Why Does God Specify His Future Judgment on These Sounds of Babylon’s Music?

February 28, 2022

Scripture speaks of God’s judging His own people to deprive them of the voice or sound of various things:

Jeremiah 7:34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.

Jeremiah 16:9 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.

Jeremiah 25:10 Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.

Scripture also speaks of God’s restoring those voices and sounds to His people:

Jeremiah 33:10 Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast, 11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.

In the final such passage, Scripture, however, strikingly highlights something different that it did not specify in any of the previous passages of divine judgment—God’s depriving Babylon of the voices and sounds of her instrumental music and of her musicians:

Revelation 18:22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; 23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

Why does God specify His future judgment on these sounds of Babylon’s music?

In Interpretation, Music

What Does “Play” Mean in 1 Corinthians 10:7?

February 19, 2022

In a NT epistle, the Spirit confronts us as Christians with an authoritative prohibition that we must not be idolaters.

1 Corinthians 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Notice that in this verse, He specifies that such unholy worship includes playing that is idolatrous.

Knowing correctly, therefore, what that idolatrous playing in worship is and rejecting it completely is mandatory for all believers–it is not something that is optional for any of us.

In a recent online conversation, someone commented that the meaning of “play” in 1 Corinthians 10:7 should be understood to refer to immorality because of what the next verse says:

1 Corinthians 10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

Because, however, 1 Corinthians 10:7 cites Exodus 32:6 but 10:8 refers to Numbers 25, we know that the Spirit has directed us to two different accounts to understand what He wants us to know about those directives. Because He has done so, we need to compare Exodus 32 and Numbers 25 to understand properly what God wants us to know about the two negative directives that He has given us in 1 Corinthians 10:7 and 8.

A Comparison of Exodus 32 and Numbers 25

The following table presents an analysis of Exodus 32 compared with Numbers 25 concerning key aspects of both accounts of idolatry:

	Exodus 32	Numbers 25
Idol(s)	Explicit	Implicit
Altar	Explicit	Implicit
Bowing down	Implicit	Explicit
Sacrifices	Explicit	Explicit
Eating	Explicit	Explicit
Drinking	Explicit	Implicit
Singing	Explicit	Not mentioned
Dancing	Explicit	Not mentioned
Instrumental music	Implicit	Not mentioned
Immorality	Not mentioned	Explicit
Divine judgment	Explicit	Explicit

Looking closely at the differences between the two accounts, we see clearly that the Spirit has focused His attention on differing activities in the two accounts. In Exodus 32, He explicitly speaks about the people’s singing and dancing, but He does not say anything about such activities in Numbers 25.

By contrast, He speaks explicitly about fornication in Numbers 25 but not in Exodus 32.

This comparison instructs us that we should not take the word “play” in 1 Corinthians 10:7 to mean that the people were fornicating. Rather, the word “play” refers to the people’s singing and dancing in their idolatrous worship.

Additional Biblical Support for This Interpretation

In a previous post, I have provided some additional biblical considerations that support this interpretation:

Undeniably, Exodus 32:17-18 is divine revelation that has been given by inspiration of the Spirit:

Exodus 32:17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. 18 And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.

Because verse 18 mentions singing explicitly, these verses are undeniably divine revelation about music. The only question that remains is whether these verses are divine revelation about worship music.

Exodus 32:5 shows that what took place in the Golden Calf Incident (GCI) took place on an occasion that was supposed to have been a feast to the Lord, which would have been a divinely ordained occasion of corporate worship (cf. John 12:20). In addition, apostolic citation of Exodus 32:6 in 1 Corinthians 10:7 decisively shows that the GCI was an occasion of worship because it says that they were idolaters on that occasion:

1 Corinthians 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

1 Corinthians 10:7 μηδὲ εἰδωλολάτραι γίνεσθε, καθώς τινες αὐτῶν· ὡς γέγραπται, Ἐκάθισεν ὁ λαὸς φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν, καὶ ἀνέστησαν παίζειν.

