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THE
CHRISTIAN AND ROCK MUSIC A STUDY OF BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES
OF MUSIC This book is authored by seven
scholars and constists of 14 chapters Chapter 7 BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES by Samuele Bacchiocchi The story is told of a man who,
during an election campaign, had a bumper sticker which read, "My mind
is already made up. Please do not confuse me with the facts." This story
reminds us of the ongoing debate over the use of "Christian" rock
music for worship or evangelism. Many Christians have strong opinions in
favor of or against the use of such music. As Christians we cannot afford to
close our minds to the search for biblical truths, because we are called to
grow in "grace and knowledge" (2 Pet 3:18). Sometimes we think we
know all that the Bible teaches on a certain doctrine, but we begin
investigating it, we soon discover how little we know. This has been my experience. The many months I have spent
examining the biblical references to music, singing, and musical instruments,
have made me aware of the fact that the Bible has far more to say about
music, especially church music, than I had ever imagined. It is a privilege
to share this learning experience with all those who are eager to understand
more fully the biblical principles of music. Objectives of This Chapter. The
overall objective of this chapter is to distill from the Bible some basic
principles regarding appropriate music for the church service and private
use. The task is not easy because the Bible is not set up as a doctrinal
manual with a section devoted exclusively to music. Instead, the Bible is a
source book with over 500 references scattered throughout about music,
musicians, singing, and musical instruments. The challenge is not where to find
these references, but how to draw from them principles applicable to us
today. No attempt is made to trace the
history of music in the Bible,as several scholarly studies already address
this subject. Our goal is to look at music in the Bible theologically rather
than historically. What we seek to understand is the nature and function of
music in the social and religious lives of God’s people. More specifically,
we want to ascertain what distinction, if any, the Bible makes between sacred
and secular music. Was rhythmic music associated with dancing and
entertainment ever used in the Temple, the synagogue, or the early church? This chapter divides into three
parts. The first part examines the importance of music in the Bible,
especially singing. Three major questions are addressed: (1) When, where,
how, and why should we sing? (2) What does it mean to "make a joyful
noise unto the Lord"? (3) What is the "New Song" that
believers are to sing? The second part of this chapter
focuses on the ministry of music in the Bible. The investigation begins with
the music ministry in the Temple and then continues with that of the
synagogue and finally the New Testament church. The results of this
investigation are significant because they show that, contrary to prevailing
assumptions, the Bible makes a clear distinction between sacred and secular
music. Percussion instruments, rhythmic music with a beat, and dancing were
never part of the music ministry of the Temple, the synagogue, or the early
church. The third part of this chapter
examines what the Bible teaches about dancing. The question we address is
whether or not the Bible sanctions dance as a positive component of church
worship. This is an important question because supporters of pop music appeal
to some biblical references to dance to justify their use of rhythmic dance
music in the church. By way of conclusion, a brief summary will be given of
the biblical principles that have emerged in the course of this study. Part 1 THE IMPORTANCE OF SINGING IN
THE BIBLE The
importance of music in the Bible is indicated by the fact that God’s creative
and redemptive activities are accompanied and celebrated by music. At
creation we are told that "the morning stars sang together, and all the
sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7). At the incarnation, the
heavenly choir sang: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace
among men with whom he is pleased!" (Luke 2:14). At the final
consummation of redemption, the great multitude of the redeemed will sing: "Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exalt and give
him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made
herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with the fine linen, bright
and pure" (Rev 19:6-8). The Singing of Creation. The
response of the natural world to the majestic glory of God’s created works is
often expressed in terms of singing. This clearly shows that singing is
something which God welcomes and in which He delights. Numerous examples show
God’s creation being invited to sing praises to God. "Let the heavens rejoice, let
the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields
be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will
sing for joy; they will sing before the Lord" (Ps 96:11-12; NIV).
"Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for
joy; let them sing before the Lord" (Ps 98:8; NIV). "Praise the
Lord, all his works, everywhere in his dominion" (Ps 103:22; NIV). We read about the birds singing
because God provides them with water (Ps 104:12). The heavens, the lower
parts of the earth, the mountains, the forest, and every tree breaks forth
into singing unto the Lord (Is 44:23). The wilderness, the cities, and the
inhabitants of the rock sing and give glory to God (Is 42:1-12). Even the
desert shall blossom and "rejoice with joy and singing" (Is 35:2). All these metaphorical allusions
to the animated and inanimate creation singing and shouting praises to God
indicate that music is something that God ordains and desires. If these were
the only references in the Bible, they would be sufficient for us to know
that music, especially singing, has an important place and purpose in God’s
universe. Human Singing. More
wonderful than all of nature singing is the invitation extended to human
beings to sing. "O Come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful
noise to the rock of our salvation!" (Ps 95:1). "Sing praises to
the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name" (Ps 30:4).
"Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his
wonderful works to the children of men" (Ps 107:8; KJV). Jesus once said
that if people would not praise Him, "the very stones would cry out
(Luke 19:40). The Bible specifically mentions
that singing should be directed to God. Its purpose is not personal
gratification, but God’s glorification. Moses said to the people: "I
will sing unto the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously" (Ex 15:1).
David declared: "I will extol thee, O Lord, among the nations, and sing
praises to thy name" (2 Sam 22:50). Similarly, Paul exhorts the
believers to sing and make melody "unto the Lord with all your
heart" (Eph 5:19). God and the praising of His people are so wrapped up
together that God Himself is identified as "my song": "The
Lord is my strength and my song" (Ex 15:2). Music in the Bible is not only for
God, it is also from God. It is God’s gift to the human family. In
praising God for His deliverance, David says: "He put a new song in my
mouth, a hymn of praise to our God" (Ps 40:3). Thus, music can be
inspired by God, just as His Holy Word. A telling proof is the fact that the
longest book of the Bible is Psalms–the hymn book of God’s people in Bible
times. This means that sacred music is not only a human artistic expression.
We may differ on the style or types of music, but no Christian can
legitimately be opposed to music per se, because music is part of God’s
gracious provision for the human family. Music Essential to the Total
Human Well-being. The first statement that we find in the Bible on any
given subject has a foundational value. This seems to be true also in the
case of music. Only a few generations from Adam and Eve, the Bible tells us
that three sons were born to Lamech and his two wives, Adah and Zillah. Each
son is introduced as "the founding father" of a basic profession.
"Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have
cattle. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play
the lyre and pipe. Zilla bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all
instruments of bronze and iron" (Gen 4:21-22). It is evident that these three
brothers were the founding fathers of three different professions. The first
was a farmer and the third a toolmaker. Both agriculture and industry are
essential to human existence. Sandwiched between the two is the musical
profession of the middle brother. The implication seems to be that human
beings are called, not only to produce and consume food and goods, but also
to enjoy aesthetic beauty, such as music. The American classical pianist Sam
Totman sees in this verse an indication of God’s provision for aesthetic
human needs, besides the physical and material ones. He writes: "Here,
within the compass of but a few verses, God reveals that the provision of
man’s material needs is not enough; in addition, man must have an outlet for
his aesthetic sensitivities. Even from the beginning music was more than a
mere pastime which could be viewed as something pleasant but essentially
unnecessary. Simply stated, God has created in man a certain aesthetic need
which can be best satisfied in music, and in his love and wisdom he has
provided for this need."1 From a biblical perspective, music
is not merely something potentially enjoyable. It is a gift provided by God
to fully meet human needs. The very existence of music should give us reason
to praise God for lovingly providing us with a gift through which we can
express our gratitude to Him, while experiencing delight within ourselves. The Reason for Singing. In
the Bible religious music is God-centered, not self-centered. The notion of
praising the Lord for entertainment or amusement is foreign to the Bible. No
"Jewish" or "Christian" music concerts were performed by
bands or singing artists at the Temple, synagogue, or Christian churches.
Religious music was not an end to itself, but as a means to praise God by
chanting His Word. An amazing recent discovery, discussed later, is that the
entire Old Testament was originally intended to be chanted (sung). Singing in the Bible is not for
personal pleasure nor for reaching out to the Gentiles with tunes familiar to
them. It is to praise God by chanting His Word–a method known as
"cantillation." Pleasure in singing comes not from a rhythmic beat
that stimulates people physically, but from the very experience of praising
the Lord. "Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his
name, for that is pleasant" (Ps 135:3; NIV). "How good it is to
sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him" (Ps
147:1). Singing unto the Lord is
"good" and "pleasant," because it enables believers to
express to Him their joy and gratitude for the blessings of creation,
deliverance, protection, and salvation. Singing is seen in the Bible as an
offering of thanksgiving to the Lord for His goodness and blessings. This
concept is expressed especially in Psalm 69:30-31: "I will praise God’s
name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord
more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs." The notion that singing praises
to the God is better than sacrifice reminds us of a similar concept,
namely, that obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22). Singing
praises to God by chanting His Word is not only a pleasant experience; it is
also a means of grace to the believer. Through singing, believers offer to
God a worship of praise, enabling them to receive His enabling grace. The Manner of Singing. To
fulfill its intended function, singing must express joy, gladness, and
thanksgiving. "Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving" (Ps 147:7).
"I will praise thee with the harp for thy faithfulness, O my God; I will
sing praises to thee with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout
for joy, when I sing praises to thee" (Ps 71:22-23). Note that singing
is accompanied by the harp and lyre (often called psaltery–Ps 144:9; 33:2;
33:3), and not with percussion instruments. The reason, as noted in Chapter
6, is that string instruments blend with the human voice without supplanting
it. In numerous places the Bible
indicates that our singing should be emotional with joy and gladness. We are
told that the Levites "sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down
and worshipped" (2 Chron 29:30). Singing should be done not only with
gladness but also with the whole heart. "I will give thanks to the Lord
with my whole heart" (Ps 9:1). If we follow this biblical principle,
then our singing of hymns or praise songs in church should be joyful and
enthusiastic. To sing enthusiastically, it is
necessary for the grace of God to be applied to the believer’s heart (Col
3:16). Without divine love and grace in the heart, singing becomes as a
sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal (1 Cor 13:1). The person who has
experienced the transforming power of God’s grace (Eph 4:24) can testify that
the Lord has "put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our
God" (Ps 40:3). The music of an unconverted,
rebellious heart is to God an irritating noise. Because of their
disobedience, God said to the children of Israel, "Take away from me the
noise of your song" (Am 5:23). This statement is relevant in a day of
loud amplification of pop music. What pleases God is not the volume of the
music, but the condition of the heart. "Make a Joyful Noise unto
the Lord." The reference to the volume of the music reminds us of
the admonition to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord"–a phrase that
occurs seven times in the KJV version of the Old Testament (Ps 66:1; 81:1;
95:1-2; 98:4, 6; 100:1). These verses are often used to defend the use of
loud rock music in the church. I have preached in churches where
the music of the band was amplified at such high decibels that my eardrums
were in pain for several days afterwards. This is the price I sometimes have
to pay for preaching the Word of God in those churches that have introduced
music bands with high-power amplification systems. Sometimes their huge
speakers are placed right on the platform close to the ears of the preacher. The defense for the use of
deafening sound in the church service is that God does not really care about
how we sound, as long as we make a joyful noise unto Him. Since rock bands
with their electronic equipment produce a powerful, thundering loud noise, it
is alleged that God is made very happy by such "joyful noise." Before examining those Bible texts
where the phrases "joyful noise" or "loud noise" appear
in some mistaken translations, it is important to remember that in Bible
times there was no electronic amplification. What was loud in Bible times,
would be very normal today. The volume of music produced by the human voice
or musical instruments without amplification does not increase in
proportion of the number of participants. Ten trumpets do not make ten times
the noise or volume of one trumpet. In his book on the Psychology of Music,
Carl Seashore devotes an entire chapter to the subject of volume. He writes:
"The addition of one or more tones of the same intensity tends to
increase the total intensity in the volume, but only to a slight degree. For
example, if we have a piano tone of 50 decibels and we add to that another
tone of the same intensity, the combined effect will be about 53 decibels. If
we add a third tone, the total intensity is likely to be 55 decibels. Thus
the addition to the total intensity decreases with the number of units
combined; and in every case the increase is small in comparison with the
original intensity of one element."2 What this means is that
the singers that David appointed "to offer praises to the Lord with the
instruments" (1 Chron 23:5) could produce at most a sound volume of
about 70 or 80 decibels, because they had no amplification possibilities. The
usual choir was rather small, consisting of a minimum of 12 adult male
singers, accompanied by few string instruments. The level of volume depended
on the distance between the singers and the congregation. By contrast, today
a four-man rock group with the right amplification system can output a sound
power in the 130-140 decibel level, which can upstage a jumbo jet at takeoff. The "loud noise" in
Bible times was not loud enough to harm people physically. Today the
possibility of being hurt by excessive volume is a constant possibility.
