Musical Offerings

 Musical Offerings

References to the Old Testament sacrificial system appear in the New Testament in Hebrews 13:15— “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (For more references to the sacrificial system, also see Romans 12:1, Philippians 4:18 and 1 Peter 2:5.) So, since there are references to the concept of sacrifices made unto God in the NT, without any reference to this concept not being compatible with Christian worship, I see no philosophical problem with worship leaders referring to their worshiping by musicing unto God as musical offerings. I am simply contending that there is no logical philosophical reasoning behind the notion that these musical offerings should not be the very best offerings that a Christian is capable of presenting. If one accepts the concept of musical offerings presented in the Bible, then it stands to reason that not all musical offerings, regardless of what they represent, how they are presented, and what they contain, are necessarily equal in their nature or value.

Although the quality of the music we bring to God as an offering matters, musical offerings are not solely about quality musical performance or high-quality musical art forms. Amos 5:22-23 states, “Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.” God declared that He would not accept Israel’s musical sacrifices because of their spiritual condition and referred to their musical offerings as noise. God was referring to the spiritual condition of those who “leave off righteousness in the earth” rather than, at least in this case, the quality of their music. I am drawn to this conclusion by what is recorded in Amos 5:12, “For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.” The Bible lesson is clear that our musical melodies and our instrumental music will be considered to be noise by our heavenly Father if we attempt to music unto him with sin in our hearts.