In this post I want to begin to turn the corner toward Christian music and music in Church.
Before we do however I want to give you some additional material that has been contributed by a reader. It relates directly to the material we discussed last week and one of the five themes that appear in much popular secular music. It is another recent scientific study and comes from Science Daily. Let me share with you the first paragraph.
“Songs with violent lyrics increase aggression related thoughts and emotions and this effect is directly related to the violence in the lyrics, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association (APA). The findings, appearing in the May issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, contradicts popular notions of positive catharsis or venting effects of listening to angry, violent music on violent thoughts and feelings.”
You can read more by clicking on the above link.
This time we are going to look at some other dangerous elements that are often found in secular music.
A False Christian Profession or a Compromised Message.
Unfortunately one of the most sinister deceptions that Satan plays on unsuspecting and well meaning Christians is using unbelievers to sing songs with Christian content and drawing them into their music on a false pretense. Many Christians also use the supposed Christian segments by some secular artists as an excuse for listening to all of their music. Country music has done this for years. One of my great frustrations has been country singers whose music talks about drinking, fighting and having illicit sex, and then they do their “tribute to gospel music.” How does that glorify God?
The truth is that it does not. As a matter of fact, it is more dangerous than the other music because it communicates a message that says, "I can live anyway I want to and it's alright with God, especially if I tip my hat to Him now and then. You wouldn't hire a pastor who works part time in a bar, or have drug dealer preach? Why would you listen to Christian music performed by an unbeliever or one who professes to be a Christian, but whose lifestyle demonstrates otherwise?
But it's not only country.
Today even some of the pop, and rock-n-roll groups are doing the same thing and believers must be very careful. Again these illustrations may be as much as ten years old but they are never the less accurate and demonstrate the point.
On the liner notes of Stone Temple Pilot's "Core" CD the alternative rock band states, "[We] would like to thank: God [and] Jesus Christ...." The same disc includes "Sex-Type Thing," a song defending rape.
Numerous R&B artists, from R. Kelly to P. Diddy both who have made God central to their statements at the Grammy Awards, also mix spirituality with sexuality.
Usher says in the notes of the "My Way" disc, "First and foremost I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for allowing me to complete my second album". What's on the album? Perverse sexuality, infidelity, and the glorification of cocaine.
Boyz II Men the famous R&B/Hip-hop vocal group sing a song called "Dear God" in which the value of eternal things is set over the worldly and thanks the father for his love, grace, and the atoning death of Christ." Then they sing "I'll Make Love to You” which is one long sexual come-on. And "50 Candles" describes a feverish sexual encounter in progress.
Salt -n-Pepa a female rap trio in "The Clock is Tickin" preach about putting God first and honoring our mothers. Yet in the very same album they use crude sexual slang, promote sodomy, adultery, and even drinking and driving.
Finally care must even be taken when listening to individuals and groups who clearly claim to be Christian and performing Christian music. There are at least 6 things you need to look at in those "Christian artists".
A. Style - Can you hear the lyrics? If you listen to music that is supposed to be Christian but you can't understand the words because of the style or the volume, then it is impossible for God to be glorified.
B. Stage Performance and dress - This is related to the first point. How do they behave on stage? How do they appear? There are and have been some bands who claim to be Christian but dress in ways that detract from the message they preach. It doesn't matter what their lyrics say if they are communicating something else by their performance or appearance.
I have seen and listened to “Christian bands”, who sang Christian lyrics, but in seeing them perform there was no discernable difference from any secular rock band. I took a group of youth several years ago to see a group called The News Boys. I had heard their music on the radio and recording and their lyrics were good, but we walked out of the concert in the middle of third song because their stage presentation totally destroyed their message.
If they look like a secular group, and sound like a secular group, and act like a secular group, how are they bringing glory to God? Remember that's the whole reason God created music.
I know many will use the justification that they are trying to reach the culture and win the lost. But I would submit to you that God did not create music as an evangelistic tool. God created music to enhance the worship of God by believers. I will ask this question again when we begin to talk about “Church Music”, but where in the Bible are we ever instructed to use music to reach the lost? The answer is, nowhere. Let me also make an observation that I will repeat later. As believers we are to encounter the culture, not embrace the culture. That is a very important distinction that is being ignored and ridiculed by many who claim to preach the gospel in this age. When we embrace the culture by becoming like it, we sin. James makes that abundantly clear. “You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:4
C. Personal Lifestyle - Stay current on what's going on in the private lives of artists. If they are not living a consistent, godly life off stage then why should we listen to what they sing on stage? If a pastor went out drinking, and womanizing and then stood in the pulpit to preach, it would not be tolerated it. Why then would we accept that kind of lifestyle in those who minister through music?
The apostle Paul says in I Cor. 5:11 "But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler."
D. Clear Communication of the Gospel - I don't think much of so-called Crossover artists. Crossover music is when a Christian artist starts producing songs that secular stations will play. Unfortunately usually there must be a compromise because secular stations won't play their music if there is openly Christian content. So they sing songs, with supposed hidden meanings and veiled references to God. Many "Crossover artists claim that they are doing it to reach a wider audience. I've always been just a little suspicious that they are doing it to make more money. (We’ll talk about that justification more later.)
Amy Grant who was the queen of Contemporary Christian music for several years and her husband Gary Chapman both started singing Crossover music and it wasn't long until more than their music crossed over. In 1999, Amy divorced Gary and one year later married Vince Gill, a country singer we've already talked about who was also recently divorced.
If there is not a clear message of the cross of Christ or of biblical principles communicated in the music of a professing Christian music artist turn them off. You don't need to hear it.
E. Theological Accuracy - Closely related to the last point is that Christian music should be theologically sound. Again we will discuss this more later but it needs to me mentioned here that much of the music that is played by Contemporary Christian musicians and singers, if it is theologically accurate at all, is shallow and without substance. There are many reasons for that. Often it is because the music is being presented either by unbelievers, (I’ll explain that in more detail in the next point.) or immature believers who don’t understand the truths of scripture beyond what it means to be “saved”, and many don’t even understand the extent of their salvation. The salvation of modern Christian music is man-centered and the songs are often all about how God wants to make you happy and give you things and fulfill your deepest needs. Unfortunately it reflects much of the contemporary preaching which is also, in many cases, shallow and without substance. I have said for years that the reason in many churches the pews are shallow is because there is no depth in the pulpit. It is no wonder that the music to which Christians listen is without theological depth. Again, this will be addressed in more detail later.
