INTRO: A. The first mention in the Bible of music and musical instruments is negative and found in Gen. 4:21. Since “every bad thing is a good thing twisted” this comes as no surprise. The first music originated in heaven around the very throne of God and involved the Cherubim God created for praise, including the 5th Cherub, Lucifer himself, before his fall. He actually was a musical being with musical instruments as a part of his “standard equipment.”
Ezek. 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
B. simple definition of music would be: sounds arranged in a pleasing manner to create a mood or to convey a message. The dictionary definition is: “the art and science of combining vocal or instrumental sounds or tones in varying melody, harmony, rhythm and timbre...to form structurally complete and emotionally expressive compositions.”
C. A biblical study of music in relation to worship can be very enlightening and sometimes disconcerting. 🎵Everyone has strong personal concepts as to what is or is not acceptable regard- ing music. 🎵Some churches have substituted music for preaching. 🎵Others have thrown out music or at least certain kinds of music without ever consulting the Bible. 🎵Because some music is obviously (?) improper for a “worship service” (or at least that is the opinion of some), they will leave a church over their “musical convictions. 🎵The issue is not “what I like” but what does the Bible say!
ILLUS: Most of our opinions about what is or is not acceptable music in church is derived from music background, church indoctrination, personal preferences or preconceived ideas. Tonight I will ask that we set aside all of the above and examine what God has to say about the music He likes or doesn’t like! 🎵Often people who don’t know a G-sharp from a Gee Whiz have strong opinions and church splits occur over musical tastes. 🎵Some “like” southern Gospel and others see it as too wild. 🎵Some prefer a liturgical atmosphere where only hymns in the hymnal are acceptable. 🎵Some want all “contemporary Christian music” thrown out while others enjoy that form. 🎵Some will leave a church if “taped” background music is permitted in services. 🎵Some consider hand clapping as undignified and shouting during a service as outrageous. 📢Again, the real issue is what does the Lord prefer?
The only place to find the answer is in His Word...
TRANS: Buckle your seat belts. I am about to “shake up the saints” with this study. But I promise to distinguish whenever I give “Fedena’s Philosophy” or “Thus saith the Lord...”
I. PRAISING AND SINGING:
A. Praise is Worship:
Ps. 98:4-8 4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. 5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. 6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. 7 Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
1. Music is definitely a biblical way to praise the Lord. 2. Music was a part of the New Testament as well as the Old Testament (see text)
a. “Psalms” (PSALMOS) means 🎻“striking or twitching with the fingers on string instruments usually accompanied by 🎼sacred singing...🔉a song or praise to God with musical accompaniment.” (McComas)
ILLUS: The Psalms were Israel’s hymn book and were sung along with musical instruments.
b.“Hymns” (HUMNOS) means “a song of praise to God.” c.“Spiritual songs” are songs inspired, written and sung under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
NOTE: There are varying degrees of spirituality, it is not a fixed or absolute condition. >Thus a person may write or sing a spiritual song today with a greater or lesser degree of spiritual quality than a year from now. >It is NOT a matter of skill as much as it is a matter of spirituality! >We are to “make melody in our hearts unto the Lord” (not necessarily to the likes or tastes of men!). The melodyGod looks for comes from the heart, not the head, larnyx or mouth!
ILLUS: There is no doubt that the father in the parable of the prodigal son is a picture of the heavenly Father.
✨In Lk.15:24 the Bible says that when the father and son were reconciled the father ordered the household servants to prepare for a great celebration. ✨“They began to be merry.” The word “merry” means “to activate the voice, to cheer, rejoice and express happiness.” ✨Next, v.25 says “Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.” ✨Without speakers or amplifiers he heard the music and dancing coming from the father’s house! ✨Singing and dancing in Scripture are consistently associated with praise! (More later.)
😒The son who stayed was jealous over the son who strayed. SOME SONS WHO STAY IN THE FATHER’S HOUSE DISCOURAGE SONS WHO STRAY FROM COMING HOME! It’s a good thing the son in the far country remembered his loving father instead of his bitter brother! 😊 The straying son was so near the father and yet so far and the staying son was so near the father and yet so far away!😒
✨He didn’t like the celebration, the music and dancing, so he got angry!
B. Music Is Praise:
1. Heaven itself is a musical place where God is constantly praised.
Job 38:7 7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Rev. 5:9-13 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
a. Some of the “dignified” “reserved” saints are going to have a tough time in heaven!
ILLUS: Vance Havner used to say “Most Baptist churches stand a good chance of being first to go up at the rapture, because ‘the dead in Christ shall rise first.”
b. Biblical praise is missing from most churches.
ILLUS: ***B. R. Lakin told of a lady who said to him “I like the services to be very quiet.” He said, “Go to the cemetery, they never get noisy out there.” ***After 60 years of preaching he observed, the deader the church was spiritually, the quieter they became in their worship. ***“Music and singing is Script. is normally an expression of joy and praise to the Lord. The absence of music and singing is usually a sign of spiritual dearth.” - McComas
👎As an act of God’s judgment, He silences musical praise.
Is. 16:10 10 And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.
