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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.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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!


See also The Primacy of Stringed Instruments in the Book of Psalms

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

¿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)

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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?

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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 37b 25b, c 23b, c 9c

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 6d 5c 4c 4c

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 5c 4c 5c

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.

f  Photo Credit: D. Hendrix

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

When God heals us or a loved one from a life-threatening physical illness, we should properly represent what God has done:

Philippians 2:25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. 26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. 27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God *had mercy* on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

The apostle Paul teaches us here that we are to relate to others that God *has had mercy* on the one who was “sick nigh unto death” and on those who love him by not allowing that loved one to die.

It is right and biblical for us to speak of God as being *merciful* whenever He graciously chooses to grant healing from life-threatening conditions!

Moreover, it is right and biblical for us to pray that God would be *merciful* to those who are seriously ill.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

Revelation 5 is the first of three passages in the final book of Scripture that reveal to us the only musical information in Scripture that the Spirit has inspired for our profit about heavenly worship music. A careful handling of the Greek word ἕκαστος [Eng. “each”] in Revelation 5:8 teaches us a key truth about the harps that are mentioned in that passage.

Revelation 5:8 καὶ ὅτε ἔλαβε τὸ βιβλίον, τὰ τέσσαρα ζῶα καὶ οἱ εἰκοσιτέσσαρες πρεσβύτεροι ἔπεσον ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀρνίου, ἔχοντες ἕκαστος κιθάρας, καὶ φιάλας χρυσᾶς γεμούσας θυμιαμάτων, αἵ εἰσιν αἱ προσευχαὶ τῶν ἁγίων.

Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

The Spirit’s use of this word shows us that all of the elders in this scene had the exact same thing–harps. Whatever harps signify in this verse therefore has to be the same thing for each elder.

Those who take harps in this verse to be symbolic of praise offered on all kinds of musical instruments do not have any basis to do so in the text. The text does not allow for or support in any way holding that some of the elders had one musical instrument, others had a different musical instrument, and so on.

All 24 elders in Revelation 5:8 had harps–they did not have differing musical instruments among themselves. Revelation 5:8 does not in any way support the view that harps in the passage signify praise on all kinds of musical instruments.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

Have you ever heard someone say something like this: “It’s not what you do that matters—it is the heart that matters”?

Take care that you are not misled by such statements. The heart certainly matters, but what you do also matters.

In fact, God teaches us that He cares about people’s doing what is right in His sight even if they do not do it with a perfect heart!

2 Chronicles 25:1 Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.

For our profit, the Spirit inspired this passage to teach us that God took note that Amaziah did what was right in His sight, but not with a perfect heart.

Even if your heart is not fully in it, always do what is right in the sight of God!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

Turn the Volume Down!

July 19, 2024

Romans 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

The playing of music in corporate worship at volume levels known to damage human hearing is to work ill to the people who are present in those services. Knowingly causing physical harm to people is unloving and therefore unrighteous conduct that violates what God explicitly teaches us in Scripture in Romans 13:10.

It does not matter what your preference is concerning the volume levels of worship music. If the volume level is at or above a level known to damage hearing, you are obligated to deny yourself your preference and love others more than yourself.

Turn the volume down in your worship services so that you are not damaging anyone’s hearing!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.