| Original Message |
J
Posted May 6, 2005 11:29 PM
Before we study the New Testament to see what it has to say about musical instruments, we must first ask ourselves if there has been any Bible requirement to change the principle or practice of the playing of musical instruments. I have studied and looked for such a change and have not been able to find it. Some have claimed that their use went out with the first covenant, but such is not the case, as their use was not directly connected to the first covenant. We have just shown that musical instruments were used before the first covenant was established. Also, we have shown that the use of musical instruments was a reality in the practical day-to-day lives of the Old Testament people and was not always associated with a divine requirement or commandment of God. Some have dismissed musical instruments because the Mosaic Law has been fulfilled in Christ, however, the use of musical instruments was not a part of the Mosaic Law. "Thou shalt play musical instruments when worshipping God" or "Thou shalt not play musical instruments when worshipping God" cannot be found as one of the Mosaic commandments. Therefore, the burden of proof that God changed His mind, and therefore His requirement, and now does not allow musical instruments, rests with the anti-instrument people.
What does the New Testament say about musical instruments? There are at least four scriptural realities that are mentioned in the New Testament. They can be summarized by the following statements:
1. God's true New Testament Church is admonished to use musical instruments.
2. Musical instruments are used in heaven in the worshipping of God.
3. The New Testament saints are symbolically described as musicians.
4. Babylon, the false church and/or place of confusion, is characterized as a city
void of musical instruments.
We will look at each statement separately.
1. God's true New Testament Church is admonished to use musical instruments - If we are to understand God's divine will we must study the Bible, and not merely read it. The following scriptures contain hidden truths that we easily could miss if we were to simply read over them:
a) Colossians 3:16-17 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
b) Ephesians 5:18-20 "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
c) James 5:13 "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms." There is a distinct difference between a psalm, a hymn, and a spiritual song. While it is beyond the scope of this study to differentiate between the technical details of each type, it is important to know that one class of song, namely a psalm, is always sung in conjunction with musical instruments. The definition of a psalm, and comparative definitions of a hymn and spiritual song (taken from a Bible concordance and dictionary), is as follows:
psalm - a set piece of music, i.e. a sacred ode accompanied with the voice, harp, or other instrument. To sing accompanied by stringed instruments. To touch, twitch, pluck, twang; strike the cords.
hymn - A religious ode. A festive song praise to God, or to a hero, or to a conqueror. A sacred song.
spiritual song - a song, chant, lay, or ode. Any kind of song; of battle, or harvest, festal or hymeneal. Songs that were composed by spiritual men, or that related to spiritual things.
We are admonished at least three different times in the New Testament to sing psalms. If it were worldly to use musical instruments, as some have supposed, why were psalms included with the list of other types of singing? Ever since The Book Of Psalms was written in the Old Testament, these psalms were always accompanied with musical instruments when they were sung. In fact, some historians believe that the word "Selah", a word found frequently throughout the Psalms of David, signified a pause in the vocal music while an instrument interlude or finale was rendered. If God has since changed His mind about the use of instruments, surely He would have given us explicit instructions to stop using them since they were so clearly connected to the singing of Psalms. However, such in not the case. In fact, the Word tells us that "whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus". As long as we are glorifying God when we sing, whether we use instruments or not, we are within the Biblical guidelines.
Having been exposed to the anti-instrument teaching, I am aware of how the anti- instrument people discard this scripture and continue to justify and defend their position of not using musical instruments. They say that these scripture teach that we should sing and make melody in our hearts. True. Everything that we do in serving the Lord must first come from the heart. If it doesn't start there, there is no sense in doing it. We must serve God with a perfect and willing heart. He knows when our heart is not in something that we are doing. However, if we are sincerely singing in our hearts, or playing instruments in our hearts, we can then manifest our singing and instrument playing on the outside, for the glory of God and edification of others.