2. Everything on the earth ought to sing God’s praises: Ps. 148,149,150! 3. The redeemed ought to constantly sing God’s praises.
Ps. 33:1-3 1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. 2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. 3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
ILLUS: Before we leave this area I want to address an issue that confuses many today. 🎷Some churches and schools forbid taped music and/or “contemporary” music. 🎷While I respect their preference I believe we had do our “homework” before making decisions. 🎷“Contemporary” means: “to live at the same time...” There is a great deal of inconsistency here. 🎷What this would mean is that the pastors and churches contemporaneous with John and Charles Wesley or Fanny Crosby couldn’t have used their music. (Fanny Crosby was an ordained minister of the Gospel!) 🎷Many now accepted and famous hymns were poems set to barroom music! 🎷Someone has said: “Perhaps our contemporary songwriters won’t look so bad after they’ve been dead a few years.” 🎷Yes, we, like the Pharisees, still like to “garnish the tombs of the prophets”
TRANS: So far, are we on Scriptural grounds? Amen!
II. PLAYING AND SHOUTING:
A. Playing Instruments: 1. Some Christians forbid certain instruments or complain because of their volume. 2. We will examine both issues from the Scriptures now.
Ps. 33:3 3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
3. Some of the musical instruments mentioned in the Bible are: ~The harp and organ, cornet, cymbal, dulcimer, flute, gittith (stringed instrument), pipe, psaltry, sackbut, tabret, tambourine, trumpet, and viol (lyre). (No piano or electronic organ, etc.)~ 4. No instrument is forbidden in the worship of God in the Bible.
2 Sam. 6:5 5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.
Ps. 150:4-5 4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
QUES: ❓What about amplification? Electric guitar? Organ? ❓Microphone for singing or preaching? ❓The Bible surely permits “loud noise”! ❓It even encourages it! The word “loud” means to use intense force to produce high audio volume. IBID. p.9
1 Kings 1:40 40 And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.
Percussion instruments and rhythm instruments were often used in Scripture; women often used tambourines.
Ex. 15:20-21 20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Judges 11:34 34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
B. Shouting Praises:
1. Remember what took place on that first “Palm Sunday”?
Luke 19:37-40 37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. 39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
2. Shouting God’s praises seems to have been a regular part of Israel’s worship.
a. The church today has not only lost the art of praise, but biblical praise is often prohibited. b. The Hebrew word “HALLELUJAH” has become an international word: “Halal” means praise; “Havah” or “Yahweh” is Jehovah.
NOTE: 📣The English equivalent is to boast or brag or rave about. 📣Ps. 113-118 are called the Halal. They contain the boastings of Israel to God for their deliverance out of Egypt. 📣Ps. 146-150 are crammed with musical praise. 📣It is sad that pastors who are so sanctimonious that they wouldn’t permit a loud “Amen!” 📣In the morning service, will go home on Sunday afternoon and HALAL or PRAISE or RAVE ABOUT their favorite team on TV!
3. If shouting was a routine part of Israel’s worship, shouldn’t the church shout even louder since our salvation is complete?
TRANS: Are we still on Scriptural ground? Amen!
III. CLAPPING AND DANCING:
A. Clapping Our Hands In Praise:
Ps. 47:1 1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
1. The phrase “Bless the Lord” is often used in Scripture and literally means “Give God Applause.” 2. This form of praise is not an option for the redeemed.
Ps. 103:1-2 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Is. 55:11-12 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
QUOTE: ❗❗ “The presence of God creates praise. ❗❗ Praise will never create His presence. Is God present in our formal church services or has the glory departed?” - McComas
3.During the Feast of Tabernacles, which Jesus attended (John 7), 1️⃣men danced with joy and 2️⃣when 21 trumpets blasted the people raised their hands waving bouquets of palm, willow and myrtle as 3️⃣they harmoniously reached a crescendo of praise to God.
NOTE: The ancient Rabbis said: “No one knew real praise (HALAL) until they witnessed praise at the Feast of Tabernacles."
B. Dancing To Praise the Lord:
1. Dancing in Scripture is consistently associated with praise and worship.
ILLUS: 💫Dancing in the Bible is never men with women or even men with men, it is... 💫an individual expression of praise using the entire body. 💫We have already seen that when the Prodigal son came home they celebrated with singing and dancing.
Ex. 15:20-21 20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
2. The Ark of God was no longer in the Tabernacle, but the priests keep going thru their religious rituals and meaningless worship, while God’s blessing is on a farmer and his home. 3. David decided to bring the Ark home properly and began to praise the Lord with dancing!
2 Sam. 6:14-16 14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. 16 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.
ILLUS: 💔Our primary problem with these forms of worship is that God’s glory has departed from many of us and we can’t praise Him in biblical ways. 💔We are like Michal, David’s wife, who instead of joining the King in worshipping the Lord, criticized him instead.
CONCL: Yes, PRAISING AND SINGING, PLAYING AND SHOUTING AND CLAPPING ANDDANCINGare all Biblical forms of genuine worship. We need to be in a place spiritually where we can do any or all of these things to God’s glory! Do you worship God according to His desires or yours?