What Are We Singing: The Days of Elijah

I appreciate the explanation of some of the meaning of this song but I have to admit that I cringe every time we sing this song because at the very least the words are too cryptic to be meaningful (in truth) to me and 99% of those singing it. It seems to me like a hodge-podge of biblical phrases with no obvious unifying theme or significance to today.

“The days of” in normal use means “when he was alive.” So, the normal meaning would be these are the days when Elijah was alive or at least these days are like them. How are they like them? Because we are declaring the word of the Lord. That activity can hardly be isolated to Elijah.

These are days when Moses is alive or days like when he was alive in that righteousness is being restored. The law certainly came through Moses but righteousness through Christ.You have to go a long way to get meaning out of the David reference. It seems more like a mistake.

In reality, the song is not explained and we sing an energetic tune.

This song is really "old" in terms of contemporary worship. But, when we did sing it, we were stirred to remember the action the song talks about. My church IS declaring the Word of the Lord.

What's up with the lifting of hands? Uhm . . . I guess it's like the Old Testament people who worshipped in the Tabernacle of David - they had a shift to worship and they did. I know that today "worship" is about what's in our heart and how we work that out in our every day lives. But, goodness, people, there is the scriptural pictures of lifting up holy hands, of singing before the Lord, of clapping (even dancing) and pouring out our adoration of and to the Lord. That's what's up with the lifting up of the hands. Priase stops in the hearts of people who maybe aren't as aware of the meaning of worship. Thankfully, we are all in process - pressing TOWARD the mark for the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus.

I'm not convinced at all that the Holy Ghost is inspiring this radical switch to 'contemporary' music in the Church.
I've taken notice of those who are die-hard about being contempory in music, and it mimics a routine.
Hands in the air, swaying, jumping... all acceptable with the move of the Spirit, but when the music stops... so does the 'praise'. What's up with that?

What a great article! Thanks for shedding some light on a subject that some of us more uninformed worshipers can benefit from. Can't wait until the next article!

Thank you for this well-written piece! I love to praise God by singing scripture, by praying to music, and by reflecting on His holiness, power, and grace. Your article will help many understand the love of the music when they understand the meaning behind the words. Our goal is simply to worship with a heart focused on Him.

My wife & I always considered our work as choir directors/signers as our ministry. Now, we can't find a place to utilize our "gifts" because of the signin on a wall. I'm sorry, but I don't think that all of the new ways we are "growing" are of the Holy Spirit. I hope I'm wrong.
Rolie Harris

Thanks for a well-presented post. I'm one of those "I only want to sing the old hymns" folks, but I have to admit that it's easy for me to get into singing this one.

This article is very important, as well as being interesting. The situation with Chuck is not an isolated one. On the other side, I've asked congregants why they attend our church, and they will say, "Because I like the music." You have gotten to the true crux of worship in this article. It's not about a singer or musician showing off their flashy skills, or about listening to a catchy tune.
Worship should not be performing, nor should watching it be entertainment. It is an interactive process meant to bring our hearts and minds in connection to God. The words should be reminders of who God is and what He has done for us. When we hear these words, the natural reaction should be praise. The trappings surrounding the song should be transparent.
I call it "purity of purpose." I left a worship team because I felt they forgot about it.
When I hear "Holy, Holy. Holy" or "How Great Thou Art," or even "I Can Only Imagine," I weep every time, because the words remind me of the majesty of God.

Thank you for the correction in that Belfast is in Northern Ireland. My trusty editor has made the correction.

Eva Marie

This is a very nice article, and I'm looking forward to more articles in this Worship series! Please note this correction: Robin Mark is a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland (not Belfast, Ireland). The Republic of Ireland is a seperate country from Northern Ireland -- so it's not just splitting hairs. It's a simple faux pas, but probably important to Robin. Thanks!

As the author, I'd like to comment on this. You assume that everyone walking into the church is a long-time Bible-believing Christian. Not everyone who sits in the pews or walks through the door has a history with God or their Bibles. Many are seeking God for the first time or have been recently seeking God. These songs resound within them because they've been moved by God's Holy Spirit to come, to seek, to know more. These songs resound because that same Holy Spirit inspired the words of the songs, many of the songs with lines directly out of Holy Spirit-inspired scriptures.

Sometimes, it is the songs that inspires the singer to know more about the Word. Sometimes the Word that inspires the writer of the songs. But the inspiration comes from the same place.

Eva Marie Everson

An interesting article but I think it raises more concerns over whether we know our Bible's or not. We should be encouraging Christians to become more atune to the Bible than worship songs.
I value worship songs that actually engage my brain whilst singing not that sound like banal top 40 love songs with meaningless lyrics.
Thankyou for explaining the Biblical basis for the song - it concerns me though - that in explaining the background - it assumes that so many of us know so little about the Bible and therefore our God.