Baal Worship and
Instrumental Music
Madison Church of Christ: Musical Seed Sown, Thistles of Discord Reaped as Planned.
An E-Mail:
To whomever, While surfing through the net I came across your site. I'm not 100% sure what your criticism of "new wine" and "wineskins" is all about, but if a little praise and rejoicing in the Holy Spirit annoys you, what do you think heaven will be like? Will it be filled with a bunch of somber, cardboard suited elders who are afraid to raise their voice in love? Or will it be a place of dead, dry hymns played on a worn out piano? I firmly believe that Jesus will purge out the dross and blather from marginal churches, but friend, don't condemn someone's worship as heretical until you've gone through the fire to get there. I love you and pray that God will soften your heart from fundamentalist legalism. --a former king james only fundamentalist.
I responded by explaining my understanding of the wineskin parable and I don't remember what else but I must have revealed enough for spiritual discernment to pass judgment upon me. Then, the next letter probably responds to my comments about Bible facts about a few of the Biblical usages of instrumental music. All of these are negative or, in the case of the Monarchy, God carrying out His conditional death sentence imposed at Mount Sinai.
The Book of Revelation uses instruments consistent with the understanding of those who would read it at that time. Musical instruments, especially the harp, were symbolic of dead people with no living responsibilities but who lived in the blissful spirit realm of the dead.
Among the living, God sent an angel to "preach the gospel." You may read all about harps in heaven but you may want to resume mature responsibilities among the living where Paul's operative word was "teach" or preach. Click for the story.
We have entitled this as Baal worship because under various names, the sun was worshiped in paganism and in Israel. He is still worshiped today. People even tried to worship Paul as Hermes or Mercury (Logos), the Lord of musical instruments and father of liars and thieves. The PostModern view is that John spoke of the Greek Logos and just "baptized" him as Christ as the Word or Logos.
I am taking time on this e-mail because it represents the common view of music in the Bible as spiritual rather than as Baal worship. However, proof-texting about music is based on one without patience to "read the rest of the story" which is often hidden from those who don't love the truth (Matthew 13). Whatever you believe and practice, you have no friend in God and His Word recommending music as a way to appease Him.
Steve's comments in Red, mine in black and other quotations in blue. Sorry about that Steve, but when I get started I try to add other things which might interest readers. You may want to skip down to the red text and then read as much Biblical quotations as you need to prove that, legalistic or not, I know about the music as worship issue and there simply is no "proof text" which will overcome the overwhelming evidence that music says to God, "Get lost, right now I am into body worship." Sure, even at Mount Sinai they claimed that they were worshiping Yahweh!
It is very important to know that while music has consumed most end-time religionists, the word MUSIC is not tranlsated in the Old or New Testament in relationship to worship. The Jews used "noise" to praise or "make themselves vile" while they performed the dangerous and horrifying act of animal sacrifices. In paganism, old or new, it was not "music" but an almost universal superstition that God could be ascended to, caused to descend, appeased, coerced into gift giving (demons do that) or even seduced sexually or threatened with being deposed in favor of a better deal.
Music is not a Biblical, spiritual word related to worship any more than sexual encounters with the "gods" was a Yahweh word. It simply isn't there. In pagan religion, music was a twice-removal from reality.
Strabo Geography [10.3.9] "But I must now investigate how it comes about that so many names have been used of one and the same thing, and the theological element contained in their history. Now this is common both to the Greeks and to the barbarians,
to perform their sacred rites in connection with the relaxation of a festival,
these rites being performed sometimes with religious frenzy, sometimes without it;
sometimes with music, sometimes not; and sometimes in secret, sometimes openly.
