Singing One Thing and Meaning Another

The picture above is that of the garden tomb. How many songs have been written reflecting the fact that our Savior was resurrected here. Robert Lowery wrote "Up from the grave He arose...And He lives forever with His saints to reign..."
Recently I was thinking of some of the songs we sing while I thumbed through some old song books. And it hit me that songs are simply poems or writings put to music. Those poems were written by somebody. So I gave some thought to the authors of all those beautiful poems that men have sung for decades and decades.
It is so obvious that when Paul said that we should be "...singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."(Col. 3:16) and "..singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."(Eph. 5:19) that he was not referring specifically to the poems God's children sing today. Whatever the words of the songs of the early church they were not the poems we sing.
Which church today does not sing "Amazing Grace?" All churches and fellowships sing the same songs today. Perhaps there are different collectors and publishers but in fact fellowships of different persuasions sing the same songs. And since they do, you would think they might have better opinions of one another. But not so among some. Perhaps many sing one thing and mean another.
When I was a youth I thought all the old songs we sang in the little church I attended were exclusively ours. Needless to say I was wrong. We all sing the same songs. And the paradox is the negative viewpoint that some who sing the same songs as others have of those others.
If that lacks good sense then think of the authors of the poems we sing. What was their background? And how many times have we sung their songs and then someone got up and taught just the opposite of the meaning of the poem we just sang.
There is something confusing and inconsistent about that.
God prompted Amos to say to Israel..."...take away from me the noise of your songs..."(Amos 5:21-24) And Isaiah by inspiration wrote to Judah: "...even though you make prayers, I will not hear..."(Isa. 1:15) Why would God make such statements to His people? As one reads further in the writings of Amos and Isaiah one discovers the clear reason for those statements. Justice and righteousness were not a part of those folks' religious resume. They were oppressive and their hands were full of the blood of others.
Several hundred years later Jesus had something to say to the descendents of those folks and His message was much the same. Jesus told them "...you have neglected the weightier matters of the law..."(Mt. 23:23) In their processing of their beliefs and their rules and their systems they had forgotten people. They were carefully meticulous about tithing. They gave of their farms...But they were soo very careful that they even tithed of the herb patches and their mint, anise, cummin. Their rules meant more than people. Jesus from time to time pointed that out to them and for that He got crucified.
Sometimes I think we do that. We sing men's poetry, we carefully apply each word to ourselves, and we never think about others. So in some perfectly right circles we don't even allow the poet the "Amazing Grace" he wrote about.
I have sung songs out of church song books for over a half a century. I have mouthed the writings of other folks and have not given them a chance to have the blessings they wrote about and for that I am deeply sorry. I have assumed blessings by reading their inspirational messages and completely overlooked their right to rightness themselves. And that is the height of Pharisaism.
Did I ever have an inkling of an idea of the soul needs of those writers? Did I fathom the fact that they, many of them, wrote out of deep felt needs and problems they may have faced daily in their lives and were reaching out to God because of their need for Him? Or did I just get a good feeling about myself when I sang their songs? Shame-facedly I look down because the vast majority of the time I did just that and never thought of them.
Think for a moment of the songs we sing. They are songs about the love of God, grace, forgiveness, redemption, eternity, salvation, heaven. Every fellowship in Christendom sings of these subjects. And they use the very same songs to do it. And how intellectually flawed is it to sing and have a skewed spiritual viewpoint of men who sincerely seek God, including the authors of our songs?
Have I ever sung the following songs by the following authors and thought less of them than I do myself?

Fanny Crosby wrote numerous poems that are in our books.
"A Wonderful Savior"
"When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise to meet Him in clouds of the sky. His perfect salvation, His wonderful love, I'll shout with the millions on high"
"To God Be The Glory"
"O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God."
"All The Way My Savior Leads Me"
"Can I doubt His tender mercy who through life has been my guide?"
"Blessed Assurance"
"Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood"
"Praise Him. Praise Him."
"Jesus our blessed redeemer"
Who would deny Fanny Crosby to shout with the millions on high, perfect redemption, His tender mercy, being born in His blood, safety in the arms of Jesus and have the audacity to continue to sing her poems? If so we should quit using her poems.