Furthermore, Paul specifies that their idolatrous worship extended to their eating and drinking what had been offered to the idol and to their subsequent playing. The Greek verb παίζειν that is rendered “to play” in this statement is used in the LXX to signify singing and playing of musical instruments:

1 Chr. 13:8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

1 Chr. 13:8 καὶ Δαυιδ καὶ πᾶς Ισραηλ παίζοντες ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν πάσῃ δυνάμει καὶ ἐν ψαλτῳδοῖς καὶ ἐν κινύραις καὶ ἐν νάβλαις ἐν τυμπάνοις καὶ ἐν κυμβάλοις καὶ ἐν σάλπιγξιν

This biblical data justifies holding that the idolatrous worship in the GCI included their singing.

Conclusion

A careful comparison of the accounts of idolatry in Exodus 32 and Numbers 25 teaches us that the Spirit intends for us to understand the verb “play” in 1 Corinthians 10:7 as referring to the people’s idolatrous singing and dancing in the Golden Calf Incident. We must accept that God has forbidden us from engaging in any such idolatrous playing!

In Interpretation, Music, Theology

Should Christians Ever Howl in Worship?

February 14, 2022

Various forms of the word howl occur in 34 verses in Scripture:

Deut. 32:10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

Isa. 13:6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

Isa. 14:31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.

Isa. 15:2 He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off.

Isa. 15:3 In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly.

Isa. 15:8 For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling thereof unto Beerelim.

Isa. 16:7 Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.

Isa. 23:1 The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.

Isa. 23:6 Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.

Isa. 23:14 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.

Isa. 52:5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.

Isa. 65:14 Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.

Jer. 4:8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.

Jer. 25:34 Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.

Jer. 25:36 A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture.

Jer. 47:2 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.

Jer. 48:20 Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,

Jer. 48:31 Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

Jer. 48:39 They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.

Jer. 49:3 Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.

Jer. 51:8 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

Ezek. 21:12 Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.

Ezek. 30:2 Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, Woe worth the day!

Hos. 7:14 And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.

Joel 1:5 Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.

Joel 1:11 Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.

Joel 1:13 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.

Amos 8:3 And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord GOD: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.

Mic. 1:8 Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.

Zeph. 1:10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.

Zeph. 1:11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

Zech. 11:2 Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.

Zech. 11:3 There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.

Jas. 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

It is plain that the Spirit never uses the word to communicate any kind of positive emotional state; the word certainly never denotes in Scripture gladness or joyfulness.

Based on how the Spirit has used the word in Scripture, I conclude that any sort of howling in corporate worship would never be acceptable to God.

In Discipleship, Music, Theology

Idolatry, Occult Practices, and Divine Judgment

February 7, 2022

Isaiah 19 is striking in what it teaches about the effects of idolatry, occult practices, and divine judgment with a perverse spirit:

Isaiah 19:3 And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.

Isaiah 19:14 The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.

This revelation provides us with several important points of instruction.

First, because of God’s judgment on the counsel of the idolatrous Egyptians (cf. Is. 19:1), they resort to idols and to various occult practices (Is. 19:3).

Second, God judges them by mingling a perverse spirit among them (Is. 19:14a). It is unclear whether this means that He employs an actual demon to judge them or that He judges them in some other unstated manner so that they become perverse in their spirits.

Because of their extensive seeking of occult practitioners and their occult practices, understanding “the perverse spirit” that God mingles in their midst as a demon is entirely legitimate. We, however, cannot be completely certain that the verse speaks of the work of an actual demon.

Third, God’s judgment on them through that perverse spirit causes the Egyptians to err in everything that they do (Is. 19:14b). He thus judges them that they become so debilitated and incapacitated that they are not able to do any work properly.

Fourth, the judgment with a perverse spirit causes them to become like a drunken man who staggers in his vomit (Is. 19:14c). Such a person is obviously incapable of doing any work properly and certainly cannot do anything that pleases God.

Application

Clearly, this passage teaches us of the fearful realities of the judgment that God inflicts on some people who are idolatrous and participate in various occult practices. Undoubtedly, God intends that this revelation would serve as a stern warning to us not to have anything to do with idolatry and the occult.