F. Motivation - What is the motivation of those who present the music to which you listen? You may wonder why until now I have used the word “present” instead of “perform”? Ministry ought never to be a performance. Once again, when we come to the place of dealing with “church music”, I will address this again. Is the music you listen to presented or performed. Ministers are not to be performers. Performers entertain. Ministers serve. Performers entertain for acclaim, for reward, for people. Ministers serve out of humility, without thought of reward, for Christ.
A few years ago I contacted several well-known bands for the purpose of trying to book one or two for a special event. One of the distasteful things that I encountered was the demands made by these “servants of Christ” when they come minister through music. Some of those demands included thermostat settings in their hotel rooms, peanut butter sandwiches cut in squares and other kinds of junk food place in the room before their arrival.
At another place, after a group had already arrived at an event, I learned that they had demanded a certain brand of bottled water be placed in the refrigerator as a condition for their participation. I have since discovered that these demands are fairly typical of “Christian” musical groups, especially those who are popular.
I’m sorry but where is the servant spirit? Very often it is not present. And one reason is again, because many of those who “perform” Christian music are either not saved or are immature. It is not by chance that the apostle Paul writes in 1 Tim. 3:6 about one called as a minister, that he be “not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.” Many who entertain and perform Christian music are motivated by pride.
Over the last few years I have greatly limited the music I listen to for all of the aforementioned reasons. But there is another. I don’t listen to music by people who accept awards for their music. As a matter of fact I usually prefer the ones who refuse to even show up at the awards programs. That tells you where their heart really is. I won’t mention names of those in this category. I’ll let you do the research. But as I mentioned before, we do not serve our Lord for earthly rewards. I’ve always wondered what the reaction would be if someone started a national awards program for preachers. I can imagine that the criticism would be intense, and rightly so. Yet how Christians glorify the so-called Christian musicians and singers who proudly display their earthly rewards. Jesus was pretty clear in Matthew 5-7 when he talks about those who serve in order to be seen by men. He says that those awards will be the only ones they receive. We forfeit our rewards in heaven if acclamation in this life is what we seek.
Related to this, there is one last thing I would caution you about. Many of the contemporary Christian music labels are no longer owned and operated by Christians. In the last twenty years, contemporary Christian music has become so popular that it has in many cases ceased to be ministry and has become big business. One of the things that means is that, as I mentioned earlier, some “Christian” bands or performers are not even Christians. “Christian” lyrics are not always written by Christians which is another reason the theology is suspect. In 1 Corinthians 2:14 Paul explains that unbelievers don’t understand spiritual things. “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
It is imperative that before you listen to Christian music, you do some research and find out who is really honoring God through their music and who is producing music to be rewarded, and to become rich.
I was recently given an article by a very popular singer of Christian music from the 1970s 80s and 90s. Steve Camp is one of the musicians that admire because he humbly and openly confesses the immaturity and errors of his early career and the Grace of God that changed him. He writes, “Early in my own musical journey I wrote songs that neither represented good music or precise theology. My motives were vitiated; my actions were not godly; and my lips were unclean. The thirst for prominence and position made my heart prideful, judgmental and calloused.”
In the introduction to this article which is called, THE 107 THESES Reclaiming a Reverence for God in Ministry, Steve Camp writes, “Is there justified concern that Contemporary Christian Music has abandoned its original calling from the Lord, left the Biblical standard for ministry and has failed to remain accountable to the local church? I believe it so. Beloved, it's time to "sound the alarm on the holy hill" for we are calamitously on "the downgrade" in the Contemporary Christian Music Industry (CCMI).” I strongly advise you to read the rest of this article by clicking on the link above in this paragraph
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Corruption of Music - Part 3
In my last post I began outlining the negative affects of popular secular lyrical music. I mentioned that there are usually five major themes communicated in this kind of music. The first two I addressed in that post. They are number one, illicit sex and sexual perversion, and number two, drug abuse (including alcohol). As always, if you have not read the posts leading up to this one, I would encourage you to do so.
Some of my readers have begun to send me helpful information that I have added to my research on this subject. One of those is an article on the web about a recent study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh that relates directly to the first of these themes. The research concluded that teens that listen to music with “sexually degrading lyrics” are more than twice as likely to be sexually active as those who do not. Now remember this is not a Christian research organization. Of 711 teens interviewed 31 percent were sexually active. Of those who did not listen to sexually degrading lyrics the rate was 20.6 percent. But of those who did listen to such music, the rate went up to 44.6 percent. You can find that article at http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.219a5c1741da6257d5cf13c9a2890518.361&show_article=1
Now lets look at the other three themes found in a large portion of popular secular music.
III. REBELLION AGAINST AUTHORITY
Rebellion is the spirit of our age. And from the pelvic gyration of Elvis and the long hair of the Beatles, to the Outlaw music of Willie Nelson, music has done its part to foster this philosophy.
Bands with names like "Above The Law" give an indication of what their music is about.
Dave Matthews band, Album "Before these Crowded Streets", Song, "Don't Drink the Water", includes lyrics like these. "I live with my hatred, I live with my jealousy... I don't need anybody but me."
Pearl Jam tells their listeners, "I'll do what I want but irresponsibly".
The Spice Girls cut, "Do It" tells young girls to "make your own rules to live by", which includes defying parents and having sex.
By the way, God has an opinion of rebellion too. "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft", I Sam. 15:23. Witchcraft was one of the sins in the Old Testament for which the death penalty was required. Ex. 22:18 " Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."
IV. VIOLENCE, including bar room brawls, crime, murder, suicide.
Part of this is an extension of the aforementioned rebellion and much of it is because of the fragmented post‑modern culture. Hopelessness and uselessness of life is portrayed in much of this music.
On a quiet Louisiana night in early May 1996 at 2:30 in the morning, while the rest of his family lay sleeping, 16 year old Clay Logan stood in his bedroom listening to "The End" a song by the rock band The Doors. He waited for his lyrical cue from the lead singer Jim Morrison. Then to wake his sleeping family, Logan cranked up the volume.
The lyrics said, "The killer awoke before dawn" the stereo blared. "He put his boots on and came to a door and he looked inside."
James and Connie, rose slowly, wiping the sleep from their eyes.
The music continued, "Father"? "Yes, son"? "I want to kill you. Mother I want to kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill...
At that point James and Connie were fully awake. They started down the hall to find out what was going on. That's where Clay met them, brandishing a handgun. He fired several times, killing his mother and wounding his father.
