Chapter 3 study was pretty lengthy for me, as is this entry, so this blog may not be for you if you are in a rush. Come back later when you can take a bit of time.
So my first question after reading chapters one and two is this: Even after the king saw how Daniel accurately interpreted his impossible dream and announced in 2:47 that, “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret," how did we all of a sudden jump from the acknowledgment that Daniel's God is the greatest of gods to King Nebuchadnezzar making a gold statue that is to be worshiped or die?!
Answer:
This foolish and stubborn king did indeed see God's miracles, yet in short order he returned to his foolish ways and bad advisers. But in one more chapter we will read how he comes to his senses. Even though chapter 4 is not in the recommended reading, you might want to glance at the latter half of the chapter for the good report of his repentance.
My second question is, "Where was Daniel all this time that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were being thrown into the furnace for not paying obeisance to the 90 foot statue? Did he also refuse to bow to the golden statue or was he not required to do it?
Answer:
There is an interesting absence of Daniel in this chapter with no explanation given. This is even more interesting when you remember that Daniel is the writer of this book. I suspect Daniel might have been so high in the government that he was able to claim an exemption from being at this dedication. Maybe his three Hebrew friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, had asked him to pray for them as Daniel had asked them to pray for him. ~Andrew Wommack
On to the third question...who was the fourth person in the furnace since only 3 were thrown in?
Answer:
Apparently, it could have either been Jesus or an angel of the Lord. A unique thought is that while Nebuchadnezzar saw this 4th person, Scripture does not say one way or the other that the three in the furnace saw Him. This can be encouraging to us as believers, knowing that God never leaves us nor forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5) in great trials, regardless of whether or not we see Him.
And lastly, did King Nebuchadnezzar become a follower and worshiper of the Jewish God after seeing His power through these men?
Answer:
As we read further in chapter 4, it's evident that this king's pride was his ruin for a long time, despite how God showed him unprecedented miracles. Yet, in the end, it appears that this king finally humbled himself and did worship the Almighty God of the Jews. See chapter 4:34-37
A little statue trivia:
This idol was about ninety feet high and nine feet wide. Many scholars doubt that this measurement only included the image. They think part of this height might have been a pedestal upon which the image stood. At least, they doubt it was solid gold but rather overlaid with gold. One scholar estimated that if the statue was solid gold, that would be over eight million pounds of gold. That is more than anyone believes Nebuchadnezzar could have accumulated. ~Andrew Wommack
Some encouraging points about the rest of this chapter are as follows:
It is wonderful to read about the three men who risked their lives for the sake of Truth. They inspire so many others to be bold for their faith. These men were committed and stood by their convictions even with the knowledge that they'd lose their positions, not to mention, die! "The majority cared more about their physical bodies than they did about their eternal souls. That’s still typical today. And who are we talking and reading about thousands of years later? The three who did what was right, not what would have saved them from the fiery furnace. Evil men perish and so does their memory. But the memory of the just is blessed and inspires others."
Why all this crazy worship of either King Nebuchadnezzar or his created statue? Ego. Pride. Blindness to the Truth. Nothing new there either. This is no surprise as we look around us today. This same game is played over and over in our lives and the world around us. A 'little' pride grows up to be a 'big' problem.
Did you notice how confident and calm the three responded to the king when confronted? "This speaks volumes about their relationship with the Lord and their faith in Him. Most people can’t exhibit this fearlessness, because they fear man as much or more than they fear God. The fear of man is always a trap that keeps us from doing what we know we should do." This lack of fear comes from trusting and knowing God. I love it how they are accepting of either God's rescue of them OR God allowing them to die. They absolutely are putty in God's hands and see themselves as HIS servants, not living for themselves.
.jpg)
The Lord didn’t deliver Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace, but while they were in the midst of it! God’s protection doesn’t always prevent problems, but He will give us victory right in the midst of our problems.
Chapter 6
What a blessing to have others see us like Daniel was known, even to those who wanted to disparage his name. "He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy."
By the time Darius came to rule in Babylon, Daniel had already been a top counseler to the court of the kings in Babylon for over 65 yrs. It seems Darius was quite fond of Daniel's ability too, despite his Jewish nationality and the condition of Jerusalem as a captive nation. It was David's integrity that got him to the top in his position, not his money, bribing, nor political dishonesty.
As for the hooligans that lied to King Darius about Daniel, it was their ego and pride that got them going and they manipulated the king in order to destroy David's position. Be careful of those who flatter us. Our pride is no different and as easily puffed up when we hear flattery about ourselves.
Psalm 5:9 (NLT)
9 My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.
Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with flattery.[a]
Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with flattery.[a]
Ricky Skaggs and Patty Loveless "Daniel Prayed"
In 6:10 Daniel, knowing the decree, still prayed aloud as he had for decades, because he trusted God completely and without fear or compromise. Ever since Daniel was a young man, he had been in service to the kings of Babylon as a captive slave, yet he faithfully served and worshiped only the Lord. He had seen evils and yet, he did not flinch at the threats of men who practiced more evil. "In fact, some believe that Daniel was made a eunuch as a youth, which was a procedure that was required for those serving in the king’s court. I do not know of a passage of scripture that specifically states that Daniel was a eunuch, but there is strong evidence to believe so. The prophesy of Isaiah concerning the fall to Babylon, chapter 39, vs. 7 in particular, speaks of the young men of Judah being taken away and made "eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon". Also, we see that Daniel was placed under the charge of Ashpenaz, master of the eunuchs. The fact that Daniel rose to such a high position of authority under the rules of Nebuchadnezzar and Darius, almost certainly confirms that Daniel was made a eunuch, common practice in biblical days to prevent any offspring being born to anyone who might challenge the throne." http://www.bible-studys.org
Daniel 6:13
Note on Daniel 6:13
Daniel didn’t despise Darius, and Darius knew it. It’s just that
Daniel worshiped only the Most High God and Darius wasn’t Him. This is a
classic example of how we are to submit to those over us in government,
but that doesn’t mean we are supposed to obey any ungodly commandment (1 Peter 2:13-15). ~Andrew Wommack
Darius was distraught at the situation Daniel was in and cared enough for his well-being that he fasted and showed up early the next morning to see (hopefully) if God saved Daniel. What a great testimony to Daniel as he endured a test and gained more respect because of it while those with intent to persecute God's people suffered and even lost their lives. God has a very special place in His heart for those who lose their lives FOR His sake. Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”
.JPG)
No comments:
Post a Comment