Why Do You Believe That Instrumental Worship Music Is Different?

[Scripture More Accurately]

Consider the following three things that all believers hold to be true:

1. The object/Person to whom worship music is directed can be right or not right.

2. The hearts of the ones producing the worship music can be right or not right.

3. The lyrics of worship music can be right or not right.

But perplexingly many also believe that the following is true:

4. If 1-3 are true concerning one's worship music, the instrumental music of one's worship music can only be right. It is not possible that the instrumental music could be not right.

If #4 describes your view, why do you believe that instrumental worship music is different from the aspects of worship music specified in #1-3?

 

[SavedByGrace]

Psalm 149

1 Praise Jehovah! Sing to Jehovah a new song, His praise in the congregation of saints. 2 Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; let the sons of Zion be joyful in their King. 3 Let them praise His name in the dance; let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp. 4 For Jehovah takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the meek with salvation. 5 Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, 7 to carry out vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with iron-bands, 9 to carry out on them the judgment written; this is an honor for all His saints. Praise Jehovah!

Psalm 150

Praise Jehovah. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the expanse of His power. 2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness. 3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the harp and lyre. 4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and pipes. 5 Praise Him on the sounding cymbals; praise Him with the resounding cymbals. 6 Let everything that breathes praise Jehovah. Praise Jehovah!

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

Psalm 149

1 Praise Jehovah! Sing to Jehovah a new song, His praise in the congregation of saints. 2 Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; let the sons of Zion be joyful in their King. 3 Let them praise His name in the dance; let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp. 4 For Jehovah takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the meek with salvation. 5 Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, 7 to carry out vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with iron-bands, 9 to carry out on them the judgment written; this is an honor for all His saints. Praise Jehovah!

Psalm 150

Praise Jehovah. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the expanse of His power. 2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness. 3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the harp and lyre. 4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and pipes. 5 Praise Him on the sounding cymbals; praise Him with the resounding cymbals. 6 Let everything that breathes praise Jehovah. Praise Jehovah!

What does quoting these two Psalms show that is relevant to my opening post?

 

[SavedByGrace]

What does quoting these two Psalms show that is relevant to my opening post?

That God allows and does not forbid, the use of mucial instruments in Worship of Him. There are some who think otherwise.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

That God allows and does not forbid, the use of mucial instruments in Worship of Him. There are some who think otherwise.

I see. It's true that these Psalms establish that God authorizes the use of musical instruments in worship. That, however, is not really what my opening post is about.

My opening post is about those who believe that instrumental music used in worship cannot be wrong if the other 3 criteria are met.

 

[Reformed1689]

That God allows and does not forbid, the use of mucial instruments in Worship of Him. There are some who think otherwise.

Which has nothing to do with the OP.

 

[Reformed1689]

This is a fascinating topic and I'm interested to see if there is anyone with that position who will take this up and explain their reasoning.

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

Consider the following three things that all believers hold to be true:

1. The object/Person to whom worship music is directed can be right or not right.

2. The hearts of the ones producing the worship music can be right or not right.

3. The lyrics of worship music can be right or not right.

But perplexingly many also believe that the following is true:

4. If 1-3 are true concerning one's worship music, the instrumental music of one's worship music can only be right. It is not possible that the instrumental music could be not right.

If #4 describes your view, why do you believe that instrumental worship music is different from the aspects of worship music specified in #1-3?

#4 only partially describes me. The best way for me to put it would be that if you're watching a movie, pay attention to the music.

Slow, quiet instrumentals build anxiety and trepidation for what is to come.

Loud, strong instrumentals build in energy, leading to a crescendo.

It'd be inappropriate to put something that builds anxiety or trepidation in a part of a song where Christ has risen. That music should be victorious, loud, triumphant.

Likewise if you have a song about sin, it wouldn't fit for the song to have a strong, building-in-energy instrumental as the main character tries sin after sin (unless the crescendo depicts the main character falling into the depths, realizing his depravity and then submitting to Christ).

So far I haven't heard a song that does this. I don't explore modern music that much, but I'm sure they're out there. #4 would certainly be the least-used "gateway" that good music would have to fit through IMO.

 

[Deacon]

Music appreciation is culturally acquired.
What pleases a westerner may not appeal to others.

I’ve heard African tribal music and that of various Indonesian tribes and found it abrasive, yet they worship with it.

God looks upon the worshiper heart, not their ears.

Rob

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

Music appreciation is culturally acquired.
What pleases a westerner may not appeal to others.

I’ve heard African tribal music and that of various Indonesian tribes and found it abrasive, yet they worship with it.

God looks upon the worshiper heart, not their ears.

Rob

You say, "Music appreciation is culturally acquired." Some cultures have been exceedingly wicked in their practices. Those people, therefore, would learn to appreciate music that is wicked, right? The only way around that conclusion is to say that there is no instrumental music that is itself wicked.