And it is in accordance with the dictates of nature that this should be so, for, in the
first place, the relaxation draws the mind away from human occupations and turns the real mind towards that which is divine; and,
secondly, the religious frenzy seems to afford a kind of divine inspiration and to be very like that of the soothsayer; and,
thirdly, the secrecy with which the sacred rites are concealed induces reverence for the divine, since it imitates the nature of the divine,which is to avoid being perceived by our human senses; and,
(The musical practices among the Levites were closely-held secrets even as musical ministers keep the profane out of their business.)
fourthly, music, which includes dancing as well as rhythm and melody,
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. Lu.15:25
at the same time, by the delight it affords and by its artistic beauty,
brings us in touch with the divine, and this for the following reason;
for although it has been well said that human beings then act most like the gods when they are doing good to others,yet one might better say, when they are happy; and such happiness consists of rejoicing, celebrating festivals, pursuing philosophy, and engaging in music;
for, if music is perverted when musicians turn their art to sensual delights at symposiums and in orchestric and scenic performances and the like, we should not lay the blame upon music itself, but should rather examine the nature of our system of education, since this is based on music.
"With the wine-drinking (which is the literal meaning of the Hebrew for feasting), went music and dancing." (Heaton, E. W., Everyday Life in Old Testament times, Scribners, p. 93)
See that not even in the vilest pagan temples could the singers, musicians or speakers enter into the Holy Place. This was a carnal and empty pattern of the body or church of Christ. They could not enter into this type of the church under the penalty of death.
Dear Ken,
I hope that you don't mind me calling you by your first name. I received your reply to my initial e-mail that I read with interest. There are some issues in your letter that I would like to point out to you from scripture, in agreement with the Bereans, "who searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11).
I disagree with your definition of legalism. Webster defines it, not yelling to get God's attention, but rather "a strict, literal or excessive conformity to the law or a religious or moral code", "that mixture of arid, and semantic pretentiousness that so often passes for statesmanship".
No problem, Steve. This sure beats being called "demon possessed" a whole lot.
I surely am a legalist in one sense: I try not to speed when my innards cry out to hurry. Legalism keeps me from jumping off my cliff or getting close to my stray dog wanting to lick me to death. I honor the law of gravity and the law of cause and effect. I even honor God's laws out of love: I do not make myself a legalist by striving NOT to obey God's commandments or crying out: "God didn't say 'don't do it'."
But, then I don't get paid, don't issue regulations for worship and don't respond to regulations not part of God's Will. So, I doubt that I could be called a legalist since I spend lots of time trying to teach the untaught about music as the most legalistic method known in history for trying to get God's attention or to appease Him so He doesn't hurt us. Spontaneous "praise" on the street corners is rare but it comes in mass-groups only after someone gets hold of your mind: music is a powerful tool to get you to worship a truly ugly, untalented boy/girl by spending your "tithes" at the CD shop.
I don't do much Bible study from Webster unless error is being taught by using Webster. I believe what I hear, and I look for the Mind of God by a thorough study of His Word. Increasingly this is defined as legalism. The overwhelming religious world is Narrative Theology based, which allows everyone to inspire their own scripture for their own time and place. Most sermons are narratives repudiating the "original" in favor of an "effective" rhetoric. And all songs presume to write better songs than the Holy Spirit.
In the Bible I believe that a legalist is someone who DOES something in the belief that they can contribute to their salvation or AID God in some way. The "musical worship teams" I read about claim that they can "lead you into the presence of God." Now, that usurps the role of Jesus Christ and I would say that was legalism.
Or, they sing silly, erotic praise songs claiming that "we gotta do anything to SAVE more souls." Isn't that legalism.
Or they don't obey the DIRECT COMMAND of Paul to TEACH or SPEAK the inspired Word or "that which is written" in Romans 15. They decide to SPEAK ON THEIR OWN. Now, Jesus said that this proves that the Jewish clergy were "sons of the Devil." Instead, they compose songs which KEEP UP WITH THE CULTURE. Isn't that DOING something for which God did not provide.
In ALL ancient paganism, MUSIC was identified as "prophesying" and is identified as the OLDEST profession. The practitioners of that law said that they could sing you into a charismatic state and the words which came out of his psalter or old wine skin [her familiar spirit] would be interpreted as the gods speaking to you. Doesn't that sound legal.
