God is Clean. Why Shouldn't Your Music Be? The music behind the lyrics

THE MUSIC



I have labored over this section. It is without a doubt the hardest part to explain with just words. It is a little longer than my other points, but it is honest, informative and well worth it.

It is not just a difficult point to describe; it is a difficult point to accept. It doesn’t take much discernment to understand whether lyrics are good or bad. Still, while it doesn’t take a ton of discernment to recognize Satan’s music, it does take some. Even so, once you recognize his beat, it is still hard to admit to it as such.

I groan inside when I hear people say the following, “Music is a gray area in the Bible.” It’s a lie. I want to say that again, because I think it is important. THAT IS A LIE. The Bible has a lot to say about music. If you don’t believe me, go reread the Scriptures under the “Lyrics” section. Please do not fall into this trap.

What God has to say about "Lyrics"





THE TRAP IS SET



I want to tell you a story.

We have a cat. We like our cat. She is trained to go to the bathroom outside. You can imagine our frustration upon waking up in the morning and smelling that potent smell of cat urine in our family room. It was frustrating the first day; it was infuriating several months into it.


Yet, it was not what it seemed to be. It was not our cat. It was Tom Cats in the neighborhood coming to our cat door and spraying it. They sprayed our entire patio as well as our shed door. One time they sprayed right into our screen while our bedroom window was open at night.


Our mother-in-law got us this awesome grill with a grill cover for fifteen dollars. It was an answer to prayer and we were so happy to have it. The very next day we woke up and had “spray” every six inches on our grill cover.


We tried cayenne pepper in tuna, bleach, gasoline, special stuff you sprinkle around your house to detract cats and nothing worked. I love animals, but I HATED these cats.


Then one day while talking to a friend about our problem, they told me about this cat trap they had. It was a wire, rectangular cage with a trap door. You set it on the ground, place tuna fish at the far end of it. As the cats walk on the weight / lever release the door closes. “MUHAHAHA,” I wickedly laughed in my head. This will get them! (Did I mention I HATED these cats? I hated waking up to urine around the outside of my house. I hated the thought of them. I wanted them dead; humanely of course.)


So, the night I got the trap I set it up. I put the tuna fish in the end of it. I covered it with a camouflage blanket. I opened my door to sneak inside and MY STUPID CAT GOT OUT. BAH! I thought, “NOOOOO! I’m going to have to stay out here all night and catch my cat.”


No sooner than the thought ran through my head, I saw my cat peek around the corner with her nose in the air. I could just imagine her thinking, “What IS that delicious smell?” She followed her nose to the end of the camouflaged trap. She sniffed every inch of that blanket as I thought, “Oh my goodness. This is EXACTLY how Satan must view us; an EASY catch.” All I needed was a little tuna and a lot of camouflage and it took less then five minutes.  I grabbed my cat as she stuck her head in the front of the trap.


The next morning the main Tom Cat was also trapped. Every time we set the trap, without fail we would wake up to a very annoyed cat and we gladly hauled them off. 

Music is Satan's trap.  It's so enjoyable and doesn't seem like a trap at all.  We just ease right into it a little bit at a time.  Yet, the Bible says, "Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established."  We need to use our head and study what the Bible DOES have to say about the subject rather than being duped by Satan into thinking it's "just a gray area."

The Bible says in II Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

WHO WANTS TO EAT FOOD THAT HAS SOMEONE’S HAIR IN IT?

Satan is a copycat in everything that God does. His version is never as good as God’s, but still has a lure. If you recognize it for what it is, you will see the difference is that everything that Satan does leads to filth and everything that God does leads to cleanliness and holiness.

God wants NOTHING to do with ANY BIT of Satan’s FILTH.

If our bodies are the Temple of God, we should handle Satan's music like Hazardous Material.
II Corinthians 6:13 - 18

V13. Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.
V14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
V15. And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
V16. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
V17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
V18. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Just as a person’s stomach turns as they have to pull out just ONE strand of hair from its obvious invasion in a plate of food, so does God with JUST ONE beat of Satan’s beat intermingled with His. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

1 Corinthians 5:6 – 8

V6. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
V7. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
V8. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

God’s music has no likeness or mixture with unrighteousness, darkness or uncleanliness.

MOSES WASN’T AN IDIOT. HE WAS THE GREATEST LEADER IN HISTORY.


