1 Vindicate me O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; deliver me from the deceitful and unrighteous man!
2 For You are the God who shelters me.  Why have You rejected me?  Why must I continually walk around mourning under the oppression of the enemy?
3 Send Your light and Your faithfulness—let them lead me, let them bring me to Your holy mountain and to your dwelling places.
4 And I will come to the altar of God, to the God of my abundant joy, and I will praise you with the lyre O God, my God.
5 Why are you downcast O my soul?  And why are restless within me?  Wait on God!  For still I will praise Him, my salvation and my God.

“Love to the Lord Jesus Christ is no hidden, secret, impalpable thing. It is like the light–it will be seen. It is like sound–it will be heard. It is like heat–it will be felt. Where it exists, it cannot be hid. Where it cannot be seen, you may be sure there is none.” – Holiness by J. C. Ryle p. 312

Egyptian Lute Players

Music outside the church is a very personal thing, and many people are very passionate about their music.

Within the church, music can be very divisive, and people’s personal ideas about music have caused many a church split.

I’ve led worship in various avenues in the church for over 15 years, and even when I led in youth group music was divisive, preferences were stated, and while a church split never arose, there were some heated discussions.

Why is this?  Why is music such a sore point with so many people?  Why is the issue so divisive?

Does anyone look to God’s Word?  Or do we all just assume that our personal preferences are exactly what God would have?

My purpose in writing this is to take a brief look at what God’s Word has to say (or not) in regard to music during cooperate worship.

If you do a search in the New Testament for music, sing, play, or dance, you will find that the following verses contain such words and actually are speaking in regard to something about music: Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26; Acts 16:25; 1 Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; James 5:13.

But what do these verses teach?  Do they tell us that God is most glorified by organ music?  No.  Do they tell us never to use an electric guitar?  No.  In fact, these verses tell us very little in regards to the specifics of what our music should sound like or what style it should be.

Interesting.

So is there any biblical merit in saying that an organ glorifies God more than an electric guitar.  No.

Someone might say, “Well, an organ is traditional, and an electric guitar is of the devil!”

Oh really?

Let’s take a trip into Biblical history shall we?

David, the sweet psalmist of Israel (2 Sam. 23:1), it seems used a certain pagan instrument in his worship of the Lord.  The harp (actually technically it was a lyre).  And actually, ALL the instruments Israel used were pagan – Israel did not invent any of its own instruments.  All the instruments used in the worship of God were instruments that were used by other nations, none of them were unique.  And these instruments were used in the worship of other gods (can you say, satan?).

Biblically, I think the clearest proof of this is during the time of Nebuchadnezzar, “that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.” (Daniel 3:5)

And extra-biblically, there is much proof that other nations used the same instruments that Israel used, to worship their false gods (look it up in any book regarding the music of the Ancient Near East, or just use Wikipedia for examples).

So it is not biblical to say that any instrument is satanic.  Even styles of music cannot be biblically said to be satanic.  Pretty much all instruments have been used in something other than the worship of God.  And Israel did not make their own “heavenly” style of music – it used the same instruments and styles of their day.

So instead of getting all bent out of shape about instruments and styles of music, our thoughts should be influenced by Scripture.

I am not saying that the content of the lyrics of songs is not important, in fact, if there is instruction from Scripture concerning our music – lyrical content is where you will find that instruction.

But when it comes to style and instruments, we cannot mark any instrument off the list or any style off the list just because the world uses it.  On the contrary, if there is any precedent in Scripture, we SHOULD use the same instruments as the culture around us uses.

