Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was
sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in
the province of Babylon.
We think this takes place about six years after
the start of chapter two. How do we know? The Septuagint, (3rd
Century Greek translation of the Hebrew Scripture) begins by saying, “in the
eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar”.
King Nebs built a golden image about 90’x9’. How do we
know? A cubit is from elbow to middle finger, about 18”.
We think he built the image just south of Babylon. How
do we know? The plain of Dura is thought to have been just south of Babylon and
archeologists discovered about six miles southeast of town a massive brick
square large enough to support the image.
We don’t know what the image looked like, but we have some
pretty good clues as to what the image represented.
Here’s a clue. Daniel 2 was about Nebby’s dream of a great image whose splendor was excellent, its form was awesome, and the head of fine gold represented none other than king Nebuchadnezzar. (Daniel 2:31-32).
In Daniel 4, the king has another dream telling him
his pride will chop him down to size. The dream came true right after the king
said these prideful words: “Is not this great Babylon, that I have
built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my
majesty?
“While
the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from
heaven: ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed
from you! 32 And they shall drive you from
men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They
shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass
over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and
gives it to whomever He chooses.’
“ That
very hour the word was fulfilled concerning
Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body
was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and
his nails like birds’ claws.” Daniel 4:31-34.
Here in Daniel 3, he built a great image,
perhaps of himself, certainly about himself, perhaps like his dream,
whose splendor was excellent, its form awesome, and the head
of fine gold, but this time, not only is the head gold, but the
rest of the image as well. Not like in his dream where the rest of the body was
made of decreasingly less valuable metals all the way down to mingled iron and
clay, representing other world kingdoms. This image that he built was all gold
(well, probably not solid gold but a gold overlay).
Perhaps he was thinking, I’ll extend
my golden reign forever by this god that I have made.
Pride is a terrible thing. A stupid thing. Your head swells
up and pinches off your brain and makes you do stupid things. This week, while
preparing for Wednesday’s Bible study. I stole something. Three things. It was
stupid. I didn’t even need them. I already had a map and slides I’d used before
just fine. But when I saw Pastor Jack Hibbs maps of the Ezekiel war, I coveted
them. They were great images whose splendor was excellent,
the form was awesome, they were just golden. I knew they wouldn’t
mind if I used them, but it’d take time to send a request, and I didn’t have
time. So, I just screenshotted the maps and put them in our Power Point
presentation. I hijacked Jack’s maps. And then, the last slide that had a list
of resources to watch and listen to—I stole that too. I didn’t need that one at
all, but sin is a slippery slope, once you slip it’s too easy to keep right on
sliding.
I was sick, nauseous. Rox had gone to bed, and I was
pacing and praying and begging God to forgive me.
I found an email on behalf of Pastor Jack and
confessed my stupid stealing pride and asked for forgiveness from them too. They
were totally gracious and kind.
Oh, and it gets worse. During the sermon, I planned to
credit Pastor Jack for the slides, but I got all caught up in the message and
forgot.
Or did I forget on purpose because of pride? Oh, what
a wretched man that I am.
Pride is an awful thing. An ugly thing. A stupid
thing.
So, you’ll know what happened, if you see me outside,
like Nebuchadnezzar, eating grass like a cow.
Just in case you’re thinking it's no big deal:
1 Peter 4:17, For the time is come that judgment
must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the
end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Dear Church as children of God we must keep our hearts
pure toward God and sensitive against even the littlest of sin.
2 And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together
the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers,
the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces,
to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar
had set up.
3 So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the
counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the
officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication
of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood
before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Government officials traveled from all over the
Babylonian empire. From the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea, and parts of
modern-day Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, and Turkey and more.
 |
The devil is a counterfeiter.
Jerusalem is called the city of God.
Babylon is called the city of satan.
 |
| Overlay of maps |
The devil cannot create anything but tries to counterfeit
everything Godly.
It's no wonder for satan comes disguised
as an angel of light. 2 Cor. 11:14.
From far and wide they traveled across this vast land
on a foolish idol worshipping errand.
To this day people travel far and wide at great expense
to gather and meet and worship senseless idols. As idols are senseless, so are their
worshippers.
The king called, and they came—whether they wanted to
or not.
And there they stood before the image.
4 Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, (not
a suggestion) O peoples, nations, and
languages, 5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute,
harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music,
you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar
has set up;
This command to worship, is a counterfeit to the
commandment Jesus quoted when satan tempted Him to worship.
“Get behind Me, Satan! For
it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only
you shall serve.’ ”Luke 4:8. Exodus 20:3, Dt. 6:13.
The devil is a counterfeiter.
