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“Musical Instruments in the bible” Part 2 – Wind [Halil=pipe]

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“Musical Instruments in the bible” Part 2 – Wind [Halil=pipe]

[Study Aired September 21, 2023]

In our last study we looked at our singing voice as an instrument that can praise God and worship Him with holy words and sounds that typify the elevated way in which the body of Christ can exalt God in spirit and in truth (Joh 4:23). 

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Each voice has its own unique sound and quality that can interact with other voices to create harmonies that are endless in their application. All of this is a shadow of the truth that the word of God, and the relationship that we have with our Father and Christ through each other, is unsearchable (Joh 14:20) There is no end to the peace it will produce (Job 5:9, Psa 145:3, Pro 25:3, Rom 11:33, Eph 3:8, Isa 9:7). Harmony comes to the body of Christ by way of having the same mind, and it fills us with joy to know we are walking in accord with Christ and His body (Php 2:1-12, 3Jn 1:2-6).

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you [spiritual harmony].

Job 5:9 Which doeth great things and unsearchable; [within and without Joh 14:20] marvellous things without number.

Psa 145:3  Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable [within and without (Joh 14:20)]. 

Pro 25:3  The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable [within and without (Joh 14:20)]

Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! [within and without (Joh 14:20)]

Eph 3:8  Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ [within and without];

Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this [Zec 4:6]. 

Php 2:1  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 
Php 2:2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind [spiritual harmony].
Php 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves [the humility of Christ within the bride produces harmony (Luk 14:8, Rev 19:7-8)]. 

Luk 14:8  When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; 

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready [she’s taking a lower seat].
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Php 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 
Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 
Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 
Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [He took the lower seat (1Jn 4:17)]
Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 
Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth [Rev 3:9, 1Jn 4:17];
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 
Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure [the One who creates the harmony in the body of Christ and whose good pleasure it is to give us the kingdom (Luk 12:32)].

3Jn 1:2  Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
3Jn 1:3  For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 
3Jn 1:4  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth [how spiritual harmony is formed in the body of Christ as we continue in the truth that sets us free (Joh 8:31-32)].
3Jn 1:5  Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers [Jas 2:26, Gal 6:10, 1Ti 6:18-19];
3Jn 1:6  Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:

Another ‘classification’ of instruments, known as wind instruments, is what we will look at today, followed by string, percussion, and finally that ‘one-off’ category of the dulcimer that is kind of a hybrid of string and percussion, and very closely related to a piano, I would say [sumponia=dulcimer].

We’ll go through the list of the wind instruments in the bible, including the [Halil = pipe], [Hatsotserah = trumpet], [Kehren = cornet], [Mashroqiy = flute], [Shofar (another form of trumpet)], and the [Ugab=organ]. As we go through each of these instruments, we want to always keep in mind that they represent the body of Christ, the many members [instruments (Rom 6:12-13)] which make up that body (1Co 12:8-13), and are unique in their own way, but of the same spirit. You could say they utilize the same wind [spirit] that produces the sounds of these multifaceted instruments found in God’s word. 

Rom 6:12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Rom 6:13  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

1Co 12:8  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:9  To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 
1Co 12:10  To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 
1Co 12:11  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
1Co 12:12  For as the body is one, and hath many members [instruments], and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: [Joh 14:20] so also is Christ.
1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1Co 12:14  For the body is not one member, but many [the spiritual orchestra of God conducted by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ].

We will start with our first entry, ‘Halil’, which is Pipe by definition in the Strong’s dictionary, and we will look at its various uses in scripture to help us see not only the type of sound it produces, but also on what occasions it is used as this also has spiritual meaning for us. There is a negative and positive use of the pipe and the example in (1Sa 10:5) demonstrates the positive harmony of the prophets, each with their own instruments that typify their spiritual gifts, being used to prophesy the anointing of Saul as king. 

