An Old Testament rubric for worship music

I bought a book today by Douglas Sean O'Donnell that I am very excited about reading. The book's title is God's Lyrics: Rediscovering Worship Through Old Testament Songs. The author moves through the prominent Old Testament songs (i.e. the Songs of Moses, Deborah, Habakkuk, etc.), establishing the recurring structure and theme evident in all of them. Where the rubber really meets the road is when O'Donnell uses this Old Testament rubric to see how many of the contemporary worship songs we hear each Sunday morning measure up.

Here is the list of characteristics O'Donnell observes recurring in biblical song:

1. The Lord is at the center - that is, our God is addressed, adored, and "enlarged."
2. His mighty acts in salvation history (not merely or even primarily our personal experience of redemption) are recounted.
3. His acts of judgment are rejoiced in.
4. His ways of living (practical wisdom) are encouraged.

It should not surprise us then that many of the most frequently sung contemporary worship songs and classical hymns fail to measure up to the criteria of biblical song. On the one hand, we should be indicted by this realization that Scripture openly confronts us with, and on the other hand, we should now be moved to "offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:28b-29).