A Biblical Basis for Guitars

Compiled by Nate Wilson, using the ASV Bible

Healing

(1Sa 16:16, 23) Let our lord now command thy servants, that are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well... And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Temple band

(1Ch 25:1, 3, 6) Moreover David and the captains of the host set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals... the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun with the harp, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising Jehovah... All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of Jehovah, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God; Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman being under the order of the king.

Importance of Skill

(Psa 33:2-3) Give thanks unto Jehovah with the harp: Sing praises unto him with the psaltery of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; Play skilfully with a loud noise.

Depression and Joy

(Psa 43:4) Then will I go unto the altar of God, Unto God my exceeding joy; And upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.

Songs as a teaching tool

(Psa 49:1-20) I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

Evangelism

(Psa 108:1-5) My heart is fixed, O God; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises, even with my glory. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early. I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the peoples; And I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. For thy lovingkindness is great above the heavens; And thy truth reacheth unto the skies. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, And thy glory above all the earth.

Feasts - remembrance

(Psa 81:1-5) Sing aloud unto God our strength: Make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Raise a song, and bring hither the timbrel, The pleasant harp with the psaltery. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, At the full moon, on our feast-day. For it is a statute for Israel, An ordinance of the God of Jacob. He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, When he went out over the land of Egypt...

Solemn praise

(Psa 92:1-15) With an instrument of ten strings, and with the psaltery; With a solemn sound upon the harp.

One of the greatest examples of a praise song

(Psa 98:1-9) Sing praises unto Jehovah with the harp; With the harp and the voice of melody.

Wrong use of music:

(Isa 5:12) And the harp and the lute, the tabret and the pipe, and wine, are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of Jehovah, neither have they considered the operation of his hands. (cf Dan 3 - idol worship)

Hezekiah gives thanks for healing

(Isa 38:20) Jehovah is ready to save me: Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments All the days of our life in the house of Jehovah.

Meaning and Edification

(1Co 14:7-12) Even things without life, giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if they give not a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain voice, who shall prepare himself for war? So also ye, unless ye utter by the tongue speech easy to understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye will be speaking into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and no kind is without signification. If then I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh will be a barbarian unto me. So also ye, since ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may abound unto the edifying of the church.

Worship in Heaven

(Rev 5:1-14) And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.


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