Often it is said that if a sister has short hair in her heart, or if a brother has long hair in his heart, she or he may as well have it on their head. There is a Bible principle here and it is found in the Word of God. The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. The same Bible principle applies to musical instruments. Some have been convinced that musical instruments are only to be played in the heart. However, I have yet to see a person play a piano or an organ, or even a violin or viola in his heart. According to this Bible principle, if you are worshipping God and at the same time playing a piano in your heart, you may as well play an actual piano as God views both as one in the same. If you were to outwardly do so, at least other saints will get to enjoy your playing if it is anointed by the Spirit. It is selfish and unscriptural to always be edifying ourselves only. Let's use our God-given talents to edify others, as God ordained.
2. Musical instruments are used in heaven in the worshipping of God - The Book of Revelation, while certainly very symbolic in nature, reveals that the angels use instruments in praising and worshipping God and doing His divine will (Revelation 8:2,6) Also, many times throughout the Word of God, angels are described as trumpet players. Each of the seven seals, or ages of time since Pentecost, were opened by the sounding of a trumpet by an angel. The scriptures reveal that the second coming of Christ will be preceded by the sounding of a trumpet (1 Cor 15:52). If angels play musical instruments in heaven and are described as always doing the will of God, then we can scripturally conclude that it is God's will that instruments be played here on earth for Jesus prayed "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" Matthew 6:10.
I find it ironic that well meaning anti-instrument people will rejoice over the fact that they will be given a harp to play in heaven, but would not so much as even consider playing one down here (a piano is essence a harp laid flat and put in a case; its plucked with wooden hammers instead of fingers"). Certainly heaven will be the ultimate place where we will worship and praise God. If we are going to play one over there, we ought to get at least a little practice time in down here.
3. The New Testament saints are symbolically described as musicians - In the following scriptures, we have three separate accounts of where the New Testament saints are portrayed as being musicians:
a) Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
b) Revelation 14:2-3 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
c) Revelation 15:2-3 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
If it were "worldly" to use musical instruments, as some believe, why would God portray His saints as being musicians? Would God portray His saint as being worldly? 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. The songs being sung here were songs that only saints could sing and it is obvious that the saints new song was accompanied with harps. I don't believe that God would have characterized His saints as being worldly since it is His requirement for saints to be separate from the world and the things of the world. If musical instruments, and the playing of them, were even remotely worldly, He would not have portrayed His saints that way because He admonishes us to "abstain from all appearance of evil" 1 Thessalonians 5:22. He would have not set such an example as a stumbling-block before us if the playing of instruments were indeed worldly.
4. Babylon, the false church and/or place of confusion, is characterized as a city void of musical instruments - Finally, as in the Old Testament, the New Testament characterizes Babylon, or false religion, as being a place void of musical instruments. I don't believe that this is a mere coincidence. Revelation 18:21-22 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee. Babylon has nothing to sing about, hence the noticeable absence of the use of musical instruments. She can't truly praise and worship God with sin and worldliness in her heart, because God doesn't waste His time listening. Also, God's captive people in Babylon can't sing Zion's songs in the Spirit down there because they are in a strange land. Most Babylonian churches would not tolerate the singing of a Church of God, Holy Ghost anointed song. It would, and should, bring them under conviction.
While it is true that there are worldly so-called singers and musicians down in Babylon, they are not anointed of God. The Lord views them as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal, i.e. cheap, empty, hallow and void of the Spirit. You see, for every true and good thing of God, the devil always has an imitation. This reality is true for every gift of God. The gift of tongues, the gift of healing, the gift of miracles and prophecy, are all examples of gifts that the devil has imitations for. Would some propose that we should do away with them, as they do with musical instruments, because the devil has some cheap imitation? No. James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. It should come as no surprise to us that in the devils false church there are false gifts. However, this should in no way distracts us from obtaining and using the true gifts from God, including the use of musical instruments.
