UMCULO wawubaluleke kakhulu esikweni lakwa-Israyeli wasendulo. IBhayibheli likhuluma ngabantu abaningana ababedlala umculo wezinsimbi nababecula ngamaphimbo abo. Empeleni ingxenye enkulu yeBhayibheli iyizingoma. Izibonelo ezivelele zalokho yincwadi yamaHubo, isiHlabelelo SeziHlabelelo nesiLilo. Ngenxa yalokho, incwadi ethi Music in Biblical Life, ithi iBhayibheli “likubonisa ngokucacile ukuthi ama-Israyeli ayesebenzisa umculo ezintweni eziningi ayezenza ekuphileni kwawo.”

Umculo ekuphileni kwansuku zonke. Ama-Israyeli ayedlala umculo ukuze aveze indlela azizwa ngayo. (Isaya 30:29) Abesifazane babedlala amathamborini, bacule ngenjabulo futhi badanse lapho kubekwa inkosi entsha, lapho kunemikhosi nalapho kunqotshiwe empini. (AbaHl. 11:34; 1 Sam. 18:​6, 7; 1 AmaKh. 1:​39, 40) Ama-Israyeli ayecula nezingoma ezidabukisa kakhulu lapho kunomuntu oshonile. (2 IziKr. 35:25) I-McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia ithi, “kusobala ukuthi ama-Israyeli ayewuthanda kakhulu umculo.”

Umculo esigodlweni. Amakhosi akwa-Israyeli ayewuthanda kakhulu umculo. INkosi uSawule yabizela uDavide esigodlweni sayo ukuze ayidlalele umculo. (1 Sam. 16:​18, 23) Kamuva lapho uDavide eba inkosi, wazenzela izinsimbi zomculo, wabhala izingoma ezimnandi, wahlela ukuba kube neqembu elidlala izinsimbi zomculo elalizidlala ethempelini likaJehova. (2 IziKr. 7:6; Amose 6:5) INkosi uSolomoni yayinabaculi besilisa nabesifazane esigodlweni sayo.—UmSh. 2:8.

Umculo ekukhonzeni uJehova. Okubaluleke nakakhulu ukuthi ama-Israyeli ayesebenzisa umculo lapho ekhonza uJehova. Empeleni, abaculi abangu-4 000 babedlala umculo wezinsimbi ethempelini eJerusalema. (1 IziKr. 23:5) Babedlala amasimbali, izinsimbi zomculo ezinezintambo, amahabhu, beshaya namacilongo. (2 IziKr. 5:12) Kodwa laba baculi kwakungebona bodwa ababecula lapho bekhonza uJehova. Ngokusobala ama-Israyeli amaningi ayecula Izingoma Zokwenyuka lapho esohambweni lwawo oluya emkhosini waminyaka yonke eJerusalema. (IHu. 120-134) Ngokwemibhalo yamaJuda, ama-Israyeli ayecula ezinye izingoma ezikumaHubo a lapho kunesidlo sePhasika.

Nanamuhla umculo usabaluleke kakhulu kubantu bakaNkulunkulu. (Jak. 5:13) Siyacula lapho sikhulekela uJehova. (Efe. 5:19) Umculo usenza sisondelane nesikholwa nabo. (Kol. 3:16) Usinika amandla nalapho sibhekene nobunzima. (IzE. 16:25) Umculo uyindlela ekahle kakhulu yokubonisa ukuthi sinokholo kuJehova futhi siyamthanda.