"Most ear doctors say that we should not listen to anything above the 90
decibels on the sound scale. Many rock music groups, both secular and
Christian, play at 120-125 decibel level! (Keep in mind that the SST Concord
Supersonic jet hits just over the 130 decibels when leaving Washington’s
Dulles Airport.) ‘Your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit’ (1 Cor
6:19). Certainly that text is applicable to this point. We are to be good
stewards of our eardrums, too."3 Does Loud Noise Praise God? Do
those Bible texts that speak about making "a joyful noise" or
"a loud noise" unto the Lord teach us that God is pleased with the
excessive amplification of the human voice or musical instruments during the
worship service? Hardly so. This conclusion is largely drawn from a
mistranslation of the original Hebrew terms commonly translated as
"noise." In his book, The Rise of Music in the Ancient World, Curt
Sachs answers this question: "How did ancient Jews sing? Did they
actually cry at the top of their voices? Some students have tried to make us
believe that such was the case, and they particularly refer to several psalms
that allegedly bear witness of singing in fortissimo. But I suspect them of
drawing from translations rather than from the original."4 The phrase "make a joyful
noise" is a mistranslation of the Hebrew ruwa. The term does not
mean to make an indiscriminate loud noise, but to shout for joy. The God of
biblical revelation does not delight in loud noise per se, but in joyful
melodies. A good example is found in Job 38:7 where the same word ruwa
is used to describe the sons of God who "shouted for joy" at
creation. The singing of the heavenly beings at creation can hardly be
characterized as "loud noise," because "noise"
presupposes unintelligible sound. The mistranslation of ruwa
as "noise" has been caught by the translators of the New
International Version (NIV), where the term is consistently translated as
"shout for joy" rather than "make a joyful noise." For
example, in the KJV Psalm 98:4 reads: "Make a joyful noise unto the
Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise."
Note the more rational translation found in the NIV: "Shout for joy to
the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music" (Ps 98:4).
There is a world of difference between "making a loud noise unto the
Lord," and "shouting for joy" or "bursting into jubilant
song." Singing jubilantly with the full volume of the human voice is not
noise making, but an enthusiastic expression of praise. Another self-evident example of
mistranslation is found in Psalm 33:3 which in the KJV reads: "Sing unto
him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise." The latter phrase is
contradictory, because music skillfully played can hardly be described as
"loud noise." One wonders why the translators of the KJV did not
see the contradiction. The NIV correctly renders the verse: "Sing to him
a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy" (Ps 33:3). Two Old Testament references
indicate that sometimes music can degenerate into noise making. The first
reference is found in Amos 5:23 where God rebukes the unfaithful Israelites:
"Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps
I will not listen." A similar warning is found in Ezekiel’s prophecy
against Tyre: "And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the
sound of thy harps shall no more be heard" (Ezek 26:13). In both texts the word "noise" correctly translates
the Hebrew hamown, which occurs eighty times in the Old Testament and
is commonly translated as "noise" or "tumult." The NIV
correctly uses the word "noisy": "I will put an end to your
noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more." God
views such music as "noise" because it is produced by a rebellious
people. In one instance in the New
Testament, the word "noise" is used in conjunction with music
produced by professional mourners. We read in Matthew 9:23-24: "And when
Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people
making a noise, He said to them, ‘Give place; for the maid is not dead, but
sleepeth.’ And they laughed him to scorn." In this case the music and
the wailing are correctly characterized as "noise," because they
consisted of incoherent sounds. On this occasion the Greek verb thorubeo
refers to the musical wailing and noise making by minstrels and the
crowd. The fact that Christ characterizes such music as "noise"
suggests that the Lord does not approve of loud musical noise in a worship
service. "It was a semitic custom to hire professional mourners to wail,
and sing and beat percussion instruments and play mournfully over the dead. .
. . Although this verse definitively connects noise making with music in the
New Testament, it does not implicate that in the New Testament dispensation
we should make noise unto God with our religious music."5 The review of relevant texts
indicates that the Bible does not sanction making a joyful noise unto the
Lord, or any kind of noise making for that matter. God’s people are invited
to break forth in singing with power and joy. God does care about how we sing
and play during the worship service. God has always demanded our best, when
making an offering to him. As He required the burnt offerings to be
"without blemish" (Lev 1:3), so it is reasonable to assume that He
expects us to present Him with the very best musical offering. There is no
biblical basis for believing that the loud, noise-making music or
questionable lyrics are acceptable to God. The Place and Time
of Singing. The Bible instructs us to sing, not only in God’s House,
but also among unbelievers, in foreign countries, in time of persecution, and
among the saints. The writer of Hebrews says: "In the midst of the
congregation I will praise thee" (Heb 2:12). The Psalmist admonishes to
"Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the
faithful" (Ps 149:1). Paul affirms "I will praise thee among the
Gentiles, and sing to thy name" (Rom 15:9). Isaiah exhorts to praise God
in the islands (Is 42:11-12). While in jail, Paul and Silas were
"praying and singing hymns to God" (Acts 16:25). The frequent references to
praising God among the heathens or Gentiles (2 Sam 22:50; Rom 15:9; Ps 108:3)
suggest that singing was seen as an effective way to witness for the Lord to
unbelievers. However, there are no indications in the Bible that the Jews or
the early Christians borrowed secular tunes and songs to evangelize the
Gentiles. On the contrary, we shall see below that the entertainment music
and percussion instruments common in the pagan temples and society were
conspicuously absent in the worship music of the Temple, synagogue, and early
Christian gatherings. Both Jews and early Christians believed that secular
music had no place in the house of worship. This point becomes clearer as we
proceed with this study. Singing, in the Bible, is not
limited to the worship experience, but extends to the totality of one’s
existence. Believers who live in peace with God have a constant song in their
hearts, though the singing may not always be vocalized. This is why the
Psalmist says: "I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise
to my God as long as I live" (Ps 146:2; 104:33). In Revelation those who
come out of the great tribulation are seen standing before God’s throne,
singing with a loud voice a new song which says: "Salvation belongs to
our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb" (Rev 7:10). Singing
praises to God is an experience that begins in this life and continues in the
world to come. The "New Song" of the
Bible. Nine times the Bible speaks of singing "a new song."
Seven times the phrase occurs in the Old Testament (Ps 33:3; 40:3; 96:1;
98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is 42:10) and twice in the New Testament (Rev 5:9; 14:2).
During the preparation of this manuscript, several subscribers to my
"Endtime Issues" newsletter have emailed messages, arguing that for
them the contemporary pop religious music is the prophetic fulfillment of the
biblical "new song," because pop songs have "new" lyrics
and tunes. Others believe that Christians are required to sing new songs and,
consequently, musicians constantly must compose new hymns for the church. There certainly is a continuing
need for new hymns to enrich the worship experience of the church today.
However, a study of the "new song" in the Bible reveals that the
phrase "new song" refers not to a new composition, but to a new
experience that makes it possible to praise God with new meaning. Let us look
first at a couple of passages from the Old Testament which help us define the
meaning of the "new song." The Psalmist says: "He lifted me
out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and
gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of
praise to our God" (Ps 40:2-3, NIV). In this text, the "new
song" is defined by the appositional phrase as "a hymn of praise to
our God." It is the experience of deliverance from the slimy pit and of
restoration upon solid ground that gives David reason to sing old hymns of
praise to God with new meani! ! ng. The "new song" in the
Bible is not associated with simpler lyrics or more rhythmic music, but with
a unique experience of divine deliverance. For example, David says: "I
will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make
music to you, to the One who gives victory to kings, who delivers his servant
David from the deadly sword" (Ps 144:9-10). It is the experience of
deliverance and victory that inspires David to sing with a new sense of
gratitude the hymns of praises. The same concept is expressed in
the two references to the "new song" found in the New Testament
(Rev 5:9; 14:2). The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures sing a
"new song" before the Throne of God. The song praises the Lamb
"for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God"
(Rev 5:9). On a similar note in Revelation
14, the redeemed join the elders and the living creatures in singing "a
new song before the throne" (Rev 14:3). We are told that "no one
could learn that song" except those "who had been redeemed from the
earth" (Rev 14:3). What makes this song new, is not the new words or
melody, but the unique experience of the redeemed. They are the only ones who
can sing it, not because the words or melody are difficult to learn, but
because of their unique experience. They came out of the great tribulation;
thus they can express their praise and gratitude to God in a way no one else
can do. The Greek word translated
"new" is kainos, which means new in quality and not in time.
The latter meaning is expressed by the Greek word neos. The
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament clearly explains the
difference between the two Greek words neos and kainos. "Neos
is what is new in time or origin, . . . kainos is what is new in
nature, different from the usual, impressive, better than the old."6 Only the person who has
experienced the transforming power of God’s grace can sing the new song. It
is noteworthy that Paul’s famous exhortation in Colossians 3:16 to "sing
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" is preceded by his appeal to
"put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new
nature, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator"
(Col 3:9-10). The "new song" celebrates the victory over the old
life and old songs; at the same time, it expresses gratitude for the new life
in Christ experienced by believers.
