Dr. Begg, Section 1
James Dodson
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A TREATISE ON THE USE OF ORGANS, &c.
BY
THE LATE REV. DR. BEGG,
MINISTER OF NEW MONKLAND.
SECTION I.
A View of the Instrumental Music employed in the Worship of God under the Old Testament Dispensation.
Instruments of music were employed by the Israelites in the praises of God, from the time of their departure out of the land of Egypt. “Sing aloud unto God our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a Psalm, bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp, with the psaltery. This He ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt.”—(Psa. lxxxi. 1, 2, 5). After the passage of that people through the Red Sea, whilst they joined with Moses in
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praising God for that miraculous deliverance, “Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.”—(Exod. xv. 20, 21.)
By the direction of God, Moses appointed to the Israelites the blowing of trumpets over their burnt offerings, and other sacrifices, and on their solemn days.—(Num. x. 10.) These trumpets were blown by the priests, the sons of Aaron—(Num. x. 8; 1 Chron. xv. 24); and this practice continued at the service of the altar after the other musical instruments had been introduced.*—(2 Chron. vii. 6; xxiv. 26.)
* The blowing of trumpets did not take place at the same time with the other music in the temple, but only during the intervals of the music. The Psalms which were usually sung at the morning and evening sacrifices, were divided into three parts, and at the end of each part there was a long pause in the vocal and instrumental music, during which the trumpets sounded, and the people worshipped. The Levites were the singers and players upon instruments, who stood by the ALTAR, looking up the court of the tem-
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Before the days of David the tabernacle had no fixed place of residence. It was moved about by the ministry of the Levites, and pitched at different places, as Gilgal, Gibeah, Shiloh, and Jerusalem. It is probable, however, that even then both vocal and instrumental music sometimes accompanied the offering of sacrifice. Saul was forewarned by Samuel that he should “meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place, with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp before them, and that they should prophesy.—(1 Sam. x. 5.) Different views are given of this passage of Scripture; but the following opinion of a learned writer is worthy of peculiar regard. Says he—“I confess it carries the fairest probability
ple: the priests who blew with the trumpets, stood upon the other side of the ALTAR, looking down the court, both looking toward the ALTAR. The number of those who performed upon instruments, might not upon any occasion be less than twelve, but there might be as many more as convenient. The number of priests, who blew with trumpets might not be less than two, because of the commandment to make two trumpets—(Numb. x. 10); nor above one hundred and twenty, because of the example at the beginning of the temple service.—(2 Chron. v. 12).—Lightfoot’s Temple Service, Chap. vii.
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with it, that this prophesying with musical instruments was at their places and times of sacrifice, an adjunct, if not a part of the solemn service of God, which was managed chiefly by the choir of the sons of the prophets, which were resident there, and were trained up in all exercises of piety and devotion.”*
After the Israelites obtained the quiet possession of the land of Canaan, and when it was no longer needful to employ the Levites in moving the tabernacle from place to place, they were divided and arranged by David for different services. Twenty-four thousand were ordained to set forward the work of the house of the Lord; six thousand were officers and judges; four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the Lord with song and various instruments of music.—(1 Chron. xxiii. 4, 5.) Of these four thousand, two hundred and eighty-eight were more particularly instructed in the songs of the Lord (1 Chron. xxv. 7, 8), and divided by lot into different courses, to
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* Stillingfleet’s “Origines Sacrae,” Book II., Chap. iv., Sec. 6.
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teach and lead their brethren. The priests were divided by lot into twenty-four different courses (1 Chron. xxiv. 6, 7), and they continued ever after to minister at the temple alternately in the order of their course.—(Luke i. 8, 9, 23.) Agreeably to this order of the priests, those Levites who were appointed to the songs of the Lord were also divided into twenty-four courses. The sons of Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman, were the heads of these courses, Asaph had four sons, Jeduthun six, and Heman fourteen, in all twenty-four, each being the head of a different course of those who were for “song in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king’s order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.”*—(1 Chron. xxv. throughout.)
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* Though David, by Divine appointment, added instrumental music to the service of the tabernacle, and arranged a number of the Levites to officiate by courses in that service, yet the vocal music was always considered by the Jews as the original service and ground of the song. Hence it was that none but Levites were ever admitted to join their voices with the vocal music, whereas men of worth and piety, addicted to musical devotions, if they were in
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Though upon ordinary occasions these priests and Levites ministered alternately in the order of their course, yet upon great and solemn occasions vast numbers of them were employed in the service of the temple.—(2 Chron. v. 11, 12.) After this division and arrangement of David, those who were appointed to praise the Lord with songs and instruments of music, officiated daily in the tabernacle, in the order of their course, at the offering of the morning and evening sacrifices.—(1 Chron. xxiii. 30, 31.) From the days of David, the offering of sacrifice in the tabernacle and temple, was always accompanied with the praises of God. Hence we are informed that “when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also, with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David, king of Israel; and all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.”—(2 Chron.
