When God ordained the casting of lots for the ministry of song in the house of the Lord, He made no distinction between the “small and the great” or between the “teacher and the scholar.” So does God harmonize the expression of the living Christ in the house of God. He , that master musician, knows how to strike the chords of many hearts as they assemble together to behold the beauty of the Lord. And with the striking of the chords in hearts that are in tune with Him, whether they be great or small, whether they be teacher or scholar. One sound is heard in the congregation of the Lord, as it was in the early days of the ministry of song of Solomon’s temple. (see 2 Chron 5:13) The harmonious strains of the Lord will find a response in the heart of God’s people no matter what instrument may be used;and many voices will blend together as they are orchestrated by the Holy Spirit to magnify and to glorify the Lord Jesus in our midst.

Our modern musicians in the church are masters at this, as far as their musical talent is concerned. But we are not talking about that. For the musical instruments in the Temple were themselves but types of the people of God, who are fined tunes by the Holy Spirit and who become very sensitive to the fingers of God as He plays upon the strings of their heart and causes them to show forth in the congregation of the Lord some aspect of the glory of Christ for which the Spirit has tuned them true to His own heart, and set them in the Body as “members in particular.” Would to God that His people would have the same diligence to be tuned into God and His truth, as they are to have their musical instruments tuned to the sensitive ears of the musician. Then we would have a vital expression of the Body of Christ in the earth, showing forth the praises of the Lord.

Without that expression of Christ in our midst, our musical renditions become mere entertainment, and serve only to soothe the hearts of God’s people, rather than to pierce them with the sword of the Spirit. Without this expression of Christ in our midst , the beautiful music must sound like clanging symbols or like sounding brass in the ears of the Lord. And the heart that is soothed by the beautiful music of the minstrel will soon be lulled to sleep, rather than awakened to hear the clear, pure Word of the Lord. I fear it is happening in our churches, as happened in the days of the prophet. (George Warnock)

Can you see what George is saying? And bear in mind this was written in 1989. The congregation, the gathered, the called out ones are, in themselves a set of instruments. Each a vital part of the assembly and without such there is no genuine praise and worship. All there would be would be is professional music and a professional speaker. The true instruments would remain silent. And the one who fine tunes each and every one of these instruments would be devastated to see that they were all shelved. The people would hear beautiful music that would lull them to sleep and forget that they had been shelved and God would simply hear a noise, clanging symbols and sounding brass. Only as the full orchestra plays, conducted by the Holy Spirit Himself, can the hearts be pierced rather than be dulled and lulled into a state of slow death. For the melody to rise to heaven itself all instruments must be engaged. This is the Body, all moving together, conducted by majesty and producing a magnificent holy sound that brings down the weight of heaven’s glory….. bro Frank