A People for His Name

Learning from Supernaturally Directed Creation and Soundings of Musical Instruments

November 11, 2024 — Leave a comment

God directed the Israelites to make two trumpets—this, therefore, was not independent cultural musical activity. Furthermore, God determined what the trumpets would be made of (silver) and how they were to be made (“of a whole piece shalt thou make them”):

Numbers 10:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.

God also specified how the trumpets were to be used through distinctively different soundings of them:

Blowing both trumpets but not sounding an alarm to assemble all the assembly:

Numbers 10:3 And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Numbers 10:7 But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm. 8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.

Blowing only one trumpet to gather only the princes:

Numbers 10:4 And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.

Blowing an alarm to direct the camps to move in specified ways:

Numbers 10:5 When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward. 6 When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

Blowing an alarm when going to war:

Numbers 10:9 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

Blowing the trumpets over certain sacrifices on certain days:

Numbers 10:10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.

Discussion

This passage plainly teaches us that certain human beings (the Israelites) made two musical instruments (two silver trumpets) and engaged in certain musical activities (the soundings of the silver trumpets) such that all their activities with those instruments were supernaturally directed—this was not independent human musical activity that was culturally based.

Moreover, their heeding that entirely supernatural direction included at least two distinctively different soundings of those instruments: blowing an alarm versus blowing that was not the blowing of an alarm.

Conclusion

We, therefore, can say with certainty that the Bible does not teach that all musical activities of all people of all time have all been culturally determined. Rather, some of those musical activities have been supernaturally directed in both the making of the instrument or instruments used and the soundings of the instrument or instruments.

In Exposition, Interpretation, Music, Theology

“Why Human Skull Drums Matter”

October 31, 2024 — Leave a comment

I posted the following today on Sharper Iron:

Why human skull drums matter

Skull drums matter because of key realities that they reveal, including the following:

1. We do not have any evidence that skull drums created themselves, evolved on their own, magically appeared on earth, or fell out of heaven.

Neither God nor holy angels nor righteous prophets or apostles or people made them. Someone had to make them. Who, then, made them, and what does their making them reveal? What does the existence of human skull drums teach us?

2. God made human skulls to be what they are. He did not make them to be used as percussion instruments in any manner in any musical activities.

Furthermore, skull drums are not made just from human skulls–they are made from one or more additional materials combined with something good that God made (human skulls).

What does that prove about what evil entities can make from one or more things that were in and of themselves good things that were made by God?

3. Any and all musical uses of drums made from human skulls is perverse musical activity that is totally and unchangeably unacceptable to God. What does God want righteous people to do concerning all musical activities done with drums made from human skulls?

In Music, Theology

Be sober, be vigilant!

October 28, 2024 — Leave a comment

Suppose that you were to receive an emergency call on your phone warning you not to go outside because there is a ferocious lion that is on the loose in your city. The lion has already devoured several people in the city.

How careful would you be in such circumstances? Would you not do everything possible to keep your kids away from the places where the lion has been reported to have been prowling?

Friends, we all are in a situation that is far, far worse and more dangerous than the hypothetical scenario that I have presented above:

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Supernatural evil is a fearful reality in our world! We must stay as far away from such evil as we possibly can. We must not allow such evil to have access into our minds, homes, and lives.

Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

In Discipleship, Exhortation

Profiting Fully from the Doctrinal Importance of Narratives: Hebrews 11:1-12:1

October 16, 2024

To profit fully from Scripture, we must understand correctly the doctrinal importance of narratives. To that end, we must remember that the chapter divisions and verse divisions in Scripture are not inspired by God.

Hebrews 11:1-12:1 is an important example of this truth. If we do not connect Hebrews 12:1 to all that is in Hebrews 11, we will miss vital truth that God has given us for our profit.