Part 2 THE MINISTRY OF MUSIC IN THE
BIBLE In
discussing the importance of music in the Bible, we have focused so far on
the role of singing in the personal spiritual experience. Very little has
been said of the ministry of music conducted first in the Temple, and then in
the synagogue, and finally in the early church. A brief examination of the
public ministry of music during Bible times offers significant lessons for
church music today. (1) The Music Ministry in the
Temple Many of those involved in
contemporary music ministry appeal to the different styles of music of the
Old Testament for "doing their own thing." They believe that music
produced by percussion instruments and accompanied by dancing was common in
religious services. Consequently, they maintain that some styles of rock
music and dancing are appropriate for church services today. A careful study of the function of music in the Old Testament
reveals otherwise. For example, in the Temple musicians belonged to the
professional clergy, played only on limited and special occasions, and used
only few specific musical instruments. There was no possibility to turn the
Temple service into a music festival where any Jewish "rock bands"
could play the entertainment music of the time. Music was rigidly controlled
in the Temple. What is true of the Temple was later true also of the
synagogue and the early church. This survey will help us to understand that
in music, as in all areas of life, God does not give us the license to
"do our own thing." The Institution of the Music
Ministry. The transition from the unsettled, nomadic life in the desert
to a permanent lifestyle in Palestine under the monarchy afforded the
opportunity for developing a music ministry that would meet the needs of the
worshipping congregation at the Temple. Prior to this time the references to
music are primarily in conjunction with women singing and dancing to
celebrate special events. Miriam led a group of women in singing and dancing
to celebrate the overthrow of the Egyptians (Ex 15:1-21). Women played and
danced for the conquering David (1 Sam 18:6-7). Jephthah’s daughter met her
father with timbrels and dance upon his return from battle (Judg 11:34). With the establishment by David of
a professional music ministry of Levites, music making was restricted to men.
Why women were excluded from serving as musicians in the Temple is an important
question that has baffled scholars. We shall comment upon it shortly. Women
did continue making music in the social life of the people. The book of Chronicles describes
with considerable detail how David organized the music ministry of the
Levites. An insightful analysis of how David accomplished this organization
is provided by the doctoral dissertation of John Kleinig,The Lord’s Song:
The Basis, Function and Significance of Choral Music in Chronicles. For
the purpose of our study, we limit ourselves to a brief summary of those
features that are relevant for the ministry of music today. According to the first book of
Chronicles, David organized the music ministry in three stages. First, he
ordered the heads of the Levitical families to appoint an orchestra and a
choir to accompany the transportation of the ark to its tent at Jerusalem (1
Chron 15:16-24). The second stage occurred after
the ark had been safely placed in its tent in his palace (2 Chron 8:11).
David arranged for the regular performance of choral music at the time of the
daily burnt offerings with choirs in two different places (1 Chron 16:4-6,
37-42). One choir performed under the leadership of Asaph before the ark in
Jerusalem (1 Chron 16:37), and the other under the leadership of Herman and
Jeduthun before the altar in Gibeon (1 Chron 16:39-42). The third stage in David’s
organization of the ministry of music occurred at the end of David’s reign
when the king planned for the more elaborate music service that would be
conducted at the temple that Solomon was to build (1 Chron 23:2 to 26:32).
David established a pool of 4,000 Levites as potential performers (1 Chron
15:16; 23:5). From this group he formed a professional Levitical choir of 288
members. The Levite musicians accounted for more than ten percent of the
38,000 Levites. "Some kind of examination was probably necessary for the
process of selection, since musical ability is not always inherited."8 David himself was
involved together with his officials in the appointment of twenty-four
leaders of the watches, each of whom had twelve musicians for a total of 288
musicians (1 Chron 25:1-7). These in turn were responsible for the rest of
the selection of the musicians. The Ministry of the Musicians. To
ensure that there would be no confusion or conflict between the sacrificial
ministry of the priests and the music ministry of the Levites, David
carefully delineated the position, rank, and scope of the ministry of the
musicians (1 Chron 23:25-31). The performance of the ministry of music was
subordinate to the priests (1 Chron 23:28). The nature of the ministry of the
musicians is graphically described: "They shall stand every morning,
thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening, and whenever burnt
offerings are offered to the Lord on Sabbath, new moons and feast days,
according to the number required of them, continually before the Lord"
(1 Chron 23:30-31). The context suggests that the
musicians stood somewhere in front of the altar, since their music
performance coincided with the presentation of the burnt offering. The
purpose of their ministry was to thank and praise the Lord. They announced
the Lord’s presence to His assembled people (1 Chron 16:4), reassuring them
of His favorable disposition toward them. In 1 Chronicles 16:8-34 we find a
remarkable hymn of praise that was sung by the Temple choir. "This song
consists of portions of Psalms 105, 96, and 106, which were reworked and
recombined to produce this remarkable liturgical text. The song itself begins
and ends with a call to thanksgiving. A concluding petition and doxology are
appended in 1 Chronicles 16:35-36. We thus have in 1 Chronicles 16:8-34 a
carefully crafted composition which has been placed there to demonstrate the
basic pattern of thanksgiving which David instituted for performance by the
singers in Jerusalem."9 Successful Music Ministry. The
music ministry at the Temple was successful for several reasons which are
relevant for our church music today. First, the Levite musicians were mature
and musically trained. We read in 1 Chronicles 15:22 that "Kenaniah the
head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because
he was skillful at it" (NIV). He became director of music because he was
an accomplished musician able to instruct others. The concept of musical
skill is mentioned several times in the Bible (1 Sam 16:18; 1 Chron 25:7; 2
Chron 34:12; Ps 137:5). Paul also alludes to it when he says: "I will
sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind" (1 Cor 14:15,
NIV). The choir consisted of a minimum
of twelve adult male singers between the ages of thirty and fifty (1 Chron
23:3-5).10 Rabbinical sources report that the musical
training of a Levitical singer took at least five years of intensive
preparation.11 The biblical principle is that music leaders must
be mature with an understanding of music, especially today as we live in a
highly educated society. Second, the music ministry at the
Temple was successful because its musicians were prepared spiritually. They
were set aside and ordained for their ministry like the rest of the priests.
Speaking to the leaders of the Levite musicians, David said: "Sanctify
yourselves, you and your brethren . . . So the priests and the Levites
sanctified themselves" (1 Chron 15:12, 14). The Levite musicians were
given a sacred trust to continually minister before the Lord (1 Chron 16:37). Third, the Levite musicians were
full-time workers. 1 Chronicles 9:33 states: "Now these are the singers,
the heads of father’s houses of Levites, dwelling in the chambers of the
temple free from other service, for they were on duty day and night."
Apparently the Levites’ ministry of music entailed considerable preparation,
because we read that "David left Asaph and his brethren there before the
ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister continually before the ark as
each day required" (1 Chron 16:37). The biblical lesson is that
ministers of music must be willing to work diligently in preparing the music
needed for the worship service. Lastly, the Levite musicians were
not singing artists invited to entertain the people at the Temple. They were ministers
of music. "These are the men whom David put in charge of the service
of song in the house of the Lord, after the ark rested there. They ministered
with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting" (1 Chron
6:31-32). Through their musical service the Levites "ministered"
to the people. In five other instances in the Old Testament, the Levites are
said to minister to the people through their music (1 Chron 16:4, 37;
2 Chron 8:14; 23:6; 31:2). The ministry of the Levite
musicians is well defined in 1 Chronicles 16:4: "Moreover he appointed
certain of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to
thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel." The three verbs used
in this text–"invoke," "thank," and
"praise"–suggest that the music ministry was a vital part of the
worship experience of God’s people. An indication of the importance of
the music ministry can be seen in the fact that the Levite musicians were
paid out of the same tithes given for the support of the priesthood (Num
18:24-26; Neh 12:44-47; 13:5, 10-12). The biblical principle is that the work
of a minister of music should not be "a labor of love," but a
ministry supported by the tithe income of the church. It stands to reason
that if a lay person volunteers to help in the music program of the church,
such service does not need to be remunerated. Summing up, the music ministry at
the Temple was conducted by experienced and mature Levites who were trained
musically, prepared spiritually, supported financially, and served
pastorally. As Kenneth Osbeck observes: "To minister musically in the
Old Testament was a great privilege and a most responsible service. This is
still true of a church music-ministry today. In a very real sense we are New
Testament Levites. Therefore these principles established by God for the
Levitical priesthood should be noted as valid guidelines for music leaders in
a New Testament church."12 The Levitical Choir and the
Sacrificial Ritual. The book of Chronicles presents the musical ministry
of the Levites as part of the presentation of the daily offering at the
Temple. The ritual consisted of two parts. First came the blood ritual which
was designed to atone for the sins of the people through the transference of
the blood of the sacrifice to the Holy Place (2 Chron 29:21-24). This service
created the ritual purity necessary for God’s acceptance of His people and
the manifestation of His blessing upon the congregation. During this ritual
no songs were sung. Once the rite of atonement was
completed, the burnt offering was presented upon the altar. This ritual
signalled God’s acceptance of His people and the manifestation of His
presence. John Kleinig explains that "As the sacrifices were being burnt
upon the altar, the trumpets, which announced the Lord’s presence, called for
the prostration of the congregation in His presence, and the song of the Lord
was sung by the musicians [2 Chron 29:25-30]. Thus, the choral service came
after the rite of atonement had been completed. It did not attempt to secure
a favorable response from the Lord but presupposed such a response as
something already given. The musicians proclaimed the Lord’s name during the
presentation of the sacrifices, so that he would come to His people and bless
them, as He had promised in Exodus 20:24 and demonstrated in 2 Chronicles
7:1-3."13 The function of the
music during the sacrificial ritual was not to overshadow or replace the
sacrifice itself, but to enlist the involvement of the congregation at
certain designated moments during the service. In other words, the Israelites
did not go to the Temple to hear the Levite bands performing in sacred
concert. Instead, they went to the Temple to witness and experience God’s
atonement for their sins. The music that accompanied the atoning sacrifice
invited them to accept and celebrate God’s gracious provision of salvation. At a time when many Christians
choose their churches in accordance with the musical style of worship, we
need to remember that in the Bible, the music was never an end to itself. In
the Temple the music served enhanced the sacrificial service by enlisting the
participation of the congregation at certain specific moments. In the
synagogue and the early church, music reinforced the teaching and
proclamation of the Word of God. To be true to the biblical witness, our
church music must support the teaching and preaching of God’s Word, and not
overshadow it. The Musical Instruments of the
Temple. David instituted not only the times, place, and words for the
performance of the Levitical choir, but he also "made" the musical
instruments to be used for their ministry (1 Chron 23:5; 2 Chron 7:6). This
is why they are called "the instruments of David" (2 Chron
29:26-27). To the trumpets which the Lord had
ordained through Moses, David added the cymbals, lyres, and harp (1 Chron
15:16; 16:5-6). The importance of this combination as divinely ordained is
indicated by the fact that this combination of instruments was respected for
many centuries until the destruction of the Temple. For example, in 715 B.
