During a recent gospel meeting, a certain congregation SANG the first two verses of the invitation song, "Just as I am without one plea," then they HUMMED the next two verses. Yes, along with some other visiting preachers, I was shocked and embarrassed by witnessing such a transgression of the Lord's command to "SING."

When will people ever learn that God has always said exactly what He meant, and that He means exactly what He said. God spoke to Noah and told him to build an ark out of gopher wood. In that plain, simple statement, all other kinds of wood were excluded. When God told Moses to SPEAK to the Rock, that one simple statement, "SPEAK," excluded all other means of approaching the Rock. But, instead of doing exactly what God said for him to do, Moses smote the Rock; and because of this one "little act" of disobedience Moses was punished by not being permitted to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20: 7-12).

In plain, understandable words the Lord has commanded us to "SING" in our worship to him; saying, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, SINGING and making melody in your heart to the Lord;" and, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, SINGING with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Yes, the Lord has commanded us to "Sing with the spirit and to SING with the understanding also" (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; 1 Cor. 14:15). In the Lord's plain command to "Sing" He forever excluded HUMMING, WHISTLING, and the use of mechanical instruments of music in the worship to God; and those who participate in such innovations are thus transgressing the "Doctrine of Christ" and "hath not God" (2 Jn. 9). The verse in the New Testament (when such is found) that authorizes HUMMING, will also authorize whistling, and mechanical instruments of music in the worship. There is NO DIVINE authority for either one of them. The one is just as wrong and sinful as the other (Rom. 10:17; 14:15; 2 John 9; Rev. 22:18). May the Lord help us to do only that which He has authorized in His Holy Word.

Truth Magazine VIII: 5, p.1b February 1964