Lessons from the life of Daniel
Please first read Daniel 3 ("Three Men in the Fiery Furnace")
So where is Daniel? You won't find him in this story. We really don't know why Daniel didn't go to the king's event. But we have a good guess. This meeting was for regional government officials. Daniel worked in the "federal" staff, while his three friends worked in the regional staff, serving the city of Babylon. They were required to attend that event.
Another possible reason why Daniel was absent, was that it is likely Daniel already knew the purpose of the party. He knew that he would not be able to obey the King's edict to worship the image of gold. It is very likely that Daniel was able to arrange for an "excused absence."
What was the reason for the meeting?
Often kings and emperors required that their government officials show their loyalty for the king in a religious vow. King Nebuchadnezzar summoned all his regional staff, to make them swear an oath of loyalty.
Now, that gold statue... that was big! 90 feet high! A statue that big normally was not solid gold, but they would have made it with another metal, covered with gold.
What did that statue look like? Was that an image of King Nebuchadnezzar himself? Possibly. But more likely not. Again, we can make a good guess.
That statue was maybe an image for the god named NABU. King Nebuchadnezzar's name in the Akkadian language (Nabu-kudurri-usur) means "Nabu, protect my boundary." Another favorite "god" of Nebuchadnezzar was MARDUK, who is also called BEL. (Nebuchadnezzar gave Daniel a Babylonian name in honor of Marduk: "Belteshazzar.") The king wanted everyone in government to pray to his [the king's] god for his safety and for his power. That included our three Jewish friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Those three had already faced a test, in Daniel chapter 1, when the king gave them a command that violated their conscience with regard to their kosher diet. If they had failed that first small test, then how could they have strength to stand against the big test? But when the big test came, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego already knew what to do. They already had practice saying, "No, I can't do that, no matter the cost."
In that the first test, they had room to negotiate a compromise, that satisfied both their need for kosher food, and the king's desire for their good health. But now, here in this new test, they had no room to negotiate. The king's order directly violated the First Commandment - we must worship the only One True God and no other. So when they got the signal (the music) they remained standing.
Notice who reported Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to the king -- other government officials, who are jealous for their place of power and authority. And those tattlers also didn't like Jews.
So where is Daniel? You won't find him in this story. We really don't know why Daniel didn't go to the king's event. But we have a good guess. This meeting was for regional government officials. Daniel worked in the "federal" staff, while his three friends worked in the regional staff, serving the city of Babylon. They were required to attend that event.
Another possible reason why Daniel was absent, was that it is likely Daniel already knew the purpose of the party. He knew that he would not be able to obey the King's edict to worship the image of gold. It is very likely that Daniel was able to arrange for an "excused absence."
What was the reason for the meeting?
Often kings and emperors required that their government officials show their loyalty for the king in a religious vow. King Nebuchadnezzar summoned all his regional staff, to make them swear an oath of loyalty.
Now, that gold statue... that was big! 90 feet high! A statue that big normally was not solid gold, but they would have made it with another metal, covered with gold.
What did that statue look like? Was that an image of King Nebuchadnezzar himself? Possibly. But more likely not. Again, we can make a good guess.
That statue was maybe an image for the god named NABU. King Nebuchadnezzar's name in the Akkadian language (Nabu-kudurri-usur) means "Nabu, protect my boundary." Another favorite "god" of Nebuchadnezzar was MARDUK, who is also called BEL. (Nebuchadnezzar gave Daniel a Babylonian name in honor of Marduk: "Belteshazzar.") The king wanted everyone in government to pray to his [the king's] god for his safety and for his power. That included our three Jewish friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Those three had already faced a test, in Daniel chapter 1, when the king gave them a command that violated their conscience with regard to their kosher diet. If they had failed that first small test, then how could they have strength to stand against the big test? But when the big test came, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego already knew what to do. They already had practice saying, "No, I can't do that, no matter the cost."
In that the first test, they had room to negotiate a compromise, that satisfied both their need for kosher food, and the king's desire for their good health. But now, here in this new test, they had no room to negotiate. The king's order directly violated the First Commandment - we must worship the only One True God and no other. So when they got the signal (the music) they remained standing.
Notice who reported Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to the king -- other government officials, who are jealous for their place of power and authority. And those tattlers also didn't like Jews.
"O king, there are some men of Judah whom you made officers in the area of Babylon that did not pay attention to your order. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They do not serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up." (v.12 NCV)
It is true that Nebuchadnezzar was upset with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But he knew that they were good government workers, so he gave them a 2nd chance.
"In a moment you will again hear the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, zithers, harps, pipes, and all the other musical instruments. If you bow down and worship the statue I made, that will be good. But if you do not worship it, you will immediately be thrown into the blazing furnace. What god will be able to save you from my power then?" (v.15)
Here Nebuchadnezzar made a big mistake. He didn't only challenge Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He challenged GOD!
"I am more powerful than your God.
Your God can't save you from me."
Often in the Bible we see proud people make the same mistake, and always, God wins.
Now notice how our three friends answer the king:
Now notice how our three friends answer the king:
"Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves to you..." (v.16)
Oops! The proper legal greeting for to the king is, "O King, live forever!" But these three don't say that. They refuse to flatter the king with a lie! King Nebuchadnezzar is mortal and will die same as everyone else. He is not God!
