One of the strange things in worship in Reformed circles is what appears to
be a gross inconsistency. They will insist on the "Regulative Principle,"
with which we agree in principle. They also inist that Israel is the Church
and the Old and New Covenant are one and the same in substnce. However, they
will not use the clear Biblical exhortations and examples in the Old
Testament for worship today. Just imagine the choir from Geneva College
preseniting the 150 th Paalm.
They begin singing, with no instrumental accompanimewnt, verse 1 and
2, "Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the
firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according
to his excellent greatness." Everyone's heart beats a little faster.
They then sing erse 3, "Praise him with the sound of the trumpet:"
and ten trunpets blare out in unson. The Choir continues, "praise him with
the psaltery and harp," and a half dozen harps and lyres play the song..
They begin to sing verse 4, "Praise him with the timbrel and dance:"
and twnety men and women dance acroos the podium shaking tamborines. The
choir continues, "praise him with stringed instruments and organs," and
violins, guitars, bass fiddles etc. acompany the organs.
They continue, "Praise him upon the loud cymbals," and we hear the
crash of symbols." The choir then says, "praise him upon the high sounding
cymbals," that is the big ones and we hear a deafening sound of large
symbols crashing together..
The Choir sings, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD.
Praise ye the LORD," and all the breathing members of the audince shout,
"Praise the Lord. Prasie him for his gratness and his glory in his mighty
acts."
If that happened, you would see first hand a truly Biblical worship
service under the Old Covnant in the nation of Israel. A consistent
"Regulative Principle" that hols to the "unity of the covenants" should be
ready and eager to "go and do likewise." I doubt it will happen. But then .
. .
JGR