C., King Hezekiah "stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with
cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to commandment of David and of Gad the
king’s seer and of Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was from the Lord
through his prophets" (2 Chron 29:25). The trumpets were played by the
priests and their number ranged from two in the daily worship (1 Chron 16:6;
Num 10:2) to seven or more on special occasions (1 Chron 15:24; Neh 12:33-35;
2 Chron 5:12). "In worship at the Temple the trumpets gave the signal
for the prostration of the congregation during the presentation of the burnt
offering and the performance of the choral service (2 Chron 29:27-28). . . .
While the Levitical musicians faced the altar, the trumpeters stood facing
them in front of the altar (2 Chron 5:12; 7:6)."14 This
arrangement highlighted the responsibility of the trumpeters to give the
signal for the congregation to prostrate and for the choir to sing. The cymbals consisted of two metal
plates with reflexed rims about 10-15 inches wide. When struck together
vertically, they produced a ringing, tinkling sound. Some appeal to the use
of cymbals to argue that Temple music had a rhythmic beat like rock music
today, and, consequently, the Bible does not forbid percussion instruments
and rock music in the church today. Such an argument ignores the fact that,
as Kleinig explains, "the cymbals were not used by the precantor to
conduct the singing by beating out the rhythm of the song, but rather to
announce the beginning of the song or a stanza in the song. Since they were
used to introduce the song, they were wielded by the head of choir on
ordinary occasions (1 Chron 16:5) or by the three heads of the guilds on
extraordinary occasions (1 Chron 15:19). . . . Since the trumpets and the
cymbals were played together to announce the beginning of the song, the players
of both are called the ‘sounders&#! ! 146; in 1 Chronicles 16:42."15 In his book Jewish Music in Its
Historical Development, A. Z. Idelsohn notes that in the worship of the
Temple only one pair of cymbals were used and that by the leader himself.
"The percussive instruments were reduced to one cymbal, which was not
employed in the music proper, but merely to mark pauses and
intermissions."16 In a similar vein, Curt
Sachs explains,"The music in the Temple included cymbals, and the modern
reader might conclude that the presence of percussion instruments indicate
rigid beats. But there is little doubt that the cymbals, as elsewhere, marked
the end of a line and not the beats inside a verse. . . . A word for rhythm
does not seem to exists in the Hebrew language."17 The
term "Selah," which occurs in some psalms to mark the end of a
stanza, may indica! ! te the place where the cymbals were struck. The third group of musical
instruments was comprised of two string instruments, the lyres and the harps,
which were called "the instruments of song" (2 Chron 5:13) or
"the instruments of God’s song" (1 Chron 16:42). As indicated by
their descriptive name, their function was to accompany the songs of praise
and thanksgiving to the Lord (1 Chron 23:5; 2 Chron 5:13). The musicians who
played the harps and the lyres would themselves sing the song to their own
accompaniment (1 Chron 9:33; 15:16, 19, 27; 2 Chron 5:12-13; 20:21). In his book The Music of the
Bible in Christian Perspective, Garen Wolf explains that "String
instruments were used extensively to accompany singing since they would not
cover up the voice or the ‘Word of Jehovah’ which was being sung."18 Great
care was taken to ensure that the vocal praise of the Levitical choir would not
be overshadowed by the sound of the instruments. Restriction on Musical
Instruments. Some scholars argue that instruments like drums, timbrel
(which was a tambourine), flutes, and dulcimers were kept out of the Temple
because they were associated with pagan worship and culture, or because they
were customarily played by women for entertainment. This could well be the
case, but it only goes to show that there was a distinction between the
sacred music played inside the Temple and the secular music played outside. A restriction was placed on the
musical instruments and art expression to be used in the House of God. God
prohibited a number of instruments which were allowed outside the
Temple for national festivities and social pleasure. The reason is not that
certain percussion instruments were evil per se. The sounds produced by any
musical instrument are neutral, like a letter of the alphabet. Rather, the
reason is that these instruments were commonly used to produce entertainment
music which was inappropriate for worship in God’s House. By prohibiting
instruments and music styles, like dancing, associated with secular
entertainment, the Lord taught His people to distinguish between the sacred
music played in the Temple, and the secular, entertainment music used in
social life. The restriction on the use of
instruments was meant to be a binding rule for future generations. When King
Hezekiah revived Temple worship in 715 B. C., he meticulously followed the
instructions given by David. We read that the king "stationed the
Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to
the commandment of David . . . for the commandment was from the Lord through
his prophets" (2 Chron 29:25). Two and a half centuries later
when the Temple was rebuilt under Ezra and Nehemiah, the same restriction was
applied again. No percussion instruments were allowed to accompany the
Levitical choir or to play as an orchestra at the Temple (Ezra 3:10; Neh
12:27, 36). This confirms that the rule was clear and binding over many
centuries. The singing and the instrumental music of the Temple were to
differ from that used in the social life of the people. Lessons from the Temple Music. What
lessons can we learn from the music of the Temple? The absence of percussion
musical instruments and of dancing bands in the music of the Temple
indicates, as noted earlier, that a distinction must be made between the
secular music used for social entertainment and the sacred music employed for
worship service in God’s House. No "Jewish Rock Bands"
were at the Temple to entertain the people with loud rhythmic music, because
the Temple was a place of worship and not a social club for entertainment.
Percussion instruments like drums, tambourines, timbrels or tabrets, which
were commonly used for making entertainment music, were absent in the Temple
music. Only the cymbals were used, but in a limited way. They marked the end
of a stanza and the cessation of the singing. The lesson for us today is evident.
Church music should differ from secular music, because the church, like the
ancient Temple, is God’s House in which we gather to worship the Lord and not
to be entertained. Percussion instruments which stimulate people physically
through a loud and relentless beat are as inappropriate for church music
today as they were for the Temple music of ancient Israel. A second lesson is that the
musical instruments used to accompany the choir or the singing of the
congregation should not cover up the voice. Like the string instruments used
in the Temple, musical instruments used in the church today should support
the singing. Musical instruments should serve as a hand-maiden to the Word of
God which is sung and proclaimed. This means, for example, that organ music
should not be so loud as to drown the voice of the congregation. On numerous occasions I have been
in churches equipped with powerful electronic organs that are played so loud
that the voice of the congregation cannot be heard. Biblical principle indicates
that the function of the organ is to support the singing of the congregation;
not to cover it up. This principle applies not only to organ music, but to
any other instrument or an orchestra that accompanies a choir or a singing
congregation. Some argue that if we are to
follow the example of the Temple, we need to eliminate in the church such
instruments as the piano and the organ, because they are not string
instruments. Such an argument ignores the distinction between a biblical
principle and its cultural application. The biblical principle is that instrumental music accompanying
the singing should aid the vocal response to God and not drown it. In Bible
times this was best accomplished by the use of string instruments. Note that
trumpets and cymbals were used in the Temple, but not to accompany the
Levitical choir. Nothing was wrong with these instruments. They simply were
not seen as suitable to accompany the singing, presumably because they do not
blend well with the human voice, besides supplanting it. Another point is that instruments
like the organ or the piano were unknown in Bible times. Were we to exclude
from our life today all that the Bible does not explicitly mention, we sould
not eat pizza, apple pie, or ice cream. The important biblical principle
is that music in God’s House, both instrumental and vocal, must respect and
reflect the sacredness of the place of worship. When instruments are used to
accompany the singing, they should support the human voice without
supplanting it. (2) The Music Ministry in the
Synagogue The function of music in the
synagogue differed from that of the Temple, primarily because the two
institutions had different purposes. The Temple was primarily where
sacrifices were offered on behalf of the whole nation and of individual
believers. The synagogue, on the other hand, emerged most likely during the
Babylonian exile as the place where prayers were offered and scripture was
read and taught. While there was only one Temple for the whole nation,
according to the Talmud, there were 394 synagogues located in Jerusalem alone
in Jesus’ time. The difference in function between
the Temple and the synagogue is reflected in the different roles that music
played in these two institutions. While the music of the Temple was predominantly
vocal, with string instruments aiding the singing, the music of the
synagogue was exclusively vocal, without any instruments. The only
exception was the shofar–the ram-horn that served as a signal
instrument. In the Temple the ministry of
music was in the hands of professional musicians. Their choral music was an
accessory to the sacrificial ritual. We might say that the music was "sacrifice-centered."
The participation of the congregation was limited to affirmative responses as
"Amen," or "Hallelujah." By contrast, in the synagogue
the service, including the music, was in the hands of lay persons and their
music was, as Curt Sachs call it, "logenic,"19 that
is, "Word-centered." Little evidence suggests that
musical instruments were ever used in the synagogue service. We know that
after the A. D. 70 destruction of the Temple, the only instrument used in the
synagogue service was the shofar. The reason, as Eric Werner explains,
was "partly because of the hostility of the Pharisees to instrumental
music, and partly because of the deep mourning for the Temple and the land,
and the disappearance of the Levitical functions, including the provision of
music for the sanctuary. . . . The exclusion of instruments from Jewish
worship remained in force generally for many centuries; only at the loss of
political power by the rabbis in the nineteenth century Emancipation, did
instrumental music once again appear in the (liberal) synagogue, and the
exclusion still remains in force where, as in modern Israel, orthodox rabbis
retain some power."20 Blurring of Music and Speech. The
distinction between music and public speech was blurred in the synagogue,
because the word-centered worship migrated back and forth between speech and
song. The musical ambiguity of the synagogue service was caused by the fact
that much of the service consisted of prayers and the public reading of the
Scriptures, which often took the form of chanting, known as
"cantillation." "The concept that the entire
Old Testament was originally intended to be chanted (sung) is a new concept
to church musicians and pastors, but it is a long established fact among
scholars of Bible music. The reason that it is such a well-kept secret is
that we tend to ignore what we do not understand."21 "The intonations or
cantillations, mentioned as far back as the first century, were cast into a
system of modes or formulae, one for each of the books of the Bible intended
to be publicly read. . . . Little is known about when the transition from declamatory
to musical reading was first evidenced, except that the Psalms were sung in
temple worship. Idelsohon and Werner both believe that the chanting of
Scripture, in one form or another, went back perhaps as far back as Ezra
(fifth century B. C.), and that its eventual complexity and organization was
the result of hundreds of years of crystallization."22 "The Talmud scorns
those who read the Scriptures without melody and study the words without
singing. Service, based on reading the Holy Books, was musical throughout,
alternating between the cantor’s chant and the tunes of the congregation. In
both forms it was what we call cantillation, though not in the
stagnant monotone of a Christian lesson, but rather in the noble fluency of
Gregorian melodies."23 One of the surprising discoveries
of recent years is that the accents of the Masoretic Hebrew Text are musical
notations. This made it possible for Suzanne Haik-Vantoura to decipher the
ancient music of the Bible, which was found to consist of a seven-note
diatonic scale, strikingly similar to our modern diatonic scale.24 Relevance of Synagogue
Music for Today. What lessons can we learn from the ministry of
music at the synagogue? Are we required to chant scripture today as the Jews
have historically done in the synagogue? No. Nothing in the Bible commands us
to sing the Scriptures. This does not exclude the possibility of learning
scripture by means of the "Scripture song" and "Psalm-singing."