Lyrics by the death‑metal band Slayer have been connected to the 1995 rape, torture, and satanic sacrifice of a 15-year‑old girl
"Hate is what I feel for you/I want you to know that I want you dead". Those lyrics from Silverchair's Frogstomp album have been put on trial along with two teens, accused of murdering one of the boy's parents and five year old brother.
In 1994 a police officer responding to a call for assistance was murdered by two teens who claimed to be taking cues from rapper Tupac Shakur’s album 2Pacalypse Now. They simply wanted to kill a police officer for amusement.
Listen to some statements from some interviews with modern music makers.
Popular folk rocker Tori Amos said in Rolling Stone magazine, "Our generation loves our pain, and if you dare _____ing take it away from us, we're going to kill you. We like our pain."
Rob Zombie lead singer with the heavy metal band White Zombie told USA Today, "I remember looking at the outline or dead bodies and pictures of Charles Manson in my mom's copy of Helter Skelter, and I thought it was the greatest thing I'd ever seen..."
The song "Amnesia", by the British band Chumbawamba describes the dismantling of a human head. And "Outsider" portrays life as miserable, bleak and pointless.
Ice Cube threatens shootings bombings and other forms of violence against designated targets such as the LA police chief. His music also approves of looting and is riddled with the basest profanity.
LL Cool J threatens censors with grisly violence. "I'll wake you up with an axe...I'll leave your bullet riddled body on the curb".
Rage Against the Machine's song "Down Rodeo” encourages the have-nots of society to lash out violently against the haves.
Alan Jackson's single all "American Country Boy" glorifies irresponsible living and "rowdiness". In "Hole in the wall" he vents frustration by damaging property.
Joe Diffie, a country singer from Oklahoma, sings of a lovesick man beating up another of the girl’s suitors in his song "Junior's in Love".
V. Anti-Christian and Occultic Philosophies
John Denver, said, "Rock has a greater influence than Christianity".
John Lennon, said, "Christianity will go. "We're more popular than Jesus".
Did you ever ask yourself why some of these people don't pick on Buddha, or Allah, or Krishna? The reason is because Satan is already in charge of false gods and counterfeit religions. And it's always been the goal of the devil to destroy the cause of Christ.
Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones said that the goal of the music industry has always been to control the minds of their listeners. It's interesting that the Bible says in II Cor. 4:4 "The god of this age (small g, speaking of Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." And one of the ways he is doing it is through music.
Folk rocker Sara McLachlan said, in a 1998 interview, "I think the Devil has gotten a bad rap. The Devil is the fallen angel, the one who was willing to embrace his dark side, whereas all the other angels were in total denial. The Devil is more like us - we're all the Devil and we're all God".
The music of Beastie Boys promotes reincarnation and other Buddhist teachings.
Sheryl Crow's song "Maybe Angels" speaks of Christians who she addresses disrespectfully and says they "don't know nothin' bout saving me".
New Age contemporary artist Enya wonders if the "stars sign the life that is to be mine". a reference to astrological predestination. The song, "China Roses" speaks of being lead by the moon.
Other songs and albums produced over the last 40 years include: Hells Bells, Speak of the devil. Black Magic Woman, Goat's Head Soup, Satanic Majesty's Request, Sympathy for the devil, Dancing with Mr. D., Running with the devil, Black Sabbath, Highway to Hell, FrankenChrist.
Now let me ask you. Are these the values that we are to embrace or to which we are to expose ourselves as Christians? The answer is self evident as well as clearly revealed in Scripture.
II Cor. 11:3 "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ."
Phil. 1:9-11 "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ‑‑to the glory and praise of God."
Phil. 2:15 " so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe"
Some of my readers have begun to send me helpful information that I have added to my research on this subject. One of those is an article on the web about a recent study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh that relates directly to the first of these themes. The research concluded that teens that listen to music with “sexually degrading lyrics” are more than twice as likely to be sexually active as those who do not. Now remember this is not a Christian research organization. Of 711 teens interviewed 31 percent were sexually active. Of those who did not listen to sexually degrading lyrics the rate was 20.6 percent. But of those who did listen to such music, the rate went up to 44.6 percent. You can find that article at http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.219a5c1741da6257d5cf13c9a2890518.361&show_article=1
Now lets look at the other three themes found in a large portion of popular secular music.
III. REBELLION AGAINST AUTHORITY
Rebellion is the spirit of our age. And from the pelvic gyration of Elvis and the long hair of the Beatles, to the Outlaw music of Willie Nelson, music has done its part to foster this philosophy.
Bands with names like "Above The Law" give an indication of what their music is about.
Dave Matthews band, Album "Before these Crowded Streets", Song, "Don't Drink the Water", includes lyrics like these. "I live with my hatred, I live with my jealousy... I don't need anybody but me."
Pearl Jam tells their listeners, "I'll do what I want but irresponsibly".
The Spice Girls cut, "Do It" tells young girls to "make your own rules to live by", which includes defying parents and having sex.
By the way, God has an opinion of rebellion too. "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft", I Sam. 15:23. Witchcraft was one of the sins in the Old Testament for which the death penalty was required. Ex. 22:18 " Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."
IV. VIOLENCE, including bar room brawls, crime, murder, suicide.
Part of this is an extension of the aforementioned rebellion and much of it is because of the fragmented post‑modern culture. Hopelessness and uselessness of life is portrayed in much of this music.
On a quiet Louisiana night in early May 1996 at 2:30 in the morning, while the rest of his family lay sleeping, 16 year old Clay Logan stood in his bedroom listening to "The End" a song by the rock band The Doors. He waited for his lyrical cue from the lead singer Jim Morrison. Then to wake his sleeping family, Logan cranked up the volume.
The lyrics said, "The killer awoke before dawn" the stereo blared. "He put his boots on and came to a door and he looked inside."
James and Connie, rose slowly, wiping the sleep from their eyes.
The music continued, "Father"? "Yes, son"? "I want to kill you. Mother I want to kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill...
At that point James and Connie were fully awake. They started down the hall to find out what was going on. That's where Clay met them, brandishing a handgun. He fired several times, killing his mother and wounding his father.
Lyrics by the death‑metal band Slayer have been connected to the 1995 rape, torture, and satanic sacrifice of a 15-year‑old girl
"Hate is what I feel for you/I want you to know that I want you dead". Those lyrics from Silverchair's Frogstomp album have been put on trial along with two teens, accused of murdering one of the boy's parents and five year old brother.
