Book of Daniel part 3

 

Chapter 3 vs. 2& 3 - All authority given by men to man is then used by man to become glorified and ultimately worshipped. Rev: 13:15&16 - we worship our image today in countless ways  - movies, tv, magazines, Internet, etc.

Vs. 4&5 -  No one is exempt, all must worship the man-made image (meaning all must obey king) or be threatened with death. Just like when men must receive the "mark of the beast" or die. There is no neutral ground- all must bow to Jesus or Satan. Like the old Bob Dylan song said "you gotta serve somebody".

Vs. 7 - Same today - the vast majority of people,  99.9%, chose to obey. Actually,  it says ALL THE PEOPLE fell down and worshipped....all seek to preserve their brief life, in this flesh, whereas Jesus said we should lose it for his sake, to gain eternal life. Only those without the mark whose names are found in the Lamb's Book of Life will refuse to worship the beast or his image. Only they will have the testimony of verse 12 - "They serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up".

Verse 15 - the king had previously known God as a revealer of secrets - yet still doesn't know Him as our deliverer and protector. He asks "Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" Good question! One God is happy to answer. Remember this - there are times when God will deliver you from evil, and there are times when He will let evil befall you, then deliver you and protect you in the midst of it, the choice is His. Just know - the longer He waits, the more glory He gets. Remember Lazarus? Jesus said one of the reasons he waited so long to come to him, after he died, was so the believers would see God's glory AND BELIEVE.

Verses 17&18 - must be our testimony too. We must resolutely reply to Satan like this when he tempts us to worship ourselves,  or our fellow man. If all God's people replied to religious leadership the way the Apostle's did in Acts chapter 4, if today's Apostles and Prophets proclaimed this, it would deliver and set free multitudes of saints - "WHETHER IT BE RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF GOD TO HEARKEN UNTO YOU MORE THAN UNTO GOD, JUDGE YE. FOR WE CANNOT BUT SPEAK THE THINGS WHICH WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD". Hallelujah! Far too many today hearken unto men more than God. They obey their church leadership rather than God. It must end now! 

Verse 22 - those who try to slay us will themselves be slain in the same trap they set for us! Those who's tongues are "set on fire of hell" - who try to slay us with their hateful words, will reap what they sow - for every tongue that rises against us in judgement God will condemn, not us. We do not curse back when we are cursed, we do not revile those who revile us, for we know "Vengeance is Mine,  saith The Lord". 

Vs. 24&25 - Nebuchadnezzar begins to see the light - he calls the fourth figure in the fire "like the Son of God"....he says this by Divine revelation (yes God uses heathen kings). 

Verse 29 - our goal is to cause the heathen to testify - There is no other God like our God - there is none greater.

Verse 30 - promotion is of the Lord. Those who do not lust after earthly riches, who do not set their hearts on gold or silver, will often be rewarded with those very things, because God sees they are willing to lay down their lives and give it all up at a moment's notice.  If the rich, young ruler did not have his heart set on his riches, but rather on Jesus, Jesus may not have told him to sell all he had and give the money to the poor. Like he did with Abraham, when he stayed his hand at the last second and provided a ram. If the young man had agreed to sell all he had, Jesus might have said, no need, i see your heart belongs to me. Notice too, Jesus didn't say "sell all you have and give the money to Me", like so many today would do. Jesus esteemed the poor more highly than himself, as should we. The riches we gain from following Christ are far greater than all earthly riches anyway. Those who do not compromise , who stand firm in their values, who stay the course God puts them on, even in the midst of fiery trials, knowing He is with them always, who endure till the end of the world in them, WILL BE SAVED.