Isaiah says it best. In Isaiah 5:12 and again in 14:11, the harp and the viol were silenced because the musicians were not geared toward worshipping God or to please him, but to produce something which by the interpretation which is supposed to represent God. Jeremiah in Jeremiah 48:36 sees the sadness of what God's people had become and through this the instruments display such sadness. Isaiah warns (Isaiah 5:12, 14:11, 24:8) as does Amos in Amos 5:3 of the use of instruments for interpretation, merely the tip of the ice berg of how far God's people had strayed from Him. And they had no clue of this. Isaiah says that God's thoughts are not my thoughts and His ways are not my ways. (Isaiah 55:8) When I think of worshipping God with instruments, I think of worshipping God with a medal or prayer beads or various liturgies or the seasonal prayer book. That may be a spur, but it is not worshipping God. It does nothign for my relationship with God, only my representation of what I think God wants of me. The only reason I have come to worship Him after all is to understand better Who He is, to know Him, to grasp Him, to share Him. Not my interpretation of Him.

Now please don't get me wrong. Music and instruments are indeed useful and sometimes inspiring in expressing how one feels about God. Such a wonderful expression can elicit peaceful and uplifting or thoughtful feelings and an audience will pick up those emotions. But is this truly worship, or are we like in some theatrical performance picking up on an emotion that the writer and composer what us to feel? How is this worship, if it is the interpretation of the artist rather that God's Word which evokes a feeling in man? Is this not more a worship of the artist than God? That's why I love knowing what scriptures are behind the hymns,and I love even better putting God's Word to music. The feelings that are evoked are purely from God's Word, to me and personal between me and God, not the artist and his interpretaton in between.

Sing a Song part 9

Instruments were obviously part of the Jewish worship service. (Ezekiel 28:13, Amos 6:5) Instruments were also a source of Solomon feeling empty. (Ecclesiastes 2:8), gaining as much opulence and as much treasure so that he could bring the finest musicians and for what? For worship? Solomon later says the only worship to God is with the whole heart. If you can do that and perfect an object, then more power to you. Daniel sees that musical instruments were being used to call people to worship false gods. (Daniel 3:5,7,10) Of course, instruments were used to summon people to worship the one true God in the temple. Nevertheless it was something that all peoples used, much as the universal signal for a play to begin is flickering the lights to enter the theater. Was it important to use instruments? In Job 21:2-12, people hear the tones of musical instruments and are happy. Also in Job 30:31, because of his sorrows, the instruments were making sorrowful tones. But are these important in our relationship with God? Can a musical instrument bring us closer to God, lead us to knowing God more, or even give us some information regarding God? Are they supposed to? I don't think so. An instruments is a work of art, much like a still life or portrait. And as such only reflects the artist's depiction of a particular work. Even a composition only reflects a composer's depiction of some theme, regardless of whether the music is baroque,romantic, impressionistic or expressionistic. Our music is an image of us, given talents by God to make the music to be sure, but the music we make is ours to God. Our music by singing to God, each of us, regardless of talent because God made each of us with vocal cords to be able to sing to Him. God is the singing God (Zephaniah 3:17)and in His image we are singers to Him. What if we try to perfect that singing? There is really nothing wrong with trying to blend voices better, or to be in a chorus, or even to have that chorus accompanied by instruments. But we must remember that that chorus is perfected by the interpretation of a human being, and that God has given us what we need to worship Him. Again let me reiterate, nothing wrong with that interpretation. But is it necessary for worship, or is it even doing the best of God's will that we can? I believe that God likes simplicity. God love me to come before Him, nothing elaborate, and praise Him and bring Him that which makes me joyous and that which makes me sad. Me. Myself. Not my interpretation of my existence on earth.Not my feelings of God. But me. My essence. And a chorus doesn't bring that out in me. It makes me focus on singes, on "I wold have done it this way" or "I don't like that interpretation" or "I prefer that interpretation" or Doesn't that express God?". Actually something may lead one to God, true. Something may spark an idea or a memory, but unless it is backed by His Word, that idea is just my thought of what God is, and not the truth of Who God is.

Sing A Song Part 8

The origin of instruments biblically is given in Genesis 4:21. In this passage the father of musical instruments, Jubal, is mentioned. Specific musicians were anointed and appointed for praise worship in 1 Chronicles 23:5. This appears in 2 Chronicles 5:12-13, 23:1-18, 31:2, 35:15-25 as well as in Ezra 2:64, Ezra 3:10,11. The musicians were even given an office in 2 Chronicles 7:6, 1 Chronicles 16:4-6, 1 Chronicles 16:4-6, 1 Chronicles 23:5-6, and 1 Chronicles 25:1. The musicians even went before David to announce wars or worship to God. (2 Chronicles 29:23-26) as well as going before other kings (I Kings 10:2, 2 Chronicles 9:11) and the announcements and pronouncements got rather large. (I Chronicles 15:20, Genesis 31:27, Exodus 15:1, 20,21)

The Book of Revelations as is does mention instruments and this does throw a kinker into the whole picture. The emphasis on the Book of Revelations is not the presence of instruments but the "new song". (Rev 5:8,9;Rev 14:2,3; Rev 15:2,3) and the writer makes it plain that a new song is to be sung only by those redeemed from earth. The text says 144,000. Is that all that will be going to heaven? If that is the case, I may be in trouble, because I have missed the numbering by being born so late in the history of the world. I really don't have a clue how many will be going to heaven or hell. What I do know about the writer John is that he was originally Jewish and he was probably expressing what was the symbol for the perfect number. What that is God only knows.If you look the number 144,000 it is 36,000 times 4, which means it is a perfect square. Meaning as the scripture says, "Not everyone who says, LORD, LORD, will enter the gates of heaven. " (Matthew 7:21) Is it up to us to know how many people are going to heaven or hell? Not according to Paul in Romans 14:10.

All that John was describing was the perfect square as it were. Something that denoted perfection.

So what does music have to do with all of this? Probably to know that at any span of time that God gives me or anyone else, time for repentance and purity is urgent and short. I must consider what is His way, what He wants, and praise Him, not being judgmental to my brethren, but letting God tell me what is His way. What that means is that I must consider which is the absolute purest and best way to worship Him, in accordance with His will.

Let's continue.