In 1994 a police officer responding to a call for assistance was murdered by two teens who claimed to be taking cues from rapper Tupac Shakur’s album 2Pacalypse Now. They simply wanted to kill a police officer for amusement.
Listen to some statements from some interviews with modern music makers.
Popular folk rocker Tori Amos said in Rolling Stone magazine, "Our generation loves our pain, and if you dare _____ing take it away from us, we're going to kill you. We like our pain."
Rob Zombie lead singer with the heavy metal band White Zombie told USA Today, "I remember looking at the outline or dead bodies and pictures of Charles Manson in my mom's copy of Helter Skelter, and I thought it was the greatest thing I'd ever seen..."
The song "Amnesia", by the British band Chumbawamba describes the dismantling of a human head. And "Outsider" portrays life as miserable, bleak and pointless.
Ice Cube threatens shootings bombings and other forms of violence against designated targets such as the LA police chief. His music also approves of looting and is riddled with the basest profanity.
LL Cool J threatens censors with grisly violence. "I'll wake you up with an axe...I'll leave your bullet riddled body on the curb".
Rage Against the Machine's song "Down Rodeo” encourages the have-nots of society to lash out violently against the haves.
Alan Jackson's single all "American Country Boy" glorifies irresponsible living and "rowdiness". In "Hole in the wall" he vents frustration by damaging property.
Joe Diffie, a country singer from Oklahoma, sings of a lovesick man beating up another of the girl’s suitors in his song "Junior's in Love".
V. Anti-Christian and Occultic Philosophies
John Denver, said, "Rock has a greater influence than Christianity".
John Lennon, said, "Christianity will go. "We're more popular than Jesus".
Did you ever ask yourself why some of these people don't pick on Buddha, or Allah, or Krishna? The reason is because Satan is already in charge of false gods and counterfeit religions. And it's always been the goal of the devil to destroy the cause of Christ.
Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones said that the goal of the music industry has always been to control the minds of their listeners. It's interesting that the Bible says in II Cor. 4:4 "The god of this age (small g, speaking of Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." And one of the ways he is doing it is through music.
Folk rocker Sara McLachlan said, in a 1998 interview, "I think the Devil has gotten a bad rap. The Devil is the fallen angel, the one who was willing to embrace his dark side, whereas all the other angels were in total denial. The Devil is more like us - we're all the Devil and we're all God".
The music of Beastie Boys promotes reincarnation and other Buddhist teachings.
Sheryl Crow's song "Maybe Angels" speaks of Christians who she addresses disrespectfully and says they "don't know nothin' bout saving me".
New Age contemporary artist Enya wonders if the "stars sign the life that is to be mine". a reference to astrological predestination. The song, "China Roses" speaks of being lead by the moon.
Other songs and albums produced over the last 40 years include: Hells Bells, Speak of the devil. Black Magic Woman, Goat's Head Soup, Satanic Majesty's Request, Sympathy for the devil, Dancing with Mr. D., Running with the devil, Black Sabbath, Highway to Hell, FrankenChrist.
Now let me ask you. Are these the values that we are to embrace or to which we are to expose ourselves as Christians? The answer is self evident as well as clearly revealed in Scripture.
II Cor. 11:3 "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ."
Phil. 1:9-11 "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ‑‑to the glory and praise of God."
Phil. 2:15 " so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe"
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Corruption of Music - Part 2
Research material for this post includes “Chart Watch”, published by Focus on the Family.
In my last two posts, I talked about the Creation and Corruption of Music. We saw first that music is not just something we listen to but something that wields great control in our lives. It is used effectively by advertisers to sell products and services, and to promote just about anything you can think of. We saw that the human mind has the ability to store, retain and recall an incredible amount of musically driven messages.
The reason, we learned, is because that's the way God fashioned us. God created music before the foundation of the world and He made it to glorify himself. Job 38:7 tells us that while God was creating the world, before the creation of man, "the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?"
Finally we saw in Ezek. 28, that Lucifer, the Guardian Cherub, who was created to dwell in the presence of God and direct praise to God, who abandoned that appointment because he wanted to be God, who was expelled from heaven and became Satan, the prince of darkness, was created a musical being. It appears from the text in Ezek. 28 that Lucifer had musical instruments that were actually a part of his created make up, "tambourines, and flutes". And when he lost his heavenly position and was cast to the earth, he maintained that created make up and music is still a part of his nature, and that the corruption of music began at that point. Therefore, as believers, we must be very careful about the music we allow to enter our hearing.
In this post I want to address the issue of exactly what the music industry is selling. What are you hearing when you listen to secular music? What messages are being communicated?
I believe one of the most subtle affects that I have seen in secular music is found in the Christian home.
In 25+ years of ministry I've seen many times, Christian homes, out of which have come grown children who are not serving the Lord. They were homes with committed Christian parents who loved the Lord, served the Lord, went to church, took their children to church, tithed, worked, and prayed. Often they were even good disciplinarians and didn't let their children stay out late or go certain places. But their children turned from the truth. What happened? In many of those cases the rebellion or loss of respect for Godliness can be traced to the fact that these families listened to secular music in the home.
Secular music you will remember is music that is worldly rather than godly. The style doesn't matter. It may have been pop, rock n roll, or country. But while these parents didn't allow their kids to get into the world, they allowed the world to get into their kids by listening to worldly music by worldly people that teach worldly values. And the power of music consumed them.
What is the music industry teaching? As I have spent the last 33 years evaluating this phenomenon since I became a Christian, I have found 5 major themes in most secular music. Those themes are:
1. Illicit sex and sexual perversion
2. Drug abuse (including alcohol)
3. Rebellion against authority
4. Violence (including the glorification of death, murder and suicide)
5. Anti-Christian, pro Satanistic philosophies
Now I want to be clear, and I don’t want to be misunderstood here. Much modern secular lyrical music will contain one or more of these themes. But I’m not saying that all music of all times other than Christian music is of the devil or that it is sin for a believer to ever listen to any other music. I’m not saying that at all. Some music such is amoral meaning that it is neither moral nor immoral; spiritually it is neither good nor bad. Some classical music, or other instrumental music, or cultural music is simply for the enjoyment of the art and no judgment can be made about it. Some songs are innocent and simply meant for fun. I may address this more in a later post. But the kind of music I’m going to deal with in this and the next post are popular lyrical music of various styles that dominate western culture and have for decades.
Let me illustrate these five themes. I need to warn you that some of the things you are about to read are somewhat graphic.
