The Exodus Rubel Shelly: Rising Up To Play
The Beginning of Musical Idolatry: Part Two of Lynn Anderson review. Isaiah 30 sees it as the sounds of God repaying his enemies driving them into "hell" with wind, string and percussion instruments.
Lynn Anderson Psallo justifies Instrumental Music and sowing of Discord. REVISED 9.13.08 to organize rough thoughts.
Click to see Rubel Shelly and John York Retrospective Number One.
Click to see the Egyptian Musical background to Mount Sinai PART ONE.....PART TWO
Click to see the Introduction to Mount Sinai and Musical Idolatry.
Click to see what really happened during the worship of the TRIAD.
Click to see a retrospective according to the prophets.
Rubel Shelly and John York's Sermon seeing the Exodus people as our "spiritual fathers" and a pattern for Christian worship and community: Paul's Retrospective on Exodus (1 Cor. 10:1-13)
"Liberal literary criticism allows each community the right to re-write Scripture. The canon (not necessarily of biblical texts, but at least in the meanings of those texts) is not closed.
"It is difficult to know whether Fish intended this as a by-product, but the idea of authority resting in the interpretive community gave rise to narrative theology-- a theology which simply affirms a given community's right to come up with its own interpretation, or to "write" its own new biblical text. Narrative theology gave rise to various narrative communities-- hence, the arrival of liberation and feminist theologies.
"Narrative theology does not recognize any absolute truth or meaning in a text. Because Buber is the founder, most narrative theology, especially in Jewish circles, is related to Auschwitz."
"And, what is the purpose of reading texts, for narrative theologians? Why, of course, to affirm the self. Hazards in the Mainline.
This sermon was preached in dialogue with John York.
Rubel Shelly - John York: I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.
Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play." We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.
Rising up to Play meant that they were restoring the worship they had practiced for over 400 years in Egypt. Moses was a prince and therefore Miriam would be a princess and a prophetesses of Hathor. Her sistrum was her badge and her "escaping out" with a women's procession of noise and dance had its Egyptian parallels.
The "leading" by Moses and Miriam was not leading them into a holy, spirit-filled wilderness: it was leading them out of Egypt to protect His holy Name in Egypt. They could become a "laughing stock" out in the wilderness where there would not be as many witnesses:
Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers: Ezekiel 20: 4
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the Lord your God; Ezekiel 20: 5
In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands: Ezekiel 20: 6
Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Ezekiel 20: 7
But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. Ezekiel 20: 8
But I wrought for my names sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt. Ezekiel 20: 9
Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. Ezekiel 20:10
Rising up to play is repeated with musical worship teams "escaping" and then ruling over the flock with a tune and then instruments of the females and effeminate:
"The triumphal hymn of Moses had unquestionably a religious character about it; but the employment of music in religious services, though idolatrous, is more distinctly marked in the festivities which attended the erection of the golden calf." (Smith's Bible Dictionary, Music, p. 589).
Rubel Shelly - John York: Paul goes on to describe the wilderness not as a horrible, God-forsaken, God-absent event, but as a God-surrounded event. God was active everywhere in everything. His language of baptism in the cloud and in the sea correspond with the Corinthians' baptism in water and the Holy Spirit.
They ate and drank spiritual food and spiritual drink, just like the Corinthians were eating and drinking the Lord's Supper.
But Paul was not a Narrative Theologian taking liberties. He had a story filled with horrible, God-forsaken event:
But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 1 Cor 10:5
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 1 Cor 10:6
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 1 Cor 10:7
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 1 Cor 10:8
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 1 Cor 10:9
Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 1 Cor 10:10
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 1 Cor 10:11
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Cor 10:12
Shelly and York continue but do not explain the musical idolatry:
Rubel Shelly - John York: All this was written "for our examples" or "to instruct us," Paul says. Even when surrounded by God, those Israelites succumbed to the temptation of idolatry and unfaithfulness. He gives four examples, one from Exodus 32 and the next three from Numbers 25, Numbers 21, and Numbers 16.
The wilderness was the place where God surrounded them with his presence, took care of them in every way, revealed himself on the mountain.
How could they believe for a second in other gods? How could they complain about their circumstances and be lured away?
So you Corinthians who have been baptized in water and Holy Spirit,
who now eat and drink at the Lord's table, who now are far too intelligent to believe that these temples with their idols are anything -- you had better not think too highly of yourselves. Do you see how he has wrapped them up in the Exodus story? I wonder if he has not wrapped us up in the story as well.