People try to say that the music doesn’t matter as long as the words are good. They try to say that God created all music therefore it is all good.


God created Satan and he rebelled.

Yet, God created Adam and he sinned.

Furthermore, God’s word shows that there is a music that is no good as well as a sinful type of dancing and dress or lack of it that goes with it.

Exodus 32:17 – 20, 25

V17. 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.
V18. 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.
V19. And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
V25. And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)

I LOVE THIS NEXT PART …

Exodus 32:26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me…

Moses asked those who were on the Lord’s side to come out from the filth, the riotous music, and the naked, idolatrous dancing.

Sound familiar?

II Corinthians 6:17, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate…

WELL, HOW DO WE KNOW WHICH MUSIC IS GOD’S AND WHICH IS SATAN’S THEN?

This mention of music in Exodus is the first time that music is ever mentioned in the Bible. God’s wisdom never ceases to amaze me in how He encompasses every part of Satan’s tools in this brief description. Satan doesn’t use all of these aspects in every one of his songs, but he uses at least one of them in each.

FIRST: “There is a noise of war in the camp.” The driving rhythm.

I don’t know if you’ve watched many live sports events, X games, played an adrenalin laden video game, gone to a secular team practice or seen footage of a rebel camp in Africa training children for war; they all play the same type of music.

It is a driving music. It amps you up. You don’t tap your toe, your head starts moving in a methodic way, your body starts reacting, your pulse raises, your ready … your ready… your ready… let’s go, go, GO, GO, GO, GOOOOOOO! RAAHHHHHHHHHH!


STOP!

It’s not clean. It’s not harmonic; it’s noise. It’s noise of war.

SECOND: “… he saw the calf and the dancing… the people were naked…” A rhythm that still drives, but sensually.

There is a clean type of dancing.


There is an unclean type of dancing.




Why do you think there is a token dance scene in children’s movies? It’s because SATAN WANTS CHILDREN dirty. Do you really think that God is going to have anything to do with putting a dance scene in a child’s movie, or any movie for that fact?

Who is behind fornication, pedophiles, teen sex, adultery, pornography, and every lurid sexual act? Satan? How does he get them there? One step at a time. Where does he start? With your very basic sensual awakening.

Satan’s rhythm is a driving rhythm. In this case it drives your body in a sensual way.

______________________________________________________________________________

You’ve got NuMusic, Pop, HipHop, Rock and Country all are very different, but all have the same underlying rhythm.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN AN UNDERLYING RHYTHM?

I haven’t really paid attention to secular music much since I went “cold turkey.” As my heart wanted to serve God, I just said, “If it sounds like a secular station, regardless of the words I won’t listen to it at all.”

Well, except I found that I couldn’t figure out a couple of inconsistencies.

  • NPR (National Public Radio) is a secular station for sure, but it played some classical music that I considered good and some that I considered bad. How could that be? (Audio examples to follow)
  • Bluegrass (front porch music) was often good Christian music with no sensual or riotous rhythm, but there was also secular music with the same sound.
  • I liked quartet music, but what about the barbershop quartets? Weren’t they secular?

The other day when I was going through the gigantic 1,000 song purge with my good friend lasting into the wee hours of the morning it became OBVIOUS to the BOTH OF US the difference between good music and bad music. It wasn’t the style of the music it was the BEAT of the music. It didn’t matter if it was a slow song or a fast song it was how the beat was emphasized.

If it wasn’t all throughout a song, without a doubt about halfway through the song we would enter a chorus where the song reached its climax and it didn’t matter if it was Linkin Park, Eminem, Lady Gaga, B.o.B., Def Leopard, The Eagles, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner or Rich Mullins they all started this rhythm. It was as if nearly every beat was emphasized.

Here is an example of Amy Grant.  You will hear the driving beat at around the 20 second mark and than a variation of the rhythm at 1.20 second mark when you hear the full song.

Amy Grant - Sing Praise to the Lord

God's rhythm was different.  The rhythm was a clean, straightforward mathematical one. (Tap and count out loud and accent the count that is in bold to get the feeling.)

