Scripture teaches that believers have always had to be discerning
when it comes to the things people create. In the Old and New
Testaments, artisans were often involved in creating objects of worship.
They built ornate temples so people could come together and worship
false gods. They also forged statues of those gods--called "idols"--so
people could worship them in their homes.
           
Rather than honor the true living God, the artists used their creative
skills to glorify imaginary deities. It's likely that some of the pieces
they created were awe-inspiring--perhaps even masterpieces. But
they violated the first and second commandments:

"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for
yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them
or worship them." (Exodus 20:3-5)

One of the best-known examples of idolatrous art can be found
in Daniel 3. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon ordered the construction
of a golden statue that was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. Then he
summoned all of the leaders in the region to attend the unveiling
ceremony. To guarantee a positive reaction to his creation, Nebby
decreed that when he gave the signal, everyone had to fall down
and worship the statue. Those who didn't, he warned, would be thrown
into a furnace and burned to death.

Among the invited guests were three Israelites: Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego. They worshipped the one true living God, which
meant they couldn't bow down to an idol. So when the signal was
given, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood their ground. And
true to his word, the king had the men thrown into the furnace. You
probably know how the story goes from there: God protected them
from the flames, and King Neb was so impressed by their Divine
rescue that he declared the God of Israel to be the only God.

But that's not the point I want to make here. You see, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego could have just skipped the whole dedication
ceremony. They could have refused to have anything to do with the
creative work of idol worshippers. Their fate would have been the
same either way.

However, Shadrach and his friends chose to attend the ceremony
because they were active members of the government. They probably
admired the artistic aspects of the statue and the craftsmanship that
went into making it. Yet while the three men chose not to honor the
creative work with their lives (by bowing down to it), they didn't ignore
it or boycott it, either.

What's more, earlier in the book of Daniel we learn that Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego had been schooled in the Babylonian
language and literature (Daniel 1:3-4). Because the young men
excelled in those areas, the king placed them in positions of influence
and authority where they were able to help others learn about
God and come to know him.

**

Taken from "Wisdom On...Music, Movies & Television" by Mark Matlock,
copyright 2008 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission. Order the
book here: http://www.youthspecialties.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=410