Where Did Music Come From?

From thetrumpet.com

Where Did Music Come From?

From the December 2010 Trumpet Print Edition

Learn what musicologists have never taught. By Ryan Malone

"Is music a happy accident? Is this glorious organization of sounds the product of millennia of chance discoveries, trial and error, and so-called evolutionary development? Did vocal music originate from prolonged grunts of early human-like beings? Did instrumental music develop accidentally from a prehistoric hunter becoming fascinated with how his bow twanged after an arrow was unleashed?

The greatest human minds in musicology cannot answer this most basic question: What is the origin of music?

The answer is as inspiring as it is little understood.

Most music historians begin their study of music around the third century a.d. at the earliest, overlooking four millennia of music history—and completely ignoring music’s origin.

The history of “ancient” music needs rewriting, because the greatest source available has been rejected: the Word of God.

Even many professed Bible scholars, though they may reject evolutionists’ happy-accident theory, believe music originated with a descendent of Cain named Jubal (Genesis 4:21). Because they view the Bible as a valid yet flawed historical resource that is not superior or more special than any other historical text, they lend no special credence to what the Bible (and its supposedly biased Jewish authors) says over any other historian’s work.

But if we proclaim to follow Christ, we should—as He said—live by “every word … of God” (Matthew 4:4). “All scripture is given by inspiration of God …” (2 Timothy 3:16).

The Bible actually indicates that the first man knew and practiced music. What’s more, music existed long before Adam.

Music Before Man

When God was talking to Job, putting this wise man in his place in comparison to the creative feats of God Almighty, He asked a question that gives insight into history before Earth’s creation. “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?” God asked, “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4, 7).

This reveals that God created angels before He created Earth, that they witnessed this magnificent moment, that they shouted for joy, and that they were singing!

Consider how sound exists in this spirit realm. Ezekiel heard the “noise” of the great cherubim (Ezekiel 1:24). The book of Revelation records the lyrics of the angels’ shouting and singing around God’s heavenly throne, not to mention that they are playing instruments in this spiritual dimension.

The Bible reveals that God sings (Zephaniah 3:17). He has always existed—without beginning of days or end of life (Hebrews 7:3). The question then arises, since God has always existed, wouldn’t His attributes—His eyes, hair, hands and voice—have always existed, as well as His infinite wisdom? (see Proverbs 8:22). Surely, therefore, music—or at the very least, the capacity for music—has always existed.

Now, there was a moment when music took on a more institutionalized form. That was with the creation of angels. In them, God created innate musical ability. The chief of this angelic (and musical) creation was the archangel Lucifer.

Lucifer’s Music

Ezekiel 28:12-13 relate: “Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.”

This is not a physical king, or else the notion of musical instruments being created “in” him makes no sense. This refers to a magnificent, beautiful, wise spirit being, an angel, who was in Eden.

This being’s “tabret” is very similar to a timbrel, or percussion instrument of the Hebrews (the tabret). The phrase “thy pipes” comes from a root meaning something “hollow,” but it is not the word used to describe the typical Hebrew pipes. In fact, the word neqeb is used only here in the Hebrew Bible. It appears this was a unique spirit instrument that required a unique Hebrew word, though similar to the pipes.

The great cherub Lucifer was endowed with musical talents beyond human capability. God told Job the morning stars “sang together.” This means there was ensemble, community and cooperation in music, and Lucifer was of course included. How this must have changed, though, when he rebelled! Imagine how distorted and warped Lucifer’s music became when he turned from God’s way. Just before the description of Lucifer’s fall, Isaiah 14:11 talks about the “noise” of his neballim—another instrument, perhaps like bagpipes—being brought to the ground."

Wow! A pretty interesting article thanks to thetrumpet.com.

You can read te rest of it here:

Where did music come from?

Thanks and God bless!

Happy Thanksgiving btw ;)

-Rob