Pillaging Egypt

The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted astutely. For the sons of this age are more astute than the sons of light in dealing with their own people. – Luke 16:8 HCSB


Over the centuries, many Christians have failed to seek new and better ways to improve the resources God has given them. In their zeal to “remain on the old paths”[1], they failed to notice that the prophet Jeremiah’s comments dealt with teaching false doctrine, not adhering to technological obsolescence.

Take the use of musical instruments in worship as an example. Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Eusebius, Clement of Alexandria, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, John Wesley, Adam Clarke, Philip Schaff and Charles Spurgeon all preached adamantly against the use of pianos or organs in church. They all taught that church music should only include the human voice. John Wesley, the father of Methodism actually said, "I have no objection to instruments of music in our worship, provided they are neither seen nor heard."

They taught this in direct contradiction to the Scriptures that direct us to praise God with musical instruments![2] David built instruments for worship.[3] In fact, he did not merely maintain the use of old, accepted instruments but even invented new ones[4] and his son, Solomon, followed in his footsteps.[5] We are told to use horns,[6] cymbals,[7] flutes,[8] gittiths (which are stringed instruments like guitars)[9], harps,[10] pipes,[11] sistrums (percussion instruments),[12] tambourines,[13] trumpets,[14] and zithers (stringed instruments vaguely resembling violins).[15]

In the book of Exodus, God gave the people of Israel such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that they walked out of Egypt, not merely as freed slaves, but as wealthy people. God commanded them to “pillage Egypt.”[16]

The Bible predicts that in the last days, during the seven year tribulation period, after being rescued from a Russo-Arabian attack, there will be so many wooden stocks of captured weapons to burn that the people of Israel will not have to gather wood for seven years! They will plunder those who tried to plunder them.[17]

Jesus knows how difficult the Great Commission is and He directed us to be as shrewd as serpents and harmless as doves.[18] We need to look at the inventions of the world with an eye to spread the gospel.[19]

There was a point when Bibles were all copied by hand. The church adopted the use of the printing press. We went on to also adopt radio, television, newspapers, magazines and even the internet. We began “blogging” and now we need to move into podcasts and streaming video. Like the famous hymn writer Fannie Crosby, we need to adopt some of the more popular tunes to hymns of praise to our God. We need to carefully adapt the world’s techniques and technology, submitting them to Christ’s rule just as we do our minds, souls and bodies. We need to “pillage Egypt.”

[1] Jeremiah 6:16
[2] 1 Chronicles 15:16-22, 24, 28; 16:5-6; Psalm 33:1-3; 81:1 etc.
[3] 1 Chronicles 23:5; 2 Chronicles 7:6; 29:26
[4] Amos 6:5
[5] 1 Kings 10:12; 2 Chronicles 9:11; Ecclesiastes 2:8
[6] Daniel 3:5, 7, 10
[7] 1 Chronicles 15:19, 28; 1 Corinthians 13:1
[8] Genesis 4:21; Daniel 3:5, 7, 10, 15
[9] Psalm 8:81, 84
[10] 1 Samuel 10:5, 16, 23; 1 Chronicles 16:5
[11] 1 Samuel 10:5; Isaiah 30:20; Daniel 15:20
[12] 2 Samuel 6:5
[13] Exodus 15:20
[14] Joshua 6:4
[15] Daniel 3:5, 7, 10, 15
[16] Exodus 3:21-22; 12:35-36
[17] Ezekiel 39:10
[18] Matthew 10:16
[19] Proverbs 10:8, 14; 12:15; 18:15