In fact, considerable efforts have been done in recent times to set to music
numerous Psalms and Bible passages. We have seen that the ministry of
music at the synagogue was largely a ministry of the Word. The Jews came
together to the synagogue in a rather informal setting to pray, read, and
sing the Scriptures. For them, music was not an end to itself, but a means of
praising the Lord by chanting His Word and thus learning His revealed will. At a time when much of CCM is
deficient in scriptural content and Christian artists often draw the
attention of the people to their singing abilities rather than to the
teachings of God’s Word, it is good to remember that the music of the
synagogue, which Jesus Himself sang, was "Word-centered"–it
was designed to teach and proclaim the great Scriptural truths. Does our church music help us to
hear the Word of God clearly? Remember that "faith comes from hearing
the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Rom
10:17, NIV). Church music should help us hear the Word of God through its
sound, the character of the composition, and its lyrics. Another important lesson is that
the music of the Temple and synagogue was distinct from that of the pagan
society. While much of the music played in the pagan society was improvised,
"the rigid training of the Levites as described by Josephus and
rabbinical sources left little room for spontaneous improvisation. . . . In
this respect the Temple [and the synagogue] music must have been untypical of
Middle Eastern music, in which improvisation is normally indispensable."25 (3) The Music Ministry in the
New Testament To
speak about a music ministry in the New Testament may seem completely out of
place. The New Testament is silent about any "musical" office in the
church. Outside the book of Revelation, in which music is part of a rich
eschatological drama, only a dozen passages refer to music. None of these passages, however,
gives us a clear picture of the role that music played in church services
during New Testament times. This is not surprising, because New Testament
believers did not see their worship gatherings as being much different from
those of the synagogue. Both were conducted in an informal setting, with lay
people leading out in the prayer, reading, singing, and exhortation. The New
Testament references to worship gatherings reflect to a large extent the
worship service of the synagogue, as scholarly studies have established.26 The
fundamental difference between the two was the messianic proclamation, which
was present only in the Christian worship. Of the twelve references to music
in the New Testament, five refer to it metaphorically (Matt 6:2; 11:17; Luke
7:32; 1 Cor 13:1; 14:7-8) and, consequently, are not relevant to our study.
The remaining seven shed important light, especially when they are seen
within the broader context of the synagogue worship, which was known and
practiced by the Christians. Four references to music are found
in the Gospels. Two mention instrumental music and dancing in conjunction
with the mourning for the death of a girl (Matt 9:23) and the celebration
upon the return of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:25). Two passages are parallel
and mention Christ singing a hymn with His disciples at the conclusion of the
Last Supper (Matt 26:30; Mark 14:26). Most likely this was the second portion
of the Jewish Hallel sung at the completion of the Passover meal. It
consisted of Psalms 113 to 118. One text refers to Paul and Silas
singing while in jail (Acts 16:25). We have no way of knowing whether they
sang psalms or newly composed Christian hymns. The above examples tell us
that music accompanied various activities in the social and religious life of
the people, but they do not inform us about the role of music in the church. Instructions Regarding Music. Few
instructions regarding church music are found in the Epistles. James states
that if a person is cheerful "Let him sing praise" (James 5:13).
The implication is that singing should spring from a cheerful heart.
Presumably the singing of praises occurred not only privately at home, but
also publicly in the church. Other texts suggest that the singing of hymns of
praise was a feature of the church service. More specific information comes to
us from Paul, who provides us with insights into the role of music in the New
Testament worship services. In the context of his admonitions regarding
ecstatic manifestations at the Corinthian church, Paul calls for a balance in
music making by urging that singing be done with the mind as well as the
spirit: "I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind
also" (1 Cor 14:15). Apparently some sang ecstatically without engaging
the mind. Senseless singing is like senseless speech. Both dishonor God. As
Paul says: "God is not a God of confusion but of peace" (1 Cor
14:33). Paul’s admonition to sing with the
mind, or with understanding, is relevant for us today, when the singing done
in some charismatic churches consists of emotional outbursts of ecstatic
shouting which no one can understand. Our singing must be with understanding
because God expects from His intelligent creatures "a rational
worship" (Rom 12:2–logike, that is, "logical" in the
Greek). Singing should be for spiritual
edification and not for physical stimulation. Paul says: "When you come
together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an
interpretation. Let all things be done for edification" (1 Cor 14:26).
This text suggests that the church service was rather informal, like that of
the synagogue. Each one contributed something to the worship experience. Some members contributed a hymn to
the service. Most likely a hymn was a newly composed song of praise directed
to Christ. Bible scholars have identified several Christ-centered hymns in
the New Testament. The important point is that the singing, like all parts of
the church service, was to edify the congregation. The biblical principle,
then, is that church music should contribute to the spiritual edification of
the believers. Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual
Songs. The two remaining Pauline texts (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16) are the most
informative about music in the New Testament. Paul encourages the Ephesians
to "be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all
your heart" (Eph 5:18-19). In a similar vein, the apostle admonishes the
Colossians: "Let the word of God dwell in you richly, teach and admonish
one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with
thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Col 3:16). Both passages provide the earliest
indication of how the apostolic church differentiated between the psalms,
hymns, and spiritual songs. It is hard to draw hard-and-fast distinctions
between these terms. Most scholars agree that the three terms loosely refer
to the various forms of musical compositions used in the worship service. The psalms most likely are those
of the Old Testament, though there may have been some Christian additions.
The hymns would be newly composed songs of praise directed to Christ. Some
evidence for these Christ-centered hymns appears in the New Testament (Eph
5:14; 1 Tim 3:16; Phil 2:6-11; Col 1:15-20; Heb 1:3). The spiritual songs
probably refer to spontaneous praise songs which the inspiring Spirit placed
on the lips of the enraptured worshipper (1 Cor 14:15). The phrase "addressing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" suggests that the
singing was interactive. Presumably some of the singing was responsorial,
with the congregation responding to the song leader. The singing was to be
done with "thankfulness" and "with all your heart."
Through their singing, Christians expressed their wholehearted gratitude
"to the Lord" for His marvellous provision of salvation. Christ-Centered Hymns. While
in the synagogue the singing was "word-centered," that is, designed
to praise God by chanting His Word; in the New Testament church the singing
was "Christ-centered," that is, designed to extol Christ’s
redemptive accomplishments. A good example of a
"Christ-centered" hymn is found in 1 Timothy 3:16, which consists
of an introductory sentence ("Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery
of our religion"), which is followed by six lines: He was manifested in the flesh, This hymn embodies in a cryptic
way the fundamental truths of the Gospel message. As Ralph Martin explains,
"By a series of antithetical couplets in which a second line complements
the thought of the first line, the Gospel message . . . is set forth. It
treats of the two world orders, the divine and human; and shows how Christ
has brought together the two spheres by His coming from the glory of the
Father’s presence into this world (‘revealed in the flesh’: cf. John 1:14;
Rom 8:3) and by His lifting up of humanity back again into the divine realm.
Thus heaven and earth are joined, and God and man reconciled."27 The celebration of
Christ’s redemption is the basic theme of other New Testament hymns (Phil
2:6-8; Col 1:15-20; Heb 1:3), and especially in the book of Revelation. We
noted in the previous chapter that the angelic choir around God’s Throne
sings a new song saying: "Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open
its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God,
from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and has made them a
kingdom of priests to our God" (Rev 5:9). The "Christ-centered"
singing done by the church on earth reflects the "Lamb-centered"
singing done by the living creatures in heaven. A Pagan Witness. A most
telling evidence of "Christ-centered" singing by the early church
is found in the private correspondence between the Roman Governor Pliny and
the Emperor Trajan. In a letter written in A. D. 112, Pliny reported to the
emperor that he tortured some young Christian deaconesses in order to find
out what possible crimes were committed by Christians in their religious
gatherings. To his surprise, Pliny found that
"The sum total of their guilt or error amounted to no more than this.
They had met regularly before dawn on a fixed day to chant verses alternately
among themselves in honor of Christ as if to a god, and also to bind
themselves by oath, not for criminal purpose, but to abstain from theft,
robbery and adultery, to commit no breach of trust and not to deny a deposit
when called upon to restore it."28 What an inspiring pagan testimony
about early Christian worship! Christians became known for singing to
"Christ as if to a god," and for binding themselves to follow His
example in their lifestyle of purity and honesty. It is evident that the main
theme of their songs was Christ. They witnessed for the Lord by singing about
Him and living godly lives in His honor. The witness of the New Testament
singing is relevant for us today. Is our singing "Christ-centered"
like that of the apostolic church? Does our church music praise the Savior
for His past, present, and future redemptive accomplishments? Does it give us
a greater appreciation for Christ’s creative and redemptive love? If you are tempted to listen to
rock music, ask yourself: Do the beat, rhythm, and lyric of this music help
me to appreciate the purity, majesty, and holiness of Christ? Does it magnify
His character? Does it have appropriate words, a pure tone, and a lovely
melody? Music about Christ should be like Christ, reflecting the purity and
loveliness of His character. No Instrumental Music in
the Early Church. None of the New Testament references to music examined
above makes any allusion to musical instruments used by New Testament
Christians to accompany the singing. Apparently Christians followed the
tradition of the synagogue in prohibiting the use of musical instruments in
their church services because of their pagan association. Undoubtedly Paul understood that
music could be an effective resource to help the church fulfill the
overwhelming tasks of evangelizing the Gentiles. He knew what would work in
attracting people. He says: "For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek
wisdom" (1 Cor 1:22). But he chose not to use Gentile or Jewish idioms
to proclaim the Gospel. Why? Because he wanted to reach people, not by giving
them what they wanted, but by proclaiming to them what they needed. "But
we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to
Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the
power of God" (1 Cor 1:23-24). The outright condemnation of
musical instruments, sometimes even of the harp and the lyre, is present in
the writings of numerous early Christian authors. In his dissertation on Musical
Aspects of the New Testament, William Smith concludes his survey of the
critical attitude of church leaders toward the use of musical instruments by
listing several reasons, of which the first three are as follows: "(a) Most important of
all, at least ostensibly, seems to be the association of instruments with the
worship of heathen cults. (b) The employment
of instruments at secular excesses as the theater and the circus. (c) The
sensuality of instrumental music and its aesthetic effects."29 Contrary
to the current philosophy that rock music can be adopted and adapted to reach
the secular society, the early Christians distanced themselves not only from
secular songs but also from the musical instruments used for secular
entertainment and pagan worship. In his book The Sacred Bridge, Eric
Werner concludes his study of music in the early church: "Up to the
third century, the Christian sources reflect almost the same attitude toward
Hellenistic music as contemporary Judaism. The very same distrust of
instrumental accompaniment in religious ceremonies, the same horror of flute,
tympanon, [drum], and cymbal, the accessories of the orgiastic
mysteries are here in evidence."30 The
same point is emphasized by the The New Grove’s Dictionary of Music and
Musicians in its description of the early church: "The ban on dance
in the worship service shows ! ! that rhythm did not have much of a place in
the liturgy."31 We cannot approve the early
Christians’ radical rejection of all musical instruments for church services
simply because they were used by the pagans in social and religious life. Yet
we must commend them for recognizing the danger of bringing into the church
the music and instruments which were associated with a pagan lifestyle. The early church understood the
fundamental truth that adopting pagan music, and the instruments used to
produce it, could eventually corrupt the Christian message, identity, and
witness, besides tempting people to fall back into their pagan lifestyles.