Rubel Shelly wants the world to turn to Moses and the Exodus and the musical idolatry at Mount Sinai and the wine, women and song, and death and destruction and the pagan worship clearly defined by Amos. Here is what will happen to anyone who gets suckered into believing that musical worship teams can lead you into the presence of God or call up another and better god:
Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel,
Strepho (g4761) stref'-o; strengthened from the base of 5157; to twist, i.e. turn quite around or reverse (lit. or fig.): - convert, turn (again, back again, self, self about).
have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? Acts 7:42
Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. Acts 7:43
Amos said the same thing and God warned them:
Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. Amos 5:23
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Amos 5: 24
But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. Amos 5: 26
Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts. Amos 5: 27
"The neighboring gods of Phoenicia, Canaan, Moab&emdash;Baal, Melkart, Astarte, Chemosh, Moloch, etc&emdash;were particularly attractive to Jerusalem, while the old Sem calf-worship seriously affected the state religion of the Northern Kingdom...the worship of the sun, moon, stars and signs of the Zodiac became so intensely fascinating that these were introduced even into the temple itself (2 Ki. 17:16; 21:3-7; 23:4, 12; Jer. 19:13; Ezek. 8:16; Amos 5:26)" (Int Std Bible Ency., Idolatry, p. 1448).
"When Amos (6:5) caustically chastises the nouveaux riches and their 'artistic' extravagance, he stressed for the first time the age-old feud between the professonal and dilettante (orig. tr):
- They chant idle songs to the sound of the harp
- and fancy to play their instruments like David.
- &emdash; (The Int. Std. Bible Dict., p. 457).
"To this day, the star of the god Remphan or Kaiwan or Chiun stands on the Israeli flag as the star of David which it is not. It and the crescent moon stand on the flag of Islam also, symbolizing the morning star of the planet which is the god of this world (2Cor. 4:4). It is of note that the terms Kaiwan/Kiyyun and Remphan are understood to be interchangeable from New Testament and Old Testament. The LXX renders the text the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god Raephan (Raiphan) (cf. Brentons translation of the LXX)."A hexagram is made of two triangles, one superimposed on the other. This is used in magic to master spirits. The hexagram's two triangles, one pointing up and one pointing down, combine ABOVE and BELOW, and so it is a symbol of man as God. It is used in SATANIC OCCULTS because it combines male (THE TRIANGLE POINTING UP) and the female (THE ONE POINTING DOWN). These triangles are the symbols for FIRE and WATER.
The star of David, the Pentegram, has 6 sides, 6 angles and 6 points. Seeing the Exodus as a spiritual experience of our spiritual fathers, or as a pattern for worship and community (commune), or restoring the Jubilee which was always for the atonement or restoring Levitical singers and musicians is an end-time rejection of Christ's finished work as our 'central story.'
A. R. Fausset Commentary understands with most scholars that Amos warns of the same worship which destroyed Israel in the wilderness, the same warning issued to the Jewish Clergy by Stephen and the same "rising up to play" Paul warned about in 1 Cor. 10 and Romans 10:
25, 26. Have ye offered? &c.--Yes: ye have. "But (all the time with strange inconsistency) ye have borne (aloft in solemn pomp) the tabernacle (that is, the portable shrine, or model tabernacle: small enough not to be detected by Moses; compare Ac 19:24) of your Molech" (that idol is "your" god; I am not, though ye go through the form of presenting offerings to Me).
The question, "Have ye," is not a denial (for they did offer in the wilderness to Jehovah sacrifices of the cattle which they took with them in their nomad life there, Ex 24:4 Nu 7:1-89 9:1, &c.;), but a strong affirmation (compare 1Sa 2:27,28 Jer 31:20 Eze 20:4).
Molech is the Ammonite name; Chiun, the Arabic and Persian name, written also Chevan. In an Arabic lexicon Chiun means "austere"; so astrologers represented Saturn as a planet baleful in his influence. Hence the Phoenicians offered human sacrifices to him, children especially; so idolatrous Israel also. Rimmon was the Syrian name (2Ki 5:18); pronounced as Remvan, or "Remphan," just as Chiun was also Chevan. Molech had the form of a king; Chevan, or Chiun, of a star [GROTIUS]. Remphan was the Egyptian name for Saturn: hence the Septuagint translator of Amos gave the Egyptian name for the Hebrew, being an Egyptian. [HODIUS II, De Bibliorum Textibus Originalibus. 4.115].
