Daniel Purposed in His Heart

  Daniel Purposed in his Heart

Daniel 1:8 states, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself…”

       When Daniel was taken captive, and was placed in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar, he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the King’s meat and drink.  Little did he know that he would soon have to make a choice not to defile himself with the qeren, mashrokiy, kithara, sebbeka, pescanterin, and sumphonia which were used with various kinds of Babylonian music.

       These instruments which accompanied the music were played as a concomitant to the worship of the king of Babylon.  The significance of the music is not fully explained in Daniel 3:5, 7, 10 and 15.  Although their musical usage was not thoroughly explained in the account in the book of Daniel, we know that was not the mere use of these instruments that Daniel resisted.  It was the significance of what this musical worship represented, that Daniel resisted.

       Christian musicians need to be careful that they do not get so caught up in music making that they fail to consider what the music represents by association.  It isn’t only what music styles a