Man is Musical
- Genesis 4:21 “And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.”
Our family loves good, godly music. We will even listen to and sing the same songs over and over and over again which is good since we need to in our musical ministry. 🙂 But you know what? Every person must like music a lot since we have music everywhere you go. Music plays in the grocery store, the department store, restaurants, gas stations, in the background of TV shows and movies, for weddings, for funerals, for parties, etc…. Man is musical.
So far we have learned that God is musical and Satan is musical. God created both music and the musical Lucifer. Lucifer fell, and his music fell with him. It could be said then that God is the creator of good music and Satan is the originator of bad music.
During the beginning years of mankind, we learn from Gen. 4:21 that Jubal is credited as being “the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.” Two things to note:
- – Jubal was an offspring of the murderous Cain (Gen. 4:17). Actually, Jubal was the son of the conceited (Gen. 4:24), murderous (Gen. 4:23) Lamech (Gen. 4:19).
- – The instruments Jubal invented are considered some of the most “innocent” of instruments “the harp and organ.”
- – The founder of string and wind instruments was not of Seth’s godly line.
God always has a reason for what information He includes in His eternal Word, and Jubal’s inclusion is no different. For example, God did not reveal who was “the father” of most things, including percussion. Why would God focus on Jubal? As you read through Cain’s lineage, even though most of the line are not highlighted as extremely wicked like Cain or Lamech, it is made obvious that the entire family line was not godly but focused on self, pleasure, and the here and now, unlike Seth’s line:
- Ge 4:26 “And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.”
Therefore, Cain’s music would be no different. Jubal’s music would be for profit and pleasure, not for God’s glory (I Cor. 10:31) and pleasure (Rev. 4:11). Most, even believers, don’t see anything wrong with such a life which is why God reveals in Mt. 24:37-39 that such were the days of Noah before the flood and such will be the world at the time of Christ’s return: no focus on pleasing God, just going about life for self-gratification.
- II Tim. 3:2 “For men shall be lovers of their own selves…”
- 4 “…lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;”
- Phil. 3:19 “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”
(This article is from the “Music” series.)