MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN
WORSHIP
Not proof-read or spell
checked. The only traditions we have about
instrumental music is from the ancient documents which explained the
children of Lamech (Ea the serpent demon or god) in accordance with
the Hebrew meaning of his children's names. Jubal or Genun or Jebon,
the Cainites, fell under the influence of Satan. Satan then taught
them how to organize mixed-sex choirs, instrumental music,
instruments of warfare and many skills of art to control
others. In the stories of
Enoch and parallel views, God will come with ten thousand of his
saints to execute judgment upon those who have ignored His word and
substituted their own. Enoch says that not even a tree is that dumb.
The way the Word is silenced in these stories is through mixed-sex
choirs and instrumental music. The other "arts" of civilization such
as making metal weapons is attributed to Satan also. One recent liberal scholar is quoted as saying:
"There is no other tradition" about the introduction of musical
instruments as a device
attuned to the part of the
brain
which shuts down the rational, word-sensitive
hemisphere. Jubal "handled" musical instruments but the Hebrew word
means "without authority or warrant." "Handle" is related to
tambourines and Topheth which was "the king's music grove" and came
to stand for hell itself. Therefore, to play instruments when the
Incarnate Word is trying to speak is the most ancient story (myth, if you
like) about "taking away the key to knowledge." Jesus made this
accusation against the teachers in Jerusalem where music was almost
constant. Our thesis is that God did not command
instruments, that they came out of
Egypt with the Israelites, that Israel fell back into Egyptian
musical idolatry at Mount Sinai, that God then turned them over to
worship the stary host, that David's was a "like the nation's" temple for the
civil state with musical Levites under king and commanders of the
army, that the people were excluded during the burning-musical phase
of sacrifices, that Amos equates Israel's bull worship to the idol
worship at Mount Sinai, that there are many passages equating
instruments to not listening to the Word of God and that when the
sacrificial system momentarily ceased (70 years in Babylon) or
completely ceased (AD 70) the instruments stopped because sacrifices
were authorized in Canaan, in Jerusalem, at the temple and in
connection with instrumental music for king or temple at dedicatory
or purification rituals during "the burning times." The Jewish people did now worship by
"congregational singing and instrumental accompaniment."
The people assembled (synagogued) throughout
their history to be taught by priests or Levites who, like
evangelists, failed to fulfill their teaching duty. When the sacrificial system ended, the Jews
stopped the instruments until AD 1815 in a liberal synagogue where
the elders sowed discord, went to law and divided the synagogue until
today. The modern songs which go with the instruments
say to God: we will not listen to you. The E-mail will be red, our comments in black
and other quotations in blue.
The E-Mail begins: I: Paul
speaks both Hebrew and Greek. Acts 21:40 & Acts 22:2 Paul
speaks to the mob in Jerusalem in the Hebrew language. The mob, or
general Jewish population also knows and understands Hebrew. So the
Hebrew language is still widely known by the Jewish
population. That is a fact: Paul was a Jew and many people
spoke Koine Greek. Perhaps all spoke the brand of Hebrew mix with
Aramaic. When they spoke many of the musical terms they were, like
us, speaking Greek, Egyptian, Canaanite and other Eastern Words.
Some, indeed, have their origin in Persia and India and, who
knows? II: The
Jews were intrusted with the Hebrew scriptures. Rom 3:2 The Jews were given in
trust the oracles of God. God has preserved His word through the
Jews. If the Jews had not preserved the Holy Scriptures to this day, we would have no knowledge of the
Hebrew language. That is a fact. But, we are about as sure as we
can be that when Matthew quotes Jesus he is using Septuagint (LXX) or
Greek material. If Jesus did spend some time with the Essenes, which
is just as logical as spending time with Pharisees and Sadducees and
other major and minor sects, He knew that they had commentaries or
versions of Psalm 41 which prophesied that Messiah would be subjected
to the authorized use of music in the Law of Moses: to panic or
triumph over or mock the enemy (Jesus or Beliar in the Jews's mind)
with loud rejoicing and instrumental music. All of the musical passages in the Septuagint
carry its original destructive meaning which has been purged from
many modern versions. The NIV uses the word "music" in Paul's
commands but there is no "musical" concept in God's spiritual
dealings with mankind. understand Paul by seeing how others understood
paul I have
posted an article on Huldah. When eighteen year old king Josiah wanted to
repair the temple, the Law was found along with money and other
things: And Hilkiah the
high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the
law in the house of the
Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 2Ki 22:8
And it came to
pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that
he rent his
clothes. 2Ki 22:11
They sent to Huldah, called the prophetess
because she spoke the only truth by preserving the only honest copies
of the text. A prophetess might be many things. In this
case, Huldah was the librarian.
As New Testament prophesying involves
teaching, Huldah knew the law. The place where she worked was the
college
and not a place to get a direct word
from God. The college was: Mishneh
(h4932) mish-neh'; from 8138; prop. a repetition, i. e. a
duplicate copy of a
document... Not often do the New Testament speakers and
writers make a direct quotation from the ancient Hebrew. In order to
teach the Spiritual truth a "quotation" may consist of parts of four
or five Old Testament passages. All of it is the truth but the NT
writers being inspired by the same Spirit of Christ as the prophets
(1 Peter 1:11) were teaching new truth, as the fad goes these days,
in a new "wineskin" or more properly waterskin. The entire Egyptian, Wandering and Monarchy
period was of Israel refusing to be spiritual and being cursed with
"the worship of the host of
heaven" under Chiun (Amos) or
Molech or
some other idol. These idols were always worshiped with music. Molech was
worshiped in "the king's music grove" which came to stand for hell
itself. They sacrificed little children by fire to get a message
"superior" to God's Word. They did it with tambourines (tabrets,
topheth, hell). III:
Paul quotes an Old Testament Scripture in his letter to the Romans.
