Leviticus 10:1, 2:
1  Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them.
2  So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD

 

Deuteronomy 4:2, "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you" (cf: Deut. 12:32; Prov. 30:6; Jer. 26:2; compare the same principle in NT, Gal. 3:15; Rev. 22:18, 19).

 

This passage clearly shows that one's ability to "keep" the commandments of God is measured by his ability to be "content" within what has been revealed!

 

• When God is specific, we cannot generalize. 
  He specified to Noah to build an "ark" of "Gopherwood" (Gen. 6:14). That excluded an ark of "cedar" as well as other kinds of marine vessels (fishing boat, barge, raft, etc.). God never had to specifically forbid "cedar" or "redwood." When He specified "gopherwood" that excluded all other kinds of wood. When he specified "ark" that excluded all other kinds of marine vessels. This principle is seen throughout out scriptures. Additionally, the Lord specified that the priesthood would be in the tribe of Levi and as the NT writer accurately applies the principle from silence showing that such excluded Judah--our Lord's own tribe.

Hebrews 7:12-14:

12  For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.
13  For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.
14  For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.

 

To change the priesthood from what God had specified required a change in law, but only God could change that law. As long as Moses was silent about Judah serving as priest, no Judean could serve as priest. Moses didn't say or have to say for that matter that, "Judah shall not serve as priest" any more than you wouldn't have to say to Dell, "I do not want to buy a laptop with my ink cartridge." Perhaps one would have said regarding Moses. . .

<<His writings are interesting but it is a turn off to state the opinion of "Levites Only" for the priesthood. If the priesthood that God instituted in Exodus and Leviticus did not accompany any other tribe than Levi I could care less and see that as a ridiculous reason to exclude such other tribes from priesthood. . . .It baffles me why anyone would be hung up on such a stupid issue as forced exclusion of other tribes for priests.>>Yet, when one from Judah wanted to do a priestly service he was stricken with leprosy and died as a leper (2 Chron. 26:19-21). When another wanted to touch the ark of the covenant, which only priests were authorized to carry, he was instantly struck dead (2 Sam. 6:6, 7). His reflex seemed noble, but God saw it as sinful. Shall we charge Jehovah with such a "ridiculous reason to exclude?" Was such only an "opinion?" Was such a "stupid forced exclusion?"  You can decide. Lest you think that the God we worship today is more tolerant and lenient than the Old Testament days, realize that He killed Ananias and his wife Sapphira for just a hidden lie (Acts 5:1-10). The same Bible writer that showed Moses excluded Judah as priest by not mentioning Judah also stated that there is a worse punishment than in Moses' time coming for those who profane the New Covenant today (Heb. 10:25-29).

• When God generalizes, we cannot force or bind a specific.
  Jesus in telling the disciples to "go" and preach the gospel to every creature of the world is a case in point (Mk. 16:15).  Preaching the gospel is specific as to the message and excludes teaching math, chemistry, physical fitness, etc. But how they went and how they preached is generic. They could go by boat, foot, horse, ship, letter, etc. We may "go" by "airplane" today or through the computer/web/radio but we must still preach the "gospel." The subject of preaching is "fixed," but the method of "going" to preach is generic. Using the internet, radio, newspaper, a microphone or podium doesn't change what we are doing--we are still preaching the gospel. The above items are "aids" and not "additions" to the word of the Lord. 
  
  A microphone is an aid. Lights/candles/pews/songbooks are mere helps. PowerPoint/transparencies/chalkboards aid in teaching and preaching. A church building is an aid for the command to "assemble" (Heb. 10:25). It doesn't change what we are doing, it aids in fulfilling the command which requires a "place." "Cups" for the Lord's Supper aid in fulfilling the command to partake of the fruit of the vine (1 Cor. 11:23ff). To use those cups to serve orange juice violates the authorized content given in scripture. A baptistery aids in "baptizing," but using it as a hot tub violates its purpose, etc., etc.  
  
  Now, mechanical instruments do not aid in song, but "change" the song to another "kind" of music. When God specified "singing" he excluded "playing" as when he specified a "red heifer" he excluded a "Black Angus" (Num. 19:2).

Hebrews 13:15, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."

The New Testament instrument is the heart (Eph. 5:19) and the voice is what gives it sound for "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt. 12:34) . God asks for nothing more and I will be content to stand within what is revealed and not in presumption. 

Ps 19:13, "Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression."

King David may have been reflecting back to that "new cart" that he presumptuously prepared for the transportation of the ark that led to Uzzah's death (2 Sam. 6:1ff). My friend, if you can find one passage in the New Testament where God commands us to "play", if you can find one passage in the New Testament where the church is playing praise, or rather playing music in worship, like he commanded Israel of old to do, then I will change my preaching right now (Ps. 81:1-4). I have found a total of ten passages in the New Testament that refer to music used in worship (private/public makes no difference) and they all specify "singing." 
Further, did you know that about every founder of every major denomination was vehemently opposed to instrumental music in worship? I challenge you to go to this link to see a comprehensive list of major religious leaders who opposed instrumental music in the worship of the church, men like Thomas Aquinas (Catholic) to Augustine; from Barclay to Charles Spurgeon (Baptist) to John Calvin to Adam Clarke (Methodist) to Andrew Fuller (Baptist) to Martin Luther (Lutheran)  to John Wesley (Methodist), to Philip Schaff, etc., etc. http://www.bible.ca/H-music.htm There are quotes after quotes of several persons from the 2nd century until nearly now at this link.

 

http://www.sunnysidechurchofchrist.com/biblestudytools.html 

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