RESPECTING GOD’S PATTERN, 

MUSIC IN WORSHIP

In Exodus 25, we read of Moses' fifth trip up Mount Sinai, where he would be for forty days and nights. While he was there, Moses received numerous instructions concerning the preparation of items that would be used in the worship of God. Verses 1-7, state, "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution. And this is the contribution which you are to raise from them: gold, silver and bronze, blue, purple and scarlet material, fine linen, goat hair, rams' skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood, oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones and setting stones, for the ephod and for the breastpiece."

The Israelites were to bring a freewill offering to the Lord that consisted of precious metals, stones, cloth, spices, oil and incense, as well as wood and skins. Fourteen different kinds of materials are specifically mentioned for the work God was giving them to do. Verses 8 & 9, tell us, "And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of its furniture, just so you shall construct it.” Exodus 25 continues on with minute details concerning the construction of the ark of the covenant, the table, and additional furniture related to worship. After giving further instructions related to the candlesticks, the chapter closes with verse 40, "And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain."

A journey through the remainder of Exodus would reveal just how detailed God was in His instructions concerning all of those items that were to be used in the worship of Him. As the book is drawing to a close, we read in 40-.16, "Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did. " This statement is so reminiscent of the statement made concerning Noah as he specifically followed the pattern for the construction of the ark that God had revealed to him. Genesis 6:22, says, "Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did."

In the book of Hebrews, chapter 8, just before launching into a marvelous presentation concerning the superiority of the New Covenant to the Old, the Hebrew writer said in v. 5, "who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, 'See,' He says, 'That you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.’” 

In I Chronicles 28, we find the account of a very important day in the history of the children of Israel. David assembled all of the important men of the nation and told them that it had been his desire to build a house in which the ark of the covenant could reside, to build a temple for Jehovah. But that was not according to God's plans. God chose Solomon, David's son, to do the building, and in the presence of all the great men of the nation, David solemnly charged Solomon with that responsibility. We will read a portion of that charge beginning with verse 9. David said to Solomon, "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary, be courageous and act. Then David gave to his son Solomon the plan of the porch of the temple, its buildings, its storehouses, its upper rooms, its inner rooms, and the room for the mercy seat, and the plan of all that he had in mind, for the courts of the house of the Lord, and for all the surrounding rooms, for the storehouses of the house of God, and for the storehouses of the dedicated things; also for the divisions of the priests and the Levites and for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord and for all the utensils for every kind of service; ... "

If we skip down to verses 19 & 20, we read, "All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern. Then David said to his son Solomon, Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you, He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.”

All aspects of the construction of the temple, and the furniture to be used in it, as well as the people who were to serve there and all of the acts of worship to be performed within its confines, were given by God. The pattern, the form or figure, whichever scriptural term we would choose to so designate these things, was given by God. To Moses it was said, "See that you make them after the pattern for them. " To Solomon it was said by his father, David, "All this the Lord made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern.... Be strong and courageous, and act:". In other words, "See that you make them after the pattern for them."

As we move into the New Testament, we turn to the last chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 28, and read Matthew's account of the Great Commission, Beginning with verse 18, we find, "And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." The requirement of obedience to all that the Lord had commanded hearkens back to, "Thus Noah did, according to all that God had commanded him, so he did. " It reminds me of, "Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord W commanded him, so he did." In each of those situations, it was their adherence to the pattern set forth by God that caused their obedience to be commanded.

In 2 John 9, we read, "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God, the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son." The "teaching of Christ" is not simply the teaching about Christ, although that is included. It is the teaching that Jesus did, personally and through those upon whom He sent the Holy Spirit.

My friends, the verb that is translated, "goes too far" is from a Greek word meaning "to progress". Many people think that it is so important to be "progressive". Some churches even advertise themselves as being "A Progressive Church". Progress is great, as long as that progress is being enjoyed while abiding within the pattern of Jesus' teaching. But when such so-called "progress" is away from the teaching of Jesus, when it is away from those things which He commanded to be observed, the result is sin and the loss of fellowship with God. We must always be on guard against any semblance of departure from that which is written, whether it be in teaching or practice. We must always remember that the only safe and all-sufficient rule of faith and practice for God's people is the teaching of the Lord Jesus as contained in the New Testament. It is a blueprint, so to speak; the pattern that God expects us to follow.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

In John 4, Jesus had a discussion with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. Notice the question the woman asked the Lord in veins 19 & 20. There, we find, "The woman said to Him, Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." The woman was referring to an old controversy. The Samaritans considered Mt.Gerizim as a holy place and the proper site for worship. The Jews held to Jerusalem. Her question was "Which is right?"

Consider the Lord's answer in verses 21- 24. "Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem shall you worship the Father. You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. " 

In His answer, Jesus flatly denied the Samaritan appeal for Mt. Gerizim. The claims of the Samaritans were invalid. Actually, the Samaritans abandoned all the books of the Old Testament with the exception of the Pentateuch, the first five books. Whenever a person abandons God's Word, and forsakes the pattern then he or she worships what they know not. In His answer Jesus plainly taught that the Old Testament was the Word of God salvation was of the Jews, and the Samaritan claims were absolutely false. But Jesus didn't stop there. He continued on and set forth three simple, yet absolutely vital aspects of true worship, First, the point is made that we must worship God-that is what God seeks. Secondly, we must worship God in spirit. Spirit is the highest, noblest, and deepest part of man and involves rationality and sincerity. There must be an involvement of the inner- most part of us in our worship. Thirdly, we must worship God in truth, as His Word directs. Remember John 17:17, where Jesus said, "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth."? If we are going to worship God in truth, then it is going to have to be according to that word. If it is going to be according to that Word, then it is going to be according to the pattern which the Lord has set forth. We must respect the pattern of worship.