The same as the Nile, of which the Egyptians made the star Saturn the representative [HARENBERG]. BENGEL considers Remphan or Rephan akin to Teraphim and Remphis, the name of a king of Egypt.
The Hebrews became infected with Sabeanism, the oldest form of idolatry, the worship of the Saba or starry hosts, in their stay in the Arabian desert, where Job notices its prevalence (Job 31:26); in opposition, in Am 5:27, Jehovah declares Himself "the God of hosts."
Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts. Amos 5:27
"In the reign of Solomon the arts shone out in full effulgence. The temple, the royal palaces, their rich furniture, superb gardens, beautiful works in gold and ivory, splendid concerts of vocal and instrumental music, roads multiplied and handsomely paved, towns and fortresses built and repaired, and the great marble city of Palmyra, starting into life like a vision of beauty, attest the encouragement afforded to the arts by that munificent monarch.
"The indignant rebuke of the prophet Amos to the rich and luxurious idlers of his day, is a proof both of the progress of Jewish art and of the stern demand for labor, which the Jewish law made upon all. "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion; ... that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; that chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David; that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph." The Hebrew Republic
Solomon erected two pillars in front of the temple. They were ornamented with pomegranates, the symbol of fertility, and plumbed with "pipes" to keep the flames burning. He even gave them personal names,
And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz. 2 Chr.3:17
The temple became the center of many forms of idolatry and the area was the center of burning babies to Molech while the instruments played to get a message from God.
This is an old woodcut showing how these "spiritual fathers" worshiped the sun even as the women worshiped Ishtar (Asherah pole) and Tammuz in Jerusalem.
The MT is held by Green (Interlinear Bible) to read the booths of your king (SHD 5522 and 4428) and Kiyyun (SHD 3594), your images (SHD 6754) the star (SHD 3556) of your gods (elohim). The term kiyyun is actually derived from SHD 3559 kuwn (pronounced koon) to stand erect, hence as a statue and thus an idol or phallus.
Kuwn (h3559) koon; a prim. root; prop. to be erect (i. e. stand perpendicular); hence (causat.) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether lit. (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or fig. (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous): - certain (-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet, ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self), provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright, fast, forth), be stable, (e-) stablish, stand, tarry, * very deed.
Jews bowing down to the sun and planets (wandering stars) But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. Jeremiah 7: 24Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day, I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: Jeremiah 7: 25
Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. Jeremiah 7: 26
Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. Jeremiah 7: 27
But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. Jeremiah 7: 28
Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the Lord hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath. Jeremiah 7:29
For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the Lord: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. Jeremiah 7:30
And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. Jeremiah 7:31
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. Jeremiah 7:32
This was "the king's music grove." Now, it has become a symbol of hell itself where the king of Babylon and his harps and harpists were consumed by fire or on a bed of maggots.
See how Israel sacrificed children at Jerusalem in Topheth. God defines how he will destroy Israel because of their constant musical processions by showing how He will destroy the Assyrians (the tallest tree in Eden) to the beat of musical instruments:
Music was to drown out the cries of the victims in all sacrificial worship. The screams of the dying Children were like "speaking in tongues" and the interpreter got a "message" from the god. Stephen repeats the Amos story which connects instrumental music to the idolatrous worship of Israel in the wilderness. This is the true "narrative."John Chrysostom asks in denying Rubel Shelly's retranslation of the Exodus event:
What wonder that ye know not Christ, seeing ye knew not Moses, and God Who was manifested by such wonders? But they not only knew Him not:
they also insulted in another way, by their idol making.
"Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven" (v. 42.)
Hence these same "customs" date their origin, hence the sacrifices:they were themselves the first that made sacrifices to their idols! For that is why it is marked,
The meaning is: Stephen was accused of speaking against "the customs,"-sacrifices, temple, feasts, etc.
Therefore he significantly points to that critical conjuncture from which these "customs" date their introduction: namely, the Provocation at Horeb.
> Prior to that, he tells of "living oracles," life-giving precepts:
> after it, and as its consequence, sacrifices, etc.,those statutes which were not good, and ordinances by which a man shall not live, as God says by Ezekiel.
