A People for His Name

Does God Want People to Be Religious?

March 13, 2023

Does God want people to be religious? Is Christianity a religion?

Scripture decisively answers both of these questions:

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Pure religion is absolutely what God wants from His people. Genuine salvation should make people religious in this sense that is fully biblical.

God does want people to be religious—He wants them to be people who practice what He says is pure and undefiled religion.

Christianity is a religion.

In Interpretation, Theology

A Biblical Response to Robert Bakss on Percussion Instruments in Psalm 150

March 6, 2023

In his book, “Worship Wars: What the Bible Says about Worship Music,” Robert Bakss discusses the role of drums in worship music. He writes,

Most of the musical instruments in Psalm 150 are percussion instruments. This shows that beat is acceptable in worship music.

— p. 67

Are these statements correct?

Musical Instruments Mentioned in Psalm 150

Three verses in Psalm 150 mention multiple musical instruments:

Psalm 150:3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. 4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

Psalm 150 mentions 8 musical instruments or groups of musical instruments:

1. trumpet
2. psaltery
3. harp
4. timbrel
5. stringed instruments
6. organs
7. loud cymbals
8. high sounding cymbals

Three of the 8 instruments or groups are percussion instruments: timbrel, loud cymbals, and high sounding cymbals. Three out of 8 means that most of the musical instruments in Psalm 150 are not percussion instruments.

Conclusion

A careful examination of Robert Bakss’ statements about Psalm 150 shows that his first statement is factually wrong and therefore does not support his second statement. It is not true that Psalm 150 “shows that beat is acceptable in worship music” because “most of the musical instruments in Psalm 150 are percussion instruments.”

Brethren who seek to support that view need to provide factually correct information from Scripture to support their belief that beat is acceptable in worship music.

In CCM, Exposition, Interpretation, Music

Why Comparing Offering Animal Sacrifices to Offering Music Is Biblical

February 28, 2023

Scripture establishes a very strong connection between animals offered to God and music that is offered to Him. It does so implicitly in Psalm 43 through the mention of the altar of God and the playing of music:

Ps. 43:3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. ⁴Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

Notice that David speaks explicitly of going to God’s altar and praising God on the harp!

Moreover, Psalm 69 directly compares the two and instructs us that offering acceptable music to God pleased Him better than animal sacrifices did:

Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. ³¹This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

These two passages as well as others, including in the NT, make clear that comparing what Scripture reveals about divine acceptance of animal sacrifices offered to God on an altar and what it reveals about divine acceptance of music offered to God is legitimate and fully biblical.

In Interpretation, Music, Theology

On Worshiping God Today without the Use of “Modern” Music

February 23, 2023

Before believers started accepting rock music in worship, none of their worship music had a strong beat, prominent use of percussion, or a whispered singing style. Multitudes of believers were edified by that “old” music and genuinely worshiped God in spirit and truth with it.

Because multitudes of genuine believers did so for decades and decades before there was ever any rock or rock-based music used in worship, the same is certainly true today. Churches and believers who have never used any rock or rock-based music in their worship do not have any reason or need to change or apologize for their music that other believers regard as “old” music.

Just as God was truly worshiped in the past, He can be and is truly worshiped today without the use of any so-called “modern” music.

In CCM, Music, Theology

Ninety Times through the Book of Psalms!

February 11, 2023

I praise God that He has now allowed me to reach a milestone in my Christian life—having read the book of Psalms through 90 times!

Year(s)	Times That I Read the Psalms
1990-2011	25
2012	25
2013	1
2014	1
2015	1
2016	3
2017	4
2018	6
2019	4
2020	5
2021	8
2022	5
2023	2
Total	90

Lord willing, I intend to read the book 10 more times this year to get to 100 times through the book.

In Bible reading

Divine Wisdom about What Is an Abomination to the Lord

February 3, 2023

Meditating on these four statements about what is an abomination to the Lord illumines our understanding in an important way:

Prov. 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

Prov. 15:9 The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.

Prov. 15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.

Prov. 21:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?

Religious activity by wicked people is an abomination to the Lord even when they do not bring it with a wicked mind!

In Discipleship, Interpretation, Theology

The Fearful Malignity of a Professional Occultist

January 19, 2023

We must solemnly consider that Scripture reveals the horrific extent to which demons can corrupt humans in a passage that makes several key revelations about an ancient sorcerer:

Acts 13:6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: 7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

This profound revelation is noteworthy for many reasons because of what it reveals about the fearful malignity of a professional occultist.

First, it says that he was a professional occultist (who was also a false prophet) who sought to turn away from the faith an unbeliever who wanted to hear God’s truth. Such people thus are profoundly dangerous to unbelievers.

Second, it infallibly reveals key truths about the sorcerer by infallibly recording what the leader of the apostolic company being filled with the Spirit said to the sorcerer. This shows that the statements that Paul made about the sorcerer were exactly what the Spirit directed him to say about the sorcerer. None of Paul’s statements about him were in any way just his own thinking, perspectives, or even possible biases against a particular kind of person because of that person’s ethnicity or any other important aspects of his person.

Third, it shows how consummately this human being was a corrupted human being.