What is LEGALISTIC about following the approved example of Jesus, the direct command of Paul and the practice for hundreds of years of just SPEAKING the inspired poetic material in order to TEACH the Words of Christ which ARE Spirit and Life (John 6:63)? Why would it be LEGALISTIC to CAST OUT musical ministrels when Jesus comes into the HOUSE in order to heal our spirits? Jesus "cast out more or less violently" the musical ministrels who just barged in to do their RELIGIOUS act for the lost spirit with singing and playing instruments. The idea of PUT OUT or CAST OUT means like one casts out dung. Was Jesus a legalist.
Jesus refused to sing the lament and dance the Dionysus choral when the clergy piped? Was He a legalist when He refused to even speak to them without using a PARABLE so that they could not understand Him.
Was Jesus a legalist when he quoted the idea of both Isaiah and Ezekiel who equated MUSIC to mouth religion? In Ezekiel 33 the MARK is universally that of perverted religionism as was the "daring to dance" they tried on Jesus.
In Revelation 18:22 was Jesus Who is identified as the SPIRIT speaking to all of the churches legalistic when He through John gave us a MARK to identify the Babylon Whore worship which will cease for the FINAL time?
If you want to sing, dance, play instruments and MARK yourself, I have said nothing which indicates that I am going to try to FORCE you to stop. Then, how could that be legalistic. If I choose to assemble with a church which obeys the total understanding for 2,000 years that MUSIC destroys the ability to SCHOOL or SYNAGOGUE with Jesus Christ the only Teacher and the Truth the only textbook then why am I legalistic when all of the attenders have the freedom of choice.
If, on the other hand, someone brags about and SETS ABOUT to infiltrate and divert my assembly from a school of the Bible into a "theater for holy entertainment" then he is FORCING me to "get with it or get out." Is that legalism or even common criminal robbery?
Since I don't depend on subjective feelings in the nerve endings to detect God's presence and approval, I may know some things about the Bible that the "spiritual" do not know--and don't need to know if they get direct messages from God.
I don't know God in that way. Perhaps, I am really a goner because He surely doesn't speak to me. Perhaps, He thinks that by personally coming into the world as Lord Jesus Christ to die and to deliver His Word directly from heaven that I might be mature enough to handle truth without being a prophet or legalistically demanding a personal visit. I just know that God can express Himself very well without a tune or harp. He is never, like most pagan gods, an instrument-playing God.
Ken, I ask you --- is God nervous? There are several places in scripture where "a loud voice" is used to praise God. Try looking at 2 Chronicles 20:19 and Luke 19:37 for a couple of examples. There most certainly is a time for reverent quietness in God's presence, but He also commands us to "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth; make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise" (Psalm 98:4).
No, Steve, but God is not deaf. However, Baal worship with instrumental music thought so.
And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high. 2 Chron 20:19
The word "loud" (h1419 Gadowl) is most often translated as more noble or of great matter or doing a great work.
Furthermore, the "praise" was a unique form of praise "like the nation's" praise:
Halal (h1984) haw-lal'; a prim. root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causat. to celebrate; also to stultify: - (make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool (- ish, -ly), glory, give [light], be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, [sing, be worthy of] praise, rage, renowned, shine.
You see, once Israel lost contact with God in a spiritual sense, and they adopted "like the nation's" worship, they automatically accepted the still-believed superstition that God cannot punish the insane. Therefore, if a David can try to be rescued by the Philistines and he "drums" upon the door and lets "slaver" run down his beard, the belief was that he had to be protected. However, the Philistines had enough mad men or prophets.
This was part of a "like the nations" civil state by a people who rejected God and wanted to imitate the "nations" and all of the nations used music to control the little people. God permitted them to do that.
Even furthermore, the Levites were uniquely given this responsibility. Not even Jews not of the tribe of Levi could ever perform that kind of praise which went with the "like the nation's" praise which was allowed for the Temple state after God was fired in favor of a king "like the nations" so that they could "worship like the nations."
Israel fell from grace and backslid at Mount Sinai. That didn't end until Jesus came to be a "prophet like Moses" and finish the WORK Israel was forced to do because of transgression.