Remember, Paul knows Hebrew. Rom 15:9 sing; [5567]
psallo Quoted from either: 2 Sam 22:50 sing; {2167} zamar
or; Psa 18:49 sing; {7891} shiyr,
shumr In order to be a direct quote
from Hebrew to Greek, psallo must mean the same thing as either zamar
or shiyr. The meaning of the scripture must remain the same!
Scripture does not change from one language to another. The meaning
stays the same! Paul is acting as interpreter. Therefore will I give thanks
unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
Psalm 18:49 The rule, as far as I can
determine, is that when melody or an instrument is intended it is
included. Here are two good passages under the word "melody" meaning
external melody: First connection
between singing and external melody: And it shall come to pass in
that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to
the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing
as an harlot. Isa 23:15 Take an harp, go
about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet
melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
Is.23:16 The Song is: Shiyr (h7892) sheer; or fem. shee-raw'; from 7891; a song;
abstr. singing: - musical (-ick), * sing (-er, -ing), song
The external melody is:
Nagan
(h5059) naw-gan'; a prim. root; prop. to thrum, i. e. beat a tune
with the fingers; espec. to play on a stringed instrument; hence
(gen.) to make music: - player on instruments, sing to the stringed
instruments, melody, ministrel, play (-er, -ing.. Nagan is used
interchangeably of the women going to the Temple with Chalal:
Chalal
(h2490) khaw-lal'; a prim. root [comp. 2470]; prop. to
bore, i. e. (by impl.) to wound, to dissolve; fig.
to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an "opening wedge"); denom.
(from 2485) to play (the
flute): - begin (* men
began), defile,
* break, defile, * eat (as common things), * first, * gather the grape thereof, * take
inheritance, pipe,
player on instruments,
pollute, (cast as) profane (self),
prostitute, slay (slain), sorrow, stain, wound. Second connection between
singing and external melody: Take thou away from
me the noise
of thy songs;
for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. Am.5:23 The Israelites, in the
North, were polluting God just as their ancestors did at Mount Sinai.
At Sinai, Smith calls "rising up to play" musical
idolatry. "The triumphal hymn
of Moses had unquestionably a religious character about it; but the
employment of music in
religious services,
though
idolatrous, is more
distinctly marked in the festivities which attended the erection of
the golden calf." (Smith's Bible Dictionary, Music, p. 589).
At Mt. Gerezim condemned by
Amos: the Israelites were afflicted with "like the nation's worship"
because that is what God turned them over to: "we recognize the
same elements: the sacrifices and libation, the cultic feast in which the congregation gets a share of food and
drink after it has been blessed by the king, and the merry-making, now in the form of instrumental and vocal music. But the central act of the ritual, which was
performed by the
king, is called
literally 'drinking' the
god (Gurney, O. R. Some
Aspects of Hittite Religion, p. 33-34, Oxford University Press,
1977) The Catholic Church:
Catholic Encyclopedia under "Candles." If the Catholics had any
Greek or Hebrew authority (the "fathers" deny it) for instrumental
music they would have used it. Rather, they confess the Biblical
truth but conclude that: We must not forget
that most of these adjuncts to worship, like music, lights, perfumes, ablutions, floral decorations,
canopies, fans, screens, bells, vestments, etc. were not identified
with any idolatrous cult
in particular; they
were common to almost all cults. They are, in fact,
part of the natural
language of mystical
expression, and such things belong quite as much to secular
ceremonial as they do to religion. Word study: zamar {2167}; striking with the
fingers; to play on the strings of a musical instrument; to make
music accompanied with the voice. So in 2 Sam 22:50 the
simultaneous playing of a musicam intrument and the
singing of the voice is authorized in the
worship of God. shiyr {7891}; the idea of strolling minstrelsy; a minstrel is a person who sings and
plays an instrument together. 2 Samuel 22:50 is actually translated as
"sing" or the instrument would be named. None of the translators saw
the word "instrument" in this passage. The musical concept is not here: David spoke or
recited a poetic history of God's dealing with the world and with
him. You know that poems tend to be poetic. However, it cannot be
"praise" unless we are telling "the nations" about what God has done
rather than how I feel. David said "speak" or preach and Paul said
speak or preach: the singing and melody was, according to Paul, to be
in the heart or mind. AND David
spake unto the Lord the words of this song,
in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his
enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: 2 Samuel 22: 1 Dabar
(h1696) daw-bar'; a prim. root; perh. prop. to arrange; but used fig.
(of words) to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue: -
answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name,
promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk,
teach, tell, think, use [entreaties], utter, * well, * work.