Eventually this is what happened. Beginning from the fourth century when
Christianity became the religion of the empire, the church tried to reach the
pagans by adopting some of their practices, including their music. The result
has been the gradual secularization of Christianity, a process that is still
continuing today. The lesson of history is clear. To evangelize people with
their secular idioms, ultimately results in the secularization of the church
itself. Part 3 DANCE IN THE BIBLE There are conflicting opinions
concerning dance and its use in the worship service of ancient Israel.
Historically the Seventh-day Adventist church has maintained that the Bible
does not sanction dancing, especially in the context of the worship service.
In recent years, however, the question has been reexamined, especially by
Adventist youth leaders who claim to have found biblical support for dancing. Shall We Dance? A good
example of this new trend is the symposium Shall We Dance? Rediscovering
Christ-Centered Standards. This research was produced by twenty
contributors and is based on the findings of the "Valuegenesis
Study." This study is the most ambitious project ever undertaken by the
Adventist church to determine how well the church transmits its values to the
new generation. The back cover of Shall We
Dance? indicates that the book is "jointly sponsored by the
Department of Education of the North American Division of Seventh-day
Adventists, the John Hancock Center for Youth Ministry, La Sierra University,
and La Sierra University Press." The combined sponsorship by four major
SDA institutions suggests that the content of the book reflects the thinking
of major Adventist institutions. For the sake of accuracy, it must
be stated that the opening statement of the introduction says: "The book
is not an official statement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
regarding standards and values. Rather it is an invitation to open discussion
regarding lifestyle issues. Hopefully even better biblical principles will
become the bedrock for our distinctive lifestyle as we move from the
peripheral, but ever-present issues to the weightier matters of living the
Christian life." The clarification that the
"book is not an official statement of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church" is reassuring, because, in my view, some of the conclusions
hardly encourage the development of "even better biblical
principles." A case in point are the four chapters devoted to dance and
written by four different authors. These chatpers present a very superficial
analysis of the Biblical references to dance. For example, the chapter
entitled "Dancing with a User-Friendly Concordance," consists
primarily of a listing of twenty-seven Bible references to dancing, without
any discussion whatsover. The author assumes that the texts are
self-explanatory and supportive of religious dancing. This is indicated by
the fact that he closes the chapter, asking: "How could we dance before
the LORD today? What type of dance would it be? Why do people dance
nowdays?"32 Surprisingly! ! the author ignores that no
dancing ever took place in the religious services of the Temple, synagogue,
or early church. The conclusions derived from an
examination of the biblical view of dancing are concisely stated in five
principles, the first of which says: "Principle 1: Dance is a component
of divine worship. When we study Scripture we find that what is says about
dance and dancing is not only not condemnatory, but in some cases
positively prescriptive: ‘Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute
and harp! Praise him with timbrel and dance; praise him with strings and
pipe’" (Ps 150:3-4).33 The author continues: "A half
hour with a good concordance leaves the lingering impression that there is
more to a truly Biblical perspective on dance than has previously met our
Adventist eyes. Of some 27 references to dance (dance, danced, dances,
dancing) in the Scriptures, only four occur in a clearly negative context,
and even these references nowhere describe dancing as the object of God’s
displeasure."34 This chapter presents this
surprising challenge to the Adventist church: "As challenging as it is
to our notion of respectability and decorum, it seems evident that Adventists
should give new thought and study to the inclusion of dance as part of the
worship of God, at least in selected communities and on special
occasions."35 Three Major Flaws. After
spending not "a half hour" but several days examining the biblical
data relevant to dance, I find this conclusion unsubstantiated and its
challenge unnecessary. For the sake of clarity, I wish to respond to the
position that "dance is a component of divine worship" in the Bible
by submitting what in my view are three major flaws of his methodology. (1) The failure to prove that dancing was indeed a
component of divine worship in the Temple, synagogue, and early church. (2) The failure to recognize that of the twenty-eight
references to dance or dancing in the Old Testament, only four refer without
dispute to religious dancing, and none of these relate to worship in God’s
House. (3) The failure to examine why women, who did most of
the dancing, were excluded from the music ministry of the Temple, synagogue,
and early church. No Dance in the Worship
Service. If it were true that "dance is a component of divine
worship" in the Bible, then why is there no trace of dancing by men or
women in the worship services of the Temple, the synagogue, or the early
church? Did God’s people in Bible times neglect an important "component
of divine worship"? Negligence does not seem to be the
reason for the exclusion of dance from the divine service, because we noted
that clear instructions were given regarding the ministry of music in the
temple. The Levitical choir was to be accompanied only by string instruments
(the harp and the lyre). Percussion instruments like drums and tambourines,
which were commonly used for making dance music, were clearly prohibited.
What was true for the Temple was also true for the synagogue and later for
the early church. No dancing or entertainment music was ever allowed in God’s
House. Garen Wolf reaches this conclusion
after his extensive analysis of "Dance in the Bible" : "First,
dancing as part of the Temple worship is nowhere traceable in either the
first or the second Temple. Second, of the 107 times these words are used in
the Bible [Hebrew words translated as "dance"], only four times
could they be considered to refer to religious dance. Third, none of these
references to religious dance were in conjunction with the regular
established public worship of the Hebrews."36 It is important to note
that David, who is regarded by many as the primary example of religious
dancing in the Bible, never instructed the Levites regarding when and how to
dance in the Temple. Had David believed that dancing should be a component of
divine worship, no doubt he would have given instructions regarding it to the
Levite musicians he chose to perform at the Temple. After all, David is the founder of
the music ministry at the Temple. We have seen that he gave clear instruction
to the 4,000 Levite musicians regarding when to sing and what instruments to
use to accompany their choir. His omission of dancing in the divine worship
can hardly be an oversight. It rather tells us that David distinguished
between the sacred music performed in God’s House and the secular music
played outside the Temple for entertainment. An important distinction must be
made between religious music played for entertainment in a social setting and
the sacred music performed for worship in the Temple. We must not forget that
the whole life of the Israelites was religiously oriented. Entertainment was
provided, not by concerts or plays at a theater or circus, but by the
celebration of religious events or festivals, often through folk dancing by
women or men in separate groups. No romantic or sensually oriented
dancing by couples ever occurred in ancient Israel. The greatest annual dance
took place, as we shall see, in conjunction with the Feast of Tabernacles,
when the priests entertained the people by doing incredible acrobatic dances
the whole night. What this means is that those who appeal to the biblical
references to dance to justify modern romantic dancing inside or outside the
church ignore the vast difference between the two. Most people who appeal to the
Bible to justify modern romantic dancing would not be interested in the least
in the folk dancing mentioned in the Bible, where there was no physical
contact between men and women. Each group of men, women, and children did its
own "show," which in most cases was a kind of march with rhytmic
cadence. I have seen "The Dance Around the Ark" by the Coptic
priests in Ethiopia, where many Jewish traditions have survived, including
Sabbathkeeping. I could not understand why they called it "dance,"
since it was merely a procession by the priests who marched with a certain
rhythmic cadence. To apply the biblical notion of dance to modern dance, is
misleading to say the least because there is a world of difference between
the two. This point becomes clearer as we survey the references to dance. The References to Dance. Contrary
to prevailing assumptions, only four of the twenty-eight references to dance
refer without dispute to religious dancing, but none of these have to do with
public worship conducted in the House of God. To avoid burdening the reader
with a technical analysis of the extensive use of the six Hebrew words
translated "dance," I will submit only a brief allusion to each of
them. The Hebrew word chagag is
translated once as "dance" in 1 Samuel 30:16 in conjunction with
the "drinking and dancing" of the Amalekites. It is evident that
this is not a religious dance. The Hebrew word chuwl is
translated twice as "dance" in Judges 21:21, 23, with reference to
the daughters of Shiloh who went out to dance in the vineyards and were taken
as wives by surprise by the men of Benjamin. Again there is no doubt that in
this context this word refers to a secular dance done by unsuspecting women. The Hebrew word karar is
translated twice as "dance" in 2 Samuel 6:14 and 16 where it
states, "And David danced before the Lord with all his might . . .
Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David
leaping and dancing before the Lord." More is said about the
significance of David’s dance below. In this context it suffices to note that
"these verses refer to a religious type of dance outside the context of
the Temple worship. The word karar is only used in Scripture in these
two verses, and is never used in conjunction with Temple worship."37 The Hebrew word machowal
is translated six times as dance. Psalm 30:11 uses the term poetically:
"Thou has turned for me my mourning into dancing." Jeremiah 31:4
speaks of the "virgins of Israel" who "shall go forth in the
dance of the merrymakers." The same thought is expressed in verse 13. In
both instances the references are to social folk dancing done by women. "Praise Him with
Dance." In two important instances, machowal is translated as
"dance" (Psalms 149:3 and 150:4). They are most important because
in the view of many people they provide the strongest biblical support for
dancing as part of church worship. A close look at these texts shows that
this popular assumption is based on a superficial reading and inaccurate
interpretation of the texts. Linguistically, the term
"dance" in these two verses is disputed. Some scholars believe that
machowl is derived from chuwl, which means "to make an
opening"38–a possible allusion to a "pipe"
instrument. In fact this is the marginal reading given by the KJV. Psalm
149:3 states: "Let them praise his name in the dance" [or "with
a pipe," KJV margin]. Psalm 150:4 reads: "Praise him with the
timbrel and dance" [or "pipe," KJV margin]. Contextually, machowl appears
to be a reference to a musical instrument; in both Psalm 149:3 and 150:4, the
term occurs in the context of a list of instruments to be used for praising
the Lord. In Psalm 150 the list includes eight instruments: trumpet,
psaltery, harp, timbrel, string instruments, organs, cymbals, clashing
cymbals (KJV). Since the Psalmist is listing all the possible instruments to
be used to praise the Lord, it is reasonable to assume that machowal
also is a musical instrument, whatever its nature might be. Another important consideration is
the figurative language of these two psalms, which hardly allows for a
literally interpretation of dancing in God’s House. Psalm 149:5 encourages
people to praise the Lord on the "couches." In verse 6, the
praising is to be done with "two-edged swords in the hands." In
verses 7 and 8, the Lord is to be praised for punishing the heathen with the
sword, binding kings in chain, and putting nobles in fetters. It is evident
that the language is figurative because it is hard to believe that God would
expect people to praise Him by standing or jumping on couches or while
swinging a two-edged sword. The same is true of Psalm 150
which speaks of praising God, in a highly figurative way. The psalmist calls
upon God’s people to praise the Lord "for his mighty deeds" (v. 2)
in every possible place and with every available musical instrument. In other
words, the psalm mentions the place to praise the Lord, namely,
"his sanctuary" and "his mighty firmament"; the reason
to praise the Lord, namely, "for his mighty deeds . . . according to
his exceeding greatness" (v. 2); and the instruments to be used
to praise the Lord, namely, the eight listed above. This psalm makes sense only if we
take the language to be highly figurative. For example, there is no way in
which God’s people can praise the Lord "in his mighty firmament,"
because they live on earth and not in heaven. The purpose of the psalm is not
to specify the location and the instruments to be used to
praise for church music. Nor it is intended to give a license to dance for
the Lord in church. Rather, its purpose is to invite everything that
breathes or makes sound to praise the Lord everywhere. To interpret
the psalm as a license to dance, or to play drums in the church, is to
misinterpret the intent of the Psalm and to contradict the very regulation
which David himself gave regarding the use of instruments in God’s House. Celebration Dance. The
Hebrew word mechowlah is translated seven times as "dance."
