Ques. Why is it wrong, or not suitable for us to have instrumental music in our meetings when the Scriptures speak, in the Psalms and other places, of David and other saints, of employing harps and trumpets and cymbals in the service of the Lord? And in the future they will praise His name in the dance, and sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp. (Psa. 149).
ENQUIRERS.
Ans. Israel was and shall be in the future God's earthly people. The veil shut them out from God's immediate presence, and in the future, in the new temple during the reign of Christ, there will be doors answering the purpose of the veil. They therefore have not the nearness that we, the Church of God, have; they have not the intimate relationship of members of the body of Christ or of children of God, the Father. Ours is a spiritual relationship, and, therefore calls for spiritual worship and intercourse with God. And it is by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us that we worship. In John 4:23, 24, "The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth;" again, Eph. 5:18, "Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord:" again, Phil. 3:3, "We are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit (here it is by the Holy Spirit. See N. T.), and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Again, Col. 3:10, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another; in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Again, in Heb. 13:10-16, we find our heavenly altar which the earthly people could not eat of. Verse 15 says, "By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually; that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”
This worship is offered in the holy of holies, the immediate presence of God, which is the Christian's place of worship (Heb. 10:19-22). Again, 1 Peter 2:5, "Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Every New-Testament scripture is spiritual worship from the death and resurrection of Christ; and the absence of instrumental music makes one feel instinctively that such would be out of place in the service of God for Christians.
The camp in Heb. 13 was Judaism. It recognized man in the flesh. The death of Christ, now risen and glorified, put an end to this to every intelligent Christian. Paul, the apostle, wrote, "I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live;" and again, Col. 3:3, "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." We are dead with Christ and risen with Christ. So we are called on to go "outside the camp unto Him" bearing His reproach; for Christendom is now such a leavened mass that Christians who know their place "in Christ" must needs seek a separate path through it, if they would walk with the Lord. (See 2 Tim. 2:19).
Let me remind you that we belong to Christ in heaven, and are therefore heavenly. Our calling, our sacrifice, our priesthood, our altar, are all heavenly.
What a lowering of the truth it Would therefore be to bring in music to please the ear of man according to the flesh, and not have it in the Spirit. Israel's worship was display and show to please the flesh. We are to sing with the Spirit and with the understanding also.
May we ever seek to worship Him in the ordered way, the only way to please Him to whom we belong.
Could we consistently, with our heavenly calling, use in our service in the gospel what God has left out as unsuited to Him in worship in His presence, and think it suited to Him in His service in the gospel, either to children or adults? Nay rather, may we ever seek through grace what is suited for His presence and pleasing to Him.