When I first became a Christian, I was introduced to children’s Bible songs such as “Behold, Behold,” “I Know Whom I Have Believed,” and “Great is Thy Faithfulness ” . Many times I was not aware that I was actually singing a Bible verse. Later, when I came across the verse in my reading, I was surprised that I already knew it.

Bible verse songs are a wonderful means of memorizing Scripture. When the words of the Bible are locked into the rhythm of a song, this makes it much easier to learn them. Television advertisers have used this for years to get the name of their product into the minds of the public. It works too for I can still remember commercial tunes I learned over 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. However, when this is done well, the words and meter of the song are locked together.

Scripture songs not only help us memorize verses, they also help us remember the verses. Many times when I am speaking, I think of a verse and then recite it accurately. In my mind, however, I am really singing the verse quickly. The rhythm of the song helps me retain the Bible words

A number of 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. The answer was music. Singing the verse aided them in both learning and retaining it.

Bible verse songs also provide a means of meditating on the Scripture. As the song runs over and over in my mind, so do the words. Verses have come to mind in this way that were just what I needed for a given situation.

Since words of songs are often repeated, it is a means of even clarifying a verse. An example of this is found in a verse that, in the KJV, contains a misplaced modifier, 2 Corinthians 5:21. It says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin” Obviously, the last phrase refers to Christ, not us. The song for this verse, by repeating the words, clarifies this.

Bible songs can present the Gospel in a way that is not offensive to unbelievers. Several years ago I taught my class all of the verses in the Roman’s Road set to music and then we sang them for a parent assembly. The plan of salvation was presented to the audience in a way that was hard for any unsaved relatives to ignore.

Finally, Bible verse songs are a means of retaining Scripture as I get older. It is much more difficult for me to memorize Bible verses and remember them now, than it was when I was younger. But I can still remember a song and thus, music, for me, helps me learn and retain what I am learning.