Remember that David introduced instrumental
music "under the king and commanders of the army." Therefore, music
is used and certainly trumpets were authorized by God to either panic
the enemy, signal troops with "sure sounds" and to triumph over the
enemy in victory. Remember that David was king or prime military
commander and not a priest. Triumph over tends to boast. Here, David
ascribes God's help to David's righteousness: The Lord
rewarded me according to
my righteousness:
according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 2
Samuel 22: 21 For I have
kept the ways of the
Lord, and have not
wickedly departed from my God. 2 Samuel 22: 22 For all his judgments were
before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them. 2
Samuel 22: 23 I was also upright
before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity. 2 Samuel 22: 24
As David is pictured in the
movies, he recited his poem and strummed after he finished speaking.
Selah is held to be a command for such an interlude. Only After military victory
(his friends were his enemies) can he relax: And that
bringeth me forth from
mine enemies: thou also
hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. 2 Samuel 22:49 Therefore I will
give
thanks unto thee, O
Lord, among
the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name. 2 Sam 22:50 Zawmar'; a prim. root [perh. ident. with 2167
through the idea of striking with the fingers]; prop. to touch the strings or parts of a musical
instrument, i. e. play upon it; to make music, accompanied by the
voice; hence to
celebrate in song and
music: - give praise,
sing forth praises, psalms. Zamar (h2168) zaw-mar'; a prim. root [comp.
2167, 5568, 6785]; to
trim (a vine): -
prune. Camar (h5568) saw-mar'; a prim. root; to be
erect, i. e. bristle as hair: - stand up, tremble. Then a spirit
passed before my face; the hair of
my flesh stood
up: Job 4:15
My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.
Ps.119:120 Six years thou
shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and
gather in the fruit thereof; Lev 25:3 Remember also, that the king was in response to
Israel's demand for human king like the nations so that they could
worship like the nations. While David is not involved Also remember that while Hezekiah repaid God's
favor by wanting "to play his harp in the temple all of the time"
little Manasseh was growing up to burn babies to the beat of musical
instruments in the "king's music grove" now a symbol of hell.
Most of the Psalms, as stated in this passage
from Samuel, include only singing. When an
instrument was intended then the Spirit added it. You may
click here to see a table which shows that, consistent with the temple
purification rituals many include military terms intending to destroy
the enemy. The instrumental psalms involved calling down God's
judgment, professionals, new moons, vengeance, arousal or "awakening
the harp", fear of being cast off, historical warnings or prophetic:
none for
"worship."
Music is not a "worship" word in the Bible. Shiyr is not
used in connection with Samuel or the Psalm 18 and therefore is not
used in connection with Paul's command to use the revealed Words of
Christ or Spirit. Shiyr is: Shiyr
(h7891) sheer; or (the orig. form) 7788 (1 Sam. 18:6), shoor; a prim.
root [rather ident. with 7788 through the idea of strolling minstrelsy]; to sing: -
behold [by mistake for 7788], sing (-er, - ing man, -ing woman).
But now bring me a
minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. 2 Kings
3:15 The minstrel here is: Nagan
(h5059) naw-gan'; a prim. root; prop. to thrum, i. e. beat a tune
with the fingers; espec. to play on a stringed instrument; hence (gen.) to make music: - player
on instruments, sing to the stringed instruments, melody, minstrel,
play (-er, -ing.. But now bring me a
harpist." While the harpist was playing, the
hand of the LORD came upon Elisha 2 Kings 3:15NIV When Jehoram the son of Ahab
began to reign Moab ceased paying tribute. Jehoram called for Elisha
but Elisha effectively repudiated the king. Nevertheless, he brought
a minstrel. The minstrel did not sing and play but only played.
Therefore, just like today, a musician can sing, play or sing and
play. However, like the musicians from the Philistine high places,
God was pronouncing Judgment upon Jehoram with musical prophesying.
Remember that Jehoram wanted to
force Moab to give him more cattle. However, God's supernatural sign was that the musical-induced prophecy would
"dry up the
waters" just as it did
in Amos. As God sent a musical prophecy
to judge Israel, Elisha delivered the word of God: go kill and
destroy that which you lusted after: And they
beat down the
cities, and on
every good piece of
land cast every man his
stone, and filled
it; and they
stopped all the wells of
water, and
felled all the good
trees: only in
Kir-haraseth left they the stones thereof;
howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it. 2 Kings 3: 25
And when the king of Moab saw
that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him
seven hundred men that
drew swords, to break
through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not. 2 Kings 3: 26
Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead,
and offered him for
a burnt offering upon
the wall. And there was
great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and
returned to their own land. 2 Kings 3:
27 Click
to read the rest of the story. And again in Ps 18:49 the
simultaneous playing of a musical instrument and the inclusion of the
human voice is authorized in the holy scriptures. psallo [5567]; to twitch or twang; to play a
musical instrument accompanied with the voice. Again the inclusion of voice and musical
instrumentation.
Indeed, psallo does mean the
same thing! Our quotations from Ferguson
are from: Dr. Everett
Ferguson, A Capella Music in the public worship of the church,
published by Biblical Research Press, Abilene, Texas. Ferguson, p. 6, notes
that: psallo, septuagint, "In nearly every
case the Septuagint translators have paired psallo with a word for vocal praise. Note the following
instances: All of these passages
involve singing to teach or confess "among the nations." This is
teaching or preaching by reciting God's own story and not our
sentimental praises. The psalloing is
directed toward God. Since according to Paul, musical instruments
speak an unknown tongue, this is mental melody to God.