1Sa 10:5  After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:

There are a lot of double entendre being expressed here because, although Saul saw himself as being small and unworthy to be anointed (1Sa 9:21) at this point in his walk, God was anointing and elevating him to the position of king, seeing Israel had rejected God as king and wanted to be as the nations around them with a physical leader (1Sa 8:7). For the sake of our study, we are focused on the point that a pipe was part of the musical entourage who were rejoicing at the prospect of Saul now being the king over Israel. In time we learn that Saul is a type of the rejected anointed. Pipes can be used in celebration of something, but they also can express a mournful dying sound like our more modern day bag pipes do. Saul in effect is more typical at this stage in his life of this more unassuming and spirited instrument called a pipe.

1Sa 9:21  And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me? 

1Sa 10:5  After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:

Concerning the negative use of pipes with a combination of instruments, (Isa 5:1-16) centered around Israel going into captivity, “Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands” (Isa 5:11-12). Notice the grouping of these instruments used in this negative environment of reveling is almost identical to the positive use in the event connected to Saul’s coronation. There is hope in these verses [Isa 5:1-15] which explain how we initially defile the vineyard of the Lord in Babylon and misuse the wine of His word getting drunk on it and worshiping God with our own traditions of men, to then, Lord willing, be dragged out of Babylon to see the Lord exalted in judgment within our lives [Isa 5:16-17, 1Pe 4:17]

Isa 5:11  Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! 
Isa 5:12   And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

Isa 5:16  But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
Isa 5:17  Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

The next entry where the word pipe is used is Isaiah 30:20. We read in Isaiah 30:27-31 of events that are connected to God’s wrath and judgment upon Assyria and the protection of Israel against their enemies.

Isa 30:27  Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire: 
Isa 30:28  And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.
Isa 30:29  Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel. 
Isa 30:30  And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.
Isa 30:31  For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod. [It is the Lord’s voice within us, the truth of His word that quickens us and beats down the Assyrian within us.]

Then we have another example of the use of pipes which God likens to the mourning He has in His heart for the riches that Moab has lost having turned to idolatry, which is very akin to the story of Saul who ended up forgetting the time when he saw himself as small, and began to turn to lying spirits and divination to find guidance in his life, rather than humbling himself under the mighty hand of God (Jer 48:35-37, 1Pe 5:6).

Jer 48:35  Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods. 
Jer 48:36  Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.
Jer 48:37  For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

When you get a lot of pipes together, something powerful can happen as expressed in this verse (1Ki 1:40) that was centered around the anointing of Solomon as king of Israel (1Ki 1:39-40). In the positive view of Solomon’s life, he is a type of Christ and the body of Christ ruling throughout the symbolic thousand-year reign of the saints. It is with a great voice of a trumpet that the kingdoms of this world are announced as becoming the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ (Rev 11:15). God’s kings and lords will be teaching the world to pipe with pipes, and to rejoice with great rejoicing, so that the earth, which represents the church, can be rent and the seed of God’s word received. The word that goes forth will not return void in the great white throne judgment (Isa 55:11).

1Ki 1:39  And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. 
1Ki 1:40  And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

There is just too much to cover for the next entry, which will be the word [Hatsotserah=pipe], so I’ll end this shorter-than-normal study at this point, including some history and verses connected to our next study.

The hatsotserah, a different musical instrument than the shofar, is mentioned 29 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. Hatsotserahs were trumpets that were straight, narrow and quite long (possibly .9 meters or 2.9 feet). They were constructed out of silver (Numbers 10:1-2) or gold, had a flared end and produced a high shrill tone.

This type of trumpet was used to signal the Israelites, when they wandered the wilderness for forty years, to assemble and break camp (Num 10:5). It was an important part of temple worship (1Ch 15:28, 2Ch 15:14) and considered one of the sacred utensils (2Ki 12:13, Num 31:6). The hatsotserah was blown on New Moons and other festive occasions as well as at the temple’s daily offerings (2Ki 11:14, Hos 5:8, Psa 98:6).

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