Not a word of sacrifice till then: and the first mention is, of the sacrifices offered to the calf. In like manner, "they rejoiced,"
> "the people ate and drank, and rose up to play:"
> and in consequence of this, the feasts were prescribed: kai eufrainonto, fhsin: dia touto kai eortai.-'Epishmainetai might be rendered,"he marks," "puts a mark upon it" (so the innovator, who substitutes, touto kai Dauid epishmainomenoj legei): we take it passively, "there is a mark set over it-it is emphatically denoted." In the active, the verb taken intransitively means
"to betoken or announce itself," "make its first appearance."-
Music is often associated with a "mark" or stamp or brand. Surely, if this rising up to play becomes a "paradigm" for Christian worship there is some kind of MARK put upon it.
See how God warns Israel by saying that when they see the Assyrians being brought down it will be like Molech worship in the "king's music grove."
And it shall happen to him from every side, that they from whom their hope of assistance was, in which he trusted, themselves shall war against him in turn with drums and with harp. Isaiah 30:32 LXX
Paul really said: "Don't be idolaters." He was not just speaking of superstitious belief but of actual practices going on in Corinth. That is why he never rose above calling them "carnal" because they had not been able to absorb the "core gospel" message of putting others first.
Rubel Shelly - John York: Or, to couch this in Exodus language, spirituality is about rejecting the "other gods" of one's own flesh and culture and worshiping the True God who has created us and delivered us (i.e., we remember our own salvation), who has guaranteed us a Promised Land (i.e., we anticipate Christ's return to take us to heaven), and who is leading, feeding, and sustaining us now (i.e., we follow in faith).
That's the personal lesson I want us to take from the study. And perhaps we can have that lesson made powerful to us through the communion experience this morning.
God delivered Israel and fed them but not with flesh and leeks or grapes, honey and the good things of Canaan.
The guarantee was lost when Israel "rose up to play" in musical idolatry at Mount Sinai. The FEAST they ate was an Egyptian form of the Marzeah or the Greek Agape which came from a "feast with and for dead ancestors." If there is any PATTERN in the Lord's Supper it is the Passover BEFORE Israel fell back into idolatry.
If you believe that the demons are just your own personal problems then you will look for human psychology to solve them. However, that means self worship to defeat your self demons. Paul did not believe that: he thought that there were real, literal supernatural powers trying to force us into the ageless use of human skills and arts and artists to "move into the presence of God."
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph 6:11
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph 6:12
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Eph 6:13
Rubel Shelly - John York: John: When Paul wants to hammer home his point that the Corinthians must not treat lightly the cultural surroundings of pagan temples and idol meat and all that could lure these young Christians away, he turns directly to the Lord's Supper and says:
Therefore, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (1 Cor. 10:14-17).
Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? What do I imply then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?" (1 Cor. 10:18-22).
The demons were or often lived in musical instruments. For instance, speaking of the period just off the Ark:
Moreover, perverse and erratic religions were introduced, to which the greater part of men gave themselves up, by occasion of holidays and solemnities, instituting drinkings and banquets,
following pipes, and flutes, and harps, and diverse kinds of musical instruments, and indulging themselves in all kinds of drunkenness and luxury.
Hence every kind of error took rise; hence they invented groves (erect pillars) and altars, fillets and victims, and after drunkenness they were agitated as if with mad emotions.
By this means power was given to the demons to enter into minds of this sort, so that they seemed to lead insane dances and to rave like Bacchanalians; hence were invented the gnashing of teeth, and bellowing from the depth of their bowels; hence a terrible countenance and a fierce aspect in men, so that he whom drunkenness had subverted and a demon had instigated,
was believed by the deceived and the erring to be filled with the Deity.
Jeremiah blames the Tophet for the fall of Jerusalem, which he ascribes to Yahweh's anger at idolatrous human sacrifice. Between the time of Isaiah's ministry in the early seventh century B.C. and Jeremiah's preaching in the early sixth century B.C., Jewish thinkers radically redefined Yahwism and suppressed human sacrifice.
Until this time, Yahweh had been worshipped by shaman-prophets on "every; high hill" in Israel.
But King Josiah of Judah chose to destroy all the hill-shrines in one of the most drastic religious reforms in history. He; brought in all the priests from the cities of Judah and desecrated the hill-shrines where they had burnt sacrifices, from Geba to Beersheba, and dismantled the hill-shrines of the demons... He desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom,
So that no one might make his son or daughter pass through the fire in honor of Molech" (2 Kings 23:8- 10). Josiah also razed the hill-shrine at Bethel erected by Abraham, and went throughout Samaria to slaughter" on the altars all the priests of the hill-shrines" (2 Kings 23:20).