Ferguson notes that "In the
Psalms in the Septuagint, Psalm 33:2; 71:22; 98:5; 144:9; 147:7;
149:3, the word psallo
is followed by the preposition en
and the name of
the instrument.} Two examples make this clear. Rejoice in the
Lord, ye righteous; praise becomes the upright. Praise (confess) the
Lord on the harp;
play to him on a
psaltery of ten strings. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise. Psalms 32:1LXX None of these were for
congregational worship but for quite different purposes.
Click for the colored chart to see that these are not
associated with the majority of Psalms which speak only of singing.
In another passage from the Septuagint: God is
gone up with a
shout, the Lord with a
sound of a trumpet. Psalm 47:5LXX In Numbers 10, the silver
trumpets were signaling devices and were not musical devices. When
the congregation assembled the "alarm" or loud rejoicing ceased
(10:7). In the following verses a form of psallo is quite similar to
Paul's command for the Christian congregation (See Ferguson, p 5).
When the procession is over, the Septuagint describes what the people
do: Sing
(psalate) praises to our God, sing praises: sing praises
to our
King, sing praises. Psalm 47:6LXX For God is king of
all the earth: sing
praises with
understanding. Psalm 47:7LXX This is equivalent to Paul's
command to make melody in the heart or with the understanding.
Furthermore, it is not a command to "listen" to musical instruments
and a worship team. IV: The
Greek ado [103] means to only sing. It's used in Rev 15:3 and translated "sing." If
Paul meant to only sing in Rom 15:9, then why didn't he use ado?
Instead he used psallo.
We have already established that he was well-versed in Greek. Answer;
because Paul wanted to convey the complete meaning of the Hebrew
scripture he was quoting from. It's in the English word "sing" that
we have the problem of not conveying the entire meaning of zamar,
shiyr or psallo. Because it was important for him to dismiss
pagan or sacrificial "sounding" by putting the melody in the heart
and directed to God. This would silence forever any thought of
performance music directed to a holy God. Romans 14 shows how those just out of Orphic,
Vegetarian, instrumental music influence, and the Dionysic, meat-eating,
wine-drinking, instrumental music influence could meet for the weekly
assembly without allowing their instrumental music traditions to sow
discord among brethren. His solution in in Romans 15 and is quite
identical to the "speaking" or "preaching" command to the Ephesians
and Colossians using the Word of Christ or Spirit as the only
resource: WE then that are
strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please
ourselves. Rom 15:1 Let every one of us
please his neighbour for his good to edification. Rom 15: 2
For even Christ
pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them
that reproached thee fell on me. Rom 15: 3 Christ didn't "please
himself" in the human sens and therefore the direct command and
example of Jesus was to "speak only what you hear from the
Father." Next, Paul shows why he told
Timothy to read and give attention to all of the scriptures which he
knew including Paul's direct teaching and letters: For whatsoever
things were written
aforetime were written
for our learning, [teaching resources] that we through patience and comfort
of the scriptures might
have hope. Rom 15: 4
Only God can be the
Comforter between man and God as Christ the Word. Christ bestows this
comfort through the Scriptures. Therefore, we don't read them to try
to find a defense for in indefensible Dionysic or Orphic musical
worship: out comfort comes from God as we listen to Him speak through
His word: Now the God of
patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: Rom 15: 5 That ye may with
one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Rom 15: 6 The Mind of Christ is the
Spirit of Christ (1 Cor 2). And we noted that Christ spoke only what
the Father revealed to Him. If we are "likeminded" our songs and
sermons will be from the Word of Christ: Wherefore
receive ye one another, as Christ also received
us, to the glory of
God. Rom 15: 7 Now I say that
Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made
unto the fathers: Rom 15: 8 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his
mercy; as it is
written, For this cause Again, we quote from the Septuagint:
This is what Paul commanded of the Ephesians
and Colossians: they spoke to one another including the unbelievers
present and the "sang unto His name." When one reads a Greek story
the author might close by: "Thus ends my song." When one "psallos" a "psalmos" the human voice
is the first instrument of choice:
the harp of God. The first choice
demanded is to teach the revealed record, word of Christ or Spirit
(John 6:63) so that learning the Old and New Testament scriptures can
take place: For whatsoever
things were written
aforetime were written
for our learning, [teaching resources] that we through patience and comfort
of the scriptures might
have hope. Rom 15: 4
If we add instruments we
cannot obey Christ and we cannot be united. Those adding instruments
know that they are doing so and that they will sow discord among
brethren: V: Paul
instructs young Timothy in 2 Tim 3:15-17 that Timothy has known the
Holy Scriptures from his youth. What Holy Scriptures? The Old
Testament! And that "all scripture is by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness," (and why?) "that the man of God may be complete,
throughly equipped for every good work." Singing and playing are not
defined as "worship." On the other hand, "giving attendance" to the
Word is a worship word. Paul did not command singing but teaching. To
Timothy Pual described the assembled effort when he wrote:
Till I come, give
attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 1 Timothy 4:13
Until I get there, read and
explain the Scriptures to the church; preach God's Word. 1 Timothy
4:13LIV Until I come, devote yourself
to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 1
Timothy 4:13NIV And after the
reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent
unto them, saying, Ye and brethren, if ye have any word of
exhortation for the people, say on. Ac.13:15 Blessed is he that
readeth, and they that hear the words of this
prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the
time is at hand. Re.1:3 In Acts 1:20 psalmos is the book of Psalms and
in Rom. 15: sing is psallo. One scholar noted that: "Psallo is best
translated by chant, not sing.