The Monarchy period under kings was carrying out God's sentence at Mount Sinai when Israel's "idolatry of nationhood" caused God to turn them over to worship the same Baal-like gods He had permitted in the Wilderness.
At Mount Sinai, Israel "rose up to play." This includes trying to worship Spiritual Jehovah with instruments as they had always worshiped Osiris under the golden calf in Egypt. Instrumental music is inherent in the word "play" but one dictionary notes:
"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).
For this "transgression" Israel lost the Covenant, was given the Law, and was given the Levites and Priests to stand between the people (now called strangers) to keep them from "coming boldly before the throne of Grace." When the temple was built the Levites keep the people's "congregation" out of the temple where the music accompanying animal sacrifices was taking place.
God "turned them over" to star worship defined by the musical "praise" in Amos 5, 6 and 8, and by Stephen in Acts 7 and many other places.
Even Furthermore, furthermore, the Levites could not go into the holy place where we now meet God in a place "in spirit" which has room for only one priest and God at one time. The temple of God is now our mind or spirit.
Alfred Edersheim does a good job of summarizing the Bible practices. Only "burden bearers" were permitted in the temple worship with instruments. The people were represented by "stationary men" or representatives of each tribe. If you use the Temple as authority, you must let the women and children remain at home and send only one representive from each community or county to the "state" meeting.
There was no praise service or "ritual" in the Synagogue. Assuredly individuals praised God many times but for the Jewish or Christian people this was never a people's ritual. After Jesus died to replace animal sacrifices the Jews understood that playing instruments in some kind of ritual would be unlawful. They held that position until AD 1815. Why would we want to fall back under a system of law now that we are freed?
I don't see anywhere in scripture where it tells me to get drunk in the spirit, but Paul exhorts me to keep being filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). If He wants to make me laugh or rejoice or run in praise to God, so be it.
I am not writing about what God may want me to do. I am only concerned with trying to grasp truth which has been "taken away" by ritual even as Jesus warned during His time in the body.
Paul put the emphasis upon "teaching" with "singing" and internal melody as the result. Our spirits "sing" when we let God do the talking.
If we ignore Paul and make "singing" the operative word then we will always replace Spirit or the Word of Christ with sentimental, yea even erotic, love songs to God. At Sinai and in Israel condemned by Amos, we "take away the key to knowledge" because that is our goal.
Ephesians is often interpreted to mean that we are "drunk in the Spirit." The Vineyard movement which drives all of the modern praise songs teaches that and insist that, like in ancient paganism, "praise singing is sexual." This is consistent with what Paul warned against as people got drunk on gasses or wine or charismatic music and believed that the gods spoke to them.
"Let your songs be," Church of England scholars Conybeare and Howson observe in their commentary on this passage, "not the drinking songs of heathen feasts, but psalms and hymns; and their accompaniment, not the music of the lyre, but the melody of the heart" (Brownlow, Leroy, 1945, p. 181)
Jesus said, "My Word is Spirit and Truth" (John 6:63). And in Colossians 3:16 Paul replaces the "spirit" with "the word of Christ."
After telling the Roman once Orphic, vegetarian, musical worshipers how to get along with the Dionysic meat-eating, wine-drinking, musical worshipers, Paul actually commanded:
WE then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1
Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. Romans 15: 2
For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. Romans 15: 3
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15: 4
Edification means LEARNING. Using music you shut down the learning centers and appeal directly to the emotional, pleasure centers. That is why music and sexuality have always been TWINS.
Aedificatio, I. Abstr., the act of building, a building or constructing. II. Concr., a building, a structure, edifice,
III. Figurative, building up, instructing, edification. Absolute: loquitur ad Aedificationem Ecclesiae, Vulg. 1 Cor. 14, 12 ; ib. Eph. 4, 12.
Loquor a. [Sanscr. lap-, to talk, whisper; Gr. lak-, elakon, laskô], to speak, talk, say (in the language of common life, in the tone of conversation; cf. Quint. 9, 4, 10; 11, 3, 45).
B. Act. 1. To speak out, to say, tell, talk about, mention, utter, name, declare, show, indicate or express clearly
MESSENIO By my troth, young man, prithee, tell me your name, unless it's disagreable.
