King David mentions eight different instruments that we should use when praising Jehovah. Obviously, the Bible is not telling us that we should use only these eight instruments in our praise and worship but that we should use a variety of melodious sounds. Our worship should praise him for his wondrous works and his abundant greatness. Even the words "praise him with...the circle dance" shows that we should dance for joy when singing to Jehovah.
After the Israelites crossed the Red Sea the Bible says that Miriam led the women in a joyful dance. "And Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, proceeded to take a tambourine in her hand; and all the women began going out with her with tambourines and in dances. And Miriam kept responding to the men: 'Sing to Jehovah, for he has become highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has pitched into the sea.' " (Ex. 15:20-21) Their sings was accompanied with lively music and joyous dancing.
The Bible also tells us that after Jephthah's victory over the Ammonites their was instrument playing and dancing. "Finally Jephthah came to Mizpah to his home, and, look! his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourine playing and dancing!" (Judg. 11:32-34) This joyous occasion, Israel breaking free from the oppressive yoke of the Ammonites, caused the people dance and sing for joy.
Another instance of joyful praise was in the life of King David. The Bible reports, "Then the sons of the Levites began to carry the ark of the true God, just as Moses had commanded by Jehovah’s word, upon their shoulders with the rods upon them. David now said to the chiefs of the Levites to station their brothers the singers with the instruments of song, stringed instruments and harps and cymbals, playing aloud to cause a sound of rejoicing to arise...And all the Israelites were bringing up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah with joyful shouting and with the sounding of the horn and with trumpets and with cymbals, playing aloud on stringed instruments and harps." (1 Chron. 15:15-16, 28) The alternate account says that David was "dancing around before Jehovah with all his power...with joyful shouting."-2 Sam. 6:14-15
Obviously, our praise and worship of Jehovah should be joyful. There is nothing wrong with using a variety of instruments and dancing like crazy to the wonderful music. Our love and joy in Jehovah should move us to cast aside our embarrassment. We shouldn't be afraid of looking like fools! The Governing Body would say that that is not the way it should be - and it may sound like they are right. But would it be wrong to stop someone from dancing with joy?
After King David left the worship celebration and returned home, his wife, Michal, confronted him about his behavior. Does the Bible help us to see if she was right and David deserved to be chastised because of the crazy way he acted?
"When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, 'How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing [uncovered himself, NWT] in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would [empty-headed men uncovers himself outright, NWT]' David said to Michal, 'It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel - I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death."-2 Samuel 6:20-23, New International Version
The Bible makes it clear that David's actions were not to be despised or looked down upon. David made himself "undignified" or "lightly esteemed" (NWT) but it was okay. People who truly loved Jehovah would not look down upon him. David knew for sure that the slave girls, who most likely also loved Jehovah, would hold him in honor for his actions. Spiritual lovers of Jehovah love other spiritual lovers of Jehovah. We should never be embarrassed or cautious around our brothers and sisters when it comes to our singing and dancing.
In the February 2007 issue of the Awake! magazine, it is said of churches today, "Religions that hold services complete with hand clapping and fervent hymn singing or the atmosphere of a rock concert have grown and multiplied." Is there anything wrong with this?
When you look at the above account with King David, what do you picture? The "proper" hymns we sing at the Kingdom Hall today or the "hand clapping and fervent hymn singing" that we see in churches today? If David were alive now, based solely on type of music used music and his knowledge of how people in his time worshiped, which would David be more drawn to?
Is the "hand clapping and fervent hymn singing" wrong, the way the Governing Body makes it sound? No. The Bible actually upholds this type of worship. If you remember the large number of singers used at the temple and the variety of instruments they used you could get a picture of how praise and worship should be today.
Unfortunately, because most of the members of the Governing Body grew up in churches where only soft hymns were sang, they think that it is disrespectful to use anything else. It is wrong to make us hold our joy in Jehovah's service in because the type of music that King David and Miriam the prophetess would prefer to hear in their worship would give the Governing Body a heart attack!
Also, look at the wording used in the Israel's Ancient Songbook.
The book of Psalms contains 150 beautiful songs that are used in worshiping Jehovah. Our modern song book contains 225 songs with only about 10 really used to praise Jehovah. The song used for the week of June 15, 2009 to open up the Congregation Bible Study/Theocratic Ministry School was one of the few examples we have in our songbook of a song that praises Jehovah.