In Interpretation, Theology

Prophets, Music, and 2 Timothy 3:16-17

January 28, 2022

Scripture reveals that many prophets and prophetesses were vitally involved in various respects with the music of God’s people. Because every prophet was a supernaturally gifted servant of God who had the Spirit upon him, the musical contributions that they made demand our careful attention and appraisal.

Prophets Who Were Musicians Themselves

Scripture reveals that the following prophets were themselves musicians.

Moses

Exodus 15:1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Exodus 32:17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. 18 And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.

Deuteronomy 31:30 And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.

Psalm 90:1 <A Prayer of Moses the man of God.> Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

Revelation 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. 2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Miriam

Exodus 15:20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Deborah

Judges 5:1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

Unnamed

1 Samuel 10:5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:

David

1 Samuel 16:23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

2 Samuel 23:1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, 2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

1 Chronicles 25:4 Of Heman: the sons of Heman; Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamtiezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth: 5 All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. 6 All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king’s order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.

2 Chronicles 29:25 And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.

2 Chronicles 29:30 Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

2 Chronicles 35:15 And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

Heman

1 Chronicles 15:19 So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;

1 Chronicles 16:42 And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.

1 Chronicles 25:4 Of Heman: the sons of Heman; Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamtiezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth: 5 All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. 6 All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king’s order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.

Asaph

1 Chronicles 15:19 So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;

2 Chronicles 29:30 Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

Jeduthun

1 Chronicles 16:42 And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.

2 Chronicles 35:15 And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.

Habakkuk 3:19 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.

Prophets Who May or May Not Have Been Musicians Themselves

Scripture reveals that God used at least two prophets to issue direct commands concerning the music of God’s people, but we do not know whether they were musicians themselves or not.

Gad

2 Chronicles 29:25 And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.

Nathan

2 Chronicles 29:25 And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.

How Does God Want Us to Profit from This Revelation?

Based on the teaching of 2 Timothy 3:16-17, how does God want us to profit from what He has revealed to us about the musical activities, responsibilities, or contributions of these prophets of His?

In Interpretation, Music, Theology

Verses about Ungodly Counsels, Devices, Doctrines, Imaginations, Inventions, Thoughts, Ways, Works, and Things

January 15, 2022

Common grace and the image of God in man do not in any way preclude numerous manifestations of evil human creativity:

Deut. 23:9 When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.

Ps. 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Ps. 2:2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

Ps. 26:5 I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.

Ps. 33:10 The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.

Ps. 64:2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

Ps. 81:12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

Ps. 83:3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

Ps. 83:5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

Ps. 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

Ps. 106:29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.

Ps. 106:35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.

Ps. 106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

Ps. 106:43 Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

Ps. 119:1 ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

Ps. 119:101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.

Ps. 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

Ps. 119:113 SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.

Ps. 119:128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.

Prov. 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

Jer. 10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

Acts 19:19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Rom. 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Gal. 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Eph. 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

1 Tim. 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

1 Tim. 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Rev. 2:24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

In Discipleship, Theology

Why Am I Writing a Book on Christian Music?

January 7, 2022

Why am I writing a book on Christian music? What could possibly be left to say that has not already been said?

Having had a vast exposure to most of what is already out there, I believe that there is a lot left to be said that has not already been said!

In my book, I treat a dozen passages from the Bible that I have not seen treated in any other book either at all or not in the manner that I treat them.

I also address several key perspectives biblically that have not been addressed elsewhere.

I also approach the entire subject with a different approach than any other book that I have seen does.

Finally, for me, it is a matter of stewardship of illumination of truth that I believe that God has given me to advance His kingdom and profit His people.

I would appreciate prayers for consistent Spirit-filled progress in writing this book and for a timely completion of it.

Thanks in advance to any who read this post and are led to pray with me about this endeavor.

In Christian Books, Music

Bible Reading Report for 2021

December 31, 2021

I praise the Lord that He allowed me to make it through the Bible again in 2021!

I also read the book of Psalms 8 times this year and the book of Revelation four times.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Thank you, God, for giving me the privilege to read your Word freely for one more year!