To understand why this is true, note especially how Hebrews 12:1 connects with 11:32-40 (and all that precedes it in Hebrews 11) through the word “wherefore” at the beginning of 12:1:

Hebrews 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Here, the inspired writer of the book of Hebrews issues two prescriptive mutual exhortations that instruct us that we must profit in our own lives from what God has given us in all of Hebrews 11.

To the extent that we do not profit from the vital connection between Hebrews 12:1 and Hebrews 11:1-40, we will not be fully the holy brethren that we should be.

It is a great mistake to take the position that only what is explicitly stated in the NT (or even in the rest of Scripture) is what matters for us. Rather, this passage vitally teaches us that we must profit from the numerous narrative passages in the OT that God has given us in Scripture, especially all the passages about the prophets who spoke and lived faithfully for God (Heb. 11:32).

What’s more, the writer of Hebrews explicitly tells us that he had much more to say than what he did explicitly talk about in Hebrews 11:

Hebrews 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets.

Because he said this, we have full biblical warrant to give close attention to the biblical accounts of all those who are mentioned in Hebrews 11:32 to learn what more the writer of Hebrews would have taught us about faith and other closely related truths had he had the time to talk about those truths in Hebrews 11.

Conclusion

We must not allow unsound doctrine about the doctrinal importance of narratives to deprive us of the full profit that the Spirit wants us to receive from them!

In Exposition, Interpretation, Theology

Christian Obligation to Approve Excellent Instrumental Music

October 7, 2024

Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

God has plainly instructed us that we have a Christian obligation to discerningly approve things that are excellent. Without any biblical warrant, some hold that this teaching does not apply to the instrumental music choices of God’s people.

The Bible does not in any way support this faulty teaching that excludes instrumental music choices from the scope of our necessary obligation to approve things that are excellent.

In Discipleship, Interpretation, Music

What “A New Song” Does Not Mean in Scripture

September 25, 2024

Scripture speaks of “a new song” in 9 verses:

Ps. 33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

Ps. 40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Ps. 96:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.

Ps. 98:1 <A Psalm.> O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

Ps. 144:9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.

Ps. 149:1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

Isa. 42:10 Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

Rev. 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Rev. 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

A careful examination of these verses reveals the following points, which may be truths from the passages that many believers have not understood:

1. In all 9 passages, “song” is a noun modified by the adjective “new.” That adjective is not modifying anything else other than song in any of the passages.

2. Moreover, in 8 of the 9 passages, “song” is the direct object of forms of the verb “sing.”

3, “Song” is never the object of a verb signifying the playing of an instrument, and “new” in the 2 passages where instruments are explicitly mentioned is never an adverb modifying another word that has to do with the playing of an instrument.

4. Yes, 2 of the passages mention the use of musical instruments, but holding that the adjective “new” in those passages extends to the playing of those instruments as well as the song is not what the passages say.

5. None of the 9 passages says anything directly about the use of new kinds of instrumental music, the use of new instruments, etc. None of those passages requires us to hold that there must be a continual newness to our playing of musical instruments.

Conclusion

When the Bible speaks of “a new song,” the adjective “new” does not itself directly speak about anything to do with the use of musical instruments or instrumental music in ways that are continually new.

In Interpretation, Music, Theology

Habakkuk 3:19 and The Primacy of Stringed Instruments in Scripture

September 14, 2024

Habakkuk 3:17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

The Spirit ended this inspired book of the Bible with explicit direction from a prophet to the chief singer that directs the chief singer only about the use of stringed instruments! No other kinds of instruments ever receive this kind of divine emphasis in Scripture through an exclusive mention of them in a book of the Bible!

Habakkuk 3:19 is yet another passage in Scripture that teaches us about the primacy of stringed instruments!

In Interpretation, Music

¿Sabes qué es un secreto?

September 3, 2024

¿Sabes qué es un secreto? Un secreto es algo que muchas personas creen que está oculto y que sólo ellos saben o que mucha gente no sabe.

Pero la Biblia dice que eso no es cierto.

