I am still not convinced that the church is not organically connected with the heavenly Temple. I think there is more than mere metaphor happening here. All throughout the New Testament there are "metaphors" comparing the Church with the Temple. Even the heavenly Temple is an analogy to a greater spiritual reality. We are His body. His body is the true Temple. Our worship has closer connections to the Temple than with one time military celebrations or special public parades.
Regarding the Regulative Principle, what would you consider acceptable worship? I mean, what do we need to do to please God in our corporate worship specifically? And what exactly is wrong with Episcopalian or Lutheran worship? From what I've read from you, I don't see what you would object to? If both instrumental and acapella singing are indifferent with God, does it just come down to a matter of our own personal preference? I personally love musical instruments. I play guitar, banjo, mandolin, and a little bit of violin. I don't find them necessary or really edifying for worship though. Especially when they are played alone - without singing. I would be happy to use them if it pleased God though.
I still don't find your view of corporate worship very helpful. You said, "I believe all corporate worship ought to follow the same restrictions and freedoms." So you really think we should examine military victory celebrations for ideas for Lord's Day worship? Temple worship was corporate was it not? I'm sure David did not share your view of freedoms and restrictions. He behaved differently during a military parade than he did in the Temple. So did the women. If your view is correct, then whatever was done at a public celebration could be done in the Temple and vice versa since all corporate worship shares the same restrictions and freedoms.
Regarding Uzzah, your criticism may be right. However, my point was only that the example of moving the Ark was not a useful example of what God is pleased with. You at first seemed to only assume what UZZAH did was wrong. My point is that they were ALL guilty because they did not consult the Lord and His prescriptions for moving the Ark. We should not run to this text to find out what God approves of.
You wrote "The obvious problem is that we don't know precisely what instruments David used ... we ought not to refuse to use instruments just because we can't play the same ones. The Bible is sometimes more precise about its commands, and sometimes less precise. When it is less precise, there is more freedom of expression in obeying its commands."
You presume that the commandment of the Lord regarding David's instruments was very imprecise. Please read 1 Chronicles 15. I can't follow how these strict appointments for particular Levites infer freedom in using any instruments we choose. Or that we don't know what instruments David used. These are the instruments of David listed here. Of course it doesn't give exact dimensions and measurements (or brand names) but it does say what kind of instrument they are and for some, what material they were made of. Notice that it does not say "musical instruments in general" or "they played whatever instruments they personally liked to hear". Your analogy about the Lord's Supper doesn't follow. Jesus didn't say eat food and drink in general in remembrance of Me. He said "bread and wine." Not milk and cookies. Not potato chips and Kool-aid. Just because he didn't give the exact ingredients of the bread and the exact type of wine that doesn't mean we are free to use any kind of food and drink for the Lord's Supper.
If Jesus said, "Play brass cymbals and silver trumpets in remembrance of me," would you really play the banjo and fiddle and say, "Hey man, all Jesus said was that he wanted some musical instruments played in remembrance of him"? You might see some variations in the make and sizes of the cymbals and trumpets - just as we see variation in the type of bread used for the Lord's Supper, but they would still be cymbals and trumpets regardless.
So I don't find a command or example in the Bible to use "musical instruments in general" in worship. I would only consent to them if they were used as a circumstance to aid in our singing the right notes at the right time.
Ra McLaughlin is Vice President of Finance and Administration at Third Millennium Ministries.