In five of the seven instances the dance is by women who celebrate a military
victory (1 Sam 18:6; 21:11; 29:5; Jud 11:34; Ex 15:20). Miriam and the women
danced to celebrate the victory over the Egyptian army (Ex 15:20). Jephthah’s
daughter danced to celebrate her father’s victory over the Ammonites (Jud
11:34). Women danced to celebrate David’s slaughter of the Philistines (1 Sam
18:6; 21:11; 29:5). In the remaining two instances, mechowlah
is used to describe the naked dance of Israelites around the golden calf
(Ex 32:19) and the dance of the daughters of Shiloh in the vineyards (Jud
21:21). In none of these instances is dance a part of a worship service.
Miriam’s dance may be viewed as religious, but so were the dances performed
in conjunction with the annual festivals. But these dances were not seen as a
component of a divine service. They were social celebrations of religious
events. The same thing occurs today in Catholic countries where people
celebrate annual holy days by organizing carnivals. The Hebrew word raquad is
translated four times as "dance" (1 Chron 15:29; Job 21:11; Is
13:21; Ecc 3:4). Once it refers to how "children dance" (Job 21:11).
Another is to "satyr dancing" (Is 13:21), which may refer to a goat
or a figure of speech. A third instance is a poetic reference "to a time
to dance" (Ecc 3:4), mentioned in contrast "to a time to
mourn." A fourth reference is to the classic example of "King David
dancing and making merry" (1 Chron 15:29). In view of the religious
significance attached to David’s dance, special consideration is given to it
shortly. Dance in the New Testament. Two
Greek words are translated as "dance" in the New Testament. The
first is orcheomai, which is translated four times as "to
dance" with reference to the dancing of Herodias’ daughter (Matt 14:6;
Mark 6:22) and a children’s dance (Matt 11:17; Luke 7:32). The word orcheomai
means to dance in a rank-like or regular motion and is never used to refer to
religious dance in the Bible. The second Greek word translated
as "dance" is choros. It is used only once in Luke 15:25
with reference to the return of the prodigal son. We are told that when the
elder son came close to the house "he heard music and dancing." The
translation "dancing" is disputed because the Greek chorus occurs
only once in this passage and is used in extra-biblical literature with the
meaning of "choir" or "group of singers."39 At any
rate, this was a family reunion of a secular nature and does not refer to
religious dancing. The conclusion that emerges from
the above survey of the twenty-eight references to dance is that dance in the
Bible was essentially a social celebration of special events, such as a
military victory, a religious festival, or a family reunion. Dance was done
mostly by women and children. The dances mentioned in the Bible were either
processional, encircling, or ecstatic. No biblical references indicate
that men and women ever danced together romantically as couples. As H. Wolf
observes, "While the mode of dancing is not known in detail, it is clear
that men and women did not generally dance together, and there is no real
evidence that they ever did."40
Furthermore, contrary to popular assumptions, dance in the Bible was never
done as part of the divine worship in the Temple, synagogue, or early church.
Dancing in Pagan Worship. Most
indications of religious dancing in the Bible have to do with the apostasy of
God’s people. There is the dancing of the Israelites at the foot of Mount
Sinai around the golden calf (Ex 32:19). There is an allusion to the dancing
of the Israelites at Shittim when "the people began to play harlot with
the daughter of Moab" (Num 25:1). The strategy used by the Moabites
women was to invite Israelite men "to the sacrifice of their gods"
(Num 25:2), which normally entailed dancing. Apparently the strategy was
suggested by the apostate prophet, Balaam, to Balak, king of Moab. Ellen
White offers this comment: "At Balaam’s suggestion, a grand festival in
honor of their gods was appointed by the king of Moab, and it was secretly
arranged that Balaam should induce the Israelites to attend. . . . Beguiled
with music and dancing, and allured by the beauty of heathen vestals,
they cast off their fealty to Jehovah. As they united in mirth and feasting,
indulgence in wine beclouded their senses and broke down the barriers of
self-control."41 There was shouting and
dancing on Mount Carmel by the prophets of Baal (1 King 18:26). The worship
of Baal and other idols commonly took place on the hill with dancing. Thus,
the Lord appeals to Israel through the prophet Jeremiah: "Return,
faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding. . . . Surely the idolatrous
commotion on the hills and mountains is a deception" (Jer 3:22-23, NIV). David Dancing Before the
Lord. The story of David dancing "before the Lord with
all his might" (2 Sam 6:14) while leading the procession that brought
the ark back to Jerusalem is viewed by many as the most compelling biblical
sanction of religious dancing in context of a divine service. In the chapter
"Dancing to the Lord," found in the book Shall We Dance?, Timothy
Gillespie, Seventh-day Adventist youth leader, writes: " We can dance to
the Lord like David, reflecting an outburst of excitement for the glory of
God; or we can introspectively turn that excitement inward, reflecting on
ourselves and our selfish desires."42 The implication
of this statement seems to be that if we do not dance unto the Lord like
David, we repress our excitement and reveal our self-centeredness. Is this
what the story of David’s dance teaches us? Let us take a! ! close look at
it. To say the least, David’s dance
before the ark poses serious problems. In the first place, David "girded
himself with a lined ephod" (2 Sam 6:14) like a priest and "offered
burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord" (2 Sam 6:17). Note
that the ephod was a sleeveless linen waistcoat garment to be worn only by
the priests as an emblem of their sacred office (1 Sam 2:28). Why did David
choose to exchange his royal robes for those of a priest? Ellen White suggests that David
revealed a spirit of humility by laying aside his royal robes and attiring
"himself in a plain linen ephod."43 This is
a plausible explanation. The problem is that nowhere does the Bible suggest
that the ephod could be legitimately worn by someone who was not a priest.
The same holds true when it comes to sacrifices. Only the Levite priests had
been set aside to offer sacrifices (Num 1:50). King Saul was severely rebuked
by Samuel for offering sacrices: "You have done foolishly; you have not
kept the commandment of the Lord your God" (1 Sam13:13). By offering
sacrifices dressed like a priest, David was assuming a priestly role in
addition to his kingly status. Such an action cannot be easily defended
biblically. David’s Behavior. More
problematic is David’s manner of dancing. Ellen White says that David danced
"in reverent joy before God."44
Undoubtedly this must have been true part of the time. But it would appear
that during the dance, David may have become so excited that he lost his loin
cloth, because Michal, his wife, rebuked him, saying: "How the king of
Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his
servants’ maids, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers
himself!" (2 Sam 6:20). David did not dispute such an accusation nor did
he apologize for what he did. Instead, he argued that he did it "before
the Lord" (1 Sam 6:21), and that he was prepared to act "even more
contemptibly" (1 Sam 6:22). Such a response hardly reveals a positive
aspect of David’s character. Perhaps the reason David was not
troubled by his uncovering during the dance is that this kind of
exhibitionism was not uncommon. We are told that Saul also in an ecstatic
dance "stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel,
and lay naked all that day and all that night" (1 Sam 19:24; cf. 10:5-7,
10-11). It is a known fact that at the
time of the annual festivals, special dances were organized where priests and
nobles would perform acrobatic feats to entertain the people. There is no
mention, however, of the priests uncovering themselves. The most famous dance
was performed on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and it was known
as the "Dances of the Water-Drawing Festival." The Talmud offers a colorful
description of this Water-Drawing dance which was performed in what is known
as the women’s court of the Temple: "Pious men and men of affair danced
with torches in their hands, singing songs of joy and of praise, and the
Levites made music with lyre and harp and cymbals and trumpets and countless
other instruments. During this celebration, Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel is said
to have juggled eight torches, and then to have turned a somersault."45 Dances done by men or by women in
Bible times, within the context of a religious event, were a form of social
entertainment rather than part of a worship service. They could be compared
to the annual carnival celebrations that take place today in many Catholic
countries. For example, during the three days before Lent, in countries like
Brazil, people organize extravagant carnival celebrations with endless types
of colorful and sometimes wild dancing, similar to the Mardi Gras in New
Orleans. No Catholic would consider such dances as part of the worship
services. The same is true for the various
types of dances mentioned in the Bible. They were social events with
religious overtones. Men and women danced, not romantically as couples but
separately in processional or encircling dances. In view of the religious
orientation of the Jewish society, such folk-type dances are often
characterized as religious dances. But there is no indication in the Bible
that any form of dance was ever associated with the worship service in God’s
House. In fact, as noted below, women were excluded from the music ministry
of the Temple, apparently because their music was associated with dancing and
entertainment. Women and Music in the Bible. Why
were women excluded from the music ministry of the Temple, first, and of the
synagogue and early church later? Numerous biblical passages refer to women
singing and playing instruments in the social life of ancient Israel (Ex
15:20-21; 1 Sam 18:6-7; Jud 11:34; Ezra 2:64-65; Neh 7:66-67), but no
references in the Bible mention women participating in the worship music of God’s
House. Curt Sachs notes that "Almost
all musical episodes up to the time of the Temple describe choral singing
with group dancing and drum beating. . . . And this kind of singing was to a
great extent women’s music."46 Why
then were women excluded from the music ministry of the Temple, when they
were the main music makers in the Jewish society? Scholars who have examined this
question suggest two major reasons. One reason is musical in nature and the
other sociological. From a musical perspective, the style of music produced
by women had a rhythmic beat which was better suited for entertainment than
for worship in God’s House. Robert Lachmann, an authority on
Jewish cantillation, is quoted as saying: "The production of the women’s
songs is dependent on a small store of typical melodic turns; the various
songs reproduce these turns–or some of them–time and again. . . .The women’s
songs belong to a species, the forms of which are essentially dependent not
on the connection with the text, but on processes of movements. Thus we find
here, in place of the rhythm of cantillation and its very intricate line of
melody, a periodical up and down movement."47 Women’s music was
largely based on a rhythmic beat produced by tapping with the hand the
tabret, toph, or timbrel. These are the only musical instruments mentioned in
the Bible as being played by women and they are believed to be the same or
very similar. The tabret or timbrel seems to have been a hand drum made up of
a wooden frame around which a single skin was stretched. They were somewhat
similar to the modern tambourine. "It is interesting to
note," writes Garen Wolf, "that I have not been able to find a
single direct reference to women playing the nebel [the harp] or the kinnor
[the lyre]–the instruments played by men in the music worship of the temple.
