Discipleship | A People for His Name

Four Problems with the Common Interpretation of Ezekiel 26:13

October 6, 2018

I recently read through Ezekiel and was again struck by what God said that He would do when He would judge Tyre:

Ezekiel 26:13 And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.

Based on conversations that I have had online with some other believers, it seems that the common interpretation of this text is that it is not revealing that there was anything bad or sinful about the music of Tyre; rather, the text communicates that God would bring to an end the enjoyment of music in Tyre.

I have never found this interpretation tenable. I think that there are at least the following four problems with it:

1. If the point of verse were that God would bring an end to their enjoyment of music when He would destroy them, why does the text elaborate by speaking of both their vocal music and their instrumental music instead of just saying that He would cause their music to end?

2. When a nation becomes wicked to the extent that God determines to destroy it, we do not have any good reason to think that their wickedness would not also express itself in what they sing, how they sing what they sing, what they play on musical instruments, and how they play what they play on those instruments.

3. In the immediately surrounding context of this statement, God’s judgment on many other nations surrounding His people is related, but none of the passages that relate His judgment of all those other nations speaks of His bringing their enjoyment of music to an end:

Ammonites (25:1-7); Moab & Seir (25:8-11); Edom (25:12-14); Philistines (25:15-17); Tyre (26:1-28:19); Sidon (28:20-26); Egypt (29:1-32:32)

Why is the cessation of music only said about the people of Tyre and not about any of the other nations that God was going to destroy at that time?

4. If the point is that destroying them will bring about the denial of their enjoyment of all good things, why does the passage mention explicitly both their vocal and instrumental musical activities instead of their art, dancing, literature, drama, sports, etc.? To put it differently, according to the denial-of-enjoyment-of-good-things view, how do you explain that the cessation of their music is specifically mentioned but there is no mention of the cessation of their enjoyment of any of these other cultural activities that people also enjoy?

In Interpretation, Music, Theology

How Does God Want Us to Profit from Ezekiel 26:13?

September 22, 2018

Ezekiel 26:13 And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.

Because God revealed that He would do this and inscripturated it, we can be certain that we are to consider what this statement reveals to us.

How does God want us to profit from this statement about what He would do to the sound of the harps of Tyre?

Here are some possibilities to consider:

God decreed that He would bring an end to the sound of their harps because . . .

1. The people of Tyre were ungodly people.

2. The people who were playing the harps were ungodly people.

3. The setting, purpose, motivation, etc. of the people who were playing the harps was ungodly.

4. The actual sounds of the music that was being produced by the harps were themselves ungodly.

What exegetical and theological principles do we use to determine whether God wants us to understand that one or more or all of these were true about His bringing the sound of the harps of Tyre to an end?

In Interpretation, Music, Theology

Are Secular Testimonies about the Perverseness of Rock Music Inherently Unreliable?

September 13, 2018

Many Christians today are quite dismissive of testimonies from secular rock musicians and music authorities who have said that rock music is perverse music that should be rejected, especially by Christians in their ministries. These believers argue that unbelieving musicians and music authorities are unable to judge spiritual truth accurately concerning whether rock music is fit for use in ministry.

I have previously presented evidence from two passages that counters this dismissiveness by pointing out that lost people were reliably able to give testimonies about spiritual realities. Judges 7 provides additional evidence to hold that unbelieving people can accurately assess spiritual realities.

Judges 7:13-14

During the period of the judges who ruled over Israel, the Lord directed Gideon to be His deliverer of the Israelites from the Midianites (Judg. 7:7). To alleviate possible fearfulness on Gideon’s part to carry out this mission (Judg. 7:10), the Lord directed him and his servant to go and hear what certain men in the host of Midian would say (Judg. 7:10-11).

The record of this incident reveals that an unsaved man in the camp of the enemies of Israel remarkably interpreted the spiritual significance of a dream with striking accuracy:

Judges 7:13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. 14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.

Observing what transpired, Gideon was moved to worship God for the testimony that he had received through these two lost people:

Judges 7:15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

The biblical record of this incident is yet another passage that shows that lost people have given accurate testimonies to spiritual realities in spite of their being unbelievers. Just because people are unbelievers does not automatically invalidate anything that they say about the spiritual significance of any event or the spiritual fitness of any practice.