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[continued from p. 162] near affinity with the priesthood, were sometimes allowed to join the temple choir in the instrumental music, with their instruments.—Lightfoot’s Temple Service, Chap. vii.
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xxix. 27, 28.) Praise continued to be a regular concomitant of sacrifice in the temple, until the end of the Jewish state; only, in the latter periods of that state, the song of the Lord did not begin until after pouring out the drink offering. According to the law of Moses, every burnt offering was to be attended with a meat offering and a drink offering (Numb. xv. 2, 16); and the offering of the morning and evening sacrifice was not considered complete until the drink offering was poured out, and then the song and music began.*
At present we can have but a very imperfect knowledge of the nature of several of those instruments of music employed in the temple service. The Jews themselves have now no distinct knowledge of them. The best, though very short, account we have of them is given by Josephus, the Jewish historian,† and Lightfoot, in his “Temple Service.”
But though we are not now able accurately
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* Lightfoot’s “Temple Service,” Chap. vii. Lewis’ “Hebrew Antiquities,” Book II., Chap. xii.
† “Jewish Antiquities,” Book vii., Chap. x.
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to describe the nature of those instruments, we have the highest authority to believe that they were employed by Divine appointment in the service of the Jewish tabernacle and temple. They are stated to have been “commanded by David, the man of God.”—(2 Chron. viii. 14.) David appointed them “according to the commandment of the Lord by his prophets.”—(2 Chron. xxix. 25.) In testimony that they were used by Divine authority, they are called “the instruments of music of the Lord.”—(2 Chron. vii. 6.) As a token that the Lord approved and accepted of the worship which was accompanied with this music, we are informed, that “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 music, 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; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of the
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Lord had filled the house of God.”—(2 Chron. v. 13, 14.)
Numbers of those employed in the songs of the Lord were carried to Babylon. In this their captive and dejected state, they “hanged their harps upon the willows,” whilst their heathen enemies in derision desired them to “sing the songs of Zion.”—(Psa. cxxxvii. 3.) Many of them returned from that captivity (Ezra ii. 4; Neh. vii. 44); and after the rebuilding of the temple had a provision appointed them (Neh. xi. 23), that they might wait upon their service “according to the commandment of David and Solomon his son.”—(Neh. xii. 45.) Thus, after the return of the Jews from Babylon, this part of the temple service was restored, and both vocal and instrumental music continued to accompany the offering of sacrifice in the temple, to the end of the Jewish state.*
This is a short view of the music employed, in the praises of God, in the tabernacle and
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* Josephus’ “Jewish Antiquities,” Book XX., Chap. viii.; and Lightfoot’s “Temple Service.”
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temple under the Old Testament dispensation. A dispensation whose worship contained much external pomp and figure, and was peculiarly suited to that infant state of the Church, when she had “a worldly sanctuary, and carnal ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.” A dispensation whose various services were “a shadow of good things to come,” and intended to prepare for the more luminous and perfect worship of gospel times, when the true worshippers should worship the Father in spirit and in truth.*
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* Upon great and solemn occasions dancing was practised by the Jews in the worship of God. In that song of praise which Moses and the Israelites sang for their deliverance at the Red Sea, Miriam the prophetess, and the women, joined with timbrels and dances.—(Exod. xv. 20.) When the ark was brought from the house of Obed-edom to Jerusalem, “David danced before the Lord with all his might.”—(2 Sam. vi. 14.) The Jewish Church was exhorted to praise God with the timbrel and dance.—(Psa. cl. 4.) The dance, connected with praise, was expressive of very great religious joy, and continued to be practised at some of the religious feasts of the Jews, until the end of their state.
At the feast of tabernacles, after offering all the sacrifices, after pouring out wine and water brought from the pool of Siloam (alluded to by Christ, John vii. 37), and after the other solemnities of that joyful occasion; “The pipe of the temple began to play, and many Levites with their instru-
[continued on p. 168] ments in great abundance, and whoever of them, and of the priests were musical, either with instrument or with voice joined his music. In the meanwhile the greatest grandees of the people, as the Members of the Sanhedrim, Rulers of the Synagogues, Doctors of the Schools, and those that were of the highest rank and repute for place and religion, fell a dancing, leaping, singing and capering with torches in their hands, with all their skill and might, whilst the women and the common people looked on; and the more they abased themselves, like David before the ark, in this activity, the more they thought they did commendably and deserved praise.”—Lightfoot’s Temple Service, Chap. xvi., Sec. 4.
This exercise might be consistent with the typical and carnal worship of the Jewish Church, but is not suitable to the spiritual worship of gospel times, and it must be presumed there are few who would argue from this practice of the Jews, that dancing should form a part of Divine worship in our Christian assemblies.