Let us apply this in the area of the music that is involved in the authorized worship of the Lord's church. By that I mean worship that is according to the pattern revealed in the New Testament. Is there a pattern for music in the worship of the church that Jesus purchased with His blood and built? The answer to that question is "YES"! 

After the institution of the Lord's Supper, we read in Matthew 26:30, "And after singing a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives.” The same statement appears in Mark 14:26. 

In Acts 16:25, we find Paul and Silas in prison in Philippi with their feet made fast in the stocks, and we read, "But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;".

When writing to the brethren in Rome, Paul said in Romans 15:9, "And for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, Therefore I will give praise to Thee among the Gentiles, and I will sing to Thy name."

To the church at Corinth, he wrote in I Corinthians 14:15, "What is the outcome then? I shall pray with the spirit and I shall pray with the mind also; I shall sing with the spirit and I shall sing with the mind also."

To the brethren in Ephesus, Paul wrote, "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;" (Eph. 5:19)

In Colossians 3:16, Paul exhorted the Colossian Christians to "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

The Hebrew writer, in Hebrews 2:12, said, "I will proclaim Thy name to My brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will sing Thy praise. " Also, in 13:15 of the same book, we find, "Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name."

Finally, in James 5:13, James wrote, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises."

As far as I can tell and to the best of my knowledge, these are the New Testament passages that deal with music in worship to God on earth. We have in these passages what God has said, and all that God has said, on this subject. By looking at all of these passages together, we can know without a shadow of a doubt when the musical portion of our worship is according to God's pattern and when it is not.

When Christians sing or make vocal music, we can know that we are doing the will of God. He distinctly and specifically tells us to do this in His word and all will freely admit that. Everyone, without a dissenting voice, can heartily and from their innermost parts (or "in spirit") join in singing to God. We know that this act is the revealed will of God, for His word so says (or "in truth"), and that it is the entire revealed will of God on this subject. Everything that music is said to do in worship to God, vocal music does. Through it we teach and admonish one another, we praise and glorify God, and we make melody in our hearts.

Secondly, when we sing "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" in our musical worship, we know that we are right and everyone agrees with that. We know that in so doing we are worshiping according to God's revealed pattern. When the musical portion of our worship is singing, we can know that we are doing the will of GA all the will of God, and nothing else but the will of God.

However, when it comes to the matter of instrumental music in worship, we have the same divine light to guide us, The New Testament is absolutely silent about it. Thus, it is no pad of the divine will. God has nowhere in the Now Testament told Christians to utilize instrumental music in worship to Him. If they do, they cannot claim to do so according to God's revealed will, according to God's pattern. They cannot claim to do it "by faith", because "faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God " (Romans 10:17) Friends, instrumental music in worship is not a matter of finances, in other words, "Can the congregation afford instruments?" It is not a matter of taste, talent, or choice. It is a matter of authority. Is it pad of God's pattern for worship in the New Testament church, or isn't it? It is simply not there.

Occasionally someone will ask about the word "psallo", translated as "making melody" in Ephesians 5:19, and as "let him sing praises" or "let his sing psalms" in James 5:13. The question is asked, although not nearly so frequently now as scholarship has improved, "Does not 'psallo' involve the use of an instrument of music?"

Words often undergo a change in meaning through the years. That is known as the etymology of the word. Here is what the experts tell us about "Psallo".

W.E. Vine, in his Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, says, "primarily to twitch, twang, then, to play a stringed instrument with the fingers, and hence, in the Septuagint, to sing with a harp, sing psalms, denotes, in the New Testament, to sing a hymn, sing praise."

Thayer, in his Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, says "psallo" originally meant "pluck off, pull out" as hair. Then the word came to mean, "to cause to vibrate by touching". It was then applied to the twanging of strings on an instrument. However, by New Testament times the meaning had changed again. Thayer says, "in the New Testament to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song."

Another lexicon, Arndt and Gingrich, says of 'psallo", "In modem Greek means to sing exclusively ... with no reference to instrumental accompaniment. Those who favor play may be relying too much on the earliest meaning of psallo." When the word was used in the writing of the New Testament by the Holy Spirit, "psallo" meant to sing.

Still others, in defense of the use of instrumental music in worship, will express the idea that if it was "good enough for David; it is good enough for me." Such a defense is not very well thought out. Animal sacrifice, the burning of incense, the keeping of the Sabbath day, circumcision as the outward sign of the covenant, the Levitical priesthood--all of these things were "good enough for David". They also were all part of the Old Law. When Jesus died on the cross, He nailed the Old Law to it, figuratively speaking, and took it out of the way. (Col. 2:14) We are now under the New Covenant, a better covenant, which has superceded the Old. (Heb. 8:7-13) To try to use the Old Law to establish authority for religious practices today places the one who does so in debt to the entire Old Law. That is the very point of Paul's words in Galatians 5:2-4, where we read, "Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law, you have fallen from grace.” Indeed, to try to be under both the Old and New Law at one and the same time constitutes spiritual adultery. (Romans 7:1-4)

God's revealed pattern for worship in the New Testament church does not contain instruments of music. To use them is to fail to worship according to "Truth". It constitutes will worship, worship that springs from man's own desires and will, and not God's. Jesus said that the Apostles were to teach the believers to "observe all that I commanded you", and they did not teach, advocate, or authorize the use of mechanical instruments of music in worship.