Topic(s): Bible Authority, Worship

Bob Prichard

Only God authorizes worship. We cannot worship as we choose, but only as He chooses. God has always been specific about what He wanted in worship, and who could lead that worship. In the Patriarchal age, God spoke directly to the heads of families, who led their families in worship. For example, “the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him” (Genesis 12:7-8).

Moses, however, introduced a new system of worship, in which the entire tribe of Levi, was devoted to leading worship. God told Moses, a Levite, to appoint his brother Aaron as the first high priest. High priests were to come from Aaron’s descendants, and all priests were to come from the tribe of Levi. Others could not serve as priests. King Saul, a Benjaminite, violated God's will by offering unauthorized sacrifices. He tried to explain to Samuel: “Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever” (1 Samuel 13:12-13). Saul “forced” himself, did what was not authorized, and lost his kingdom.

Levi was devoted to worship, but not all Levites became priests. Levites took care of other jobs, including guarding the temple, and playing musical instruments in the temple. “And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy” (1 Chronicles 15:16). “Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments ” (1 Chronicles 23:5). Only Levites could engage in these activities. No others could be priests, temple guards, or instrument players.

The Levites who played their instruments in worship played them in the temple and tabernacle, but not in the synagogues. Synagogue worship, the worship in the local communities, was much simpler than temple worship. Synagogue worship consisted of singing (without instruments), prayer, giving, and reading and preaching from the scriptures. There was no instrumental music, because it would have been very unusual for there to be someone authorized (a Levite), to play the instrument.

The worship of the New Testament church clearly follows the pattern of synagogue worship, with singing (without instruments), prayer, giving, reading and preaching from the scriptures, with the addition of the Lord's supper. While all Christians are part of the royal priesthood of Christ, there are no Levites to play instruments in worship today. Jesus, from the tribe of Judah, is not a Levitical priest, but is instead “Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 5:10).