Part 8 (Mechanical instruments and authority)

In the beginning of this study the provided passages that clearly proves to us that we must walk by faith and that faith comes by hearing the Word of God (2 Corinthians 5:7 and Romans 10:17). The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God...

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

If we must "walk by faith" and if "without faith it is impossible to please" God, then it must be true that any act of worship, regardless of how small or great, must be by faith, in order to please God.

Let's look one more time at the unquestionable, absolute, and undeniable teaching of God's Word on what it means to "walk by faith". Paul, an inspired apostle, wrote that faith comes by hearing the word of God...

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

This makes it very clear that where there is no Word of God then there can be no faith. Therefore, where there is no Word of God on a given subject, there can be no faith. The Bible makes it very clear we are to "walk by faith"...

2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight

It can only be true that when the Word of God does not speak on any given matter, regardless of what it might be, and then we apply it in worship, then we are not walking by faith and we are not pleasing God.

How much clearer can it be that where there is no revelation by God on a subject, there can be no faith? There is no revelation in the Bible that mentions instruments used in worship under the new covenant, which we are to live and worship by today. It would only be an opinion to suggest that it is okay to use mechanical instruments in worship and opinions do not please God... only faith pleases God... "without faith it is impossible to please him..." We just cannot ignore this and try to use our own logic and reasoning to justify something that is not authorized by God.

Remember the story of Nicodemus mentioned earlier. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. We know this by faith because the Word of God tells us this. However, faith cannot tell us why he came by night because the Word of God does not tell us why. We can assume why he came by night, we can have 10 different rational reasons as to why, but it would only be opinions since the Word of God does not tell us why he came by night.

When God specifies something, all else is should be excluded. To understand this we look to how God has instructed certain people to do certain things...

Genesis 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

God specifically told Noah to build the ark out of gopher wood... not oak or pine. If Noah had prepared the ark from anything other than gopher wood he would not be walking by faith... the Scripture tells us...

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
By faith Noah prepared the ark... he had the word of God (God's very words) to instruct him. God did not have to tell Noah NOT to use oak or pine, or what not to do, because God authorized what to use and how to build it to start with.

Consider the story of Naaman...

2 Kings 5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
Naaman wanted to be healed... God used Elisha to deliver the message to Naaman. He did not have to tell him not to go to any of the other rivers because He gave specific instructions on which river he was to go to. He did not have to tell him to not dip 1 time, or 3 times, or 6 times, because He gave specific instructions that he was to dip 7 times.

We looked at a few examples earlier of how certain Biblical persons attempted to please God or do a good service to God that was forbidden or not commanded and it was rejected by God. Let's consider another one...

1 Samuel 15:1-3 Then Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"

Here we learn that the Lord used the prophet Samuel to deliver a message to Saul. The Lord commanded Saul to kill Amalek and destroy everything he had... EVERYTHING... plus kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. The Lord wanted nothing of Amalek's spared. But what did Saul do? Let's read...

1 Samuel 15:7-9 So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

Saul did not follow the Lord's commandment, he spared Agag and the best of the livestock. What was Saul thinking?

1 Samuel 15:13-15 Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD. But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed."

Saul was thinking that he was doing a great deed for the Lord by saving the best to sacrifice to Lord... he thought he had carried out the command of the Lord and only wanted to please the Lord. But what did the Lord have to say about this...

1 Samuel 15:10-11 Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands." And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all night.

Samuel further explained how Saul was in the wrong and Saul finally understood...

1 Samuel 15:22-24 Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king." Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.

Again we can clearly learn that God gives specific instructions on how we should do things... if He does not authorize it then it should not assume that it is okay, even if we feel like it would be pleasing to God.

I ask you, what music did God specify in the new covenant (New Testament), which we worship by today?

There are two kinds of music... instrumental (using instruments) and vocal. God knew there were instruments that could be used in worship because the Old Testament is filled with examples which He authorized. BUT, in the New Testament He specified what kind of music He wanted and it did not include mechanical instruments.

Let's consider a few passages...

Ephesians 5:19-20 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you with all richness and wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and singing to God with thankfulness in your hearts.

Here we have speaking to ourselves, singing to God with thankfulness in your heart, making melody in your heart to the Lord, teaching and admonishing one another.
God could have said making "music" (a generic term which can include instruments and singing), but He did not.

We are to "teach"... we cannot teach by playing an instrument... our vocal singing teaches and admonishes one another. We can entertain with instruments but we cannot teach.

Many people claim that "making melody" means to "pluck or to twang". However, a careful study of the Greek will help us understand what this phrase actually means. The Greek word is "psallo" and is found 5 times in the New Testament. Never is this word translated "pluck" or "play". The idea of "plucking" came from brick masons plucking their plumb line. This is the line that is stretched out to keep the brick lined up straight. The line is chalked and plucked to leave a mark for the masons to follow. Hence we have plucking of a string or line. "Psallo” was also used to describe the hunter plucking his bowstring to shoot an arrow. It was used to describe someone plucking their beard. However, psallo was never used in the New Testament to mean plucking an instrument. Greek scholars (148 of the finest) all agree and are very clear that this word evolved by New Testament times to refer only to singing... with the instrument being the heart. This should also be clear to us since our standard English translations of the Bible translate the word "psallo" as "singing" or "making melody in the heart". Furthermore, Paul instructs us to "psallo with our heart". Therefore, Paul has named the instrument we are to use... the "heart"... NOT a mechanical instrument. We make melody with the heart.

Others say that the ability to play mechanical instruments are a natural or God given talent and should be dedicated to God. They claim that if God gave them the ability to play an instrument that they should be able to use that ability to worship God. After all, what is the difference between this God given ability versus "speaking" and "singing" mentioned in Ephesians 5:19. The myth or misleading notion in this attempted argument is answered in the Bible. The Bible clearly specifies "speaking" and "singing" and does not specify "playing instruments". If we place instrumental music as a natural talent on par scripturally with speaking and singing, why didn't Paul specify it? If we allowed natural talent to be a principle of divine worship then we would not need the Bible... we could simply do what is "natural" in all of our worship. If instrumental music being a God given talent makes it okay in worship service, then does that not make any God given talent okay in worship, regardless of what it is... think about it... it's God given. Now think about all the talents that are God given... do we want to even go there... especially in our worship services? The Bible tells us to walk by faith and not by sight... faith is not credited to the dominion of natural things.

__________________
In Christ,
brother Sonnie

Jeremiah 6:16 Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'