the second question

Posted on June 14, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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the second question

Daniel 3:13-15 (JDV)

Daniel 3:13 Then in a furious rage Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king.
Daniel 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar asked them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you don’t serve my gods or worship the gold statue I have set up?
Daniel 3:15 Now if you’re ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you don’t worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire – and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?”

the second question

I want to pause and consider the two questions that Nebuchadnezzar asked as he interrogated these three criminals. Yes, they were criminals in that context, because the king’s edict was law. They deliberately refused to serve Nebuchadnezzar’s gods and worship his statue. They were practicing civil disobedience. They could not lie their way out of trouble, and would not consider it. Now was the time for them to confess allegiance to Yahveh, the God of the Hebrews. The answer to the first question was YES.

The second question would also be unavoidable, although the three criminals would not ultimately answer it. God himself would be the one to show that he could rescue them from the sentence of death decreed.

At some point in history, some followers of God might read this as they prepare to face a similar fate. They should know that they are responsible to answer the first question and leave it to their Savior to answer the second.

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the big seats

Posted on June 13, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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the big seats

Daniel 3:8-12 (JDV)

Daniel 3:8 Some Chaldeans took this occasion to step up and maliciously accuse the Jews.
Daniel 3:9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live permanently.
Daniel 3:10 You as king have issued a decree that every mortal human who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music must fall down and worship the gold statue.
Daniel 3:11 Whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.
Daniel 3:12 There are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men have ignored you, the king; they do not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

the big seats

When I was a teenager, I was a member of the 4-H club. One year, I participated in a mock session of the State congress. I remember what a thrill it was for me to sit in the seat of my cousin, who was a State representative at the time. Going through the process of holding that session, debating bills, and having meetings with lobbyists, I got a glimpse of how that job was done. It gave me an appreciation for those who sit in the big seats.

Daniel’s three friends got a taste of the danger of high office. The jealousy of those who were passed over turned into malicious accusations and treachery.

We should be regularly praying for those who serve in politics, no matter which party they represent. Our prayers should go beyond asking for them to vote on our side. They should also have the strength to withstand attacks from their enemies.

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idolatry happens

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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Expedition 58 backup crew members lay flowers at the statue of Yuri Gagarin by NASA Johnson is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

idolatry happens

Daniel 3:1-7 (JDV)

Daniel 3:1 King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue, ninety feet high and nine feet wide. He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
Daniel 3:2 King Nebuchadnezzar sent a summons to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue set up by King Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 3:3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue the king had set up. Then they stood before the statue Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Daniel 3:4 A herald loudly proclaimed, “You are commanded – People of every nation and language:
Daniel 3:5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, you are to fall face-down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
Daniel 3:6 But whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.”
Daniel 3:7 Therefore, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and every kind of music, people of every nation and language fell down and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

idolatry happens

Nebuchadnezzar was already feared and obeyed by the nations he had conquered. He already had the submission of all his servants and his court. But he wanted to go beyond that. He wanted to be worshiped. The gold statue was just the thing. I imagine that he felt it was only proper for him to be worshiped since he had conquered the known world.

But his statue would pose a problem for a few people. They would see it as a challenge to their faith. They could honor the king, even obey him in most things, but they could never worship that statue. It was idolatry. Only God is to be worshiped.

LORD, give us the wisdom to know when to stop obeying man’s will, and the courage to always obey your will.

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the right friends

Posted on June 11, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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the right friends

Daniel 2:46-49 (JDV)

Daniel 2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell face-down, worshiped Daniel, and gave orders to present an offering and incense to him.
Daniel 2:47 The king said to Daniel, “Your God is indeed God of gods, Lord of kings, someone who reveals mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”
Daniel 2:48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.
Daniel 2:49 At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to manage the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court.

the right friends

When Daniel was promoted and given authority over Babylon, he asked that his three friends join him in the administration. He knew the value of keeping wise friends close.

“When your life is on the line, you want someone supporting you whom you trust—someone you can give your heart and life to for safekeeping. Strong leaders are wise to invest their lives in the right friendships. Pray and ask the Lord about the friendships you should have. He will help you make wise choices” (Gregor, Shanna D. Legendary Leaders of the Bible: 15 Stories You Should Know. Barbour Publishing 2011. p.144).

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greatness in perspective

Posted on June 10, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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Photo by Jeremy Park, Bible-Scenes.com

greatness in perspective

Daniel 2:36-45 (JDV)

Daniel 2:36 “This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.
Daniel 2:37 You king, are a king of kings. The God of the sky has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.
Daniel 2:38 Wherever the sons of mortal humans live – or wild animals, or birds of the sky – he has handed them over to you and made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold.
Daniel 2:39 “After you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours, and then another, a third kingdom, of bronze, which will rule the whole land.
Daniel 2:40 A fourth kingdom will be as strong as iron; because iron crushes and shatters everything, and like iron that smashes, it will crush and smash all the others.
Daniel 2:41 You saw the feet and toes, part potter’s fired clay and part iron – it will be a divided kingdom, though some of the strength of iron will be in it. You saw the iron mixed with clay,
Daniel 2:42 and that the toes of the feet were part iron and part fired clay – part of the kingdom will be strong, and part will be brittle.
Daniel 2:43 You saw the iron mixed with clay – the seed of mortal humans will mix with one another but will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with fired clay.
Daniel 2:44 “In the days of those kings, the God of the sky will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure permanently.
Daniel 2:45 You saw a stone break off from the mountain without a hand touching it, and it crushed the iron, bronze, fired clay, silver, and gold. The great God has told the king what will happen in the future. The dream is certain, and its interpretation reliable.”

greatness in perspective

The dream that Nebuchadnezzar dreamed acknowledged his greatness. He was a king of kings, with sovereignty, power, strength, and glory. But the dream was scary because it put that greatness in perspective. His greatness was temporary. His power would not last. We all need to recognize our mortality no matter how great we may seem to be.