I. ILLICIT SEX. This is probably the single most prominent theme in music today. It has been for a number of years and I suppose that's why Christians have become so desensitized to it. My first embarrassing encounter with music came when I was only 3 or 4 years old. I was in some sort of Christmas play or some other program in the Methodist Church that my mom occasionally attended.
I was on the stage with a bunch of other kids and we were supposed to be singing Christmas carols or something. But when all the other kids finished and stopped, there was one lone voice still singing. Mine. And do you know what I was singing? The 1957 Buddy Knox song, Party Doll, with such spiritually uplifting lyrics as “Come along and be my party doll, I want to make love to you.”
Now you may laugh at that? But the question that must be asked is, is that really funny? Where did I hear that? My family had a collection of secular music on records, (Remember singles on 45 rpm vinyl records?) and it was playing in our house all the time. I HEARD IT AT HOME.
The primary message of secular music has not changed over the last 50 years except for the worse. And for the last 3 or 4 decades the sexual message of music has not only been that of just "natural" heterosexual sex, but that of all manner of sexual perversion, such as Homosexuality, Bestiality, Necrophilia, and Sado-masochism, which is sexual pleasure derived by inflicting pain.
Now when I first started teaching this material I used the music of the sixties and seventies as illustrations. Then of course as time marched on I used the music of each succeeding decade. And what I became obvious through those years was that the music evolves in style and there are new songs and new lyrics, but really the content doesn’t change except as I mentioned, it gets worse. So in the last 7 or 8 years I haven’t updated my illustrations, because it is unnecessary. I hope you won’t use that as an excuse to disregard the truths that I present.
Over the last several years Britney Spears has become the poster child for the dysfunctional pop idol. You probably don’t need me to tell you about the series of crisis situations that her lifestyle has caused her and her family. And today her music and videos are lascivious, lewd and obscene. But even early in her career, as pop sensation, while she professed to be a virgin, with millions of pre-teen, teen, and adult fans, the lyrics to her songs were far from innocent. But what message are Britney and the music industry sending them. Here's an example of the lyrics in her 1999 song "Soda Pop" from her album titled “Baby One More Time.”
"...we might start riding to the music tonight... a wicked time to the end... we'll flex tonight until they break down the door. I bet you we can pop like we've never popped it before. It's cool Britney when we get down on the floor... and we go on and on until the break of dawn".
Backstreet Boys, song Get Down. "If you want it to be good girl, get yourself a bad boy. There's a thing your mamma shouldn't know. There's a thing I really what to show you".
How about Garth Brooks The song "That Ol Wind, implies that intimate relations between strangers can produce genuine love. On the number one country hit She's Every Woman, Garth explained that he has had numerous lovers and fantasized about others.
Billy Ray Cyrus, song "Words by Heart”, recalls adolescent sex (that night on my bed).
Alan Jackson has recollections of a drunken romp with a "naked woman" in the song "Must've had a Ball".
The group KORN rattles off obscenities one after another. Of one of it's albums, Jonathan Davis, of the band said, "I just wanted something violent and full of cuss words". By the way much of contemporary Rock n Roll, is little more than audio pornography, with lyrics and content that I wouldn't dare speak.
Masturbation and sex with strangers is advocated on the KORN song "A.D.I.D. A. S", which stands for All Day I Dream About Sex.
Reba McEntire The song “The heart is a Lonely Hunter” implies that adultery is wrong but casual sex between single adults who meet in a bar is okay.
Spice Girls Sexual propositions and innuendo drive the vast majority of their tracks. Like: "Wanna make love to you baby...Get it on, get it on...If you wanna be my lover... and, slam you body down and wind it all around."
George Strait In "One night at a Time", an uncommitted couple shares "love all night", in a series of rendezvous.
Shania Twain suggests that hanging out in bars and giving in sexually to a sincere man are okay.
II. DRUGS Drugs and secular music are inseparable. Where there is one, eventually and inevitably there will be the other. Several years ago, when I was pastoring in North Missouri, I worked part time as a counselor in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. I was amazed to hear residents in the center being allowed to play music that glorified drugs and alcohol. I brought it to the attention of the director but was told that it had no affect. Well you know from what we have already seen that is not true. And these programs wonder why their success rate is so low.
As long as there has been country music, it has glorified booze. The rock culture began in the sixties to promoted drugs. Here are some more recent examples.
While the Beastie Boys song “Get it together”, puts down the use of crack, their album "Ill Communication", pleads for the legalization of Marijuana.
Brooks and Dunn, a country duo, typically have lyrics in which whiskey flows liberally. Their song "Redneck Rhythm and Blues", lives for the work whistle and a trip to the local "waterin hole." If love goes bad they recommend beer and booze to ease the pain in songs like "More than a Margarita", "One Heartache at a Time", and "Tequila Town".
From Vince Gill's, (who I believe professes to be a Christian), "When Love Find's You" Album. The song, "What Cowgirls Do", includes partying where they "chugalug long necks till the money's all gone".
John Michael Montgomery's song "Friday at Five, talks about partying "with a girl on my arm and a beer in my hand."
Smash Mouth a band based in San Jose California advocates the use of marijuana. Their song "Heave Ho" glamorizes pot smoking and alcohol.
Geroge Strait sings of a married man prone to drinking with the boys and "flirting with every woman in town. And alcohol pours freely on his, "I met a friend of your's today".
Goo Goo Dolls, a band out of Buffalo New York. Alcohol is equated with fun times in their song "Eyes Wide Open".
Green Day applauds cocaine and amphetamine use in the song "Geek Stink Death". "Tight Wad Hill" is the story of a thrill seeking drug addict.
311 glorifies pot smoking and hallucinogenic drug trips.
Usher, the Album "My Way", the song "Just like me" advocates the use of cocaine among other things.
Weezer, the song "Undone" opens with beer and blasphemy.
Revelation 21:8 tells us that one of the seven great sins of the last days will be what the KJV calls, "Sorcery". The NIV says, "those who practice magical arts". But the Greek is one Word "pharmakos". It is the word from which we get our English word Pharmacy and it literally means (enchantment with drugs). Today we would say "drug abuse". Satan uses drugs, including alcohol, mingled with music to undermine moral values.
John Lennon of the Beatles was a heroine addict.
David Bowie, who was a 70's rock icon, told Rolling stone magazine, "I was junked out of my mind most of the time.
In my next post I will continue this discussion and present illustrations of the final three themes found in secular music.
