MUSIC –
MORAL, IMMORAL OR AMORAL?
Ephesians 5:18,19 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled the Spirit; 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
- Why make music? To make joyful the soul! To fill that vacuum God put there for affection and communication with ‘Him’!
Isaiah 48:22 [There is] no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Jer. 6:16)
- ONLY THE SIMPLE AND PUREÂ IS SAFE IN THIS LIFEÂ Â Â Â Matthew 5:37Â (Let your yea be yea…)
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. – Moral – Good or Bad
Job 38:4-7 4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
38:5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
38:6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? , Gen. 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. – (Good? Bad?)
2 Kings 3:14,15 3:14Â Â Â And Elisha said, [As] the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.Â
3:15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. 1 Samuel 16:23 16:23 And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. – Calming effect? Therefore not ‘Neutral’ or ‘Amoral’
- Tone of Voice – Sarcasm / Sincerity, Doubt / Belief, Harshness / Tenderness, Listlessness / Enthusiasm
- Clothing style – Amoral? (eg. Mini skirt cf. Long dress) Likewise Music style! Sight / Sound – Spiritual Eyesight / Spiritual Hearing (eg. Smooth, Gentle music cf. Heavy, Rhythmic music)
- Commonsense – A ‘Horror movie’ has appropriate ‘Eerie music’; Likewise ‘Swinging or Rocking rhythms in Dance music promote ‘promiscuous sexual behaviour’ with its associated emotions and feelings
Exodus 32 32:17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, [There is] a noise of war in the camp.
32:18 And he said, [It is] not the voice of [them that] shout for mastery, neither [is it] the voice of [them that] cry for being overcome: [but] the noise of [them that] sing do I hear. – Types of sound – War, or Singing? Answer: Orgy with release of sexual restraint (with associated rhythmic music) 32:25 And when Moses saw that the people [were] naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto [their] shame among their enemies:)Heavy, Rythmic Beat promotes Pornographic feelings and Emotions!
- MIX?
Bad music undermines Good Words or Lyrics = Corruption
God overlooks Genuine Ignorance but then He Calls us to ‘Prove All things’
1 Thessalonians 5:21,22 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
- We are to be Gentle in Rebuking and Guiding into True and Deep Spiritual Discernment, After all,
We are all ‘Growing in Grace and knowledge’ and are at different stages!
2 Peter 3:1 But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever. Amen. Train our Ears, and Spiritual Ears (Emotions, Tastes etc.) to Appreciate the Finer, Nobler qualities of all that is Wholesome, Pure, dignified, Nothing to be ashamed of but Beautiful, Elevating, Inspiring, and Appropriate for the Ocassion!
- Let us neither be ‘Legalistic’ – Hard and Fast with our Ideas of ‘Good music’ or
‘Licentious’ – Allowing just about Anything to pass as ‘Good music’
But Pray together for the Guidance and Joy of the Holy Spirit!
Ephesians 5:18,19 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
- Anoint thine eyes with eyesalve (spiritual discernment) (and, by implication, apply ear drops to your ears, that you may ‘hear’ ) (also spiritual discernment)
Revelation 3: 18,22 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
- Beware of Lucifer’s Seductive Guile’s in Today’s New World Order Program!
Ezekiel 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone [was] thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
Psalms 150:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
150:2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
150:3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
150:4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
150:5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
150:6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Daniel 3:4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
3:5 [That] at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
3:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Principles that Govern our Spiritual life should also govern our Musical Taste and Performances :
James 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, devilish.
3:16 For where envying and strife [is], there [is] confusion and every evil work.
3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.