Ecclesia ekklêsia, an assembly of the (Greek) people.
The ekklesia in a legal sense was like a county court. They heard evidence and made legal decisions. If a flute player tried to PERFORM they would cast him out as an ignorant pervert.
Similar Greek to Loquor
Agoreuô ( [agora] ) speak in the assembly, who wishes to address the house?
2. generally, speak, say,
3. proclaim, to have it proclaimed that . . , a. the law declares,
4. Pass., to be delivered
Did you hear Paul? Did Paul say that "that which was written yesterday was written for our MUSIC?" Why of course not. Wouldn't it be an insult to God in Christ to make music out of my silly songs when we have that body of poetic literature which the Spirit of Christ composed (1 Pet 1:11) for our LEARNING. We can LEARN about bashing out the heads of little babies to the beat of a harp. However, we cannot SING it as a direct command.
Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: Romans 15: 5
That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15: 6
David tells me in Psalm 150:4 to "praise Him (God) with stringed instruments. He also tells us to "clap your hands, all ye peoples; shout unto God with the voice of triumph " (Psalm 47:1). David also tells me "to lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD" (Psalm 134:2). Ken, these aren't "artificial stimulations" as you call them, but rather the commands of God.
You have my permission. You can even offer animal sacrifices, play instruments and strip off naked and have lots of food as an imitation of the "rising up to play" in musical idolatry at Mount Sinai. That is what David did because He was estranged from God.
David was not a priest and not remotely a religious leader. He was not inspired and did not prescribe religious ritual for Israel. You remember that when they tried to move the Ark of the Covenant the first time, no one had any remote idea of what the Law said. David had estranged himself from God so that he was so full of fear that he could never go to Gibeon again in order to inquire of God on God's term. God gave him permission to move the ark based on a concession according to Stephen in Acts 7. You should remember that God permitted the trumpets for calling camp moves or for panicking the enemy, but they were outlawed for the congregation (in the word "alarm.") Numbers 10:7.
When instruments were ordained for the Temple-state during David's lifetime, the musicians were under the king and the "commanders of the army." Thereafter, there is always a distinction between the trumpets of God in the hands of the priests, and the "instruments of David" in the hands of the Levites for the civil part of rituals. Again, the common people never "sang with instrumental accompaniment" under the Law or under the synagogue system or in the church.
Next, this psalm mentions instruments not allowed in the Temple and, again, the temple ritual was for the civil state and not for the non-military aged men and never for women. Because this is true and because David said that everything "with breath" should praise God many scholars see the instruments as allegorical something like "let the trees clap their hands or praise God." The "organ" was considered an obscene thing (several pipes or flutes collected). I have some other short notes on Psalm 150 here.
In the Intertestament Period witnessed by the Dead Sea Scrolls we have musical instruments reserved for the civil state in connection with warfare and instruments were allegorized by the lips and hearts for personal praise to God. The people had very clear signals attached to "instruments" and you had better not be caught blowing on your little trumpet in the middle of warfare.
I have posted a table here. This shows that the usual practice for singing psalms used the first instrument of choice: the human voice. Other uses of instruments are not for collective "worship services."
As far as Elijah "being under attack" from the false prophets of Jezebel, where is this in scripture? In 1 Kings 18:20-29, the false prophets are crying to false gods that can't answer them. Your reference to this just isn't there.
If you look up the meaning of
various words you will discover that they were performing the usual
musical dance to Baal. Because Baal never seemed to come, as God
doesn't answer the commands of praise songs, they got so frantic (as
did David) that they did the "cow-throwing calf" dance and even
wounded themselves to shed blood.
Remember that Stephen warned the Jews of what the Old Testament made clear: when they rose up to "play" at Mount Sinai this was the worship of the starry host. The Jewish Encyclopedia affirms that Jerusalem--a Jebusite High Place already devoted to Sabazianism--was the center of Star worship.
The Egyptian trinity was represented by the golden Calf and the real Apis bull was birthed as a cow gives birth to a calf.