In my last two posts, I talked about the Creation and Corruption of Music. We saw first that music is not just something we listen to but something that wields great control in our lives. It is used effectively by advertisers to sell products and services, and to promote just about anything you can think of. We saw that the human mind has the ability to store, retain and recall an incredible amount of musically driven messages.
The reason, we learned, is because that's the way God fashioned us. God created music before the foundation of the world and He made it to glorify himself. Job 38:7 tells us that while God was creating the world, before the creation of man, "the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?"
Finally we saw in Ezek. 28, that Lucifer, the Guardian Cherub, who was created to dwell in the presence of God and direct praise to God, who abandoned that appointment because he wanted to be God, who was expelled from heaven and became Satan, the prince of darkness, was created a musical being. It appears from the text in Ezek. 28 that Lucifer had musical instruments that were actually a part of his created make up, "tambourines, and flutes". And when he lost his heavenly position and was cast to the earth, he maintained that created make up and music is still a part of his nature, and that the corruption of music began at that point. Therefore, as believers, we must be very careful about the music we allow to enter our hearing.
In this post I want to address the issue of exactly what the music industry is selling. What are you hearing when you listen to secular music? What messages are being communicated?
I believe one of the most subtle affects that I have seen in secular music is found in the Christian home.
In 25+ years of ministry I've seen many times, Christian homes, out of which have come grown children who are not serving the Lord. They were homes with committed Christian parents who loved the Lord, served the Lord, went to church, took their children to church, tithed, worked, and prayed. Often they were even good disciplinarians and didn't let their children stay out late or go certain places. But their children turned from the truth. What happened? In many of those cases the rebellion or loss of respect for Godliness can be traced to the fact that these families listened to secular music in the home.
Secular music you will remember is music that is worldly rather than godly. The style doesn't matter. It may have been pop, rock n roll, or country. But while these parents didn't allow their kids to get into the world, they allowed the world to get into their kids by listening to worldly music by worldly people that teach worldly values. And the power of music consumed them.
What is the music industry teaching? As I have spent the last 33 years evaluating this phenomenon since I became a Christian, I have found 5 major themes in most secular music. Those themes are:
1. Illicit sex and sexual perversion
2. Drug abuse (including alcohol)
3. Rebellion against authority
4. Violence (including the glorification of death, murder and suicide)
5. Anti-Christian, pro Satanistic philosophies
Now I want to be clear, and I don’t want to be misunderstood here. Much modern secular lyrical music will contain one or more of these themes. But I’m not saying that all music of all times other than Christian music is of the devil or that it is sin for a believer to ever listen to any other music. I’m not saying that at all. Some music such is amoral meaning that it is neither moral nor immoral; spiritually it is neither good nor bad. Some classical music, or other instrumental music, or cultural music is simply for the enjoyment of the art and no judgment can be made about it. Some songs are innocent and simply meant for fun. I may address this more in a later post. But the kind of music I’m going to deal with in this and the next post are popular lyrical music of various styles that dominate western culture and have for decades.
Let me illustrate these five themes. I need to warn you that some of the things you are about to read are somewhat graphic.
I. ILLICIT SEX. This is probably the single most prominent theme in music today. It has been for a number of years and I suppose that's why Christians have become so desensitized to it. My first embarrassing encounter with music came when I was only 3 or 4 years old. I was in some sort of Christmas play or some other program in the Methodist Church that my mom occasionally attended.
I was on the stage with a bunch of other kids and we were supposed to be singing Christmas carols or something. But when all the other kids finished and stopped, there was one lone voice still singing. Mine. And do you know what I was singing? The 1957 Buddy Knox song, Party Doll, with such spiritually uplifting lyrics as “Come along and be my party doll, I want to make love to you.”
Now you may laugh at that? But the question that must be asked is, is that really funny? Where did I hear that? My family had a collection of secular music on records, (Remember singles on 45 rpm vinyl records?) and it was playing in our house all the time. I HEARD IT AT HOME.
The primary message of secular music has not changed over the last 50 years except for the worse. And for the last 3 or 4 decades the sexual message of music has not only been that of just "natural" heterosexual sex, but that of all manner of sexual perversion, such as Homosexuality, Bestiality, Necrophilia, and Sado-masochism, which is sexual pleasure derived by inflicting pain.
Now when I first started teaching this material I used the music of the sixties and seventies as illustrations. Then of course as time marched on I used the music of each succeeding decade. And what I became obvious through those years was that the music evolves in style and there are new songs and new lyrics, but really the content doesn’t change except as I mentioned, it gets worse. So in the last 7 or 8 years I haven’t updated my illustrations, because it is unnecessary. I hope you won’t use that as an excuse to disregard the truths that I present.
Over the last several years Britney Spears has become the poster child for the dysfunctional pop idol. You probably don’t need me to tell you about the series of crisis situations that her lifestyle has caused her and her family. And today her music and videos are lascivious, lewd and obscene. But even early in her career, as pop sensation, while she professed to be a virgin, with millions of pre-teen, teen, and adult fans, the lyrics to her songs were far from innocent. But what message are Britney and the music industry sending them. Here's an example of the lyrics in her 1999 song "Soda Pop" from her album titled “Baby One More Time.”
"...we might start riding to the music tonight... a wicked time to the end... we'll flex tonight until they break down the door. I bet you we can pop like we've never popped it before. It's cool Britney when we get down on the floor... and we go on and on until the break of dawn".
Backstreet Boys, song Get Down. "If you want it to be good girl, get yourself a bad boy. There's a thing your mamma shouldn't know. There's a thing I really what to show you".
How about Garth Brooks The song "That Ol Wind, implies that intimate relations between strangers can produce genuine love. On the number one country hit She's Every Woman, Garth explained that he has had numerous lovers and fantasized about others.
Billy Ray Cyrus, song "Words by Heart”, recalls adolescent sex (that night on my bed).
Alan Jackson has recollections of a drunken romp with a "naked woman" in the song "Must've had a Ball".
The group KORN rattles off obscenities one after another. Of one of it's albums, Jonathan Davis, of the band said, "I just wanted something violent and full of cuss words". By the way much of contemporary Rock n Roll, is little more than audio pornography, with lyrics and content that I wouldn't dare speak.
Masturbation and sex with strangers is advocated on the KORN song "A.D.I.D. A. S", which stands for All Day I Dream About Sex.
Reba McEntire The song “The heart is a Lonely Hunter” implies that adultery is wrong but casual sex between single adults who meet in a bar is okay.
Spice Girls Sexual propositions and innuendo drive the vast majority of their tracks. Like: "Wanna make love to you baby...Get it on, get it on...If you wanna be my lover... and, slam you body down and wind it all around."