1, 2, 3, 4: 1, 2, 3, 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, or 1, 2, 3: 1, 2, 3: 1, 2, 3: 1, 2, 3: or 1, 2: 1, 2: or even a mildly syncopated rhythm like 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &:

Satan's was:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &: or Bah du du da da, Bah du du da da, etc. and anyway that any extra beats could be added and emphasized therein.

(Now, PLEASE do not send me hateful comments about "How I shouldn't have put these here."  I tried to find clean videos with the best description I could find of how Satan can pervert anything, even good classical music.)  There are many variations of these rhythms in Satan's music, but this will give you a good understanding of the "underlying theme."

CANON IN D - With Satan's Sensual Rythm on YouTube

or

FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE - Songs of War Rhythm. YouTube


Do you see how the rhythm DRIVES THE MUSIC.

SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT DRUMS AND GUITARS ARE BAD?

10 STRING GUITAR


If there is anything that I hear just as much as “music is a gray area in the Bible” it is this ideology; "Because guitars and drums are rhythmic instruments they must be bad." Some go so far as to say that any instrument is not good because it pulls at the heart and feeds the flesh.  That is just foolish.  Because just like the “marriage bed” is great within “the marriage,” rhythm is also good when it is clean.  It is Satan who perverts its natural use.

You see, some people with good intentions go to extremes that God never intended. In fact, I can’t think of an extreme that ever is really good.

God says Himself,

Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his
delight.


Proverbs 20:23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.

We see in 1Ti 6:17 that it is “the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;”

To take from God’s people what He gave them to enjoy and which truly glorifies Him by presenting His awesomeness and mathematical brilliance and harmony, we would in turn lose balance and become an abomination. Then Satan would have even more power to wield with his tool as we are naturally created with a love for music.

What God really said about instruments was this;


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


Psa 92:3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.


2Sa 6:5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.


1Chronicles 16:42 And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.


2Chronicles 5:13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;

In these passages there are all manner of instruments including stringed instruments, timbrels and cymbals; all which are used for rhythm. RHYTHM IS NOT BAD. SATAN’S RHYTHM IS.

It is hard to be sensual or driven with a standard march 4/4 rhythm, a 3/4 : 6/8 waltz rhythm, or an upbeat 2/2. One does not cause another to lust nor incite rioting by tapping his or her toe or clapping one’s hands in joy.

ROTTEN APPLES AND WASTED LIVES



I ask you to be honest with yourself and see if you are willing to surrender all? I know it’s easy to say, “Yes, I surrender all, but what you are saying is just YOUR interpretation of the Bible. I don’t REALLY have to give up music because the Bible doesn’t mean what you are saying it means. I have surrendered my all, and God hasn’t asked me to give up music.”

If you need further proof that there is a music that is Satan’s and therefore needs to be purged as the “old leaven” that it is then let’s look at more Scripture.

Matthew 7:17-20

V17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
V18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
V19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
V20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

The Bible says that it a good tree CANNOT bring forth evil fruit.

Let’s look at the fruit of God’s music.

Gal 5:22-24
V22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
V23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
V.24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

I was trying to explain it to my friend this way. Many people who make the switch from Satan’s music to God’s music say this. “BUT IT’S SOOOOOO BORING.”

It is because God’s music is clean and peaceful. It is meant that way on purpose. The music is not the driving factor. It is in the background and is meant to emphasize the words, not to detract from them. When the rhythm builds it is in anticipation of the message and the majesty of God. Even the faster more upbeat songs seem odd because they are clear cut and almost childlike, but they exude joy and goodness.

God’s music is clear so that it can minister to you with the words and message of God.

  • It can take you from a place of turmoil and tear down the walls of your heart and bring you to the “Haven of Rest for your soul.” 
  • When you sing “Grace, grace, God’s grace” you can endure longsuffering
  • When you sing “What a Friend we have in Jesus” or “Sweet Hour of Prayer” you can feel the gentleness of your One True Friend
  • When you sing “Rescue the Perishing Care for the Dying” that charitable, unnatural love that brings you through discomfort to courage and “Victory in Jesus” to “Bring in the Sheaves” BEARS FRUIT of that “tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Which brings me to the second point…

Psalm 1:4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Satan’s music does not bring you peace in the midst of your trials. It DISTRACTS YOU FROM THEM. It says loudly, “LISTEN TO ME, LISTEN TO ME! LISTEN TO ME!” “I’M FUN! YOUR PROBLEMS DON’T MEAN ANYTHING WHILE YOU HAVE ME WITH YOU.”