The round or circle dance--like most dances--was miming something in nature which the wordshipped. The circle dance was also imitation of the circling but wandering nature of the Sun, Moon and known planets.
Secondly, the Psalms were often warrior chants used to intimidate the enemy.
Psalm 149:3Let them praiseH1984 his nameH8034 in the danceH4234: let them singH2167 praises unto him with the timbrelH8596 and harpH3658.
Psalm 149:6Let the highH7319 praises of GodH410 be in their mouthH1627, and a twoedgedH6374 swordH2719 in their handH3027;
7To executeH6213 vengeanceH5360 upon the heathenH1471, and punishmentsH5771 upon the peopleH3816;
H4234 mâchôl maw-khole' From H2342 ; a (round) dance:—dance (-cing).
H2342 chûl chı̂yl khool, kheel A primitive root; properly to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), that is, (specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear; figuratively to wait, to pervert:—bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake, shapen, (be) sorrow (-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded.
1Kings 4:30 And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
1Kings 4:31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.
H4235 mâchôl maw-khole' The same as H4234 ; dancing; Machol, an Israelite:—Mahol.
[31] et erat sapientior cunctis hominibus sapientior Aethan Ezraita et Heman et Chalcal et Dorda filiis Maol et erat nominatus in universis gentibus per circuitum
Of David's Dance:
saltātor , ōris, m. salto,
I. a dancer (generally among the Romans with an accessory contemptuous signif.), Cic. Off. 1, 42, 150; id. Mur. 6, 13; id. Deiot. 10, 28; id. Fin. 3, 7, 24; Quint. 1, 12, 14; 11, 3, 89; Suet. Calig. 54; id. Ner. 6; Macr. S. 2, 10 al.
> "From (the Uraritic text) come references to a class of Temple personnel designated by the term serim, who exercised functions similar to those of the Hebrew singers during the monarchy and later times. Some of the servants of David who were designated in 1 Kings 4:31 by (a) term meaning 'aboriginal' or 'native sons,' and who possessed Canaanite names such as Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, were engaged in various forms of musical activity. As such they were described by the phrase 'sons of Mahol,' a Hebrew term closely related to (melpō )
[also] used of a semi-circular area in which the Greek chorus danced, and meaning 'members of the orchestral guild.' A further reflection of this musical interest became apparent when Megiddo was excavated and the treasure room of the royal palace was uncovered. From this area was recovered a plaque inlaid with ivory, depicting a royal personage seated on a throne. He was drinking from a small bowl, and was being entertained by a court musician who stood before him plucking the strings of a lyre." (Harrison, R. K., Introduction to the Old Testament, Eerdmans, p. 335, see p. 411).
"Today, this music and dance festival is understood as the one remnant of the old Canaanite fertility rituals, which, in the monotheistic pseudomorphosis of the temple ceremonies, was to ensure an abundant crop of plants, animals, and even human beings." (Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, p. 463
"The instruments were used as worship to God and to give glory and elat to the earthly kingdom. They were tolerated by God as were many other things during this period, that he did not approve. The establishment of the kingdom itself was an act of rebellion against God" (David Lipscomb, Queries and Answers, pp. 226, 227, and Gospel Advocate, 1899, pp. 376, 377).
None of the Levites who had been given the role of executingn 3,000 of their brethren for engaging in musical idolatry could enter the Holy Place somewhat typical of the Church without getting executed. God through Moses then commanded that they "stand in ranks" during animal sacrifices to make certain that a non-Levi person could even come near the animal slaughter which Christ says in the prophets that God did not command. Any Levite singer or instrument player who went NEAR any holy thing or INTO any holy place was to be executed. When they prophesied with musical instruments the were SOOTHSAYERS with instrumental accompaniment. John in Revelation 18 calls them Sorcerers.
