Drums: Devil's Music?

Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fire wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals. ~ 2 Samuel 6:5

      Recently I was speaking with a friend about how traditional the music we sing in our congregation is and how I wish we could mix it up a little with songs of a slightly more contemporary style. My friend vehemently disagreed with me stating something to the effect that drum's and music with a beat were the devil's music. Her reasoning was music with a beat made you want to move your body in sinful ways. She told me even Ellen G. White, pioneer of the Seventh-day Adventist movement stated it was evil.

       First, let me list some definitions of instruments in the bible:

Timbrel or tabret (the tof of the ancient Hebrews, the deff of Islam, the adufe of the Moors of Spain), the principle instrument of percussion of the Israelites, similar to the modern tambourine - Wikipedia

The timbrel is used in the Old Testament in both singular and plural form, so as to suggest the former referred to a hoop of wood or metal over which was stretched a parchment head; while the latter was perhaps used to designate the tambourine with bells or jangles fixed at intervals in hoops. In Nahum 2:7, where the word "tabering" occurs, it means beating on the breast, as drummers beat on the tabret.  - Wikipedia

timbrel: n. a small hand drum or tambourine - Merriam-Webster

Bible Achaeology

Examples of timbrels or tabret being used in the bible:

Job 21:12  They sing to the timbrel and harp and rejoice at the sound of the flute.

Psalm 150:4  Praise Him with timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.

Psalm 81:2  Raise a song, strike the timbrel, the sweet sounding lyre and harp.

Psalm 149:3  Let them praise His name with dancing; Let them sing praises to him with timbrel and lyre.

Exodus 15:20  Then Miriam the prophetess, sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

I  Chronicles 13:8  Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets.

Psalm 68:25  The singers went before,  the players on instruments followed after; among them were maidens playing timbrels.

     Proponents of the belief drums are evil, devil music, etcetera, use different sources to advocate their position. Some Seventh-day Adventists misinterpret Ellen G. White's words in her book Selected Messages Book 2, pg 36 as to mean all drums and music with a beat/rhythm are of the devil. What they fail to realize is she is referring to a particular for of fanaticism called the Holy Flesh Doctrine which had occurred at some revival meetings teaching what is called the Gethsemane Experience (EGW - Selected Messages Book 2 pg 31). If Mrs. White was referring to drums in her criticism of the Holy Flesh Doctrine, she would also be condemning organs, flutes, tambourines, fiddles, horns, singing, shouting and praying as they were also used in the same rituals. But in fact, she was not condemning the use of these things, but condemning the manner in which they were used.

          

          Others believe Ezekiel 28 is referring to Satan. In it, God describes the King of Tyre as once having been righteous in every way but then being overcome by pride and greed. This is similar to the fall of Lucifer. Lucifer took upon himself the glory of which solely belonged to God. God appoints kings. The King of Tyre took what God had anointed him with and perverted it into something ugly and evil. The prophecy of the King of Tyre has also been fully fulfilled. The prophecy of Lucifer will not come to pass until the end times. Ezekiel 28:13 says, "The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created." Perhaps some believe if Ezekiel 28 is about Satan, then the use of timbrels (hand drums or tambourines) and pipes must be satanic. But how can this be when they are also used many times throughout the bible to show praises to the Lord? It is a case of do we take a likely misinterpreted scripture as truth over several others which are plain to understand? Perhaps only prayer and God can answer the question for us.

 My conclusion: 

         A tambourine/timbrel is a type of hand drum with cymbals on it. It has been proven these are used by the Psalmists to glorify the Lord. If these were acceptable to God, would drums with cymbals really be all that different? After all, they are the same as a tambourine (timbrel), only bigger. Bongos and other hand drums aren't much different other than their size and no cymbals. Personally I do not believe the instrument has anything to do with whether it would be pleasing to God. I believe it is HOW it is used and where your heart is at when you use it. Just as many of us cannot carry a tune even with a bucket and our singing makes other cringe, God considers our singing beautiful if done with a heart for him.
          Anything can be used in an evil manner. Dancing can be a beautiful expression of emotion which can bring someone closer to God. It can also be used as enticement of the flesh, or to bring about worldly desires or emotions. If we were to eliminate everything in life which can be used to entice us to sin, we would have to cut out virtually every aspect of life, including individual thought. Although this may seem a bit of an exaggeration, consider how Satan often uses our own thoughts as weapons against us. Satan even twisted God's words in such a way when speaking to Eve in the Garden that she actually believed she wasn't doing wrong. That is why we should always check everything with prayer and the Word of God before we take it to heart.