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

  • Your parents are still getting a divorce.
  • You wonder if there really is “someone out there for you.”
  • Your wife shows you know respect.
  • Your husband still spends too much time on the computer.
  • Your paycheck isn’t getting any higher.
  • Will you ever measure up?
  • Your anxiety and depression still makes you want to go straight to bed when you get home and plug your Ipod back into your ears.

While you are distracted with Satan’s “fun for a season” the mountain of problems gets higher and higher until one day it is quiet.

What do you do when it is quiet and there is nothing to distract you?

Where does your mind go?

Your mind goes to that mountain of despair. You heard someone say once that God could help you through anything, but you know deep down inside that THERE IS NO HOPE.

That is the fruit of Satan’s tree of music; DEATH. No one can hide it. Look at how many of the world’s musicians commit suicide or die at an early death. Look at their cover art. It's all death.

Listen to the words of their music; it is sadness, despair, heartache, revenge, rebellion, drinking, drugs, fornication which all lead to disease and death. A CORRUPT TREE CANNOT BRING FORTH GOOD FRUIT.
Heavy Metal Group "Slip Not" in Concert. 

That is why I am writing this. That is why my heart aches right now. That is why I want to warn every naïve and hurting person and say it is nothing but a trap. It is Satan’s smoke in glass. Satan and Death walk hand in hand. The only one who has beaten them is CHRIST. THERE IS HOPE.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Isaiah 26:3 -4

V3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
V.4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

I told my husband the other day that I was just feeling discouraged about something and that I needed to listen to music.  I have several playlists and one specifically is called "Hope and Trust."  It is MY way of having my "mind stayed on" God.

I know that I can trust the message of those songs, and I also find comfort in knowing that those singing have experienced the same things that I have and are able to minister to my heart.

Next I will cover that exact point; the MESSENGER of the music.

4 comments:

Andrew Schank said...

Thanks for the post! I totally agree with what you have stated. It is unfortunate that many of our Brethren would rather mix it up with the world and contaminate our congregations!

robert said...

You go on at great lengh about music. :-) Good for you, for giving it so much thought.

Yes, the Bible has a great deal to say about the subject of music. In fact, I used to teach a college course called Music in the Christian Life that referenced about 400 verses of Scripture, as I recall.

Music is a language, all on its own. It carries a message. This is important because it means we can't simply take a secular rock song and put Christian words to it and call it a hymn! The music is saying something different from the words, and the result is confusion.

The illustration I sometimes use is this. Think of the words of a good hymn as a beautiful painting. The music is the frame for the picture. And we wouldn't want a frame that calls attention to itself, and distracts from the painting. The frame should draw our attention to the art, and enhance our enjoyment of it. It is the same with a hymn's words and its tune.

You might find my blog Wordwise Hymns interesting. Each day I talk about something that happened in hymn history on that date. Also, there are topical articles on various aspects of music.

And with the arrival of fall, we begin to think of the Christmas season up ahead. If you do not have a good book on the subject of our Christmas carols, I encourage you to take a look at mine, Discovering the Songs of Christmas. In it, I discuss the history and meaning of 63 carols and Christmas hymns. The book is available through Amazon. (Might make a great gift too!)

Honeycombs said...

Totally agree and sadly a lot of the music that is coming into the church is not wholesome, harmonious, Godly music. It stops any move of the Holy Spirit and their is no joy. The hymn books are beings replaced by the overheads with all of these new choruses, some good, a lot bad. I wait for the day when we sing a new song

Jerry Bouey said...

Excellent article. The first mention of music was in Genesis 4:21. And his brother's name was Jubal (meaning "music; sound"): he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

About the only part I disagree with is that drums are an acceptable instrument if used rightly. Drums are never mentioned in the Bible and its history shows that it was created for evil purposes, and is where much of the backbeat in wrong music comes from. The Bible teaches that King David created some musical instruments to worship the Lord with, but it also states in Amos 6:5 that the wicked also created instruments - the implication being these instruments were used for evil.

Is every kind of instrument acceptable to God for music? How about an electric guitar? This is just something I wonder - though I have never heard godly music played on that. I am however die hard set against drums being used in Christian music (or worldly music too).