diviner-priests, mediums, sorcerers and Chaldeans, v. 2), it reminds us of the absolute power over subjects that an ancient king held.

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview August 3, 2014 Risk Everything for God Background: Daniel 2:1-3:30 Lesson: Daniel 3:1, 8-12, 15b-18, 24-25, 28 Motivation: Daniel was unique even among Old Testament prophets known for their uniqueness. First of all, his ministry spanned some 70 years. Also, he served as advisor and counselor to two of the more prominent rulers in the ancient world, Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus the Great, evidently moving both closer to acknowledging Yahweh as God. God used Daniel s early trials to mold him into the man of faith we see in Scripture. Examination: I. Confronting Impossible Demands (2:1-16) A. Date In the second year of his reign (1) The Babylonian system of dating did not include the year of a King s accession. Thus, Nebuchadnezzar was on the throne three years coinciding with Daniel s three year training program (1:5). B. Demand The king replied to the Chaldeans, My word is final: If you don t tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be made a garbage dump. But if you make the dream and its interpretation known to me, you ll receive gifts, a reward, and great honor from me. So make the dream and its interpretation known to me. (5-6) While Nebuchadnezzar s demand seems unreasonable to us (and seemed unreasonable to the diviner-priests, mediums, sorcerers and Chaldeans, v. 2), it reminds us of the absolute power over subjects that an ancient king held. C. Disappointment The Chaldeans answered the King, No one on earth can make 1 / 8

2 known what the king requests. Consequently, no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any diviner-priest, medium, or Chaldean. What the king is asking is so difficult that no one can make it known to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals. Because of this, the king became violently angry and gave order to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. (10-12) Nebuchadnezzar tested his wise men by withholding the details of his dream. They correctly responded that no one could supernaturally know of his private dream except the gods thus setting the stage for Daniel s revelation. D. Drama The decree was issued that the wise men were to be executed, and they searched for Daniel and his friends, to execute them. Then Daniel responded with tact and discretion to Arioch, the commander of the king s guard, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon. He asked Arioch, the king s officer, Why is the decree from the king so harsh? The Arioch explained the situation to Daniel. So Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give the king the interpretation. (13-16) When the king began to kill his wise men, Daniel stepped forward and took responsibility for interpreting the dream. In a time of crisis, a true leader will accept responsibility, devise a plan, and see it through. II. Turning to God for Help (2:17-49) A. Rendering Praise (19-23) Daniel knew that he had not possibility of even knowing the dream much less interpreting unless God intervened on his behalf. Notice how Daniel blesses the name of God. 1. God is enduring (20) forever and ever 2. God is omniscient (20-21) wisdom and power He gives wisdom to the wise 3. God is omnipotent (21) He removes kings and establishes kings 2 / 8

3 4. God reveals truth (22) reveals the deep and hidden things 5. God answers prayer (23) I offer thanks and praise to You B. Revealing Person (24-25) I have found a man among the Judean exiles who can let the king know the interpretation. Daniel s prayer is answered and he is able to present to the king an accurate portrayal of the next 500 years of history. C. Revelation Power Daniel answered the king: No wise man, medium, diviner-priest, or astrologer is able to make known to the king the mystery he asked about. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days. ( HCSB, p. 1436; 2:31-45 Daniel interpreted the parts of the colossal statue to represent four empires in historical succession. The head represented the kingdom of Babylon ( B.C.). The chest and arms symbolized the Medo-Persian Empire ( B.C.). The stomach and thighs stood for the Greek Empire ( B.C.). The legs referred to the Roman Empire (146 B.C.-A.D. 1476in the West and 1453 in the East). The feet were mixed of iron and clay and represented a future continuation or revival of Rome. The material of each section of the statue decreased in value but increased in strength. The decreased value may symbolize the moral decline of each succeeding kingdom. The increased strength refers to the harsher domination each successive kingdom would impose on its subjects. Daniel also described a stone that would shatter the final kingdom and grow into a mountain that filled the whole earth. The stone is the kingdom of God. Primarily because they disbelieve in the possibility of predictive prophecy, critical scholars assume that Daniel was written in 165 B.C. and therefore is looking backward rather than 3 / 8

