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September 15th

The bible reading today is in Daniel 4,5,6.

At the end of yesterday’s reading in Daniel chapter 3, the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, took a huge step back from his public declaration that Daniel’s wise God was God of all. Let’s read his declaration

“The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭2:47‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Then days later...“King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And the herald proclaimed aloud, “O peoples... when you hear the sound of the music, you are to...“fall down and worship” the “golden image” that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭3:1, 4-5‬ ‭

You know, I believe that’s just like the rest of us in many ways. We get disappointed over not getting what we want and then we throw a pity party or a fit. Then, when we do finally get what we wanted, our countenance changes and we even say wonderful things about God blessing us.

From a distance, people hear our excited recognition of God and count us spiritual. But God knows our hearts, just like he knew Nebechadnezer’s...chalk one up for another spiritual pretender.

How do we know that the king of Babylon was pretending? Because just after his speech about Daniel’s God, we see where Nebechadnezer is so full of himself that he has a 100 ft tall statue of himself built and calls the people of his kingdom to bow down and worship it.

Well, some might have been conned into thinking the King really was God. But the three Hebrew friends of Daniel didn't buy it. They knew that Elohim Yahweh was the one and only true God. They would not bow and worship the king at the golden statue.

“And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this 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. “But if not”, be it known to you, O king, that “we will not serve your gods” or “worship the golden image” that you have set up.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭3:6, 12, 15-18‬ ‭

Then the king had Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego thrown into a fiery furnace. But the fire never touched them. Why? Because there was a fourth man in the fire protecting them...Jesus.

And the king saw it all and was amazed, but still too proud to repent and believe the Lord. Later Nebechadnezer would have a breakdown and roamed the fields and ate the grass that the ox ate for 7 years. People said that the self-proclaimed god was crazy.

I believe the king came to the end of himself and finally trusted God for his salvation. By then the Babylonian kingdom was cut down and replaced with the Medo-Persian Empire.

Daniel’s friends faced the fiery furnace with courage. Daniel was about to face his own challenge of faith.

“All the high officials of the Persian kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors all agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭6:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Darius, king of Persia, bought into the counsel of his staff. What he didn't discern was their selfish murderous motive to get rid of the faithful Daniel.

Daniel heard the injunction that everyone in the Persian Empire was called to worship no one but Darius for 30 days or be eaten alive by a den of lions. Daniel courageously chose the lions rather than be unfaithful to God his Savior. Wow!

Daniel and his friends...inspiring faith.

But Jesus choosing the torturous death of the cross for us, for our salvation, more than inspiring...eternal life-saving! Awesome! Jesus, You have always been better