Accepted Old Testament Praise and Worship Practices
1. God accepted vocal singing as praise.
Ps. 51:14–15: And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
O Lord, open thou my lips; And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Ps. 40:3: And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God:
Ps. 71:23: My lips shall shout for joy when I sing praises unto thee;
And my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
Ps. 149:1: Praise ye Jehovah. Sing unto Jehovah a new song, And his praise in the assembly of the saints.
Isa. 52:8: The voice of thy watchmen! they lift up the voice, together do they sing;
Thus, in the Old Testament worship, God accepted vocal singing as praise.
2. God accepted mechanical instruments of music as praise.
2 Sam. 6:5: And David and all the house of Israel played before Jehovah with all manner of instruments made of fir-wood, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with castanets, and with cymbals.
Ps. 43:4: And upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.
Ps. 150:3: Praise him with trumpet sound: Praise him with psaltery and harp. Praise him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Therefore, in the Old Testament worship, God accepted mechanical instruments as praise.
3. God accepted the dances of his people as praise.
Ex. 15:20: And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
2 Sam. 6:16: Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Jehovah; and she despised him in her heart.
Ps. 150:4: Praise him with timbrel and dance:
Therefore, in the Old Testament worship, God accepted the dances of his people as praise.
Accepted New Testament Praise and Worship Practices
In the New Testament worship, God authorizes only vocal singing which he brought forth from the Old Testament. The mechanical instruments and dance of the Old Testament worship were blotted out, nailed to the cross and taken out of the way by the death of Jesus Christ (Col. 2:14, ASV). Only vocal praise is brought forth, and authorized in the New Testament. “Speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19, ASV).