the removal of the night, of the darkness—“Lord, remove the darkness. Get the night out of here.” But my hope (and I believe your hope) is not in our prayers. My hope is not in my prayers; my hope is in His song. My hope is in God—not just in from God. That is what David said, “My hope is in God.” He did not say my hope is from God, and He is going to do something and fix this.
I still ask the questions, but the song reminds me of the answers. But they are the answers of the Father’s heart. They are the answers of God’s heart. The song is in the night. The song is in spite of the night. Praise God! Why? Why is the song in spite of the night? Because the rainbow is still there! The rainbow is still in the clouds. Did we forget that? A darkened eye does not necessarily remove the heart song. What I mean when I say “a darkened eye” is that it is so dark that we cannot see, but there is a light in our hearts that is not in our eyes. And when our eyes are dark and we cannot necessarily see, then our heart has a song. We have to change directions within our being.
So, these are the conclusions I have come to in Psalm 42:
— My soul is capable of singing in the daylight, but Lord give me Your song in the night. Because anybody can sing in the daytime, in the light, in the brightness and glory of the light. But, give me Your song in the night.
— Prayers that seek the Lamb song get eternal answers. I love that one! Because, are we just looking for answers or are we looking for eternal answers?
— Give me the Lamb song that allows the soul to question in prayer, but not to doubt or turn from God’s greater purpose. See? We can pray the questions. We can bring them up. David did. They were right there. That was in prayer, but those things were not in the song. You saw Jesus wrestle through, but then, “I’m going with the song.”
— Give me the song that thrives in suffering and sorrow—the song of the Lamb. It thrives. It thrives in suffering and sorrow and it overcomes all those things.
— And finally, when going through trials, may the Lamb sing His song in our hearts.
That is my prayer. If in sharing this, if nothing else, my heart and my prayer for you all is that the Lamb can sing His song in our hearts. Wasn’t that wonderful what David said? You should go back to Psalm 42, particularly those verses 6 through 10. The Lord touched me so much. I am so blessed. I was so brought to His presence, to more of His heart instead of my religious ways.
Father, thank You so much for Your Word and thank You that Your Word speaks to us today and tonight – in the day and in the night. We are so aware of Your lovingkindness in the day. May we become more and more aware of Your song in the night, in the darkness…and finding You. Father, thank You for hungry hearts and people who gather, Lord Jesus, at Your feet, like Mary – to hear Your Word, to wash away our word, to wash away our fears, to wash away our thoughts. And not in the daytime, but to do that in the darkness so that Your song comes out of our heart. They sang a new song to Him. It was about Him. They were filled with a good thing even in the dark. So, thank You. We love You, Jesus. We love Your heart. We love Your nature. We love that You put Yourself in us and made us one. Bless You, Lord. In Your name. Amen.