The Greeks sharply
distinguish chanting (psalmodia) from singing
(tragoudi). The first (chanting or speaking as Paul commanded) is a
sacred
activity; the second (singing), a secular one. In English, unfortunately, the distinction is not
sharp.. Constantine Cavarnos John Chrysostom,
wrote about "teaching" in agreement with Paul rather than "singing"
in agreement with the secular world: "Having exhorted
them to be thankful, he shows also the way, that, of which I have
lately discoursed to you. And what saith he? "Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly"; or rather not this way alone, but another also.
For I indeed said that we ought to reckon up those who have suffered
things more terrible, and those who have undergone sufferings more
grievous than ours, and to give thanks that such have not fallen to
our lot; but what saith he? "Let the word of Christ dwell
in you"; that is, the teaching, the doctrines, the exhortation, wherein He says, that the present life is nothing,
nor yet its good things. If we know
this, we shall yield to
no hardships whatever. (Matt. vi. 25, &c) "Let it dwell in you,"
he saith, "richly," not simply dwell, but with great abundance.
Hearken ye, as many as are worldly, and have the charge of wife and
children; how to you too he commits
especially the reading
of the Scriptures and
that not to be done
lightly, nor in any
sort of way, but with much earnestness." Let's back up a
bit: Stephen was full of the Holy
Spirit which meant, in the selection of deacons later, he "held the
mystery of the faith in a clear conscience." Stephen aided his own
Grecian widows and would have gained a good reputation when he went
out to preach. Stephen was called an evangelist. So Stephen understood the Mount
Sinai event: the pivotal event which brought on the doom God had
already pronounced upon Egypt before they left Egypt. Why? Because
their religion was the worship of Osiris/Isis under Apis/Hathor, the
golden calf. They brought their abominations with them from Egypt and
would not cast them away. Stephen tells a story directly parallel to the warning of Amos to Israel and to the Mount Sinai event. This event was musical idolatry. As a result for
punishment, God "turned them over" to the worship of the stary
host. Molech
. . . Chiun--"Molech"
means "king" answering to Mars
[BENGEL]; the
Sun [JABLONSKI];
Saturn, the
same as "Chiun" [MAURER]. The Septuagint translates "Chiun"
into Remphan, as
Stephen quotes it (Ac 7:42,43). The same god often had different
names. Molech is the Ammonite name; Chiun,
the Arabic and Persian name, written also Chevan. In an Arabic lexicon Chiun means "austere"; so astrologers represented
Saturn as a planet baleful in his influence. Hence the
Phoenicians offered
human sacrifices to
him, children especially; so idolatrous Israel also.
Rimmon was the Syrian name (2Ki 5:18); pronounced as
Remvan, or "Remphan," just as Chiun
was also Chevan.
Molech had the form of a king; Chevan, or Chiun, of a star [GROTIUS]. Remphan was the Egyptian name for Saturn: hence the Septuagint translator of Amos gave the Egyptian name for the Hebrew,
being an Egyptian. [HODIUS II, De Bibliorum Textibus Originalibus. 4.115]. The same as the Nile, of which the Egyptians made the star Saturn the representative [HARENBERG]. BENGEL considers
Remphan or Rephan
akin to Teraphim and Remphis, the
name of a king of Egypt. The Hebrews became
infected with Sabeanism, the oldest form of idolatry, the worship of the
Saba or starry hosts, in their stay in the
Arabian desert, where Job notices its prevalence (Job 31:26); in opposition, in Am 5:27, Jehovah declares Himself "the God of hosts." When Stephen told this story to
the Jewish clergy thiis and other things sealed his doom: the priests
so knowledgeable in
Hebrew knew that this
was not the Messiah they wanted so they "rose
up to play" by piping
hoping to pollute Him into the Dionysus singing
and dancing
comparable to that of Egypt, at Mount Sinai, condemned by Amos and
Ezekiel and now by Stephen. So, they killed him. Look again as the above
material and know that the Dionysus worshipers filled Palestine and
the Greek world. They were in Rome and had been converted. However,
the only way there could be harmony when the found themselves in
"church" with their enemies would be to "make the melody in the
heart" and not upon a flute or harp: Yea, ye took up the
tabernacle of
Moloch, and the
star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will
carry you away beyond
Babylon. Acts 7:43
Our fathers had the
tabernacle of witness in
the wilderness, as he
had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according
to the fashion that he had seen. Acts 7:44 Which also our
fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of
the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers,
unto the days of
David; Acts 7:45
All of these people knew that
David made a bargain with God to stop the plague. As a result, he
built his own altar in Jerusalem because he was so afraid of God's
"flaming cherubim" that he could never return to Gibeon to enquire of
God. Therefore, Jerusalem was for 'additional' sacrifices in
connection with the king and commanders of the army. The common
people could not worship in the temple by "singing with instrumental
accompaniment." When the "house" was built and
the Levites made that great, crashing sound (not called music) the
house was so dark or smoky that "the priests could not minister."
