A Call to refuse to conform to the idol worshipping ways of this world

Date 11 11 01 Text Daniel 3 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

We come this week to one of the most famous stories in the Bible – the story of Daniel’s three friends in Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace. It is a wonderful story of great faith and a miraculous escape. There are many stories of great martyrdoms in the Bible – think of the first, when Abel was killed by Cain because of his religion, or of Stephen, the first in the New Testament. There are many in church history too – think of the martyrs under Bloody Mary in the 16th Century and missionaries who died in China and the Congo and elsewhere in the 20th Century.

The Bible also contains examples of miraculous escapes such as when Peter was led out of prison at dead of night by an angel. In the Old Testament, the incident here and that of Daniel in the lions’ den are the most famous. Again, there are similar stories in subsequent church history such as the man in France who hid from his pursuers in an unused oven. No sooner had he closed the door than a spider wove a web over the entrance. When the soldiers came by they saw the web and guessed (wrongly) that it could not have been touched for some time.

Perhaps the most important verses in this chapter are 17, 18 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. In a sense, whether the Hebrew friends survived or not was immaterial, what really matters is their great example of faith and the revelation of Christ that they received. Let’s learn from this passage then.

1. Realise believer that the world wants you to conform to its idol worshipping ways

Here in verses 1-7 we have a straightforward even crass example of idol worship. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, 90 feet high and nine feet wide {27 by 2.7 metres}, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Here we see how Nebuchadnezzar used various elements to make idol worship attractive:

• A magnificent structure – it was huge, it was made of gold and was no doubt a well-crafted piece too.
• A grand inauguration – he made sure the idol was dedicated on a specific day and invited the top brass of the empire to be present. He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. So the satraps, prefects, governors, etc and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
• An attractive presentation - he used a herald and musicians to call on people to worship the idol. Then the herald loudly proclaimed, This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
• A coercive decree – it was determined that anyone who failed to join in with this idol worship would suffer a harsh and severe penalty for their singularity. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.
• An influential example – of course, once the majority were won over, it was the easiest thing in the world simply to join in with the crowd and very difficult to stand aside. Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, etc and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshipped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Today an approach exactly like Nebuchadnezzar’s would probably not work in many places but the same elements are used again and again to promote the worship of various idols. You know that all manner of things can be made an idol of. Think today of the way sportsmen and musicians and various other celebrities are idolised. I can think of at least two cases where fans have got to the point of actually calling their heroes ‘God’ – ie Eric Cantona and Eric Clapton. The phrase ‘walks on water’ has become an accepted form of praise for the elite in this world. I remember an emotional teenage girl being interviewed at the time of the death of Princess Diana and saying with innocent honesty ‘She was my idol’. You can make a god of a sports or music hero; of the TV or your car; your job or your hobby; of fame or fortune; of science or technology; of a political party or your country; even of your family or your church or a Christian organisation. Most often it is magnificence and grandeur that lures us, the attractive nature of it, the numbers that it draws. Sometimes coercion is a factor too. Magnificent structures, plenty of money, big numbers, attractive presentation and lots of music are typical features. The worldly is given to idol worship and it wants as many involved as possible.

2. You must expect opposition if you resolve not to conform to its idol worshipping ways

Now if you are a Christian you cannot have anything to do with idolatry. With William Cowper you must daily pray

The dearest idol I have known, What e’er that idol be,

Help me to tear it from thy throne And worship only thee.

However, we must go into this with our eyes open. If we determine to be non-conformists, the world won’t like it. They profess to admire rebels and people who refuse to toe the line but you try it and you will see what they really think, just as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did. Conformity, uniformity, compliance – they are the watchwords of the world. If we refuse to play ball it will be met with stiff opposition and strong resistance.

1. Expect denunciation for your non-conformity

In verses 8-12 we read that At this time some astrologers {Chaldeans} came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever! You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, etc and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.

No doubt these enemies of the Jews were already jealous of Daniel and his friends and their success. Now they saw a chance to denounce them – or at least three of them. Why Daniel is not mentioned at all in this chapter we have no way of knowing. Perhaps he was away on business for the king or perhaps his high position in government had enabled him to escape this particular test. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced it, however, as Daniel would one day, and all of us who are believers can expect such things. If we are unwilling to toe the line we will be denounced on every side.

