Oh, the depth of the riches
Romans 11:33-34 CSB
both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments
and untraceable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?
This hymn at the end of the 11th chapter of Romans is a reminder of the vast difference between humanity and our creator. It is oftentimes tempting to question why God does or allows certain things. And it is tempting to play the ‘If I Were God’ game. You know how it goes. If I were God, I would abolish disease, earthquakes, and hurricanes. If I were God, so and so would not have been elected. And if I were God, I would smite all child abusers.
But the truth is that I am not God. I cannot begin to understand why he does or allows what he does. His inner counsels are hidden from me. He has never come to me asking for my advice on some situation. As much as I learn and understand, it is only a drop in the bucket compared to the depth of God’s wisdom and knowledge. Indeed, the total wisdom and knowledge of mankind falls far short of the depth and breadth of God’s wisdom and knowledge.
God’s desire is that we trust him like little children. Instead, we too often act like know-it-all teenagers, thinking that we know better than our creator. Lord, even as I seek understanding, help me to trust in you and not in my own understanding.
How did the use of instruments get into church worship. The Roman Catholic religion began in 606 AD. Sometimes after their beginning they brought musical instruments into worship, whereas no musical instruments were ever used in New Testament worship to God. This caused a split. The Baptist religion and many others, which came about later, had vast problems with instrumental music and this caused splits in churches. Christ church was founded in 33AD by Christ and singing was used without the use of instruments until the Catholic religion introduced instruments into worship. Musical instruments require the use of our hands to operate. There is a verse in God’s word that tells us that God is not worshiped by men’s hands. How much clearer can it be that God wants to hear our voices in worship and not instruments?
There is no mention of instruments during the worship time of the early church. But that does not mean they did not use them. Clearly many instruments were used in the Old Testament, and since the earliest believers were Jews, it would make sense that they would continue to use them as well.
“David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets.” – 1 Chronicles 13:8. And many more similar passages.