4 forward at the rise of earthly kingdoms such as the Roman Empire. They divide the four kingdoms into Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece. On the other hand, most interpreters who accept the reality of predictive prophecy in Scripture believe Daniel was written in the late sixth century and view the fourth kingdom as Rome. They hold different opinions about the meaning of the stone, however. Some view it as a spiritual kingdom, embodied in the church, which gradually conquered the Roman Empire. Others more accurately view it as a future kingdom, when Messiah Jesus will return and establish His physical rule that will govern the whole earth and never be destroyed. D. Rewards and Promotion Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell down, paid homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present an offering and incense to him. The king said to Daniel, Your God is indeed God of gods, Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery. 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. 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. (46-49) God used Nebuchadnezzar to reward and exalt Daniel and his friends. When God puts us in a place of influence, He expects us to use that influence for Him. III. Refusing to Compromise Devotion (3:1-23) A. Nebuchadnezzar s Golden Image (1-7) King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue, 90 feet high and nine feet wide. He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. (1) Perhaps Daniel s vision of the head of gold (2:38) inspired this building of a ninety-foot golden colossus. The king s purpose was to impose unity on the multiracial population gathered to Babylon. History recalls a revolt in the 10 th year of his reign which could have precipitated this call for unity. B. Faithfulness and Protection of Daniel s Friends (3:8-23) Liberal scholars have for years tried to demean or explain away miracles in the Bible. The parting of the Red Sea becomes the struggle through the Reed Sea, etc. Daniel s friends were committed to God with or without a miracle (3:17-18). Here is an account of a classic miracle. 4 / 8

5 1. The Charge Some Chaldeans took this occasion to come forward and maliciously accuse the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, May the king live forever. You as king have issued a decree that everyone 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. Whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. 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 statue you have set up. (8-12) Jews have been maliciously accused throu gh the ages of disobedience to earthly authority. We see similar charges against Joseph (Gen. 39), Mordecai (Esther 3) and even Jesus (Mt. 22:15-17). 2. The Challenge 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? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, we don t need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up. (15b-18) Nebuchadnezzar s arrogance who is the god who can rescue you from my power? is reminiscent of Pharaoh s challenge to Moses Who is Yahweh that I should obey Him by letting Israel go? (Ex. 5:2) God is about to introduce Himself as the God who saves. 3. The Crucible And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire. a. The Event: A miracle may be a natural event that is miraculous by its timing, i.e. a rain that breaks a drought (1 Kings 18:45). In this case, the fire first burns the guards but does not burn the Hebrew children. b. The Extent: A miracle may be a common place event that is made miraculous by its extent. When Elisha filled the first vessel with oil, it was routine; when he filled every vessel in the neighborhood, it was miraculous (2 Kings 4:1-7). Notice the dramatic extent of God s protection: the Hebrew children were not burned, neither was their hair singed, nor their clothes scorched, nor did they even smell of smoke! (3:27) 5 / 8

6 c. The Effect: In all cases, the effect of a miracle is to give glory to God. Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God and sees an emissary from God (3:25), either an angel or the pre-incarnate Christ. His decree (3:29) shows the degree to which he was affected. 1 Pet. 5:6 IV. Demonstrating Extreme Faith (3:24-30) A. God is with us Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm. He said to his advisors, Didn t we throw three men, bound, into the fire? Yes, of course, Your Majesty, they replied to the king. He exclaimed, Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed; and the fourth looks like a son of the gods. (24-25) The fourth person in the furnace is a startling word picture of Christ s abiding presence with us, even in the worst of circumstances. He is Immanuel (God with us); He promises to never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). Paul declared For I am persuaded that not even death or life or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Rom. 8:38-39). B. God is to be Praised Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent His angel and rescued His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I issue a decree that anyone of any people, nation, or language who says anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be torn limb from limb and his house made a garbage dump. For there is no other god who is able to deliver like this. Then the king rewarded Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. (28-30) Once again Nebuchadnezzar saw the power of Yahweh and declared praise to Him. Yet he failed to show full devotion to the one true God. Application: 1. God provides supernatural wisdom (James 1:5). 6 / 8

7 2. God controls history (Isaiah 46:10). 3. God is with us at all times (Hebrews 13:5). Leader Pack Item 16: The Gold Statue Illustrator: p. 86, The Rise and Fall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: Dates: 6/5 8/7 MetroLIVE Thursdays; 7/19-26 Rushweek; 7/20 David Self preaching; 7/ 22 8/2 Choir Mission Trip to Africa; 7/25-26 FP4Health Summit; 7/27 John Sorenson preaching; 7/30 RUSH Summer Celebration; 8/3 Justin Holcombe preaching; 8/3 Deacon s Meeting/Church Conference; 8/10 Afshin Ziafat preaching; 8/11 Pastor returns from Sabbatical; 8/15 - Daycation ends; 8/24 Next Gen Back to School Sunday; 8/22 ReCreate Date Night; 8/24 - Back to School Sunday; 8/27 7 / 8

8 Midlink Kickoff; 8/29 HFBC Minute Maid Park; 9/1 - Labor Day Offices closed; 9/3 Milestone Classes start; 9/7 Adult 2 Rally; 9/7- Deacon s mtg./ Church conference; 9/12 Pastor s Anniversary Event; 9/14 LBS Leadership Luncheon; 9/17-19 Ed D6 Conf; 9/21 MIYCO; 9/25 Summit Celebrates; 10/3-4 Women s Retreat. 8 / 8