2. Expect pressure to get you to conform

When Nebuchadnezzar heard about this he was Furious with rage, he summoned the three friends who were brought before him. He said to them (14, 15) Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand? As far as Nebuchadnezzar was concerned, they had no choice. Either conform and bow down to the idol I have made or refuse to conform and get ready to die. His utter contempt for the very idea that there was any choice comes out in the line Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand? In other words ‘All this stuff about a supreme God that I have heard from Daniel is all very well but if you don’t serve my idol I’m going to have you killed – and what will your god, however great he is, be able to do about that? This is again typical of the world’s attitude. ‘Yes, it is fine for you to believe what you want to believe. We won’t stand in your way. But you have to face reality and if you don’t join in with what we want you to do then there can be no hope for you.’ And so great pressure is put on Christians to conform to worldly ways. Dress like unbelievers, listen to the same sorts of music, enjoy the same entertainment, have the same attitudes towards life. If you refuse to conform then they will make sure that there is trouble for you in one shape or another. The trouble with some of us is that we want to avoid trouble. We want an easy life. We keep quiet about certain things when we shouldn’t. We refuse to make a fuss when we should. We compromise, we make concessions where we ought not to.

3. Nevertheless be determined not to conform to its idol worshipping ways

In verses 16-18 we have this wonderful reply to the king from Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. It is a model of firmness without rudeness, confidence without presumption and resolution without animosity. It models for us the way that we ought to deal with such situations. Note

1. Do not attempt to defend yourself by pretending that you are not a non-conformist

O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. How quick we are to defend ourselves and often there is a temptation to deny the Lord for the sake of ease. We must be uncompromising.

2. Be resolutely confident in God but do not presume on him

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. We must never forget the power of God to rescue us from the most unpromising situations. What miraculous escapes God’s people have known over the years. However, we must not rely on this. Like these three, we must be determined that whether God grants us an immediate rescue or not we will, nevertheless, be devoted to him without compromise. Is that your resolution? It ought to be.

4. What to expect if you resolutely determine not to conform to its idol worshipping ways

Now it is easy to be brave in theory but out in the field it is a different matter and it is my duty to warn you that, on one hand, if you do stand resolute then you can expect harsh treatment and affliction.

1. If you refuse to conform expect harsh treatment

Verses 19-23 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude towards them changed. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie them up and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took them up and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Now, of course, a fiery furnace is unlikely for us. Even being held by the Taliban or some equally wicked group is unlikely but if we are faithful there are bound to be times when we are harshly treated by the unbelieving. That is the reality we must face.

On the other hand

2. If you refuse to conform you can nevertheless expect God’s blessing even in affliction

The closing verses of the chapter record an amazing turn around. The blessings come in three stages. If we are true to the Lord we can expect such blessings.

1 Christ’s protection in trouble

In verses 24, 25 we read that shortly after the friends were put in the furnace Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire? They replied, Certainly, O king. He said, Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods. This is one of those mysterious happenings in the Old Testament most often known as a theophany – an appearing of God incarnate before Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem. We can best understand these as early appearances of the Second Person of the Trinity. It is the Christ who was with these three. A later generation experienced the very physical presence of Christ in their crises (such as the storm on the lake). To this day we can know his presence too through the Holy Spirit.

2 Due deliverance from trouble

Next we read (26, 27) how Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here! So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, etc crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. It was a truly amazing deliverance, a miracle of high order. It was a rare thing then, perhaps even rarer today. Such deliverances are recorded for our encouragement. Sometimes deliverances do come before death. Yet even if we have to die that itself will mean release from suffering and entrance into Paradise. If we are faithful, we cannot lose.

3. Success in this world or in the one to come

Nebuchadnezzar was amazed. Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, he said who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. How impressed he was. The world will sit up and notice when we begin to take our religion seriously. Nebuchadnezzar made a decree (29) Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way. This was a typically worldly approach but it meant that there was a measure of protection for believers in Babylon for a while. Finally, we are told (30) Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon. We cannot guarantee success in this world for faithfulness although it is often rewarded even in this life. What ever happens it will be rewarded in the world to come.

Mysteries revealed concerning this world's powers and God's Kingdom

Date 04 11 01 Text Daniel 2:29-45 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

At the moment we are looking at the prophecy of Daniel. We’ve begun to look at Daniel 2 and I want us to look at it again this morning. You remember that Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, had had a dream and wanted to know its meaning. Knowing no doubt how wily his wise men could be he demanded that they tell him not only the meaning of his dream but what the dream itself was. Of course, they found themselves unable to do this and so a decree went out that all the wise men must die. This included Daniel and his three friends, the exiles from Israel. Finding out what had been decreed, Daniel pleaded for time and set to praying with his friends. In his mercy, God revealed the mystery to Daniel and he in turn was ushered into the King’s presence where he spoke to Nebuchadnezzar. What I want to do this morning is to consider the dream and the explanation of it revealed to Daniel, in answer to prayer.

1. Consider God the great revealer of mysteries

God is given many titles in Scripture. In verse 29 of Chapter 2 Daniel refers to him as the revealer of mysteries. There are many mysteries in this world, many things we don’t know, things that are hidden from us. Such a thought sometimes threatens to drive us to despair but fear not, there is such a one as the revealer of mysteries. The very fact that Nebuchadnezzar had this supernatural dream at all shows that God is one who reveals himself and the things that are hidden. He also sent Daniel the prophet to make the dream clear to Nebuchadnezzar and made sure it was recorded so that every time the story is read, as is happening again today, the truths it contains may be revealed again. Note that

1. God teaches simply

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was essentially a very simple one. There is hardly a child here who could not understand the basic outline of the story. Like all God’s revelation, what we have here is basically very simple indeed. Even the explanation of the meaning is not essentially difficult.

2. He explains what is unclear

Of course, left to ourselves we won’t understand anything of God’s revelation but he sends his prophets and by the work of his Spirit the truth is revealed to men’s hearts.

3. He reveals what we need to know about the future

Daniel says to Nebuchadnezzar (29) that the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. This is something that God alone can do. He alone can reveal what is going to happen in the future for he alone knows.

4. It is not a matter of human wisdom to understand what God reveals

We should add this here by way of warning and encouragement. Daniel stresses (30) As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

Here is a reason for giving thanks to God then. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. We don’t know how this current war in Afghanistan will develop. We don’t know if there will be another horrific act of terrorism like that of September 11. We don’t know how things will develop as far as anthrax and germ warfare are concerned. We don’t know how near the end of the world is. However, God knows and he will not keep us in the dark about the things we need to know. He is the revealer of mysteries. If we look to him, we can know all we need to know.

2. Consider the dream given by God to Nebuchadnezzar

In verses 31-35 Daniel very clearly describes the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had. The dream can be divided into two parts.

Part 1. In the first part Nebuchadnezzar looked, Daniel tells the king, and there before you stood a large statue - an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. I’ve seen various representations of this statue or idol. The one that stands out for me was the first I saw as a boy in a Seventh Day Adventist book we had at home. Though we can’t be sure exactly what the statue looked like, we know at least three things in general and five things in particular about it.

1 In general we know that

• It was enormous – not just taller than a man then but reaching up into the sky, a huge great thing.
• It was dazzling. Most of it was made of precious metal and the metal glittered in the sunlight. It was bright. It was brilliant. It shone.
• It was awesome. There was something awe inspiring about this figure. It was a very impressive and imposing sight. What majesty, what splendour.

2 In particular

• (32) The head of the statue was made of pure gold, usually considered to be the most precious of metals.
• Its chest and arms were made of silver, the next most precious metal.
• Its belly and thighs were made of bronze ie a copper alloy, traditionally the third most precious metal. It combines strength and brilliance – ancient mirrors were usually made using copper.
• (33) Its legs (ie knees to ankles) of iron. Although not a precious metal, iron is renowned for its strength.
• We should also note that its feet were composed partly of iron and partly of baked clay. ‘To have feet of clay’ is used in English to mean having an inherent weakness.

So here is an amazing statue. Huge and dazzling, it is an amazing sight.

Part 2. Daniel continues by reminding Nebuchadnezzar of what happened to this statue in his dream. Verse 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. Nothing is stated about from where this rock was cut or its exact size. The shapely statue was obviously manmade, by a very skilled man, but the rock is distinctly not made by human hands. We are told that the rock struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Two things to note then

• By striking it, the small, rough hewn, supernatural rock brings down the much bigger, skilfully sculpted, manmade statue. This was not done by striking the head, torso or legs but by striking at the weak point – the feet of clay. Although the feet are struck, the blow affects every part of the statue, 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff (husks) on a threshing-floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. So

What happens to the statue? It is struck a blow. It is broken into tiny fragments. The wind blows the remainder away not leaving a trace. So what a transformation. This immense statue is reduced to nothing.

What happens to the rock? Then note But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. Again note three things:

The rock struck the statue a deadly blow. Following this, the rock grew into a huge mountain. In place of the statue, Nebuchadnezzar sees a huge mountain that eventually fills the whole earth. If the manmade statue was impressive, how much more the mountain that replaces it!

3. Consider the interpretation given by God through Daniel

This was the dream, says Daniel (36) and then with great confidence and now we will interpret it to the king. Not that Daniel was relying on himself. Both the dream and the explanation had been revealed to him by God in answer to prayer. He had been at pains to stress that it is God who revealed these things. Verses 27, 28 Daniel replied, No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Also verse 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

As with the dream itself the explanation can be divided into two parts.

About the statue itself and the kingdoms of this world

Gold - Babylon. 37, 38 You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold. The Babylonian Empire was a truly great empire and there is no doubting the power and greatness of its head and founder Nebuchadnezzar. There had been superpowers before, such as the Egyptians and the Assyrians, and many after, of course, but at this point the Babylonians reached something of a zenith in world history. Nebuchadnezzar was truly a king of kings with dominion and power and might and glory. Nebuchadnezzar gave praise to his idols that this was the case but the truth is that it was God who had raised him up in this way and given power to Babylon at that particular time. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power etc …; in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. All his success and all its concomitant responsibility had come from God. It was because it was God’s will that Nebuchadnezzar had been able to achieve what he had. And whenever individuals or nations rise to power that is why it has happened – because it is God’s will. Later in 4:35 Nebuchadnezzar himself acknowledges All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No-one can hold back his hand or say to him: What have you done?

Do you realise that? God is in control of all things. He is the one who decides who will rule over what country and what powers that country will be able to exert. Who gave the British Empire the powers it once had? God gave it. And who took it away? God. Who gave Nazi Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics the power they had in the 20th Century and then took it all away again? The Sovereign God. Why does America have the power it has today? It is because that is the sovereign will of God.

Silver and bronze – Medo-Persia and Greece. 39a After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. The next and lesser power was that of the Medes and Persians. They displaced the Babylonians in Daniel’s lifetime. Like the two arms of the statue the Medo-Persian Empire was founded by Medes and Persians. 39b Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. Thirdly we come to Alexander the Great and the Kingdom he founded. As with the statue, it began united (belly) but soon split into two branches (thighs) – Seleucids and Ptolemies.

Iron with feet of clay – Rome. Again, if you know anything about Roman history, the prophecy is astonishingly accurate – verses 40-43 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron - for iron breaks and smashes everything - and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

So we have a representation of four different kingdoms – different and yet one nevertheless because each is a manifestation of man seeking his own glory. Here we are focusing on political dynasties – and there have been many since the Romans - but there are other empires too. Don’t we speak of publishing empires and financial dynasties? Whatever human kingdoms there may be, whether they are gold, silver, bronze or iron and clay they are really one, and the same fate will overtake them all.

This is why it is sheer madness to put our faith in any manmade kingdom how ever united, how ever splendid. All such kingdoms are doomed. We laugh a little when we think of Hitler’s proud boast that he was inaugurating a thousand year Reich – how quickly it all came to nothing! But none of this worlds’ empires lasts – not the Babylonian or Roman Empires, not the Aztec or the Mongolian, not the Ottoman or the British, not the Russian or the American either. No, all will fall.

About the rock and God’s Kingdom

In verse 44 Daniel then concentrates on the second part of the dream and what was going to happen in the time of the Roman Empire. Verses 44, 45 In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands - a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. What Daniel is prophesying, of course, is the coming of the Messiah in the period 4 BC-30 AD when the Romans held sway over Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Remember how, when Jesus began to preach his message was Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. He is the Rock of Ages, the stone that the builders (the religious leaders) rejected and had put to death on the cross. By that death, which seemed such a defeat, he actually crushed all other kingdoms and brought them to an end. He established a kingdom that will endure forever.

Daniel closes his message by saying The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy.

There are four things to note therefore:

1 The God of heaven has set up his own supernatural kingdom through Christ. The newspapers are full of what America is doing or what some highly influential group of people are saying; the history books concentrate on the empires of the past such - the Aztecs and the Incas, the Spanish and the French, etc. But the truth is that what really matters in the end is God’s Kingdom. Whether you are British or American, whether you have been to Israel or Egypt or India is relatively unimportant - what matter is whether you have entered God’s Kingdom. Entrance comes to all who are born again. Unless you are born again you cannot even see God’s Kingdom. Entrance is not a matter of nationality or riches but of faith in Christ.

2 It will never be destroyed or left to others or but will endure forever. One of the greatest qualities of this Kingdom is that it is an eternal kingdom. All manmade empires have fallen and will fall. They cannot last. But his kingdom goes on forever and forever. It will never be destroyed; it will never be superseded. Many times its demise has been announced but that cannot be.

3 Though small at first it will grow and will crush all other kingdoms, filling the earth. The picture of a small rock growing to be the size of a mountain that fills the earth is a vivid way of describing the kingdom’s small beginnings and its world-wide spread. It is unstoppable. We may be impressed by a great tall statue but it cannot begin to compare with a mountain. This is the difference between a merely human empire and the world-wide kingdom of God that is for all peoples everywhere.

4 The great God has revealed all this to you and it is true and trustworthy. None of us can say we do not know about this either. It is clearly revealed for us here in Scripture. What is here is true and it can be trusted. We must act in the light of it.

Are you outside the kingdom? Come in by faith. Are you in the kingdom? Be encouraged – it cannot fail. Work hard for the furthering of the kingdom in every way.