"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever ye shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come" (John 16:13). When did the Holy Spirit come? He came on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2. What was his purpose for coming? To guide the apostles into all truth. He didn't guide them to use instrumental music, but he did guide them in all truth (2 Pet. 1:20-21). Therefore, instrumental music is not part of the truth.
Paul told the elders of Ephesus: "I kept nothing that was profitable unto you" (Acts 20:20). But he didn't give them instrumental music, therefore, it must not have been profitable.
"All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The scriptures "throughly furnish unto every good work." But they don't furnish us to use instrumental music in worship, therefore, instrumental music is not a good work.
We read in 1 Chron. 13:10 about Uzza, when he thought the ark was going to fall. God had said only a priest could lay his hand upon the ark. Uzza wasn't a priest, but he put out his hand to catch it. He fell dead because he disobeyed God. He was honest and sincere but he substituted for God's way.
We must follow God's way today. "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Eph. 5:19). Where should the melody be made? Should it be on a mechanical instrument? Paul said, "making melody in your heart." We can only make two kinds of music: vocal and instrumental. If the Lord had said, "make melody," man could decide what kind of melody to make. But the Lord said, "sing and make melody in your heart unto the Lord," not on a mechanical instrument. He told what kind of melody to make. Sometimes man will say, "He didn't say not to use an instrument." He didn't say to Noah: "Don't build the ark out of pine." When God said build the ark of gopher wood, that eliminated every other kind of wood. When he said, "sing and make melody in your heart," that eliminated instrumental music.
It has been argued: "There will be instrumental music in heaven," using Rev. 14:2. Let us examine this passage from the American Standard version. "And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and the voice which I heard was as the voice of harpers harping with their harps." Did John hear the voice of many waters? No, he heard a voice "as of many waters." Did he hear great thunder? No, he heard, "as the voice of a great thunder." Did he hear harpers harping? No, he heard "as the voice of harpers harping." The next verse tells us what they were doing: "They sing as it were a new song before the throne." Singing is the kind of music authorized by God.
Remember Nadab and Abihu. Fire came down from heaven and devoured them, when they substituted strange fire which God commanded not (Lev. 10). God will not tolerate substitution.
"If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (1 Pet. 4:11).
Don H. Noblin
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