This was a supernatural sign. However, the people prayed from
"outside the gates or camp" and God heard from heaven. Therefore, the
temple was allowed as a "nation's" capital but the common people
worshiped outside. Stephen continues: Which
also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus (Joshua or
Jehovah-Saves) into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave
out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; Acts
7:45 Who found favour
before God, and desired
to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. Acts 7:46 But Solomon built him an
house. Acts 7:47 Howbeit the most High
dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet. Acts
7:48 Both Paul and Timothy would
have been "made wise" to the gospel which both Peter and Stephen
knew had to be built
upon the foundation of
both the prophets and apostles. For instance, how can you preach
just
Jesus unless you lay
the foundation "from the beginning?" What
scripture is he talking about there? The Old Testament! The New
Testament hadn't even been compiled yet. Most had not as yet been
written! So we are to use the Old Testament for doctrine except where
superceded in the New Testament. There was no "church
organization" even as the Greek ekklesia meant a "meeting" or assembly with no David-like
"standing army" to man the kingdom and temple, Timothy had the
responsibility of synagogue. Therefore, he gave heed to reading the Word. Because there was no singing in the synagogue in
order to teach the text, there would be no ratonale for singing or
instruments in the church as "school" and never defined as "Worship
Center." Wouldn't it be wonderful if all of the "houses for God" in
which He will not fit disbanded and sent the "located evangelists"
into all the world. The issue is not to look for
"legalisms" but to simply teach the entire Word of God from Genesis
to Revelation: that is the only task the church has as it sends out
evangelists to teach beginning at Genesis and telling the "God" story
so that the "Jesus" story makes sense to people. After laying the Old Testament
foundation all the evangelists would have to do is say, with Peter,
"this is that" and people would understand what "joining the church"
means. Furthermore, Timothy had been
taught by the elders as they "prophesied" or taught him and by Paul.
One does not need a commercial NIV to go preach the very basic
"Christian System." All teaching is oral before it is recorded.
However, it is scripture when it is breathed out by the Spirit of
Christ. An example in the Old carries through to the New
except where superceded by the New. Now, that is a "new law"
which we cannot accept. However, granting that it is true we know
what any Jewish schoolboy knew: that the "Law was added because of
transgression." Paul at his baptism had the same process fulfilled as
the other Apostles: he said that he saw Jesus, Jesus the Spirit
taught him and promised to be with him in any future teaching.
Therefore, Paul was a secondary
level of inspired teaching. As Paul and
the elders had laid their hands on Timothy he became a
tertiary
level of
inspiration. Therefore, he knew what he needed to know to go be a
"school master" and not a preacher or pastor. The primary job is not
to go out and try to get people under the water and made dues-paying
members of the organization. Paul knew that Christ sent him out to
tell the whole story as it fit the history of both Jew and Gentile.
Only when the understood that Jesus fulfilled that history did Paul
want to baptize people. The Jews remained faithful to
the non-instrumental law which they knew until AD 1815 in a liberal,
German synagogue where the elders again sowed discord and forced a
lawsuit. And they are divided even today. Summary: Music
was never an operative word for the "people's congregation" but only
in connection with temple or national-capital animal sacrifices. The
people were excluded during these sacrifices. The synagogue was
school and therefore never had instruments or a "praise service."
When the temple the about 10,000 sectarian Jews were forced to stop
the music. The masses of the population never changed from what they
had always been doing in the synagogue. As an example: the
4th commandment requires us to "remember the Sabbath day to keep it
holy." But the New Testament shows by example that the first day, or
Sunday, we are to gather together to worship God. Another is the
command to tithe. Tithe means to give specifically 10% of one's
income to the church. The New Testament instructs us to give
according to a decision that we make. Animal sacrifices are now
replaced by the perfect Lamb of God sacrificed on our behalf for our
sins. There is another reason for
the non-tithing: tithing supported the tribe of Levi with about 1%
going to the priests. Tithing was only from the free and developed
lands, only in Canaan, and consisted only of food products from the
farmer's lands: tend-makers did not tithe wages. Therefore, if the
clergy ceased or Jews move out of Canaan today they do not have to
tithe. Farmers and food distributors now give about 1% and since
there is no priesthood they give it to the poor or burn
it. David,
the man after God's own heart, used musical instruments in his
worship of his Lord in the Old Testament. He said in Ps 18:50 and in
other scriptures that he would sing to the Lord. Yet we know by
example that he both sang and had musicians playing on some
occasions, if not most, but not all. This was said of David only
of his youth or "first ways of David" And the Lord was
with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; 2 Chr.17:3 Seeking after Baalim is about the only sin
David did not commit. David as shepherd, adulterer, murder, king,
"old bloody hands" who could not even build a house in which God
could not live could sing, play, strip off naked with the servant
girls as he haltingly moved the Ark of the Covenant with frequent
animal sacrifices. I can strip off naked and go dancing with my
little dulcimer of deer-bone flute and it might give God a good
laugh. But, should I try to "worship God" while naked? You
decide. David was transporting what he believed to be
'God in a box' back to consolidate "religion" with his "like the
nation's" civil capital. In all of the temple or king
rituals there is a clear separation between the religious component
with God's signaling trumpets and the civil, political component
under king and commanders of the Army leading the Levite
musicians. So to say that the mere use of
the word sing in the New Testament means to only sing is both
rediculous and un-scriptural! Is there a scripture where God gives
David permission to use those musicians with their instruments? No!