Elymas was “full of all subtilty and all mischief.” He was a profoundly crafty and fraudulent person who used deceit to accomplish his objectives.

He was an “enemy of all righteousness.” He actively opposed everything that was an aspect of righteousness before God. He thus openly fought against the doing of anything that was righteous in the sight of God.

He also would “not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord.” This man continually did whatever he could to corrupt the doing of something in a way that was right before God.

Fourth, and most disturbingly, he was a “child of the devil.” Through his involvement and participation in the occult, this man whom God made in His image had become so corrupted that he was now a child of the most evil being in the universe. In effect, the image of God in him had been completely overcome so that he effectively was a human being who was at least in some respects in the image of the devil!

This passage thus shockingly reveals that there are occultists (at the very least those who are sorcerers) who actively and passionately seek to promote demonic interests in every possible way!

Application

As believers, we must soberly and solemnly heed what God has revealed to us about the fearful malignity of this professional occultist. May God grant all of us grace to have nothing to do with such people and to have no fellowship with their unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:11).

In this post, I have used much of the same material about Elymas that I presented in this earlier post: Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians: The Importance of Daniel 1:20 and 2:2 for Interpreting Daniel 3

In Discipleship, Exposition, Interpretation, Theology

Spiritual Warfare and Professional Occultists: Indisputable Realities

January 16, 2023

God inerrantly, infallibly, and indisputably attests to us repeatedly in Scripture of the fully authentic existence and practices of many professional occultists (for example, magicians, wizards, people with familiar spirits, and sorcerers). Scripture speaks of these people in many passages from Genesis 41 to Revelation 22.

Based on this indisputably true divine revelation, we must understand all of the following truths as being indisputable realities about spiritual warfare and professional occultists:

Professional occultists have existed throughout most of human history, exist in our day, and will continue to exist throughout all the future times of human existence.

Professional occultists have had fully authentic knowledge of fully authentic occult practices. They continue to have that fully authentic knowledge.

Professional occultists have fully authentically engaged in those fully authentic occult practices and continue to do so.

Professional occultists have had and continue to have fully authentic sources for their obtaining fully authentic information about fully authentic occult practices and for their learning how to fully authentically engage in those fully authentic occult practices.

Professional occultists have had and continue to have fully authentic capabilities of transmitting fully authentic knowledge of how to engage in fully authentic occult practices.

Professional occultists have been and will continue to be among the chief enemies of God, His people, and unbelievers who are seeking to hear God’s Word and learn of the faith (cf. Exod. 7-9; Acts 13:6-8).

Application

Because of all of these indisputably true realities about fully authentic professional occultists, we can say with absolute certainty that unbelievers have provided and can provide fully authentic information about fully authentic occult practices. They have done so, can do so, and continue to do so without any need for any biblical information from any source.

God’s people, therefore, must not hold to the exceedingly dangerously wrong notion that information about the occult that is not from the Bible is inherently false, inauthentic, unreliable, and untrustworthy. Rather, they must properly heed such information and profit fully from it so that they fully obey God’s command for us to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph. 5:11).

In Discipleship, Theology

What Does “Blessed” Mean in Psalm 1:1?

January 7, 2023

In order to determine more carefully what “blessed” means in Psalm 1:1, I did a BibleWorks 10 search on the Hebrew lemma for that word. In addition, I identified some additional verses that pertain directly to this study.

By studying this list of all those verses, I hope to understand for myself more accurately what that opening word of the Psalms means.

Gen. 30:13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.

Deut. 33:29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

1 Ki. 10:8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.

2 Chr. 9:7 Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

Job 29:11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

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. 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Ps. 32:1 <A Psalm of David, Maschil.> Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Ps. 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

Ps. 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

Ps. 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Ps. 40:4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Ps. 41:1 <To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.> Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

Ps. 41:2 The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.

Ps. 65:4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

Ps. 72:17 His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.

Ps. 84:4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.

Ps. 84:5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.

Ps. 84:12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

Ps. 89:15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

Ps. 94:12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;

Ps. 106:3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

Ps. 112:1 Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

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

Ps. 119:2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

Ps. 127:5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Ps. 128:1 <A Song of degrees.> Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.

Ps. 128:2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

Ps. 137:8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.

Ps. 137:9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

Ps. 144:15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.

Ps. 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:

Prov. 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

Prov. 8:32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.

Prov. 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Prov. 14:21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Prov. 16:20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.

Prov. 20:7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

Prov. 28:14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

Prov. 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Prov. 31:28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Eccl. 10:17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

Cant. 6:9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

Isa. 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

Isa. 32:20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.

Isa. 56:2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.

Dan. 12:12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

Mal. 3:12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

In Biblical Languages, Interpretation, Theology

Bible Reading Report for 2022

December 31, 2022

2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.

I praise God that He allowed me to read through the Bible in 2022, read the New Testament twice, and read Psalms, Jude, and Revelation five times.

I have now made it through the Psalms 88 times. Lord willing, I would like to read the Psalms twelve times in 2023 to get to 100 times through this incomparable book!

Photo by Marion Shires. Used by permission.

In Bible reading

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Musical Instruments Mentioned in Psalm 150

Conclusion

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Application

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Application

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