There's Music in the Air!

Do you remember Pythagoras? Hint: You met him in high school geometry class. He was the ancient mathematician who came up with the theorem we were required to learn: "The sum of the areas of the two squares on the legs (a and b) of a right triangle equals the area of the square on the hypotenuse (c). A2 + B2 = C2" He is credited with something else as well, although we are not as familiar with it. He originated the concept of "the music of the spheres," stemming from his semi-mathematical, semi-religious philosophy. According to his theory, the movements of the planets and other heavenly bodies create beautiful harmony, although inaudible to human ears. In other words, music.

An experiment by composer Greg Fox in 2006 gave added credibility to this idea. Fox knew that when sound waves are doubled or halved in frequency, the resulting pitch is perfectly tuned to the original. Through very large octave shifts to any periodic cycle, such as the orbits of celestial bodies, the sound can be made audible. Fox halved and halved and halved the waves many times, until he could find the "pitch" of each planet orbiting the sun—that is, the pitch after it had been raised somewhere around forty octaves! Apparently, the hymn writer Maltbie D. Babcock believed the Pythagorean theory too when around 1900 he wrote, "This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears, all nature sings and round me rings the music of the spheres." It would appear he was more than just poetically correct. There is indeed "music in the air"!

I'm sure that God invented music! In the early days of creation, He made music. Even before there were humans to need it to "soothe the savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak," there was music. "On what were [the earth's] footings set," God asked Job, "or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?" (Job 38:6, 7) Few of the older classic commentaries consider the possibility that the stars literally sang. "It must mean angels," the writers say. I think it probably means just what it says: The stars sang in joyful recognition of the awesome work God had created!

God invented music, and He Himself is still singing. If you listen with your spirit , sometimes you can hear Him. "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

And finally, someday there is going to be some music the like of which has never been heard on earth!

There is singing up in heaven such as we have never known,
Where the angels sing the praises of the Lamb upon the throne,
Their sweet harps are ever tuneful, and their voices always clear,
O that we might be more like them while we serve the Master here!

Refrain:
Holy, holy, is what the angels sing,
And I expect to help them make the courts of heaven ring;
But when I sing redemption's story, they will fold their wings,
For angels never felt the joys that our salvation brings.

But I hear another anthem, blending voices clear and strong,
"Unto Him Who hath redeemed us and hath bought us," is the song;
We have come through tribulation to this land so fair and bright,
In the fountain freely flowing He hath made our garments white.

Then the angels stand and listen, for they cannot join the song,
Like the sound of many waters, by that happy, blood washed throng,
For they sing about great trials, battles fought and vict'ries won,
And they praise their great Redeemer, Who hath said to them, "Well done."

So, although I'm not an angel, yet I know that over there
I will join a blessed chorus that the angels cannot share;
I will sing about my Savior, Who upon dark Calvary
Freely pardoned my transgressions, died to set a sinner free.

Refrain:
Holy, holy, is what the angels sing,
And I expect to help them make the courts of heaven ring;
But when I sing redemption's story, they will fold their wings,
For angels never felt the joys that our salvation brings.

-- Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1894

MaryMartha

-- Info on Fox's work from http://homepages.tesco.net/gregskius/carmen.html

-- Music from "The Golden Book of Favorite Songs: A Treasury of the Best Songs of Our People" 1915 Hall & McCreary Co, Chicago

-- "Music hath charms" quote by William Congreve (1670–1729)
-- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.