There is a distinct difference between false Babylon and the Church of God. One of those differences is in the use of musical instruments. Babylon cannot use musical instruments for the glory of God. God's Church uses them to glorify Him. She is instructed to. Where does this Bible truth find you? In the Church of God or possibly in spiritual Babylon?
Summary
It is clear, from both in the New and the Old Testaments, that God advocates the use of musical instruments. Nowhere in the Bible has that principle changed. Some have refused to use musical instruments in the worship service because they have not seen where musical instruments are explicitly named out in the New Testament. We have shown, with the help of the Lord, that they are called out in the New Testament. However even if such were not the case, there are lots of things that are not explicitly mentioned in the New Testament, but are regularly used by the saints to worship God and spread the news of the Gospel. Example: Church buildings, Revelation charts, Sunday schools, baptismal pools, preaching pulpits, altars or altar-call services. Since these things are not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, should we also apply the same principle and completely do away with them? I don't believe so, and obviously others agree, as even many anti-instrument people use these devices and objects.
The Church of God is not a building, therefore we must not limit the worshipping of God to a specific place at a specific time. We, the saints of God, are the Church of God! We should worship God 24 hours a day. We should not live a different standard in our homes than we do in our gospel meetings. Therefore if it is wrong, worldly, or even sinful to play a musical instrument in the worship meeting, as some have concluded, then we would have to conclude that it is equivalently wrong, worldly, or even sinful to play them in our homes. I know of many anti-instrument saints that play musical instruments in their homes, even accompanying Evening Light songs with musical instruments. They also sing and play musical instruments in-between services at their campmeetings, gathering around the piano to "sing praises unto the Lord". This would seem to be a double standard if it were never pleasing to God to use musical instruments to worship God.
It is one thing not to use instruments in the worship service by personal choice or preference, or by the unavailability of musicians, but it is quite another to be anti- instrument. It is unreasonable to suppose that God intended the world or false religion to have all the pleasure and benefit of instrumental music, and the church none at all. Some have gone so far as to make this no-music doctrine a test of fellowship. In other words, they have chosen to major on the minors. Being anti-instrument is being anti-Bible if the Bible supports the use of instruments. We have scripturally shown that it does. While being accompanied by musical instruments may not necessarily be a Bible requirement, but, we are admonished by the Word of God to use them if possible, and certainly they enhance our worshipping of God. However, there is no doubt that the Bible supports the use of musical instruments, and certainly it does not condemn them. I believe, and have personally witnessed, that if we will ask God to send the musicians, He will. The Holy Spirit will give the gift of music to someone either from the outside (bring them in and save them) or He will raise them up from within the existing body. Nowhere in this paper have I relied on my personal experience and observations to determine the truth on this particular issue, but I must say that I have seen God honor His Word in this area countless times. I have seen people be moved to an altar of prayer by feeling the Spirit move through soft instrumental music. I have witnessed a great Spiritual out-pouring, and a divine blessing from God, when musical instruments were played in the Spirit. However, these experiences only confirm the Word and are not the basis of this divine truth. On the other hand, I have been in services where musical instruments were not used and the song leader started out a song in the wrong key and completely killed the spirit of the song, as the selected key was way too high or too low for the saints to sing. In such cases the saints either screeched their voices or all sang bass. Certainly, there was not much harmony going on. This is especially bad when an altar call is being given and souls are making eternal decisions. This off-key singing could be a distraction to honest hearts.
Finally, some have chosen to not use musical instruments because of Church tradition. Somewhere, someplace, some man or woman said not to use them, so they don't. However, be it the Quakers, the Shakers, or the candlestick makers, be it the Church of Christ or the sixth seal Church of God, the Bible is the divine authority on this subject, and not man. As we have seen, the Bible is not silent on this subject. If we are going to be the Church of God, we must live by the Bible and the principles contained within it, and not by some Church tradition.
In conclusion, it can be simply said that musical instruments are of God and can be used to greatly enhance our inspired worship and praise of God!
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