George Strait In "One night at a Time", an uncommitted couple shares "love all night", in a series of rendezvous.
Shania Twain suggests that hanging out in bars and giving in sexually to a sincere man are okay.
II. DRUGS Drugs and secular music are inseparable. Where there is one, eventually and inevitably there will be the other. Several years ago, when I was pastoring in North Missouri, I worked part time as a counselor in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. I was amazed to hear residents in the center being allowed to play music that glorified drugs and alcohol. I brought it to the attention of the director but was told that it had no affect. Well you know from what we have already seen that is not true. And these programs wonder why their success rate is so low.
As long as there has been country music, it has glorified booze. The rock culture began in the sixties to promoted drugs. Here are some more recent examples.
While the Beastie Boys song “Get it together”, puts down the use of crack, their album "Ill Communication", pleads for the legalization of Marijuana.
Brooks and Dunn, a country duo, typically have lyrics in which whiskey flows liberally. Their song "Redneck Rhythm and Blues", lives for the work whistle and a trip to the local "waterin hole." If love goes bad they recommend beer and booze to ease the pain in songs like "More than a Margarita", "One Heartache at a Time", and "Tequila Town".
From Vince Gill's, (who I believe professes to be a Christian), "When Love Find's You" Album. The song, "What Cowgirls Do", includes partying where they "chugalug long necks till the money's all gone".
John Michael Montgomery's song "Friday at Five, talks about partying "with a girl on my arm and a beer in my hand."
Smash Mouth a band based in San Jose California advocates the use of marijuana. Their song "Heave Ho" glamorizes pot smoking and alcohol.
Geroge Strait sings of a married man prone to drinking with the boys and "flirting with every woman in town. And alcohol pours freely on his, "I met a friend of your's today".
Goo Goo Dolls, a band out of Buffalo New York. Alcohol is equated with fun times in their song "Eyes Wide Open".
Green Day applauds cocaine and amphetamine use in the song "Geek Stink Death". "Tight Wad Hill" is the story of a thrill seeking drug addict.
311 glorifies pot smoking and hallucinogenic drug trips.
Usher, the Album "My Way", the song "Just like me" advocates the use of cocaine among other things.
Weezer, the song "Undone" opens with beer and blasphemy.
Revelation 21:8 tells us that one of the seven great sins of the last days will be what the KJV calls, "Sorcery". The NIV says, "those who practice magical arts". But the Greek is one Word "pharmakos". It is the word from which we get our English word Pharmacy and it literally means (enchantment with drugs). Today we would say "drug abuse". Satan uses drugs, including alcohol, mingled with music to undermine moral values.
John Lennon of the Beatles was a heroine addict.
David Bowie, who was a 70's rock icon, told Rolling stone magazine, "I was junked out of my mind most of the time.
In my next post I will continue this discussion and present illustrations of the final three themes found in secular music.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Corruption of Music
In my last post, “The Creation and Application of Music”, (If you haven’t read the first two posts, let me suggest that you do so as it will help you understand where we are in this discussion.), we observed three major truths about music. First, music is powerful and has an incredible ability to influence mind, emotion, and will. Second, the human mind has the ability to store, retain and recall an incredible amount of musically driven messages. And third, these statements are true because God created music with these properties for the purpose of bringing glory to Himself.
Now a forth truth that I want to present and which I’m sure will be affirmed by most who read this blog, is that all music does not glorify God. At some point after it’s creation a corruptive element changed the focus of some music. But what or who made that change?
In the Old Testament book of Ezekiel we find a passage that provides us with a description of the fall of Satan from heaven. Now when you read this chapter, (And I encourage you to do so.), you may be confused because it is addresses “the king of Tyre”. Yet as you read the text there is an unmistakable reference to an angelic creation of God who once had an exalted station in the presence of God, but who rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven. Sometimes there is in a passage of scripture a dual reference and in order to fully understand the meaning of the text, you must apply this principle of biblical interpretation. Such is the case here.
In Ezek. 28:13-17, (New International Version – After this referred to as NIV), we read these words. "You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings."
Now look again at :13, first in the NIV, then in the King James Version, (After this referred to as the KJV), and I want to show you something important.
(Ezek. 28:13 - NIV) "You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
(Ezek 28:13 - KJV) "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."
I want you to notice that there is a difference in the translation. There are two words that I want to note specifically.
A. First the word “TABRETS” in the (KJV), and “SETTINGS” in the (NIV). The Hebrew word is (toph), which is always used of a drum, or a tambourine. That's what the word tabrets in the KJV means. The translators of the NIV chose to translate it "settings" for reasons I'll show you in a moment, but that is inconsistent with the way it is translated every other place in Scripture. This word is used 17 times in the Old Testament and every other time the NIV translates it "tambourine". Below I have sited some examples.
(1 Sam 18:6 NIV) "When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes."
(Isa 24:8 NIV) "The gaiety of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful harp is silent.'
(Isa 30:32 NIV) "Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm."
(Jer 31:4 NIV) "I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful."
So the King James Version is correct and the word should be translated "tambourines".
B. The second word is translated "PIPES" (KJV), and "MOUNTINGS" (NIV)
The Hebrew word is neqeb and the Root means to bore, or to pierce with holes.
Ezek. 28:13 has the only occurrence of this word in Old Testament so we can't compare it with other uses to determine the meaning. The comment inserted by the NIV Translators at the bottom of the page says, "The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain". So why did they translate it "mountings"? Because the first part of this verse indicates that Lucifer was covered or clothed in various gems, (ruby, topaz, emerald...) they have given both this word and the one previously discussed a meaning that has something to do with jewels, "settings and mountings". For the same reason others translate this second word, "engravings".
However because of the clarity of the meaning of the first word, (toph), "tambourines", it is evident that the context switches and bares be a musical reference as indicated by the King James. And the reference to boring holes that we see in the Hebrew word "neqeb" likely alludes to the holes bored in a pipe to make an instrument like a flute.
So a legitimate translation of this verse could be "You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your tambourines and flutes were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared".
So what's the point to all this? Why spend so much time on these word studies? Because what we have here in Ezek 28 is striking evidence that Lucifer was created as a MUSICAL BEING. That somehow built into his very person, his created make up, were musical instruments.
This fits very well with the other parts of the description that we are given of Lucifer. Ezek. 28 says, You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty... You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you."