Another well known author is Francis Havergal. This author penned such writings as:
"Take My Life And Let It Be"
"Lord I give my life to thee, Thine forevermore to be."
"I Gave My Life For Thee"
"My precious blood I shed, that thou might'st ransomed be, and quickened from the dead."
"It It For Me"
"I'll be with thee forever and never grieve thee more"
Who would attempt to sing these songs and take away the blessings of resurrection and eternity from Francis Havergal?
Charles Wesley wrote various poems.
"Christ The Lord is Risen Today"
"Once He died our souls to save, where's the victory boasting grave??"
"Come Thou Almighty King"
"Hence evermore thy sov'reign majesty may we in glory see"
"Soldiers of Christ Arise"
"You may o'ercome thru Christ alone"
Would anyone sing his songs and take away his victory in Jesus Christ?
There are so many others.
Albert Brumley wrote: "Jesus Hold My Hand"
"Keep me that I may be wholly thine, and sing redemptions song some day"
Virgil Stamps; wrote: "I'll Be Listening"
"When the Savior calls I will answer"
Martin Luther wrote: "A Mighty Fortress"
"And tho this world with evil filled, Should threaten to undo us; We will not fear, for God hath willed his truth to triumph thru us."
Isaac Watts penned; "Alas And Did My Savior Bleed"
"At the cross..." "...It was there by faith I received my sight..." "...the burden of my heart rolled away..."
John Newton wrote "Amazing Grace"
"how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me."
Henry Lyte scribed: "Abide With Me"
"I need thy presence every passing day: What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?"
T.O. Chisholm wrote: "Be With Me Lord"
"...when loneliness o'ertakes me when I must weep amid the fires of pain, And when shall come the hour of my departure For worlds unknown, O Lord, be with me then."
J.M. McCaleb wrote: "The Gospel Is For All"
"Where sin has gone must go His grace the gospel is for all."
Tillit S. Teddlie offered: "Earth Holds No Treasures"
"Heaven holds all to me"
Hugh Stowell wrote"From Every Stormy Wind"
"There, there on eagle's wings we soar, And sin and sense seem all no more, And heav'n come down our souls to greet, And glory crown the mercy seat."
William Cowper wrote: "God Moves In A Mysterious Way"
"Ye fearful saints fresh courage take, The clouds ye so much dread, Are big with mercy and shall break, In blessings on your head."
Charles Moody wrote: "Kneel At The Cross"
"...Christ will meet you there, he intercedes for you"
C.H. Morris wrote: "Nearer, Still Nearer"
"...while life shall last, till safe in glory my anchor is cast Thru enless ages ever to be nearer, My Savior, still nearer to Thee..."
William Gaither wrote: "A Hill Called Mount Calvary"
"...He changed me completely, a new life is mine"
Charles Pollock wrote: "Above The Bright Blue"
"...Jesus is waiting for me and for you..."
Samuel Stone wrote: "The Church's One Foundation"
Alfred Tennyson wrote: "Crossing The Bar"
"I hope to see my Pilot face to face..."
W. R. Featherston wrote: "My Jesus I Love Thee"
"...I know thou art mine" "...I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright..."
I have seen song books with over a thousand songs. All or most would be in all song books everywhere. All the authors speak of an eternity with God, being made alive in Christ, victory over death, seeing God's glory, overcoming through Christ, the call of God, the ultimate triumph of the Christian, our burdens being removed, salvation from our wretchedness, overcoming the devil through grace, conquering loneliness through Christ, the grace of God, heaven our ultimate place of residence, God's mercy, the blessings of God, the intercession of Christ, meeting God in eternity and worshipping Him throughout eternity. Isn't it interesting that many of the songs that are in songbooks are written in the first person. Those writers really were seeking the blessings they were writing about.
Who am I to attempt to take those blessings away from men while I sing the words they wrote? My suggestion to myself is either give them those rights or find some writers to write lyrics that perfectly fit my viewpoints and quit singing their lyrics...