Is there scripture where God says to stop using them, or not to allow
their use? Paul didn't use the mere word sing:
> He said to "speak or preach" the inspired Word of
Christ. That is "worship in truth" as Jesus prescribed. The result
would be external teaching and admonishing. The operative command or
action was not to sing. > The internal effect would be "singing and melody" and
this would be "in the heart" and not directed to
the congregation but directed "to
God." These are all the inspired
text of the Bible and are therefore "Spirit" or the product of Jesus
Christ as Spirit or Word. Hymns "was that part of the Hallel consisting of Psalms
113-118; where the verb itself is rendered 'to sing praises' or
'praise' Acts 16:25; Heb 2:12. The Psalms are called, in general,
'hymns,' by Philo;
Josephus calls them 'songs and hymns.'" Vine
on Humneo God didn't say "stop using them" because He
never said "start using them." If He gave any permission it was when He spoke
directly to Gad, the king's seer to tell David
how to stop the plague. David didn't use the instrumental or "warrior" Levite
panic musicians because had not been
organized under the military.
Therefore, the command through
Gad alluded to later did not, as most
parallel passages make clear, even authorize instrumental music for
the authorized "plague stopping" ritual much later by
Hezekiah. David's instruments are always
connected to the civil ceremonies. If God ever said "I just love instrumental
music and I want you to worship me" like every single pagan religion,
then we would be forced to look for a legalistic way for Him to stop
it if He wanted it stopped. However, no one has a personal, human--nature
reason for trying to stop it. > God never began it: it
began in Egypt and Mount Sinai where Israel engaged in musical
idolatry. > As a result, God "turned
them over to the worship of the stary host" and that worship continued their Egyptian honoring of Saturn, Chiun, or Moledh or the Sun or Moon in which instrumental music was a vital tool to "arouse
or awaken the gods" or to "call them into the temple." Elijah chided
the instrumental prophets of Asherah and Baal by saying: Perhaps your
god is on a business trip or going aside, which means probably, "to
take a leak." > In 2 Cor 3 Paul tells the Jews that they were
blinded at Mount Sinai and could not even understand their Old Testament until
they turned to the Lord. Therefore, instrumental music never produced
any spiritual changes because it cannot. Again, most Jews
never participated with the
civil-temple system or other sectarians which made up perhaps
10,000 professionals. Some participated in the synagogue but most, like
today, worship pagan gods if they worshiped at all. However, a school
boy would understand that music adhered
to the temple and animal sacrifice and when
one component expired they all did. Why else did the Jews understand
that until AD 1815? When a parent dies the Social Security check
just stops because the check adheres to an alive person. No one has
to enact a new law which says, at the funeral: "Thou shalt not get
any more checks." The Jews stopped their music without a direct
command: why cannot we be that wise. The pagans stopped their music
when the became Christians perhaps out of shame. Some are still looking for David's instruments
in order to make a legal temple and restore the sacrificial
system. Again,
no! Is there an example in the New Testament that supercedes or
nullifies David's example? No! Just bacause there is no example of a
musical instrument in the New Testament in no way nullifies an Old
Testament example. In the English, "sing"
does not carry the complete meaning of the Greek psallo. And let's be clear here; we're reading an English
translation of Greek holy scriptures. Then we may use that example of
David and his musicians as our doctrine, or instruction in our
worship also. We indeed have the authority, by holy scripture, to use
musical instruments in our worship of God. To say that the meaning of
the Greek psallo had changed by Paul's day is both incorrect and of
no relevence! Paul both spoke and was proficient in the Hebrew
language. He knew what the Hebrew Holy Scriptures said. He had access
to the Hebrew scriptures, as did Timothy. Hebrew was not a lost or
forgotten language. And he used the word he wanted to use in his
letter to the Romans to convey the complete meaning of the Old
Testament scripture that he was quoting. No, but the word "song"
means the same thing as "psalmos." When someone writes a song it is
really a poem or message set to meter. It can be read, recited, sung
or sung with our without an instrument. If one is
commanded to use an instrument then someone has to command: sing and
make melody with a pipe organ. When Paul told the early
Christians to speak
the psalms one to another he knew that a psalm could be read, recited
or chanted by a group while prose is not usually suitable. The psalms
which he commanded are from the Greek noun
form: Psalmos
(g5568) psal-mos'; from 5567; a set piece of music, i.e. a sacred ode
(accompanied with the voice,
harp or other
instrument; a "psalm"); collect. the book of the Psalms: -
psalm. Comp. 5603 (an ode). Proponents of musical rituals insist that a
"psalmos" necessarily
includes a mechanical instrument.
However, look at the definition from Strong's even though scholarship
denies that it included instruments at the time: Therefore, the human voice
is the "first instrument of choice." The Britannica
notes that: "Music, like the word, also may
have symbolic
meaning. The basic
elements out of which musical symbolism is built are sounds, tones,
melodies, harmonies, Sound effects can have a
numinous (spiritual) character and
may be used to bring
about contact with the realm of the holy. A specific tone
may call one to an awareness of the holy, make the holy
present, and produce an experience of the holy. This may be done by
means of drums,
gongs, bells,
or other
instruments.
The ritual instruments can, through their shape or the materials from which they are made, have symbolic meaning. The Uitoto in Colombia, for example,
believe that all the souls of their ancestors are contained
in the ritual drums.
