Quiet Earth Fellowservants of Christ

Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. - Psalm 33:2 kjv.

Nebel (h5035) neh'-bel; or nebel nay'-bel; from 5034; a skin- bag for liquids (from collapsing when empty); hence a vase (as similar in shape when full); also a lyre (as having a body of like form): - bottle, pitcher, psaltery, vessel, viol.

And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands. Isaiah 5:12 kjv.

Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. Isaiah 14:11 kjv.

Nabel (h5034) naw-bale'; a prim. root; to wilt; gen. to fall away, fail, faint; fig. to be foolish or (mor.) wicked; causat. to despise, disgrace: - disgrace, dishonour, lightly esteem, fade (away, - ing), fall (down, -ling, off), do foolishly, come to nought, * surely, make vile, wither.

Nabal (h5036) naw-bawl'; from 5034; stupid; wicked (espec. impious): - fool (-ish, -ish man, -ish woman), vile person.

It is interesting to note that this is the only Psalm from 3 to 41 lacking David's name in the superscription. Psalm 33 has no title in the Hebrew. The righteous and upright to whom the Psalm is addressed are the people of the covenant.

We likewise read in the Psalms:

I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows, Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah. - Psalm 66:13-15 kjv.

Old Testament worship that also featured vicious bloody animals sacrifices and was a time when the Saturday sabbath was kept. All these things in worship pointed to the LORD Jesus Christ would come as Saviour and judge:

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. - Colossians 2:16,17 kjv.

Jewish Old Testament worship was highly apostate and eventually gave way to a much greater covenant:

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: - Jeremiah 31:31 kjv.

"For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." - Hebrews 8:8,13 kjv.

"And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." - Hebrews 12:24 kjv.

Old Testament worship was connected with the instruments being played during the bloody sacrifcing of animals; the loud noises would attempt to play over the sounds of the animals being slaughtered.

Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. - Psalm 33:3 kjv.

Many of the musical psalms like 33 & 144 were teases or taunts used in musical warfare. The louder the clanging the better chance to spook the enemy and watch them run; think of the British or a parade where a loud band is marching straight at you with loud bagpipes and booming drums.

In Psalm 41:11 it is prophecied that Judas ultimately would NOT triumph over christ. Triumph there is:

Hebrew: "Ruwa". Strong's Number: 07321. Verb. Definition:

Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. - Ezekiel 33:30 kjv.

And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. - Ezekiel 33:31 kjv. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. - Ezekiel 33:32 kjv.

And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them. - Ezekiel 33:33 kjv.

For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. - Psalm 33:4 kjv.

David who would organize musicians also received special graces from God.

"And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses." - Numbers 15:32-36 kjv.

Here in Numbers we read of sabbath breaking being punished. Now compare:

And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.- 2 Samuel 11:4 kjv.

And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.- 2 Samuel 11:14 kjv.

And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. - 2 Samuel 11:15 kjv.

And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. - 2 Samuel 11:16 kjv.

And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also - 2 Samuel 11:17 kjv.

Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; - 2 Samuel 11:18 kjv.

And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king, - 2 Samuel 11:19 kjv.

And if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? - 2 Samuel 11:20 kjv.

Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. - 2 Samuel 11:21 kjv.

So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for. - 2 Samuel 11:22 kjv.

And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate. - 2 Samuel 11:23 kjv.

And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also - 2 Samuel 11:24 kjv.

Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him. - 2 Samuel 11:25 kjv.

And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. - 2 Samuel 11:26 kjv.

And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD - 2 Samuel 11:27 kjv.

David committed adultery and murder, far greater crimes under the Mosaic law than the sabbath breaker in Numbers 15; under the law he should have been killed, but he had special graces.

Considering this, after the death of David, note what God through Amos declared in Amos 6:5; but first let's look at the context of Amos 6.

During the time of Amos, the social life of national Israel was characterized by adultery, robbery and murder. Extereme luxury and wealth was, like it is today, built upon injustice and severe oppression of the poor, see Amos 2:6-8; 3:15; 4:1; 5:7-12; 6:3-6; 8:4-6 also Hosea 4:1-3; 6:8,9 and 12:7,8.

