The Truth Revealed--Instrumental Music OT Part Four

Introduction:

1. Over the past few weeks we have been examining the use of instruments in the Old Testament corporate worship.

A. Week one we examined numbers chapter 10 and the two silver trumpets.

1. The material, number, manner and people was all regulated.

2. The fifth and final aspect of God’s regulation for the trumpets is that they were the only instruments authorized to be used in the corporate worship of God for the Israelites under the Mosaic Law until the time of king David.

2. In the time of King David instrumental music in the Old Testament changed.

A. The question is—Did David have authority for changing it?

1. At first it appeared that maybe David add these instruments of his own authority but during the reign of King Hezekiah it is revealed that He did not.

A. according to 2 Chronicles 29:25-27 he had the authority of Nathan the prophet.

3. Then in the time of Joash the seven year old king we found that in a time of reformation when restoring proper worship he did it “as it was established by David” (2 Chronicles 23:18).

4. Today we are going to start by progress to the time of the return from Assyrian/Babylonian exile.

5. Then hopefully finish up the Old Testament with the special occasions where instrumental music is used for personal private purposes, civil celebrations, or religious purposes other than corporate worship in the Old Testament.

Body:

1. Zerubbabel lead a return from exile in about 520 BC.

A. Zerubbabel’s intent was to rebuild the temple.

1. In rebuilding the temple they used the instruments the way that King David commanded.

Ezra 3:10 NKJV

10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel.

2. Nehemiah lead a return from exile in about 454 BC

A. Nehemiah intent was to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem.

1. In rebuilding the wall everything was done according to the command of David the man of God.

Nehemiah 12:24 NKJV

24 And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers across from them, to praise and give thanks, group alternating with group, according to the command of David the man of God.

3. Special occasions where instrumental music is used for personal private purposes, civil celebrations, or religious purposes other than corporate worship in the Old Testament.

A. One example is where Laban was talking to Jacob about how he might have sent him away joyfully.

1. Laban was not treating Jacob properly so God told Jacob to return to the land of you fathers.

Genesis 31:3 NKJV

3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”

A. Because Laban had not treated him appropriately God gave Laban’s livestock to Jacob.

Genesis 31:6–9 NKJV

6 And you know that with all my might I have served your father. 7 Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me. 8 If he said thus: ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked. 9 So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.

B. Jacob flees with the livestock in his possession.

Genesis 31:18–21 NKJV

18 And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. 19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s. 20 And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. 21 So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilead.

C. Laban goes after Jacob overtakes him and tells him--

Genesis 31:26–27 NKJV

26 And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? 27 Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp?

2. The use of these instruments was not for the purpose of worshiping God but a going away party for Jacob.

A. Thus the use of these instruments for this purpose did not violate God’s law and do not authorize instruments in the New Testament.

B. In Judges 11:34 Mizpah Jephthah’s daughter met him coming up to his house with timbrels and dancing.

Judges 11:34 NKJV

34 When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

1. Once again these instruments were not used for the purpose of worshiping God, but for greeting her father.

A. This was not a violation of God’s law she was merely happy to see her father.

C. A special one time circumstance was Miriam and other women used timbrels and dancing to celebrate God’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage.

Exodus 15:20–21 NKJV

20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them: “Sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!”

1. This one-time instance does not demonstrate that God accepts corporate worship in the Old Testament with Instruments.

A. This happened before the Mosaic Law was instituted.

B. This was a spontaneous event that was not planned.

C. It was also a celebration not a organized worship.

D. This was also a one time event that never took place again.

D. Another special one-time event shows Saul meeting a group of prophets who were playing stringed instruments, a tambourine, a flute , and a harp.

1 Samuel 10:5 NKJV

5 After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying.

A. The special purpose of this event was to show Saul that he had been chosen by God to be the first King of Israel.

1. Saul was given three confirming signs.

A. A New heart

1 Samuel 10:9 NKJV

9 So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.

B. A new work

1 Samuel 10:10 NKJV

10 When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

C. A New desires for accomplishment.

1 Samuel 10:16 NKJV

16 So Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the kingdom, he did not tell him what Samuel had said.

E. In 2 Kings 3:15, Elisha calls for a musician and when the musician plays, the Spirit of the Lord falls upon him and he prophesies.

1. It was not the purpose of this to play music to God; instead, it was to sho forth God’s power to prove that Elisha was a prophet.

2 Kings 3:15 NKJV

15 But now bring me a musician.” Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.

Conclusion:

1. In every instance where musical instruments were used for corporate worship, there is a command from God for their use.

2. When men were reforming the tabernacle or temple worship, such men always referred to the authority of David.