Jeremías 23:23 ¿Soy yo Dios de cerca solamente, dice Jehová, y no Dios desde muy lejos? 24 ¿Se ocultará alguno, dice Jehová, en escondrijos que yo no lo vea? ¿No lleno yo, dice Jehová, el cielo y la tierra?

Amigos, Dios ha establecido un día en que juzgará por Jesucristo los secretos de los hombres, conforme al evangelio. (compara Rom. 2:16)

Él quiere que huyas de la ira venidera. ¡Sé salvo hoy arrepintiéndote para con Dios y creyendo que Él ha resucitado a Jesús de entre los muertos y le ha dado gloria para que nuestra fe y esperanza sean en Dios! (compara Hechos 20:21, 1 Ped. 1:21)

In Evangelism, Spanish

Singing through the Psalms Project

August 20, 2024

Last night, I started doing something that I have thought about doing for a while. I am going to try singing through all the Psalms in order.

I am not going to use any hymnals or psalters, etc. in my singing. I may or may not try accompanying myself on the guitar by playing whatever suits my fancy and sounds ok to me.

As long as I say the words properly so that they are understandable and use differing pitches and rhythms, can anyone validly say that what I am doing is not singing that pleases God?

After all, God has not provided any inspired melodies or any specific musicological information about what I am supposed to be doing when I sing as long as I sing the words that He has inspired and do so by varying the pitches and rhythms.

Do you agree or disagree with this approach?

Based on what the Bible has revealed, does it really matter to God how I sing His inspired words as long as I am sincerely trying to sing to Him and He is the only one who will hear my singing?

In Music

The Primacy of Stringed Instruments in the Book of Psalms

August 17, 2024

Musical instruments or terms having specifically to do with them are mentioned explicitly in the Psalms at least 49 times.^a An examination of these occurrences reveals that the Spirit has stressed the importance of stringed instruments above that of both wind instruments and percussion instruments.

Stringed Instruments

Stringed	Mentions	Verses	Psalms	Commands
Harp	14 (33:2; 43:4; 49:4; 57:8; 71:22c; 81:2c; 92:3c; 98:5 (2x); 108:2; 137:2; 147:7; 149:3; 150:3b)	13	13	6 (33:2a; 81:2c; 98:5; 147:7; 149:3; 150:3b)
Psaltery	8 (33:2b; 57:8; 71:22a; 81:2c; 92:3b; 108:2; 144:9; 150:3b)	8	8	3 (33:2b; 81:2c; 150:3b)
“Instrument of ten strings”	3 (33:2b; 92:3a; 144:9)	3	3	1 (33:2b)
“Stringed instruments”	1 (150:4b)	1	1	1 (150:4b)
“Neginoth”	6 (4:1; 6:1; 54:1; 55:1; 67:1; 76:1)	6	6
“Sheminith”	2 (6:1; 12:1)	2	2
“Neginah”	1 (61:1)	1	1
“Play skillfully”	1 (33:3)	1	1	1 (33:3)
“Players on instruments”	1 (68:25b)	1	1
Total	37^b	25^b,^c	23^b,^c	9^c

Wind Instruments

Wind	Mentions	Verses	Psalms	Commands
Trumpet	4 (47:5; 81:3; 98:6; 150:3a)	4	4	3 (81:3; 98:6; 150:3a)
“Cornet”	1 (98:6)	1	1	1 (98:6)
“Organs”	1 (150:4b)	1	1	1 (150:4b)
Total	6^d	5^c	4^c	4^c

Percussion Instruments

Percussion	Mentions	Verses	Psalms	Commands
Timbrels	4 (68:25c; 81:2b; 149:3; 150:4a)	4	4	3 (81:2b; 149:3; 150:4a)
“Loud cymbals”	1 (150:5a)	1	1	1 (150:5a)
“High sounding cymbals”	1 (150:5b)	1	1	1 (150:5b)
Total	6	5^c	4^c	5^c

Discussion

The data about musical instruments in the Psalms shows that stringed instruments (or terms specifically pertaining to them) are mentioned more than three times as often (37 times) in the Psalms as are wind instruments and percussion instruments combined (12 times). Information about stringed instruments is mentioned in more than three times the number of verses in the Psalms (25 verses) than is information about wind instruments and percussion instruments combined (8 verses).