The bowing down is a counterfeit to when
every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
Phil. 2:9-11.
The devil is a counterfeiter.
Notice their worship was triggered by music.
God created music, not the devil. Music moves the soul.
For good, or evil. To worship God or get wild and crazy.
Music is moving. What are you listening to? Which way
does it move you? Toward God or away? If you say it doesn’t matter one way or
the other, then your heart is numb and we need to pray, right away.
They were allured to worship the image at the sound of
the music. By music they were charmed into compliance.
The devil knows the power of music.
Another thing to notice is that they all stood together
in front of the image and, then at the same time they all
fall and worship the image.
Picture the sea of people, all at once, falling
to their knees, their faces.
The devil knows the power of unity.
It was near this very place, many years earlier, where
the people were in unity and built the tower of babel. God looked and said, the
people are one; of one tongue, now nothing they imagine to do will be
impossible to them. Genesis 11.
Today the devil manipulates the masses by the power of unity.
Media puppets parrot the same mantra over and over and over until
the masses all fall at once and worship whatever foolish idol or idea they’re
pushing.
George Floyd is awesome! Cops are bad!
Palestine is awesome! Jews are bad!
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20.
6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast
immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”
The devil knows the power of fear.
If the king can’t draw you into compliance with
music, or pull you by peer pressure, he’ll drive you to compliance with
fear. The threat of being thrown into a fiery furnace was probably a pretty
good fear motivator.
We all saw and heard this demonic spirit straight from
the heart of hell, with screaming burning fury: “Give us what we want,
or we’ll burn down the system!”
One day that same arrogant evil spirit will lead
another world leader to make another image, of himself, to be worshipped, not
in the city of satan, but as a counterfeit in the city of God, in the very
temple (we’ll look at it later in Daniel 9, 11).
That leader, the antichrist, will force folks to worship
the image, (of the beast) and receive a mark acknowledging their submission to
him, or be killed. Revelation 13:11-18.
Once again, we see the devil’s counterfeit. This one might’ve
made the devil and his angels tremble if they thought about it too long.
The king commanded the people to worship the image or burn
in the fiery furnace.
God lovingly commands all to worship Him, or burn in
the lake of fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:41.
Okay, back to our text, everybody is standing in front of the image and
ready.
7 So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the
horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music,
all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped
the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
All the people fell down and worshipped...
Well,
almost all the people. Daniel 3:18.
Picture the people, standing, like a sea of glass all
around the golden image.
The music starts.
Then, like ripples from a rock dropped into the middle
of a smooth pond, those nearest the image bow to the ground, and then those
behind them bow, and on it goes like a wave rolling from the golden image
outward.
In a matter of moments thousands of people are prostrate
around the image of gold.
Imagine you’re there, standing toward the back of the
crowd. You’re watching the wave roll closer and closer. You know what you’re expected
to do according to the law of the land. You also know what you should do
according to the law of God.
Stand. Eph. 6:13.
Yeah, but everybody’s doing it, they’re all bowing.
You shall not bow to any idol or image.
Ex. 20:5
Okay, I know, I won’t bow. I’ll stand, in my heart, on the inside. But, outside,
I’ll kinda bow—but I won’t mean it.
Be not deceived, God is not mocked... Gal. 6:7.
Okay, if my legs get so stiff that I can’t bend over,
then, I’ll know...
Do not put the Lord thy God to a foolish
test! Dt. 6:16, Matt. 4:7.
By now the wave hits you and falls all around you.
Nothing stands before you but the gleaming golden image. You look behind and
see smoke rising from the fiery furnace. All of a sudden it feels like it got a
whole lot hotter, you’re kind of dizzy, and everything’s getting blurry.
That’s it, you’re gonna bow, your legs have turned to
Jello, if you don’t fall, you’ll faint. So that’s it, I quit.
But then, something catches your eye.
You turn and see there beside you, a couple of friends,
Mishael and Azariah... still standing.
You’re not alone. You’re not standing alone!
Your legs feel stronger. Your vision clears, you’re
able to breathe.
On second thought, I think I’ll stand.
...
be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put
on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not
wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore
take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in
the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13.
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word, thank
You for the Godly example of these three men who dared to stand when the rest
of the world bowed. Help us Lord to stand in faith, stand in love, stand
knowing that You will deliver us from the fire or through the fire, either way
we’ll be with You, and that is more than enough. Help us to stand in the way of
those headed to hell. Help us stand like a lighthouse guiding folks Home. Here
and now, we stand in prayer for all those You’ve given us, so none are lost.
We thank You, and praise You and love You,
forever, amen.
Prayer Requests:
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3:1-7
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Daniel 3:1-7
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