BEWARE OF COMMANDS TO WORSHIP WITH MUSIC
One of the best clues we have that music is an element of defiled religion is found in this well-known story:

Daniel 3:1-30: King Nebuchadnez’zar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnez’zar sent to assemble the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnez’zar had set up.

3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, were assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnez’zar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnez’zar had set up. 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnez’zar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.”

7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image which King Nebuchadnez’zar had set up. 8 Therefore at that time certain Chalde’ans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnez’zar, “O king, live for ever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image; 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed’nego. These men, O king, pay no heed to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”

13 Then Nebuchadnez’zar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed’nego be brought. Then they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnez’zar said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed’nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, well and good; but if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace; and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed’nego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnez’zar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”

19 Then Nebuchadnez’zar was full of fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed’nego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 20 And he ordered certain mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed’nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their mantles, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were cast into the burning fiery furnace.

22 Because the king’s order was strict and the furnace very hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed’nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed’nego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnez’zar was astonished and rose up in haste. He said to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered, “But I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

26 Then Nebuchadnez’zar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed’nego, servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed’nego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their mantles were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.

28 Nebuchadnez’zar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed’nego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set at nought the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed’nego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed’nego in the province of Babylon.

This popular Old Testament story is commonly interpreted as a simple miracle of God’s people surviving a physical fiery furnace. It is full of imagery that is commonly interpreted as God’s protection from all kinds of hardship. There is, however, much deeper imagery that must be explored to get to the primary message which we summarize as follows:

This story is basically a retelling of the prophetic picture of how religious gods and idols are created. This picture is first introduced in the story of the Golden calf where we find a graphic symbolic reference to religion as the work of man’s hands (i.e. the mental and physical human labor required to establish and maintain idolatrous religions). ***

COMMENTARY ON THE GOLDEN CALF INCIDENT: If we believe that all scripture is useful for training in righteousness, we must understand the spiritual meaning of this story. To understand it, we must put it in its proper context which is that Israel had escaped from Egypt. Moses was nearing the end of forty days on the mountain of God where God spoke his laws (i.e. commandments) to Moses who is a type of messiah who could hear God’s spoken voice and speak on God’s behalf as a true prophet. It is also critical to understand that Israel had refused to listen to God themselves and instead chose to listen to a mediator (i.e. Moses).

In Moses’ absence, the people got restless because they didn’t have anyone to report what God said to them. So, lacking leadership, and unwilling to listen to God’s voice, they created a new god (i.e. religion) out of the golden objects that they collected before they left Egypt. These golden objects symbolically represent all of the artifacts (e.g. buildings, altars, clothing, rituals, etc.) that make religion look attractive.***

These religious artifacts are the physical things that made the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil appear good for food. These physical things associated with religion appealed to her natural senses (i.e. eyes, ears, touch, smell, intellect), and appeared to offer the wisdom that would make her like God.

Since Eve is a symbolic representation of Jews and Christians, we interpret this story to be the story of all religious people who find the physical appearance of religion to be attractive. Making this association is the only way to apply this scripture to our personal lives.

This work of creating and maintaining religious idols is the specific work that God had in mind when he told his people to rest from their work.

The lesson from this vivid Biblical story is that religious music is a deceptive tool used by religious leaders to incite religious people to engage in worship of Old/First Covenant religion.  New Covenant disciples, however, worship God in spirit — not through religious activities such as music, raising hands, and dance.