God Bless America
by Pastor Don Elmore
February 22, 2015
Scripture Reading: Revelation 5:8-10:
Each of the four beasts and twenty-four elders who fell down before the Lamb had a harp. That would be 28 harps that were played as they sang their new song. In Revelation 14:2 there implies that there were 144,000 harps and in Revelation 15:2 an innumerable number of harps in heaven. If God allows this many harps in heaven then it should not be considered unheavenly to have musical instruments in churches.
This heavenly “choir” sang a new song about their Redeemer; but there is also a “good and evil” part about music. The genealogy of Cain is given in the fourth chapter of Genesis; with Cain, Enoch, Lamech, Jubal; the great-grandson of Cain; who was “the father [inventor and teacher of musical instruments] of all such as handle the harp and organ” (Genesis 4:21).
God Bless America
So, there are two kinds of music: good and evil. Which is which? The first song that we will look at is the song which many people are in favor of making it our new national anthem, replacing “Star Spangled Banner;” which many people feel is hard to sing. The song is “God Bless America.”
It was first sung on November 11, 1938 by Kate Smith. November 11th was the day that World War I ended; and was sung as part of the memory of this day. The song was first written in 1918 but was never used.
As America and the world approached the Second World War, a song was needed to help patriotism in the nation. Many singers looked for a new song. The song that was chosen was not used 20 years earlier but was brought back out of the song writer’s casted away songs; and with a few changed words was revamped. For example, the words “To the right” was changed “Thru the night.”