As humans, we have an inherent need to praise and sing to Jehovah. The songs that we sing today do not satisfy that need. We are not doing what Paul recommended for Christians in our worship. "Keep getting filled with spirit, speaking to yourselves with psalms and praises to God and spiritual songs, singing and accompanying yourselves with music in your hearts to Jehovah, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ giving thanks always for all things to our God and Father." (Eph. 5:18-20; Col. 3:16) Our worship to Jehovah is, sadly, lacking. In the brochure What Does God Require of Us? it says that all of our meetings are opened and closed with "heartfelt spiritual songs". (Chpt. 14, Para. 2) This is just not true. In the words of one man who came to our meetings a few times, "Those songs are just plain corny. Nearly every other word has an apostrophe."
Even the lyrics of our songs can be faulted. Just by comparing the words in the Psalms with the words in the songbooks, we can see a major difference - our songs do not praise Jehovah!
"There’s balsam in fair Gilead; this from God’s Word we hear. It comfort brings to troubled hearts and helps grief disappear. It soothes us when we’re sorely tried or deeply are distressed, or we have lost some loved dear one, who in death’s sleep does rest."-Song #182: Balsam in Gilead
"Praise Jah, you people! Offer praise, O you servants of Jehovah, praise the name of Jehovah. May Jehovah’s name become blessed from now on and to time indefinite. From the rising of the sun until its setting Jehovah’s name is to be praised. Jehovah has become high above all the nations; His glory is above the heavens. Who is like Jehovah our God, Him who is making his dwelling on high?"-Psalm 113:1-5
"When Jehovah decreed that a deluge should destroy wicked men long ago, then to Noah he gave a commission: 'Build an ark! Preach the word! Let men know!' Now, did Noah reject that assignment, since he never had built arks before? No, but he made good use of God’s mercy, and he built and he preached more and more."-Song #215: Extending Mercy to Others
"Praise Jah, you people! Praise the name of Jehovah, offer praise, O servants of Jehovah, you who are standing in the house of Jehovah, in the courtyards of the house of our God. Praise Jah, for Jehovah is good. Make melody to his name, for it is pleasant. For Jah has chosen even Jacob for himself, Israel for his special property. For I myself well know that Jehovah is great, and our Lord is more than all other gods."-Psalm 135:1-5
"Young Samuel to Shiloh when weaned had to go to serve in God’s temple, and there he did grow. A prophet in Israel is what he became, and as a true Nazrite, he honored God’s name. The high priest called Eli had sons that were bad. Would they corrupt Samuel, who was just a lad? No, Samuel was faithful; obedience he’d learned. Away from Jehovah he would not be turned."-Song #221: Youths! Imitate Their Faith
"I will exalt you, O my God the King, and I will bless your name to time indefinite, even forever. All day long I will bless you, and I will praise your name to time indefinite, even forever. Jehovah is great and very much to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. Generation after generation will commend your works, and about your mighty acts they will tell. The glorious splendor of your dignity and the matters of your wonderful works I will make my concern. And they will talk about the strength of your own fear-inspiring things; and as for your greatness, I will declare it."-Psalm 145:1-6
Can you see the difference between the lyrics of the Psalms and the lyrics in the songbooks. Obviously, the songs of Israel were great and wonderful to sing. They were probably unforgettable. Yes, even Jesus and his apostles sang these spiritual songs. For example, when the Bible says that on the night of the Passover that "after singing praises, they went out to the Mount of Olives." (Matt. 26:30) It is well known that the songs that were sang on Passover were Psalms 113-118.-See New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures-With References, cross-reference Matthew 26:30
We are robbing Jehovah of worship and praise that truly belongs to Him. Look inside yourselves: Do you feel spiritually satisfied after singing the authorized songs of the Governing Body? Although a few of you might be, I am sure the majority are not. We want to worship Jehovah - we need to worship Jehovah. We need to do this in a joyous, up-building way. Can it be done?
If it doesn't bother your conscience, there are a few up-building praise and worship songs that are not teaching any type of falsehoods. They are just heartfelt songs that are truly worshiping Jehovah in a way that our songs cannot measure up to. Here is just one example:
This is a song called "Indescribable".
Note: This is a Christian song. I understand that there will probably be some brothers and sisters whose conscience will not allow them to listen to this. For that reason, I linked to it instead of displaying it on my site. You are welcome to listen to it. If your conscience, like mine, is not bothered with songs like these you can email me and I will be glad to give you a list of songs that do not say things that are wrong or non-Biblical. I do ask that you please respect my conscience on this matter.
May the day come soon when we are not hampered in our worship by the Governing Body, the modern-day Michal (since they love Biblical parallels so much) and we can worship Jehovah in a way that is satisfying to us but, even more importantly, to Him.
With Sincere Christian Love and Affection,
Brother Ebed Abodah
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