Continuing their answer:
Continuing their answer:
"If you throw us into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from the furnace. He will save us from your power, O king. But even if God does not save us, we want you, O king, to know this: We will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up." (vv.17&18)
Wow! That is a wonderful confession of faith. Their faith in God didn't depend on what God did for them. No, their faith focuses on WHO GOD IS and their relationship with Him forever.
One man in the Bible named JOB suffered much. During his worst suffering, Job said,
One man in the Bible named JOB suffered much. During his worst suffering, Job said,
"Even if God kills me, still I will trust Him!" (Job 15:13)
Job also said,
"I know that my Defender lives,
and in the end he will stand upon the earth.
Even after my skin has been destroyed,
in my flesh I will see God.
I will see him myself;
I will see him with my very own eyes." (Job 19:25-27 NCV)
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had that same kind of faith.
True faith doesn't look at our situation.
True faith looks at God alone, regardless of our situation.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to accept death, honoring God. Today, many Christians around the world still face persecution and death, because they live for Christ Jesus. They are willing to die for Jesus, because they know Jesus already died for them.
The answer from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego really upset Nebuchadnezzar.
True faith doesn't look at our situation.
True faith looks at God alone, regardless of our situation.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to accept death, honoring God. Today, many Christians around the world still face persecution and death, because they live for Christ Jesus. They are willing to die for Jesus, because they know Jesus already died for them.
The answer from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego really upset Nebuchadnezzar.
"Make the fire seven times hotter!"
Pour in more fuel! Pump in more air! (Yes, Nebuchadnezzar seemed to have a lot of hot air.)
Well, you know what happened. They tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and they threw them into the fire.
Well, you know what happened. They tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and they threw them into the fire.
Then Nebuchadnezzar saw something strange. He said,
"Look! I see four men walking around in the fire. They are not tied up, and they are not burned. The fourth man looks like a son of the gods." (v.25)
What does that mean? Whom did King Nebuchadnezzar see? Did Jesus Christ show Himself here, 500 years before His human birth? Maybe. But we must understand that in Old Testament times, non-Jewish people often called angels "sons of God." Nebuchadnezzar himself later explained that he saw an angel protecting those three men. (v.28)
God promises that He sends His angels to protect us against danger. Angels are His servants. We can't see them work. but we give thanks to God for those protectors.
Now Nebuchadnezzar's attitude changes. Notice how what he calls those three men.
God promises that He sends His angels to protect us against danger. Angels are His servants. We can't see them work. but we give thanks to God for those protectors.
Now Nebuchadnezzar's attitude changes. Notice how what he calls those three men.
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, come out!
Servants of the Most High God, come here!” (v.26)
The Most High God. Who is that?
Nebuchadnezzar, like many other people in that time, believed in many gods. People chose their favorite gods, depending on what they wanted, or what they most feared. Those "gods" were not all fake. The Bible teaches that many of those gods were really evil spirits, fallen angels that joined SATAN'S rebellion against God. People that worship those false gods, don't love those spirits. They use those spirits. They try to control those spirits, for getting some benefit from them. And they know that they can't control the Most High God, the God Who made everything. They know that they can't use Him! Those people understand that they can't make the Most High God serve them, but they don't know how to love and serve Him.
King Nebuchadnezzar also understood that his "god" was not the top #1 God. And the king understood that his three government servants were really His [God's] servants. The king understood that his little NABU or MARDUK had no real power against the One True God.
Nebuchadnezzar's anger against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego change to respect -- respect for them, and respect for their God. But did Nebuchadnezzar also trust God, and worship Him, and serve Him? No, the kings' pride was still to strong for that, as we will see next week.
Nebuchadnezzar, like many other people in that time, believed in many gods. People chose their favorite gods, depending on what they wanted, or what they most feared. Those "gods" were not all fake. The Bible teaches that many of those gods were really evil spirits, fallen angels that joined SATAN'S rebellion against God. People that worship those false gods, don't love those spirits. They use those spirits. They try to control those spirits, for getting some benefit from them. And they know that they can't control the Most High God, the God Who made everything. They know that they can't use Him! Those people understand that they can't make the Most High God serve them, but they don't know how to love and serve Him.
King Nebuchadnezzar also understood that his "god" was not the top #1 God. And the king understood that his three government servants were really His [God's] servants. The king understood that his little NABU or MARDUK had no real power against the One True God.
Nebuchadnezzar's anger against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego change to respect -- respect for them, and respect for their God. But did Nebuchadnezzar also trust God, and worship Him, and serve Him? No, the kings' pride was still to strong for that, as we will see next week.
Lord Jesus,
Help us always trust You, no matter our situation.
Help us always trust You, no matter what other people think.
Lord Jesus,
Help us always have courage, same as Daniel and his three friends.
Help us always honor you in everything we say and everything we do.
Help us always keep our eyes looking to You.
Lord Jesus,
You already gave your life for us.
Now we give our lives to You.
Please make our hearts burn with love and service for you.
Amen.
Help us always trust You, no matter our situation.
Help us always trust You, no matter what other people think.
Lord Jesus,
Help us always have courage, same as Daniel and his three friends.
Help us always honor you in everything we say and everything we do.
Help us always keep our eyes looking to You.
Lord Jesus,
You already gave your life for us.
Now we give our lives to You.
Please make our hearts burn with love and service for you.
Amen.