There can be little doubt that their music was mostly of a different species
than that of the male Levite musicians who performed in the Temple."48 The tabret or timbrel were played largely by women in
conjunction with their dancing (Ex 15:20; Jud 11:34; 1 Sam 18:6; 2 Sam 6:5,
14; 1 Chron 13:8; Ps 68:25; Jer 31:4). The timbrel is also mentioned in
connection with strong drink (Is 5:11-12; 24:8-9). Secular Nature of Women’s
Music. From a sociological perspective, women were not used in the
ministry of music of the Temple because of the social stigma attached to
their use of timbrel and the entertainment-oriented music. "Women in the
Bible were often reported as singing a non-sophisticated kind of music.
Usually at its best it was for dancing or funeral mourning, and at its worst
to aid in the sensuous appeal of harlots on the street. In his satire about
Tye, Isaiah asks: ‘Shall Tyre sing as an harlot?’ (Is 23:15; or as rendered
KJV margin, ‘It shall be unto Tyre as the song of an harlot’)."49 It is noteworthy that
female musicians were extensively used in pagan religious services.50 Thus,
the reason for their exclusion from the music ministry of the Temple,
synagogue, and early Christian churches was not cultural, but theological. It
was the theological conviction that the music commonly produced by women was
not suitable for the worship service, because of its association with secular
and, sometimes, sensual entertainment. This theological reason is recognized
by numerous scholars. In his dissertation on Musical Aspects of the New
Testament, William Smith wrote: "A reaction to the extensive
employment of female musicians in the religious and secular life of pagan
nations, was doubtless a very large factor in determining Jewish [and early
Christian] opposition to the employment of women in the musical service of
the sanctuary."51 The lesson from Scripture and
history is not that women should be excluded from the music service of
the church today. Praising the Lord with music is not a male prerogative, but
the privilege of every child of God. It is unfortunate that the music
produced by women in Bible times was mostly for entertainment and,
consequently, not suitable for the divine worship. The lesson that the church needs
to learn from Scripture and history is that secular music associated with
entertainment is out of place in God’s House. Those who are actively involved
in pushing for the adoption of pop music in the church need to understand the
biblical distinction between secular music used for entertainment and sacred
music suitable for the worship of God. This distinction was understood and
respected in Bible times, and it must be respected today if the church is to
remain a sacred sanctuary for the worship of God rather than becoming a
secular place for social entertainment. CONCLUSION Several
important biblical principles relevant to church music today have emerged
during the course of this study. An attempt will be made to summarize them by
way of conclusion. Music has a special place and
purpose in God’s universe. It is a divine gift to the human family through
which human beings can express their gratitude to God while experiencing
delight within themselves. Pleasure in singing comes not from a rhythmic beat
that stimulates people physically, but from the very experience of praising
the Lord. "How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and
fitting to praise him" (Ps 147:1). Singing
is seen in the Bible as an offering of thanksgiving to the Lord for the
blessings of creation, deliverance, protection, and salvation. We found this
concept expressed especially in Psalm 69:30-31: "I will praise God’s
name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord
more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs." God does care about how we
sing and play during the worship service. He is not pleased with
unintelligible "loud noise," but with orderly, melodious, and
intelligible singing. Those Bible texts that speak about making "a
joyful noise" or "a loud noise" unto the Lord do not teach us
to praise God with excessive amplification of the human voice or musical
instruments during the worship service. Such a notion is derived from a mistranslation
of ruwa as "loud noise." The correct translation as found in
the NIV is "shouting for joy." Music ministry is to be conducted
by people who are trained, dedicated, and spiritually minded. This lesson is
taught by the Temple’s music ministry, which was performed by experienced and
mature Levites who were trained musically, prepared spiritually, supported
financially, and served pastorally. This principle established by God for
Temple musicians is applicable to ministers of music today. Music is to be God-centered, not
self-centered. The notion of praising the Lord for entertainment or amusement
is foreign to the Bible. Percussion instruments which stimulate people
physically through a loud and relentless beat are as inappropriate for church
music today as they were for the Temple music in ancient Israel. We found that the music in the
Temple was "sacrifice-centered," that is, designed to praise God
for the provision of forgiveness and salvation through the sacrificial
offerings. In the synagogue, the music was "Word-centered," that
is, intended to praise God by chanting His Word. In the early church the
music was "Christ-centered," that is, designed to extol Christ’s
redemptive accomplishments. The Bible does not support the
kind of romantic or sensual dancing which is popular today. Nothing in the
Bible indicates that men and women ever danced together romantically as
couples. We have found that dance in the Bible was essentially a social
celebration of special events, such as a military victory, a religious festival,
or a family reunion. Most of the dancing was done by women who were excluded
from the music ministry of the Temple, synagogue, and early church because
their entertainment music was deemed unsuitable for the worship service. The biblical principles of music
outlined above are especially relevant today, when the church and the home
are being invaded by various forms of rock music which blatantly rejects the
moral values and religious beliefs espoused by Christianity. At a time when
the distinction between sacred and secular music is blurred, and many are
promoting modified versions of secular rock music for church use, we need to
remember that the Bible calls us to "worship the Lord in the beauty of
holiness" (1 Chron 16:20; cf. Ps 29:2; 96:9). No entertainment type of music was
allowed in the Temple, synagogue, and early church. The same should be true
in the church today. Those who disagree and want to adopt pop music for their
church services are free to have their own music.. But
let those who hold to the authority of Scripture keep to music that praises
God in a way which is neither sensational nor sensual–a music which reflects
the beauty and purity of God’s character and celebrates His marvelous
creative and redemptive accomplishment for the human family. May the Lord
give us the discernment and desire to fill our homes and churches with music
that meets His approval, rather than the applause of the world. ENDNOTES 1. Quoted in the Banner of Truth (January
1977), p. 13. 2. Carl E. Seashore, Psychology of Music (New York,
1968), p. 135. 3. Tom Allen, Rock ‘n’ Roll, the Bible and the Mind (Beaverlodge,
Alberta, Canada, 1982), P. 156. 4. Curt Sachs, The Rise of Music in the Ancient World
(New York, 1943), p. 80. 5. Garen L. Wolf, Music of the Bible in Christian Perspective
(Salem, OH, 1996), p. 349. 6. Johannes Behm, "Kainos," Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel (Grand Rapids, MI,
1974), vol. 3, p. 447. 7. John W. Kleining, The Lord’s Song: The Basis, Function and
Significance of Choral Music in Chronicles (Sheffield, England, 1993). 8. Ibid., p. 57. 9. Ibid., p. 67. 10. See, Joachim Jeremias, Jerusalem
in the Time of Jesus (Philadelphia, PA, 1969), pp. 173 and 208. 11. See, Babylonian Talmud, Hullin
24. The text is discussed by A. Z. Idelsohn, Jewish Music in Its
Historical Development (New York, 1967), p. 17. 12. Kenneth W. Osbeck, Devotional
Warm-Ups for the Church Choir (Grand Rapids, MI, 1985), pp. 24-25. 13. John W. Kleining (note 7), p. 113. 14. Ibid., p. 80. 15. Ibid., p. 82-83. 16. A. Z. Idelsohn (note 11), p.
17. 17. Curt Sachs, Rhythm and
Tempo (New York, 1953), p. 79. 18. Garen L. Wolf (note 5), p.
287. 19. Curt Sachs (note 4), p. 52. 20. Eric Werner, "Jewish
Music," New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley
Sadie (New York, 1980), vol. 9, p. 623. 21. Garen L. Wolf I (note 5), p.
351. 22. Harold Best and David K.
Huttar, "Music in Israelite Worship," The Complete Library of
Christian Worship, ed. Robert E. Webber (Peabody, MA, 1993), vol. 1, p.
229. 23. Curt Sachs (note 4), p. 90. 24. Suzanne Haik-Vantoura, The
Music of the Bible Revealed, trans. Dennis Webber (Berkeley, CA, 1991),
p. 32. 25. Stanley Sadie, ed. (note 20),
vol. 9, p. 622. 26. See, for example, C. W.
Dugmore, The Influence of the Synagogue upon the Divine Office
(London, England, 1944). 27. Ralph P. Martin, Worship in
the Early Church (Grand Rapids, MI, 1964), pp. 48-49. 28. As cited by F. Forrester
Church and Terrance J. Mulry, Earliest Christian Hymns (New York,
1988), p. ix. 29. William Sheppard Smith, Musical
Aspects of the New Testament (Amsterdam, Holland,1962), p. 53. 30. Eric Werner, The Sacred
Bridge (Hoboken, NJ, 1984), p. 317. 31. The New Grove’s Dictionary (note
20), vol. 9, p. 364. 32. Steve Case, "Dancing with
a User-Friendly Concordance," in Shall We Dance? Rediscovering
Christ-Centered Standards, ed. Steve Case (Riverside, CA, 1992), p. 101. 33. Bill Knott, "Shall We
Dance?" in Shall We Dance? Rediscovering Christ-Centered Standards,
ed. Steve Case (Riverside, CA, 1992), p. 69. 34. Ibid. 35. Ibid., p. 75. 36. Garen L. Wolf (note 5), p.
153. 37. Ibid., p. 148. 38. See, for example, Adam Clarke,
Clarke’s Commentary (Nashville, n. d.). vol. 3, p. 688. 39. "Choros," A
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, ed. William F. Arndt and
Wilbur Gingrich (Chicago,IL, 1979), p. 883. 40. H. M. Wolf,
"Dancing," The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible,
ed. Merrill C. Tenney (Grand Rapids, 1976), vol. 2, p. 12. 41. Ellen G. White, The Story
of Patriarchs and Prophets (Mountain View, CA, 1958). p. 454. Italics
added. 42. Timothy Gillespie,
"Dancing to the Lord," in Shall We Dance? Rediscovering
Christ-Centered Standards, Ed. Steve Case (Riverside, CA, 1992), p. 94. 43. Ellen G. White (note 40), p.
707. 44. Ibid. 45. Cited in "Dance," The
Universal Jewish Encyclopedia (New York, 1942), vol. 3., p. 456. 46. Curt Sachs (note 4), p. 90. 47. Cited by Curt Sachs (note 4),
p. 91. 48. Garen L. Wolf (note 5), p.
144. 49. Ibid. 50. For discussion and
illustrations from pagan antiquity regarding the employment of female
musicians in the social and religious life, see Johannes Quasten, "The
Liturgical Singing of Women in Christian Antiquity," Catholic
Historical Review (1941), pp. 149-151. 51. William Sheppard Smith, Musical
Aspects of the New Testament (Amsterdam, 1962), p. 17. See also Eric
Werner (note 30), pp. 323-324; A. Z. Idelsohn (note 11), p. 18; Philo, De
Vita Contemplativa 7; Babylonian Talmud Berakot 24a. Contact Information Samuele
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