(See liturgical music BM members.) The word "melody" is the
Greek" Psallo
(g5567) psal'-lo; prob. (to rub or
touch the surface; comp. 5597); to twitch
or twang, i.e. to play on a stringed instrument
(celebrate the divine worship with music and accompanying odes): -
make melody, sing (psalms An early harp was the warrior's bow: if you
have ten thousand warriors twanging their bow string in your
direction and "making a joyful noise" it is likely that you can
"grind your enemy into a fine power" and make him panic. Psallo is similar to "grinding into a fine
powder." Even now we know that "harmony" (not connected to melody)
does that to the body by inducing endorphins or "morphine
within." Psocho
(g5597) pso'-kho; prol. from the same base as 5567; to triturate,
i.e. (by anal.) to rub out (kernels from husks with the fingers or
hand): - rub. Another similar word means SOP.
Psomion
(g5596) pso-mee'-on; dim. from a der. of the base of 5597; a crumb or
morsel (as if rubbed off), i.e. a mouthful: - sop. Now, hark back to zamar and its
primary meaning prior to the "musical" use to which the word is
put: Zamar (h2167)
zaw-mar'; a prim. root
[perh. ident. with 2167 through the idea of striking with the fingers]; prop. to touch the
strings or parts of a musical instrument, i. e. play upon it; to make
music, accompanied by
the voice; hence to
celebrate in song and
music: - give praise,
sing forth praises, psalms. Zamar (h2168) zaw-mar'; a prim. root [comp.
2167, 5568, 6785]; to
trim a vine: -
prune. Now, look at the word which
is equivalent to "playing" an instrument. Chalal (h2490
khaw-lal'; a prim. root
[comp. 2470]; prop. to bore, i. e. (by impl.) to wound, to dissolve; fig. to profane
(a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by
an "opening wedge"); denom. (from 2485) to play (the flute): - begin
(* men began), defile, * break, defile, * eat (as common things), *
first, * gather the grape
thereof, take inheritance,
pipe, player on instruments,
pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute, slay (slain), sorrow, stain, wound. David's word for "praise" means
to "make self vile." That is what David told Michal when he went
naked with the slave girls (camp followers?) because they (the girls)
held him in high honor. He was dancing before God because he believed
that God was in the box. Therefore, the whole of musical
terms and instruments are so related to evil
and destructive things that people have concluded that all
instruments are the devil's instruments. One pastor
says that God saw how successful Satan was and adopted musical
instruments for His own use. The word SOP was applied to
Judas because Judas carried the "thief's bag" which in the classics
was for "carrying the mouth pieces of wind instruments." And it is
Judas who was predicted would try to panic Jesus in Psalm 41.
AUGUSTINE: on the Morals of the Manichaeans
riducules them for believing that the gods
came out of
brass and other things
by rubbing or
abrading (making melody
with them). Augustin uses figurative language much like Paul's
warning that our melody must never be external but in the
heart: Instrumental performance is the
most talent and works-intensive effort known to mankind. It involves
talent and years of training and performance. Therefore, it was
always know as a word as psallo means to abrade, grind to powdered or
make SOP. Augustine on the Psalms noted
that making melody
external is a work
which David always performed trying to find God whom he believed had
become lost: "Make melody unto
the Lord upon the harp: on the harp and with the voice of a Psalm" (ver. 5). Praise Him not with the
voice only; take up
works, that ye may not
only sing, but work
also. Therefore, Augustine makes the
harp figurative: Now see what sort
of instruments are next spoken of, in figure: "With ductile trumpets
also, and the sound of the pipe of horn" (ver. 6). What are ductile
trumpets, and pipes of horn? Ductile trumpets
are of brass: they are drawn out by hammering; if by hammering, by
being beaten, ye shall be ductile trumpets, drawn out unto the praise of God,
if ye improve when in tribulation: tribulation is hammering,
improvement is the being drawn out. Job was a ductile trumpet.
Instrumental performance under the law was a
legal, works-oriented. The musicians service was abadoh. The musical
Levites performed the slave labor in removing and burning the excess
carcass after animals had been slaughtered and the blood already
sacrificed to God. Look at the "roots" of every "musical" term or
instrument and you will find something powerfully destructive. This
is why the Naga or Nagash meaning of the Serpent is hidden from
view. If you want to evaluate the Christian,
spiritual value of a religious practice look at how popular it is.
While the majority of "pagan" religions have never fallen for music
as worship and the majority of people worship without instruments,
the majority of Christians are being sucked in like dust particles
into a vacuum cleaner into the "praise craze" and musical worship
teams "standing in the holy places" which in church and cathedral is
the podium, pulpit and Lord's Table some claiming to be "mediators
between man and God." Then we can look at the warnings that
Christians will be few and persecuted and you can grasp why people
are trying to get the mountains to hide them from the trials of being
a believer. Paul says for Jesus: "If you want to find Me,
you must come outside the
came or gates of the city" because you
never found God present in any temple or church organization. When
the Temple was disabled while the Livitical musicians played, the
people "outside the camp" prayed and God heard from heaven.
Church then means exactly what synagogue meant:
a place for study, prayer, showing forth in the Supper and looking
out for one another. This is never called Worship which Jesus insists
is in spirit which is in the mind or heart where we make our melody
to Him. Melody is not harmony and neither music nor harmony are
Biblical, spiritual terms.
