As a young Christian we sang Bible songs such as “I am the Resurrection and the Life,” “Behold, Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock, Knock, Knock,” and “I Know Whom I have Believed”. Many times I was not aware that I was actually singing a Bible verse. Later I would find the verse in my Bible reading and would be surprised I had already learned it. Yes, help in memorizing Scripture is one of the main benefits of Bible verse songs. Music has a rhythm and when that rhythm locks the words of the Bible into it, the verse is much easier to recall. Commercial products have capitalized on this truth. I can still sing commercials I heard 50 years ago! However, though poetry is easy to put to music because of its meter, Bible verses are not so written. How to do that is the subject of another article. But when it is done well, the words flow with the tune and each note demands the correct word. Learning Scripture songs also helps us remember the verses. When I am speaking, I often think of a verse set to music and am able to quote it accurately. In my mind, however, I am really singing the verse quickly. The rhythm and accents of the song was the aid to remember it. Several years ago I taught third grade in a Christian school. Some of my students had difficulty learning the memory verse for the day and I wanted to help them. Music was the answer. By singing the verse, they were much quicker about learning and remembering it.
This has also been for me a means of meditating on the Bible. The song plays over and over in my mind and so do the words. Many times just the right verse I need for a given situation comes to mind through a song. Since words of songs are often repeated, it is a means of even clarifying a verse. For example, when I was writing a song for 2 Corinthians 5:21, I wanted to correct the misplaced modifier in the KJV translation. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin” Obviously, the last phrase refers to Christ, not us. The meaning is clear; the song helped to clarify it for instruction. Bible Songs can also be a way to present the Gospel. One year for a parent meeting in our Christian school, I taught my class the entire Roman’s Road of verses and they sang them as their part of the program. The plan of salvation was presented to the audience in a way that was hard for any unsaved relatives to ignore. The final advantage of Bible verse songs is their aid to those of us who are getting older. I find it much easier to forget what I learned now than in the past. However, I can still remember a song and through this means can learn and retain verses.