Conclusion

Christians should not dismiss the validity of testimonies by secular rock musicians and music authorities about the perverseness of rock music and its unfitness for use in Christian ministry simply because these authorities on music are unbelievers. Judges 7:13-14 and other passages provide evidence that doing so is not a right approach to such information.

In CCM, Interpretation, Theology

A Sobering Warning for True Believers

August 21, 2018

Scripture warns true believers in many passages that they must not associate themselves closely with those who hate God. One of the most sobering warnings is found in the following account from the life of king Jehoshaphat:

2 Chronicles 19:1 And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. 2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. 3 Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.

Jehoshaphat was a true believer in the Lord, yet a prophet of God said to him that there was wrath on him from the Lord because he had helped the ungodly and loved those who hate the Lord.

The prophet also made known that at the same time as there was wrath on him from the Lord, there were yet good things found in him. This revelation warns us that true believers can have good things about them and yet be at the same time a source of great provocation to God.

In Discipleship, Interpretation, Theology

The Biblical Importance of Music

July 26, 2018

I had the privilege of preaching a message this past Sunday that treats extensively a glorious subject: The Biblical Importance of Music. I am very grateful for much positive feedback from brethren that God used the message to encourage and edify them greatly.

In Discipleship, Music, Preaching

A Comparison Worth Studying!

July 12, 2018

While reading the Psalms tonight, I discovered a comparison that is worth studying: 1 Chronicles 16:8-22 and Psalm 105:1-15 are very similar in wording, but they are not exactly the same! The potential ramifications of this comparison are something that I look forward to studying for some time to come!

⁸ Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

⁹ Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.

¹⁰ Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

¹¹ Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

¹² Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

¹³ O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

¹⁴ He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

¹⁵ Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;

¹⁶ Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;

¹⁷ And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,

¹⁸ Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance;

¹⁹ When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.

²⁰ And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people;

²¹ He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,

²² Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

Psa 105:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.

² Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

³ Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

⁴ Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

⁵ Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

⁶ O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.

⁷ He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.

⁸ He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

⁹ Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;

¹⁰ And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:

¹¹ Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:

¹² When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.

¹³ When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;

¹⁴ He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;

¹⁵ Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

In Music, Theology

Is Your Heart Right with God?

July 8, 2018

A right heart instinctively and continually praises God.

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 52:9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.

Psalm 57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. 8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. 9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. 10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.

Is your heart right with God?

In Discipleship

Leer la Biblia

June 25, 2018

Leer la Biblia es una disciplina esencial en la vida de cada creyente. Muchos creyentes no leen sus Biblias suficientemente. Estas personas deben arrepentirse y comenzar a leer sus biblias cada día.

Dios quiere que todos los cristianos lean la Biblia fielmente. Me gusta mucho más leer mi Biblia. He leído la Biblia entera por lo menos una vez en cada año de mi vida cristiana.

Leer la Biblia es más importante que leer cualquier otro libro. Es necesario que te resuelvas leer tu Biblia todos los días de tu vida.

In Bible reading, Discipleship, Spanish

A Helpful Critique of the Musical State of At Least Some Sectors of Evangelicalism

June 14, 2018

Ryan Martin has written a helpful critique of the musical state of at least some sectors of evangelicalism.

In CCM

Is It Wrong to Call Vicious People “Animals”?

May 24, 2018

The Bible teaches that all human beings are made in the image of God and are therefore of inestimable intrinsic worth. Based on this biblical teaching, some Christians reason that it is wrong to call even vicious human beings “animals.”

The following sampling of various relevant biblical statements shows that this position is not true.

Eze 22:27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

Zep 3:3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Mat 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Luk 10:3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

Luk 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Tit 1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. 13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

2Pe 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

Jud 1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

The prophets (Ezek. 22:27), Jesus (Matt. 7:15; Luke 10:3; 13:32), and the apostles (Acts 20:29; 2 Peter 2:12) all spoke of certain human beings being animals or like animals. Even unbelievers have validly done so (Titus 1:12).

The Bible does not support the view that it is wrong to call vicious people “animals.”

In Discipleship, Interpretation, Theology

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Judges 7:13-14

Conclusion

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