"In pagan traditions, musical instruments are invented by gods or demi-gods, such as titans. In the Bible, credit is assigned to antediluvian patriarchs, for example, the descendants of Cain in Genesis 4:21. There is no other biblical tradition about the invention of musical instruments." (Freedman, David Noel, Bible Review, Summer 1985, p. 51).
A Sumerian Musician playing an eleven-stringed lyre which is decorated with a bull's head. The bull was the "demon" worshiped in many ancient religions and especially by Israel at Mount Sinai where they lost The Book of The Covenant and were given The Book of The Law "because of transgression."
"It (demon) is used in the Septuagint, Deut. 32:17, to translate the Hebrew word which seems, originally, to have meant a supernatural being inferior to the gods proper, applied among the Assyrians to the bull deities which guarded the entrances to temples and palaces." (Vincent, p. 244)
"A demon is called ecimmu, or maskimmu. One special class of these spirits was the sedu, or divine bull, which is represented in the well-known figure of a man-headed bull so common on the Assyrian monuments. This name, it may be remarked, is probably the source of the Hebrew word for demon. The Assyrian sedu, it is true, was more commonly a beneficent or tutelary (guardian) spirit. (Catholic Encyclopedia)Rubel Shelly - John York: When we eat and drink together, we claim a spiritual identity with Christ and one another that mysteriously makes us one body; we are one with Christ and one with each other. That's been said enough in this fellowship that I think we are beginning to sense the power of that identity.
But there is a second reality here -- that life and life-style outside these walls that finds us participating in the culture of our own time, perhaps even in fellowship with the demonic forces that lure us back to self-reliance, that put us back in charge of our own lives, that turn us back into individuals independent of one another, punching our time- card at church on Sunday mornings before chasing our own destinies the rest of the week.
Self-reliance is not the supernatural power of Satan. However, self-reliance is seen in performance (star) preaching and theatrical performance to "lead us into the presence of God." That is idolatry. Or the superstitious belief that the cup has supernatural powers.
The demonic forces are always seen working through music which as the power to "lead us into the presence of God." Jesus didn't treat the demons as the "demons of the mind." Rather, Judas was a change agent of Satan and the musical attack prophesied in Psalm 41 was an attack from a real evil force in the world. If one uses psychology to cure the "psychological demons" then one is still subject to the "den of vipers" defined as the Jewish clergy by Jesus. Apollyon is a real evil agent represented by Apollo's Seeker Center at Delphi
If the Musical Worship Team has to lead you into this experience then by all known examples you are not eating the Lord's Table. Whatever your motives, you are rising up to play in order to take the people's mind off Jesus and put it on the Sister Singers so that they don't have to think while others are being served. Musical praise and dance teams actually claim that "we are priests and mediators between man and God." And Rubel Shelly claims that the musical worship teams can "lead the worshipers into the presence of God." Isn't that saying the same thing?
Of Ceremonial objects: On occasion, objects have been used to compel the sacred (or divine) realm to act or react in a way that is favourable to the participants of the ceremonies or to the persons or activities with which such rituals are concerned,
or to prevent the transcendent realm from harming or endangering them.
These objects thus can be mediatory devices to contact the divine world,as, for example, the drums of shamans (religious personages with healing and psychic-transformation powers).
Conversely, they can be mediatory devices used by a god or other supernatural being to relate to man in the profane realm.
They may also be used to ensure that a chief or sovereign of a tribe or nation achieves,
and is recognized to have, the status of divinity in cultic or community ceremonies. Of such a nature may be phallic cults.
While we can't get excited about what people do or do not do for that unscriptural hour a week, the Exodus Event in Retrospect, when connected to all of the Biblical understandings of the loss of Covenant caused by "acts" such as instrumental music "mediating" the presence of Osiris or some other "god," It takes a very weird Narrative Theology warping of facts to make those who refuse to try to worship a Spiritual God with musical instruments0 into the demons in the contemporary walk in the wilderness.
We don't deny the value of trying to gain spiritual value from all Biblical events: the good, the bad and the ugly. However, Narrative Theology which rejects the numerous "narratives" in the Bible which sees the Exodus as a "fal from grace," is out on a broken limb and they will not get back.
Back To Introduction on Narrative Theology
Back To Rubel Shelly and John York's Exodus/Corinthians Narrative Theology
9.08.08
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