All pagan practices seemed to have originated in Babylon. Therefore, Enki or Ea, was patron god of music. Enlil was "the holy spirit" of Babylon and:
At that time, Enlil rebuilt his great sanctuaries into small reed (?) sanctuaries and from east to west he reduced their storehouses. The old women who survived those days, the old men who survived those days
and the chief lamentation singer who survived those years set up seven balaj drums, as if they stood at the horizon, and together with ub , meze, and lilis (some mss. have instead: cem, and lilis) (1 ms. has instead: and bronze cem) drums made them resound to Enlil like Ickur (god of storms) for seven days and seven nights.
The old women did not restrain the cry "Alas for my city!". The old men did not restrain the cry "Alas for its people!". The lamentation singer did not restrain the cry "Alas for the E-kur !".
Its young women did not restrain from tearing their hair.
........Its young men did not restrain from sharpening their knives.Their laments were as if Enlil's ancestors were performing a lament
........ in the awe-inspiring Holy Mound
........ by the holy knees of Enlil .
........ ........ Because of this, Enlil entered his holy bedchamber and lay down fasting.
"Among these pupils is found to much greater extent than among the teachers a certain ecstatic feature. They arouse their feelings through music and induce a frantic condition which also affects others in the same way, in which state they 'prophesy' and, throwing off their garments, fall to the ground. In later times too we find traces of such ecstatic phenomena. Thus e.g. in Zech 13:6; 1 Ki. 20:37-38, the 'wounds' on the breast or on the forehead recall the self-mutilation of the priests of Baal (1 Ki. 18:28). The deeds, suggestive of what the dervishes of our own day do, probably were phenomena quite similar to the action of the prophets of the surrounding tribes" (Int Std Bible Ency., Prophecy, p. 2462)
"This is how Apuleius describes the cortege of the Syrian goddess '...they began to howl all out of tune and hurl themselves hither and thither, as though they were mad. They made a thousand gestures with their feet and their heads; they would bend down their necks and spin round so that their hair flew out in a circle; they would bite their own flesh; finally, every one took his two-edged weapon and wounded his arms in divers places." (de Vaux, p. 242)
For instance, In the Hymn in Praise of Enki's Temple Esira at Eridu:
- When one bends the knee in his holy temple
- may the harp, algar, drum, algarsurra,
- har-har, sabitum, miritum,
- instruments of sweet entreaty and humble imploring
- which fill the temple,
- accompany the entreaty in its splendor.
- Enki's holy algar has [always] sung to him in splendor.
- The seven musical instruments indeed
- [always] accompanied [the temple's] entreaty!
Again, these words occur:
"In reverence commanded in the forecourt the seven musical instruments are played and the ceremonies of exorcism are undertaken. (Quasten, Johannes, Music and Worship in Pagan and Christian Antiquity, p. 17-18)
Martin Luther (1483-1546), founder of Lutheran Church: "The organ in public worship services is a sign of Baal." Realencyklopadie fur Protestamtische Thelogie and Kirche, Bd.14. S. 433. As furnished James B. Bales a native German, and cited by Bales, (Instrumental Music and New Testament Worship [1973], p.130.) NOTE: others have translated as "ensign" where Reichel has "Sign," but each word is sometimes used equivalent of the other.) Baal worship with instrumental music was continued but under different names.
Topheth in connection with instrumental music in worship occurs in two places in a striking comparison. In verse 32 it is tambourines or tabrets in the King James Version. In verse 33 it is Topheth. The tabrets with which Satan came equipped are a symbol of punishment and the almost identical word, topheth, is the place which came to stand for hell. He would go into the same place and his viols would go with him. Baal worship with instruments even while burning children was always to get a better revelation that Jehovah had given.
"The Hebrew words are nearly identical; and Tophet was probably the king's 'music grove' or garden, denoting originally nothing evil or hateful. Afterwards it was defiled by idols, and polluted by the sacrifices of Baal and the fires of Molech. Then it became the place of abomination, the very gate or pit of hell." (Smith, p. 960)
"Once the music-grove, where Solomon's singers, with voice and instrument, regaled the king, the court and the city; then the temple of Baal, the high place of Moloch, resounding with the cries of burning infants; then (in symbol) the place where is the wailing and gnashing of teeth." (p. 3313-14, four-volume Smith).