If that is your belief, do you have any Bible to support it?

 

[Marooncat79]

Music or acapella is immaterial to me

it’s much more about the theology and the uses of choirs and praise teams which the issues

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

Music or acapella is immaterial to me

it’s much more about the theology and the uses of choirs and praise teams which the issues

What Scripture can you provide to support your position(s) when you say, "It's much more about . . ."

 

[agedman]

Consider the following three things that all believers hold to be true:

1. The object/Person to whom worship music is directed can be right or not right.

2. The hearts of the ones producing the worship music can be right or not right.

3. The lyrics of worship music can be right or not right.

But perplexingly many also believe that the following is true:

4. If 1-3 are true concerning one's worship music, the instrumental music of one's worship music can only be right. It is not possible that the instrumental music could be not right.

If #4 describes your view, why do you believe that instrumental worship music is different from the aspects of worship music specified in #1-3?

In the most practical way,
If A, B, C, are all positive, that does not oblige Z to be positive.

 

[Martin Marprelate]

I think we need to distinguish between what was permissible in the open air and what was permissible in the Temple.
David danced before the Lord as the ark was brought up to Jerusalem, accompanied by horns and trumpets (1 Chronicles 15:28-29) but I don't think there is any record of anyone dancing in the Temple.
Moreover, David limited the varieties of instruments that were permitted in the Temple (1 Chronicles 25:1) and horns and trumpets seem to have been excluded, though trumpets were given to the priests (not to the musicians) at the dedication of the Temple (2 Chronicles 8:12). Nehemiah followed the instructions that David gave (Nehemiah 12:27-36) giving only cymbals, stringed instruments and harps to the priests and Levites, but trumpets to the priests' sons. The trumpets seem not to have been used in the music but to announce some change in what was going on (cf. Numbers 10:1-10; 1 Corinthians 15:52).
What can we draw from this? Perhaps that playing loud worship music is fine in the church hall or on one's CD player at home or in the car, but perhaps not at the church service, where more solemnity and reverence is required. We should also bear in mind that there was no amplification in ancient times, so volume sufficient to fill the Temple could not be achieved without large numbers of musicians.
It is the voices of His people raised in worship that God delights to hear. Musical instruments are helpful to keep us in pitch and in time, but they have no other function in the church. We are not there to entertain ourselves but to worship God.

 

[Marooncat79]

That is correct Martin

worship is about the people of God coming together to actually worship and not be entertained by the so called praise band or choir

worship is to be corporate not calling attention to anyone but the God we serve

 

[Marooncat79]

Keith Getty on Dangers of Modern Worship, Tells Pastors: "Love Your People Enough To Care About What They Sing" - The Aquila Report

 

[Deacon]

You say, "Music appreciation is culturally acquired." Some cultures have been exceedingly wicked in their practices. Those people, therefore, would learn to appreciate music that is wicked, right? The only way around that conclusion is to say that there is no instrumental music that is itself wicked.

If that is your belief, do you have any Bible to support it?

Biblical support for worshipful instrumental music?
I can make an argument that God looks upon one’s heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
I can also note that the instrumental music of the Psalms was not considered important enough to preserve in Scripture.

Rob

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

It is the voices of His people raised in worship that God delights to hear. Musical instruments are helpful to keep us in pitch and in time, but they have no other function in the church. We are not there to entertain ourselves but to worship God.

Scripture does not support your apparent understanding that God does not delight to hear skillful instrumental music. The worship music of heaven features instrumental music, and we can be sure that helpfulness in keeping in pitch and in time are not functions of instrumental music in heaven

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

Biblical support for worshipful instrumental music?
I can make an argument that God looks upon one’s heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
I can also note that the instrumental music of the Psalms was not considered important enough to preserve in Scripture.

Rob

No, I am not asking for biblical support for worshipful instrumental music.

Yes, God looks upon the heart, but that does not prove that He accepts the use of instrumental music that is "abrasive" (your term).

Not having the instrumental music of the Psalms preserved in Scripture does not prove that God accepts the use of all kinds of music in worship.

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Scripture does not support your apparent understanding that God does not delight to hear skillful instrumental music. The worship music of heaven features instrumental music, and we can be sure that helpfulness in keeping in pitch and in time are not functions of instrumental music in heaven

I am not aware of any instruction for New Testament Christians to have any instruments in our churches whatsoever, or indeed, any example of it.
FYI, C.H. Spurgeon did not even have an organ in the Metropolitan Tabernacle. All hymns and Psalms were sung a capella with the help of a 'precentor' (I think that's the word) who pitched the key for the congregation. Perhaps we should wait until we get to heaven to find out what musical accompaniment God prefers. A very quick look through Revelation reveals only harps (Revelation 5:8) and trumpets, but the trumpets do not appear to have accompanied singing.

N.B. Spurgeon did allow Moody and Sankey to bring a portable organ into the Tabernacle on two occasions.