God has a coming kingdom that will not be destroyed. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure permanently. Wise men like Daniel seek that king today. It is unwise to ignore him.

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a scary statue

Posted on June 9, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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photo by Jeremy Park, Bible-Scenes.com

a scary statue

Daniel 2:31-35 (JDV)

Daniel 2:31 “You, King, perceived a colossal statue. That statue, tall and dazzling, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was scary.
Daniel 2:32 The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its midsection and thighs were bronze,
Daniel 2:33 its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and partly fired clay.
Daniel 2:34 As you perceived this, a stone broke off without a hand touching it, struck the statue on its feet of iron and fired clay, and crushed them.
Daniel 2:35 Then the iron, the fired clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were shattered and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors. The wind lifted them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole land.

a scary statue

The statue Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream was colossal, tall, dazzling, and scary. We will learn as we keep reading that the figure depicted human empires and that they will be toppled by a divine reign — symbolized by the boulder.

Human history is filled with scary empires that swallow up nations and bring terror and shame to humanity. The more we know about these empires, the scarier they are. The good news for us as we look at today’s text is that there is a solution. It is not a political solution. It is not even a religious solution (in the sense of something the church can do). God’s plan to topple the mighty empires of the world is in his hands. His plan to rescue the universe requires a divine action — the return and reign of his Son.

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God is able

Posted on June 8, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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God is able

Daniel 2:25-30 (JDV)

Daniel 2:25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the Judean exiles who can let the king know the interpretation.”
Daniel 2:26 The king said in reply to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to tell me the dream I had and its interpretation?”
Daniel 2:27 Daniel answered the king: “No wise man, medium, magician, or diviner is able to make known to the king the mystery he asked about.
Daniel 2:28 But there is a God in the sky who reveals mysteries, and he has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay in bed were these:
Daniel 2:29 Your Majesty, while you were in your bed, thoughts came to your mind about what will happen in the future. The one who reveals mysteries has let you know what will happen.
Daniel 2:30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.

The king set up Daniel to get the credit for his wisdom, but Daniel changed the subject of the conversation. The question was not “Is Daniel able” — the question was “Is God able.”

You and I may have to wait for that one crucial opportunity to tell someone about the God in the sky. But we need to be ready when that opportunity comes.

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what destruction means

Posted on June 7, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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what destruction means

Daniel 2:24 (JDV)

Daniel 2:24 Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had assigned to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He came and said to him, “Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon! Bring me into the presence of the king, and I will give him the interpretation.”

what destruction means

Arioch had no intention to hold the wise men in prison and torture them perpetually. The king’s command was that they be killed. Theologians and preachers will tell you that in the Bible to be “destroyed” in hell means to be tormented forever. It does not. The Aramaic word destroy — אֲבַד (‘abad) here means to put to death. Hell is not perpetual torment. Hell is permanent destruction — the second death.

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what is in the darkness

Posted on June 6, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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what is in the darkness

Daniel 2:17-23 (JDV)

Daniel 2:17 Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the matter,
Daniel 2:18 urging them to ask the God of the sky for compassion concerning this mystery, so Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of Babylon’s wise men.
Daniel 2:19 The mystery was then revealed to Daniel in a vision at night, and Daniel praised the God of the sky
Daniel 2:20 and declared: May the name of God be praised perpetually, because wisdom and power belong to him.
Daniel 2:21 He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise men and knowledge to those who have understanding.
Daniel 2:22 He reveals the deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and light is released from him.
Daniel 2:23 I offer thanks and praise to you, God of my ancestors, because you have given me wisdom and power. And now you have let me know what we asked of you, because you have let us know the king’s mystery.

what is in the darkness

Daniel declared that God is wise and powerful because he knows what is in the darkness. He had faith that God had revealed the mystery even before he went to the king with his answer. The four believers had prayed for compassion concerning the mystery, and God answered that prayer.

James wrote “if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a double-minded individual, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8 NET).

All of us are deficient in wisdom regarding one thing or another. We have only so much light. The rest is darkness. But we need not fear, because God knows what is in the darkness. Through prayer, he can reveal it to us.

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when the impossible confronts

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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when the impossible confronts

Daniel 2:12-16 (JDV)

Daniel 2:12 Because of this, the king became violently angry and gave orders to destroy1 all the wise men of Babylon.
Daniel 2:13 The decree was issued that the wise men were to be executed, and they searched for Daniel and his friends, to execute them.
Daniel 2:14 Then Daniel responded with tact and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon.
Daniel 2:15 He asked Arioch, the king’s officer, “Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel.
Daniel 2:16 So Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time so that he could give the king the interpretation.

What if Daniel had not chosen to intercede? He and his friends were in danger, together with all the wise men, because the king had asked them to do the impossible. Faith turns to God when the time of testing comes. Faith sees the impossible as an opportunity to seek help from the immortal. It is a gamble, but when crisis comes, God is all we have.

God may want to do something amazing with your life. You may be one impossible demand away from that destiny. Trust him, and pray.

LORD, keep us close to you so that we are ready to turn to you when the impossible confronts us.

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