The second verse (Amos 1:2) immediately sets the tone for the book. That message is judgement and that the LORD will be heard in Zion from judgement. Corruption was rampant in religion (Amos 5:12-21) and the leaders responsible for the deterioration were subject to severe rebuke (Amos 2:7,8); in 2:6 the prophet exposes their total lack of humanity. The people would not look to the LORD (Amos 5:14,15) and therefore their only future was destruction (Amos 9:1-8). The events of Amos are actual historical events; but the book is also a spiritual portrait speaking to the very day in which we live.

AMOS 5

Amos 5, 6 and 8 are all chapters that paint a spiritual portrait for our day concerning end time worship. In Amos 5, the LORD declares to the rebellious people: "seek Me that you may live":

"For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live" - Amos 5:4.

The people were not seeking the LORD, but rather MUSICAL festivals and assemblies.

NOTE: God rejected and did not delight in musical assemblies, instead He wanted righteousness in their hearts and life:

"I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies." - Amos 5:21.

"Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts." - Amos 5:22.

"Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols." - Amos 5:23.

But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. - Amos 5:24.

AMOS 6

In Amos 6 we again have a picture of false religion in the end times, again instrumental music and a spiritual famine are connected:

"Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!" - Amos 6:1.

Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? - Amos 6:2.

Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; - Amos 6:3.

That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; - Amos 6:4.

That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David; - Amos 6:5.

That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. - Amos 6:6.

Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed. - Amos 6:7.

Now going back to Psalm 33 again, let's wind the clock backwards this time. Even the basis of the Mosaic law did not emphasize music until nation Israel began to become more and more apostate with their worship. Earlier in the Bible this is what God said:

And God spake all these words, saying, - Exodus 20:1 kjv.

I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.- Exodus 20:2 kjv.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. - Exodus 20:3 kjv.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth - Exodus 20:4 kjv.

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; - Exodus 20:5 kjv.

And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. - Exodus 20:6 kjv.

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. - Exodus 20:7 kjv.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. - Exodus 20:8 kjv.

Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: - Exodus 20:9 kjv.

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: - Exodus 20:10 kjv.

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. - Exodus 20:11 kjv.

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. - Exodus 20:12 kjv.

Thou shalt not kill. - Exodus 20:13 kjv.

Thou shalt not commit adultery. - Exodus 20:14 kjv.

Thou shalt not steal. - Exodus 20:15 kjv.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. - Exodus 20:16 kjv.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. - Exodus 20:17 kjv.

The Mosaic law as we see with the man in Numbers picking up sticks was a very legalistic system.

[There is a distinction, however, to be observed here, that we may not indiscriminately consider as applicable to ourselves, every thing which was formerly enjoined upon the Jews. I have no doubt that playing upon cymbals, touching the harp and the viol, and all that kind of music, which is so frequently mentioned in the Psalms, was a part of the education; that is to say, the puerile instruction of the law:I speak of the stated service of the temple. For even now, if believers choose to cheer themselves with musical instruments, they should, I think, make it their object not to dissever their cheerfulness from the praises of God. But when they frequent their sacred assemblies, musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting up of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law. The Papists, therefore, have foolishly borrowed this, as well as many other things, from the Jews.] - John Calvin, comment on Psalm 33:2.

Christ came and established the new Covenant and music was not His command, but rather:

"Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." - John 13:33-35.

"But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." - Matthew 22:34-40.

Psalm 33 cannot be telling believers to play instruments because it speaks of the upright and righteous and surely not everyone who is saved (upright and righteous) can play an instrument, some may die before they even reach an age when they can, some living aren't old enough to old to play one, some are too old or infirm, deaf, and so forth.

Today, music focuses on human talent, surely there is a difference between a talented and untalented musician; however, under the New Covenant, it's not about "me", it's all about Him:

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." - Colossians 1:16,17.

The last reference to music under the New Covenant, and in the entire Bible for that matter, is a stunning account of the fall of Babylon. Babylon being the last days whore religion:

And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. - Revelation 18:21 kjv.

And the voice of harpers,

and musicians,

and of pipers,

and trumpeters,

shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman,

of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; Revelation 18:22 kjv.

And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. Revelation 18:23 kjv.

And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. Revelation 18:24 kjv.

Those who continue to follow the things in the mosaic law like as the saturday sabbath and instruments in worship are in a spiritual sense denying Christ came in the flesh because such things pointed to Christ.

Today, the gathering of the assembly of the saints is for teaching Christ, praying together, encouraging, witnessing and seeing that no one that was truly of the household of the faith was in need of life sustaining goods.

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. " - Galatians 6:9 kjv.

"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." - Galatians 6:10 kjv.

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