Sing a Song part 16

To put it another way, there is no doubt that David was permitted by God to use instruments. (I Samuel 10:5,6) There is no doubt that David used them to praise God, to play songs of thanksgiving or remorse or sadness or anxiety. No doubt He loved to hear David play and sing to Him. In the most practical sense of the term, David's life was worship, although sometimes false worship, but nonetheless worship to God, as God was in front of David's mind and heart, even though there were times he chose to ignore the true God, much like Adam. This presence of God is acknowledged in Psalms 81:1-3 and Psalms 87:7. He praises, gives thanks, and lives his life with God in his music. Psalms 95:1-2 and Psalms 92:1-3 indicate that David's heart is pure and not for anything but worship of God. His people's intentions were this too because they sang to God. This is recorded so many times in the Old Testament. In I Kings 1:40, God's people for example sang with instruments and the mind of the people was on God, not on how they could sharpen their instruments or skill in order to better portray God. A good comparison might be to the tongues of angels that Paul spoke of in I Corinthians 13. If he didn't have love, then what did it matter whether he could play the entire Tchaikovsky Concerto in C# minor like Horowitz? David was happy to sing to God, was happy to play to God. And this joy is shown in Psalms 104:33, 105:2, 135:1,23 and 144:9. David also had a passion to sing to God, as in Psalms 84. David in Psalms 81 displays such a yearning for the presence and capacity to praise God with all His being. Nothing David did would ever be enough. Why? Because David knew that God is in control. He is the one entitled to praise and glory. He controls rain, sun, all strength and music more than any other entity one can depict. He is above all. (Psalms 8:1-9) All the earth, all the heavens are under His control. He chooses the weaklings among all the people in the earth in order that He is believed above all others and that people know His strength, His wisdom, and not anyone else's which is far inferior to anything He can put forth. Who but He could make the beasts of the field to lie down with the birds of the air? Only the heavenly Father.

Sing a Song part 15

Bringing this subject to another point and that is why Jesus didn't say anything about the use of music. The only thing He did say is that we were to come together and share bread and wine and do it in His memory. He made a reference to instruments in Matthew 11:17 in the context to call the Pharisees and Sadducees childish and legalistic in order to say that there were those, including Jesus Himself, that were ostracized because of His teachings. Yet Jesus didn't come to change the infrastructure of Judaism but to bring something quite new. Something heartfelt. Something joyous. And our music should not be a dividing point. It should not be a point of contention that those who want to use instruments believe that those who don't want to use instruments are so totally off base and vice versa. Who is right but God? Who is good but God?

On the flip side of the coin, why don't all of us participate in singing? I have stood next to people, the most solemn of looks on their faces even during songs like, "Thank you Lord for loving me" and "The steadfast love of the LORD",not even moving their mouths. Could it be that they are taking Paul's words in Ephesians 5:19, "Sing and make music in your hearts to the LORD" literally? Could it be they are embarrassed because of their singing voice? I am not here to judge; we all have something that we wish we could do better. But that is the smae pride displayed in the reasoning that someone who uses and instrument because his or her voice isn't good enough. God made us. He made me short, with a bad back and heart problems, whether or not He put those there or allowed the genetics to occur, doesn't matter. I don't think that those were intentioned as stumbling blocks. I fully believe it is so that He can say, "My grace is sufficient for you". (II Corinthians 12:9). It is not the power of our singing but the Joy of the LORD, which will give us strength. God knows I don't have a great singing voice, but it pleases Him when I praise Him and worship Him in song. Would an instrument make that person more close to God or would it help a person worship God. Perhaps but then one is second guessing God, since what he or she is telling God is that the voice He gave him or her or allowed him or her to have is just not good enough and that he or she can do better. That is indeed sad, to think that one can improve upon God and God's thoughts.

Sing a Song part 15

Even though God did allow instruments for a time, does this mean that was to be forever? Remember the new covenant was different than the old and that whatever came before was nailed to te cross because it took men's minds away from God. Instrumentation and music had become like the rest of worship. A pretty outer surface of an alabastar jar. Jesus wanted to put meaning back into all men's lives. Jesus wanted men to give of themselves totally, not just part of themselves.

Sing A Song part 14

So then the argument goes that David used instruments. David's heart was pure before God. Did David use instruments while he prayed before God? Is that not what our worship is, an extension of prayer before God? Our minds are so concentrated and so focused on totally pleasing Him that even the songs we sing should be mind felt as well as heart felt. Paul spoke about that in many passages but in particular I Corinthians 14:15. Besides David obviously pleased God in his use of instruments or certainly God would have redirected him. Also in Habakkuk 3:1-19, instruments were directed by the prophet, who was a man of God, and who was making what would probably today be called a "praise song", but in fact was quite common of religious folk, like David and Habakkuk and is also seen in Ezra 3:9,10 and Nahum 12:27,28. Why didn't God say anything at that time? When one thinks about it, these men are directing groups of people in worship or are they merely directing people's mind to worship. Those are two different doxologies. One leads people in their collective approach to the throne of God, the other to stir people to gather to have a collective approach to the throne of God. To direct to go worship the subscribes to using the instruments worship and commingling that with worship. To direct in worship is to point the public mind at that time when they would be collectively in worship to God. Or instrumentation was used in celebration of God, not necessarily a time of worshipful gathering together to listen and commune with God but certainly a time direct people to worship God at some given opportunity. God is the singing God; let us not forget that. God loves music and song and for us to define those specifics would be difficult at best. If we define those specifics we are also putting God in a box. The use of instrumentation in itself would not displease God. The purpose for using them and the manner of using them would indeed have a great deal to do with pleasing God. Do we need an instrument to praise Him in song? Well, some might because they are self-conscious about their voice. That is reverse pride. After all, God made people, so certainly all human voices lifted in praise to God are pleasing to Him. Not all of us are Luciano Pavarotti or Maria Callas. Not everyone can sing. But it is the effort, the desire within one's heart, when delights that one is God's instrument and that He loves them so much that He called them His children and called them to be brethren with Christ Jesus His only begotten.