It is a dangerous thing to put tradition above Scripture.  Let us remember the words of Jesus:

““Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. “For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, is to be put to death’; but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),’ you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.”” (Mark 7:8-13)

1 For the Music Director.  By David, a servant of Yahweh.

2 An oracle is in my heart concerning the rebellion of the wicked:

There is no fear of God in his mind

3 For in his own mind he flatters himself, unable to find his iniquity and hate it

4 The words he speaks are trouble and deceit

He has ceased to be able to do good

5 He devises trouble while on his bed

He deliberately places himself in the path of wrong

He does not reject evil

6 Yahweh, Your love extends to heaven

Your steadfastness, to the clouds

7 Your righteousness is like the Mountains of God

Your judgment is like a great deep ocean

Yahweh, You deliver mankind and beast

8 How precious is Your love

O, God, the children of mankind seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings

9 They drink their fill from the abundance in Your house

You give them drink from the river of Your joy

10 For You possess the fountain of life

In Your light, we see light

11 You extend Your love to those who know You

And Your righteousness, to the upright in heart

12 Do not let the foot of the prideful come upon me

Nor the hand of the wicked drive me away

13 There the doers of wickedness fall

They are thrust down and are unable to stand again

Some people are living their lives as they please, thinking that one day, when they grow old, maybe even on their death bed they will finally turn to God so that they will escape hell and go to heaven.  But such an idea is faulty at best, damning at worst.

Listen:

“You may say, perhaps, ‘It is never too late to repent.’  I answer–’That is right enough: but late repentance is seldom true.  And I say farthur, you cannot be certain if you put off repenting, you will repent at all.’
You may say, ‘Why should I be afraid?–the penitent thief was saved.’
I answer–’That is true: but look again at the passage which tells you that the other thief was lost.’”
- J. C. Ryle Holiness p. 236

Turn to God today, do not wait.

“Hell, hell fire, the damnation of hell, eternal damnation, the resurrection of the damnation, everlasting fire, the place of torment, destruction, outer darkness, the worm that never dies, the fire that is not quenched, the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, everlasting punishment–these, these are the words which the Lord Jesus Christ himself employs.  Away with the miserable nonsense which people talk in this day, who tell us that the ministers of the gospel should never speak of hell….he who would follow the example of Christ must speak of hell.” – J.C. Ryle Holiness p. 222

“Remember this in choosing a calling, a place, or profession in life.  It is not enough that the salary is high–the wages good–the work light–the advantages numerous–the prospects of getting on most favorable. Think of your soul, your immortal soul.  Will it be prospered or drawn back?  Will you have your Sundays free, and be able to have one day in the week for your spiritual business?  I beseech you, by the mercies of God, to take heed to what you do.  Make no rash decision.  Look at the place in every light–the light of God as well as the light of the world.  Gold may be bought too dear.”

J. C. Ryle – Holiness p. 197

Where do Cambodians place their hope? Of late, some have placed their hope in a dead calf. In the province of Pursat, Cambodia, about five days ago, a calf with “reptilian” skin died after only being born three days earlier. Residents believed it to be a reincarnation of a cow deity that in ancient times lived in the area. Some also have claimed that by drinking its saliva or water that had been poured over its dead body their aches and pains were healed. The community held a three-day funeral in hopes that the cow god would revisit soon, and stay longer the next time.[1]

The hope of a dead calf is really no hope at all.  We know that such a god cannot offer true hope. But when that is all you know, where else would you turn? Life is hard; pain and suffering make up much of this life.  And so many Cambodians turn to “gods” such as these, who in reality are no gods at all.

Will you join us in praying for the Cambodian people? That the light of the Gospel would shine forth into the darkness, and that many would come to know the One True God? Cambodians have no true hope outside of Christ. We go, that we might beg them, on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God, that they might have true hope.

May God be glorified in Cambodia, and in us,
Nathan and Christiana

Pray for us: http://www.actioncambodia.org/get-involved/pray.html
Support us: http://www.actioncambodia.org/supportwells.html
Visit our blog: http://nateandchristiana.actioncambodia.org

[1] Heng Sinith, “Cambodian village worships cow with reptilian skin,” http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gkkgQupj_lWIxw_huyo_1FCL5OAAD9A7B0000