Moreover, stringed instruments (and other information about them) are mentioned in more than three times the number of Psalms (23 Psalms) than wind instruments and percussion instruments are (6 Psalms). Strikingly, nine Psalms mention only stringed instruments (Ps. 33, 43, 49, 71, 92, 108, 137, 144, 147), but only one Psalm mentions only a wind instrument (Ps. 47), and no Psalm mentions only percussion instruments.

The Psalms also reveal that God has commanded the use of stringed instruments nine times in the Psalms, which equals the total number of commands for the use of wind instruments and percussion instruments. Six Psalms have commands for the use of string instruments (Ps. 33, 81, 98, 147, 149, 150), while commands for the use of either wind or percussion instruments are found in four Psalms (Ps. 81, 98, 149, 150).

Another facet of the greater importance of stringed instruments in the Psalms directly pertains to corporate worship in a distinctive way. Of the 55 Psalms that the Spirit inspired to be directed explicitly to the chief musician, eight have explicit mentions of stringed instruments or terms pertaining specifically to them at the beginning of the Psalm (Ps. 4:1; 6:1; 12:1; 54:1; 55:1; 61:1; 67:1; 76:1).

Four other Psalms explicitly have content about stringed instruments, but their content is later in the Psalm (Ps. 49:4; 57:8; 68:25; 81:2). The Spirit, therefore, has inspired explicit mentions of information about stringed instruments in 12 such Psalms!

By striking contrast, none of the 55 Psalms explicitly directed to the chief musician have content about wind or percussion instruments at the beginning of the Psalm. Three of the 55 Psalms do have later content in them about wind (Ps. 47:5; 81:3) and percussion instruments (Ps. 68:25; 81:2).

The Spirit has thus inspired content about stringed instruments in four times as many such Psalms (12 total) compared to content about wind or percussion instruments (3 total for both wind and percussion instruments)! This far greater proportion stresses the comparative importance of stringed instruments above wind and percussion instruments.

These facts about what the Spirit has revealed about musical instruments through the Psalms plainly teach us that stringed instruments are far more important than are either wind instruments or percussion instruments. The primacy of stringed instruments in the Psalms therefore is undeniable.

Application

Musically conservative brethren who choose to use wind and percussion instruments only sparingly and in limited ways in their corporate worship have full biblical justification to do so. The biblical data in Psalms does not necessitate that either wind instruments or percussion instruments are to be used prominently in corporate worship.

Moreover, churches that cite the mentions and commands in the Psalms concerning percussion instruments to justify the use of rhythmically dominant music in their corporate worship would do well to consider whether what they are doing in their corporate worship properly accords with what the Psalms teach us about the primacy of stringed instruments in corporate worship.

Notes:

^a I am fully aware that there is more data in the Psalms that may pertain to the use of musical instruments. I have chosen not to treat that data because there are significant uncertainties about what that data signifies. For example, some sources hold that Nehiloth in Psalm 5:1 has to do with the use of flutes (see the translation note in the NET Bible), but they state that this understanding is uncertain.

^b Psalm 45:8 has the same Hebrew word that is rendered as “stringed instruments” in 150:4.

^c The totals do not equal the sum of the numbers in each row of this column because some of the entries are from the same verse, Psalm, or command, respectively.

^d Psalm 87:7 may speak of the use of pipes or flutes.

^e As needed, I will be making changes, corrections, additions, etc. to the information in this post. I would appreciate feedback about any factual errors that need correcting.

^fPhoto Credit: D. Hendrix

In Music, Theology

Discussion

Conclusion

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Conclusion

Share this:

Share this:

Conclusion

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Stringed Instruments

Wind Instruments

Percussion Instruments

Discussion

Application

Share this: