We are changing gears a bit.
Whereas it took fourteen reflections to look at the first two chapters of Daniel, we will look at chapter three in just a few.
Why? Because in many ways the same themes are running through the remainder of the book. At certain junctures, I will point them out, but hopefully not rehash them.
In chapter 3, we see a strong act of faith.
Two questions pop into my mind.
· What was going on in the world?
· What was going on in the minds of Meshach, Shadrack, and Abednego?
In this reflection, let’s look at the first.
Are you/we surprised by what Nebuchadnezzar is up to? Shouldn’t we be surprised? Didn’t Nebuchadnezzar acknowledge the God that Daniel worshipped as the Most-High God? Isn’t Nebuchadnezzar converted?
Apparently not!
So, “What in the world, or perhaps Nebuchadnezzar’s, is going on?”
Quite simply, it is one thing to intellectually acknowledge who is in control of our lives—it is quite another to actually submit yourself to that control.
The image for this post is three different triangles. A triangle, with its three points, is meant to let us envision which of the three is on top—which is in control of our lives—God, or the world, or even ourselves
For years, some states and/or rulers have sought to use religion to control. At times Christianity has either been on-point for this worldly desire, and at other times certainly been co-opted for this purpose.
When we’ve done this as Christians, we ultimately have misunderstood God’s idea of “kingdom”. At best we’ve been trying to create the kingdom here without looking forward to eternity. At worst, we were never really serving God, but rather ourselves.
Nebuchadnezzar is serving himself.
Nebuchadnezzar has put not just the state “on top”, he has put himself in that position. Note his anger. Note how in verse 15 he exclaims, “…who is the god who will deliver out of my hands…”
“His hands”, Nebuchadnezzar has set himself as a god. The statue is truly an idol of him and his power.
In the next post, we will look at what it takes to resist such a situation, but for now, the question might be, “Who is on top in your world?”