"Sometimes he was represented as a horrible idol with fire burning inside so that what was placed in his arms was consumed. In the above illustration, a heathen priest has taken a baby from its mother to be offered to Molech.
Lest the parents should relent, a loud noise was to hide the screams The word for drums is tophim from which the word 'Tophet,' the place mentioned in verses such as Jeremiah 7:31:
''They have built the high place of Tophet... to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire. While drums sounded, bands played, and priests chanted, human sacrifices were devoured in the flames." (Woodrow, Ralph, Babylon Mystery Religion, p. 72-73).
If you want to know all of the ugly details about Baal worship and musical instrument among the prophets of Asherah and Baal under Jezebel the Phoenician (Tyrian), you have to read the material and see the inscriptions. The worship of Baal was demonstrated in Amos where they held the "marzeah" which was a feast with and for the dead:
such as should never women see, a goblet
such as/which should never `Athirat set her eye on; a thousand
pitchers he takes of (new autumn) wine,
ten thousand he mixes in - his the mixing bowl to be mixed in ten thousand portions.
........ While he is mixing it,
........ One does rise, one chants and sings,
........ cymbals in the hands of the minstrel;
........ ........ sings the youngster with a sweet voice
........ ........ over Baal in the HeightsAthirat is "Asherah, the Tree of Life. It is clear that Paul knew more about Eve than modern feminist theologians. Jesus warned that truth had been hidden in parables from the foundation of the world. This would veil the truth from the "generation of vipers" who would use the mysteries to help defeat Jesus Christ and the true source of life.
Even from birth the wicked go astray (adulterers, profane); from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Psa 58:3
Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears Psa 58:4
(Venom in the second instance is the plural of Chauwah, life-giver or Eve, the first woman. She is ZOE, the female instructing principle.)Chauwowth yaiyr (h2334) khav-vothe' yaw-eer'; from the plur. of 2332 and a modification of 3265; hamlets of Jair, a region of Pal.: - [Bashan-] Havoth-jair. [Jaare-oregim'
veneficusa poisoner, sorcerer, wizard; sorceress, witch,
"She is called Dat ba'thani, Lady of the Serpent. Another name of ´Asherah in the first millennium BCE is Chawat, which is Hawah in Hebrew and Eve in English. Her full title is Rabat Chawat ´Elat, Great Lady Eve the Goddess, and is associated with the serpent. Thus, Chawa/ Eve (ZOE) is probably a form of´Asherah as a Serpent Goddess. As a snake goddess, She was also represented by bronze serpent forms, examples of which have been found in archaeological excavations in the Levant. In fact the Nehush-tan, literally the Bronze Serpent which is associated with Moses, is much more likely an emblem of Asherah. It too was removed from the Jerusalem temple the same time as the asherah objects."Baal is the god most actively worshipped in Canaan and Phoenicia, the Storm God, source of the winter rain storms, spring mist, and summer dew which nourish the crops. Therefore He is considered responsible for fecundity, particularly of the Earth, for the growth of vegetation, and for the maintenance of life. None the less, He is NOT a god of vegetation. While the word "ba`al" means simply "master" or "owner," He is considered a prince. Among His other epithets are Rider of the Clouds, Prince, Master of the Earth ( c.f. the Qabalistic phrase Melek ha´Aretz, King of the Earth). Ba`al is an executive force, dynamic, and able to accomplish what He sets out to do. Ba`al is often depicted striding forward, wearing a horned helmet and short wrap kilt, carrying a mace and spear or lightning-bolt staff. Another of His names is Re`ammin, meaning Thunderer. He is also called ´Aleyin, meaning "Most High," "Mightiest," "Most Powerful," or "Supreme," which some scholars have misinterpreted as the name of a son of Ba`al. As a weather god, His home is in the Heights of Tsaphon, Mount of the North. Remnants of His worship survive in the Jewish prayerbook in late spring prayers for dew and late fall prayers for rain."
Baal is the son of Dagan/Dagnu and Samson was forced to "rise up and play" in the same form which judged Israel at Mount Sinai.