Lucifer was probably the highest ranking of the angels, even above Michael who is called the "Archangel" (meaning Chief Angel) in Jude 1:9 and "the great prince who protects" the people of Israel in Dan. 12:1. Michael may have only assumed that position as chief angel after the fall of Lucifer.
He was "full of wisdom and perfect in beauty". He may have been the wisest and most beautiful of all God’s created beings who was originally placed in this position of authority over the cherubim surrounding the throne of God. He was created to dwell in the very presence of God, evidently for several reasons. One was to be a sentry to symbolically guard the throne of God. Not that God needed guarding but as a picture of God's unapproachableness, and invulnerability.
But another job of Lucifer must have been to lead the host of heaven in musical praise of Almighty God. That's the reason he was equipped with musical instruments.
Rev. 5:11-13 "Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
What an awesome picture. Millions of angels giving glory to God and singing praises to the lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven. And Lucifer, the Shining One, was heaven's worship leader, the musician, and the orchestra all rolled into one.
Music was a part of his created nature. However Lucifer did not long keep his first estate. Instead he became proud of his own shining glory and his power and his wisdom, (even though it had all been given to him by God), and he rebelled against the One that he was created to glorify. And so God cast him out and the Bible tells us that the earth became his domain. And Revelation 12 tells us that along with him he persuaded 1/3 of the angels to rebel and they too lost their place in heaven.
Now when Lucifer the "Day Star" rebelled, he became Satan, the prince of darkness. However when he was cast out of heaven Lucifer did not lose those attributes of his creation. He is still very intelligent. He is powerful. He is still musical. And some of the music of the world, with all it’s power and influence, rather than bringing glory to the God who created it for that purpose, is instead a satanic counterfeit designed to draw men, women, away from Christ.
Now a forth truth that I want to present and which I’m sure will be affirmed by most who read this blog, is that all music does not glorify God. At some point after it’s creation a corruptive element changed the focus of some music. But what or who made that change?
In the Old Testament book of Ezekiel we find a passage that provides us with a description of the fall of Satan from heaven. Now when you read this chapter, (And I encourage you to do so.), you may be confused because it is addresses “the king of Tyre”. Yet as you read the text there is an unmistakable reference to an angelic creation of God who once had an exalted station in the presence of God, but who rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven. Sometimes there is in a passage of scripture a dual reference and in order to fully understand the meaning of the text, you must apply this principle of biblical interpretation. Such is the case here.
In Ezek. 28:13-17, (New International Version – After this referred to as NIV), we read these words. "You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings."
Now look again at :13, first in the NIV, then in the King James Version, (After this referred to as the KJV), and I want to show you something important.
(Ezek. 28:13 - NIV) "You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
(Ezek 28:13 - KJV) "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."
I want you to notice that there is a difference in the translation. There are two words that I want to note specifically.
A. First the word “TABRETS” in the (KJV), and “SETTINGS” in the (NIV). The Hebrew word is (toph), which is always used of a drum, or a tambourine. That's what the word tabrets in the KJV means. The translators of the NIV chose to translate it "settings" for reasons I'll show you in a moment, but that is inconsistent with the way it is translated every other place in Scripture. This word is used 17 times in the Old Testament and every other time the NIV translates it "tambourine". Below I have sited some examples.
(1 Sam 18:6 NIV) "When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes."
(Isa 24:8 NIV) "The gaiety of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful harp is silent.'
(Isa 30:32 NIV) "Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm."
(Jer 31:4 NIV) "I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful."
So the King James Version is correct and the word should be translated "tambourines".
B. The second word is translated "PIPES" (KJV), and "MOUNTINGS" (NIV)
The Hebrew word is neqeb and the Root means to bore, or to pierce with holes.
Ezek. 28:13 has the only occurrence of this word in Old Testament so we can't compare it with other uses to determine the meaning. The comment inserted by the NIV Translators at the bottom of the page says, "The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain". So why did they translate it "mountings"? Because the first part of this verse indicates that Lucifer was covered or clothed in various gems, (ruby, topaz, emerald...) they have given both this word and the one previously discussed a meaning that has something to do with jewels, "settings and mountings". For the same reason others translate this second word, "engravings".
However because of the clarity of the meaning of the first word, (toph), "tambourines", it is evident that the context switches and bares be a musical reference as indicated by the King James. And the reference to boring holes that we see in the Hebrew word "neqeb" likely alludes to the holes bored in a pipe to make an instrument like a flute.
So a legitimate translation of this verse could be "You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your tambourines and flutes were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared".
So what's the point to all this? Why spend so much time on these word studies? Because what we have here in Ezek 28 is striking evidence that Lucifer was created as a MUSICAL BEING. That somehow built into his very person, his created make up, were musical instruments.
This fits very well with the other parts of the description that we are given of Lucifer. Ezek. 28 says, You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty... You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you."
Lucifer was probably the highest ranking of the angels, even above Michael who is called the "Archangel" (meaning Chief Angel) in Jude 1:9 and "the great prince who protects" the people of Israel in Dan. 12:1. Michael may have only assumed that position as chief angel after the fall of Lucifer.
He was "full of wisdom and perfect in beauty". He may have been the wisest and most beautiful of all God’s created beings who was originally placed in this position of authority over the cherubim surrounding the throne of God. He was created to dwell in the very presence of God, evidently for several reasons. One was to be a sentry to symbolically guard the throne of God. Not that God needed guarding but as a picture of God's unapproachableness, and invulnerability.
But another job of Lucifer must have been to lead the host of heaven in musical praise of Almighty God. That's the reason he was equipped with musical instruments.
Rev. 5:11-13 "Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
What an awesome picture. Millions of angels giving glory to God and singing praises to the lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven. And Lucifer, the Shining One, was heaven's worship leader, the musician, and the orchestra all rolled into one.
Music was a part of his created nature. However Lucifer did not long keep his first estate. Instead he became proud of his own shining glory and his power and his wisdom, (even though it had all been given to him by God), and he rebelled against the One that he was created to glorify. And so God cast him out and the Bible tells us that the earth became his domain. And Revelation 12 tells us that along with him he persuaded 1/3 of the angels to rebel and they too lost their place in heaven.
Now when Lucifer the "Day Star" rebelled, he became Satan, the prince of darkness. However when he was cast out of heaven Lucifer did not lose those attributes of his creation. He is still very intelligent. He is powerful. He is still musical. And some of the music of the world, with all it’s power and influence, rather than bringing glory to the God who created it for that purpose, is instead a satanic counterfeit designed to draw men, women, away from Christ.
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