In Bible reading

An Analysis of Certain Terms in the Superscriptions of the Psalms

December 21, 2021

Of the 150 Psalms, 36 Psalms have 47 total occurrences of 18 different terms in their superscriptions:

Neginoth	4:1; 6:1; 54:1; 55:1; 67:1; 76:1	6
Nehiloth	5:1	1
Sheminith	6:1; 12:1	2
Shiggaion	7:1	1
Gittith	8:1; 81:1; 84:1	3
Muth-labben	9:1	1
Michtam	16:1; 56:1; 57:1; 58:1; 59:1; 60:1	6
Aijeleth Shahar	22:1	1
Maschil	32:1; 42:1; 44:1; 45:1; 52:1; 53:1; 54:1; 55:1; 74:1; 78:1; 88:1; 89:1; 142:1	13
Shoshannim	45:1; 69:1	2
Alamoth	46:1	1
Mahalath	53:1	1
Jonath-elem-rechokim	56:1	1
Al-taschith	57:1; 58:1; 59:1; 75:1	4
Shushan-eduth	60:1	1
Neginah	61:1	1
Shoshannim-Eduth	80:1	1
Mahalath Leannoth	88:1	1
		47

Notes:

1. The terms are listed in the order that they first appear in the Psalms.

2. These terms occur in the following 36 Psalms: 4-9; 12; 16; 22; 32; 42; 44-46; 52-59; 60-61; 67; 69; 74-76; 78; 80-81; 84; 88-89; 142.

3. Book IV of the Psalms (90-106) does not have any occurrences of these terms.

4. Scripture itself does not provide the meanings of any of these terms in the Psalms themselves.

5. All but one of these terms (Shiggaion [7:1]) occur at least once in superscriptions that are directed to the Chief Musician, which indicates that the terms have some kind of musical significance. Occurrences of the terms that are not in a Psalm that is directed to the Chief Musician are noted in italics in the table.

In Music

Was Solomon Saved?

December 12, 2021

I believe that Scripture provides clear evidence that king Solomon was saved. I have written five articles that provide multiple reasons for holding that view and for believing that he did not perish eternally:

I. Nine Good Reasons Why Solomon Did Not Perish Eternally

For at least 9 good reasons, we can be confident that Solomon was saved and did not perish eternally.

1. Solomon did not completely turn away from God

2. God’s promises to David about Solomon

3. God’s loving Solomon at his birth

4. Solomon loved God

5. God’s chastening Solomon

6. The record of Solomon’s life in Second Chronicles

7. A striking passage that includes an emphatic statement about God’s love for Solomon

8. Solomon was not an apostate writer of multiple books of Scripture

9. No mention of Solomon in the NT as an example of one who apostatized

II. Another Reason Why Solomon Did Not Perish Eternally

A comparison of the biblical record about Samson with that of Solomon supports holding that Solomon was saved and did not perish eternally.

III. If Solomon Were in Hell

Holding the view that king Solomon is now in hell has profound implications for what a believer would also have to hold to be true if it were true that Solomon is now in hell. Solomon was saved and is not in hell now.

IV. Did Solomon Repent Before He Died?

Three biblical considerations show that Solomon did repent before he died. He was saved and did not perish eternally.

1. A written record of all that Solomon did

2. Jesus as a greater than Solomon

3. Solomon’s porch in the Temple

V. Hebrews 11 and the Eternal Destiny of Solomon

The lack of mention of Solomon in Hebrews 11 does not at all prove that he perished eternally. Solomon was saved and is in heaven.

In Exposition, Interpretation, Theology

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A Comparison of Exodus 32 and Numbers 25

Additional Biblical Support for This Interpretation

Conclusion

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Application

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Prophets Who Were Musicians Themselves

Moses

Miriam

Deborah

Unnamed

David

Heman

Asaph

Jeduthun

Habakkuk

Prophets Who May or May Not Have Been Musicians Themselves

Gad

Nathan

How Does God Want Us to Profit from This Revelation?

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