Daniel 3 & 6 The Furnace and the Den

Transcription

1 DANIEL our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. Daniel 3:17-18 NOTE FOR LEADERS This document is intended to be used as a discussion guide, rather than a curriculum. As small group leaders, please feel free to lead through the topic as most appropriate for your group. HOUSEKEEPING Things going on at the moment to remind your group of: EBC Spring Clothes Swap Sat 7 th o We are still looking for some volunteers, get in touch to get involved! AGM Meeting 10 th Sept Upcoming Baptism Services 3 rd & 17 th Sept

2 WHY DANIEL? There are a number of reasons Daniel is an important book for us to hear from. The themes addressed in the book of Daniel dovetail very well into how we began the year. In the life of Daniel and his friends that we will read about we will see powerful examples of people living out their faith, engaging with their world whilst remaining faithful to God. Daniel is filled with powerful encouragements for the people of God to live out their faith with perseverance, in the middle of a world where culture and politics are changing rapidly hostile one day and friendly the next and as such is particularly relevant to what many of us are experiencing in the world at the moment. In Daniel, we are reminded sharply of the grace of God and his care for his people, despite what circumstances might lead us to think is happening. This is a book that calls and reminds us to trust God more, and there is a peace that becomes ours when we live this out. REFLECT This is a time to generate some discussion around the ideas in the sermon. Some ideas include: Ask the group to debrief for those who missed the sermon on Sunday. What stood out? Do you have any questions? Were there any special moments of clarity where God spoke to you clearly? Why is this important and worth discussion? EXPLORE Let s dig a little deeper. Use the biblical text to discover what God reveals to us in his Word. RELEVANT SCRIPTURES Daniel 3 - Nebuchadnezzar's Golden Image King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counsellors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counsellors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the

3 sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshipped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. The Fiery Furnace 8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands? 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counsellors, Did we not cast three men bound into the fire? They answered and said to the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.

4 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here! Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counsellors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way. 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Daniel 6 - Daniel and the Lions' Den 6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God. 6 Then these presidents and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, O King Darius, live for ever! 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked. 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. 10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open towards Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. 11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked. 13 Then they answered and said before the king, Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.

5 14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he laboured till the sun went down to rescue him. 15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed. 16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you! 17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. 19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions? 21 Then Daniel said to the king, O king, live for ever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm. 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces. 25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. 26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring for ever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. 27 He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions. 28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

6 Luke 22:42 Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. UNDERSTAND & APPLY Help your group identify how the truths from the Scriptures apply directly to their lives. Get group members to talk about the real life implications of the study. 1. Is there any immediate response to the sermon necessary for you personally? 2. The Cost Your identity as a follower of God will receive opposition. Although we don t face fire and lions, living as a Christian in the West in 2017 is to live in the furnace of public opinion. There will be a real cost for you to live your life for God. What kind of pressures do we face today? Share you experiences. 3. The Call Trust God even when it looks like there is no way out. Stand up in faith, don t bow down to the idols of power, reputation, money, success and comfort. a. Consider the three men faced with being burnt alive if they didn t bow down. What do you think you would have done? b. What gives us the fuel to courageously stand up as they did? c. It s not just these big dramatic moments where we have to make his decision, but the small daily ones as well. Every day we will feel pressure to put God second and something else first. How do these battles play out for you in your experience? 4. The Consequence Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fire while Daniel was thrown to the lions. And yet it wasn t until they were standing in the fire with the flames licking their legs, and Daniel was standing there looking into the eyes of the lions that God intervened. There are going to be times that God allows us to walk through difficult things, and yet that doesn t mean he s absent or doesn t care. Paul in Romans 8:28 gives us what has got to be one of the most precious promises in all of Scripture: we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Why does this promise produce confidence even though circumstances might be horrific? 5. The Conqueror These stories in Daniel point outside of themselves to the true story of salvation in the bible: the rescue mission of God the Son to redeem the world. Jesus faced the true furnace of God s wrath for sin for us, and vanquishing our true enemies of sin and death for us. And Jesus is the reason these two amazing stories of costly obedience in Daniel don t crush us with guilt and expectation. There are three reasons for this: a. No fear in death. Death has lost its power and its sting through the gospel. Death is not the end but the consummation of new life. b. Future grace. We don t need to live in fear of failing God in some future test of faith, because we can trust today that God s grace for us will be sufficient on that day. And so today, we rest in that grace that we know is coming because God is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever. c. Jesus gifts us his righteousness. And finally, we are freed from the fear of failing God because Jesus in the garden faced the ultimate test for us on our behalf and was

7 found faithful in going to the cross. When we become Christians, we are joined to Christ and clothed in His perfect righteousness and record. Which of these three do you find most compelling to your own heart? Why? PRAY Prayer suggestion: Pray that the group would embrace its identity as elect exiles, and both put their lives to work for the good of the city we are in, while also remembering that this is not our home forever. Pray for wisdom to live in this world faithfully for the glory of God. Pray for boldness to stand up for God and resist the pressures to bow down to culture. Pray that God would help us live out our faith with confidence, knowing that he is for us and not against us. Thank Jesus that he frees us from the burden of living in fear of death and failure, but fulfils the demands of obedience in the garden. HELPFUL NOTES NOTES ON THE TEXT (FROM ESV STUDY BIBLE) Dan. 3:1 30 Nebuchadnezzar Builds a Great Statue. Nebuchadnezzar commands all peoples under his rule to worship his golden image, and, though his officials from other nations obey, Daniel s friends refuse out of loyalty to their God. When God delivers them from the fiery furnace, Nebuchadnezzar s respect for their God increases. A Babylonian document from the time of Nebuchadnezzar ( B.C.) warns not to harm the statue that had been set up: Beside my statue as king I wrote an inscription mentioning my name, I erected for posterity. May future kings respect the monument, remember the praise of the gods. He who respects my royal name, who does not abrogate my statutes and not change my decrees, his throne shall be secure, his life last long, his dynasty shall continue. Dan. 3:1 7 The Nations Worship Nebuchadnezzar s Statue. When Nebuchadnezzar has the statue built, representatives of the nations under his rule obey his command to worship it. Dan. 3:1 The image of gold reflects the enormous statue in Nebuchadnezzar s dream, except it is made entirely of gold, as if Nebuchadnezzar were asserting that there would be no other kingdoms after his. It was sixty cubits(90 feet/27 m) high and six cubits (9 feet/2.7 m) wide. Its location on a plain in Babylon recalls the location of the Tower of Babel (also on a plain, Gen. 11:2), as does its purpose to provide a unifying center for all the peoples of the earth. Dan. 3:2 satraps. A satrap was a governor of a satrapy (province); cf. Ezra 8:36. Dan. 3:3 This chapter repeatedly states that this was the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. It is unclear whether the image represented Nebuchadnezzar or one of his gods. All of the

8 leading officials from throughout his empire were gathered before the statue for its dedication, as a public statement that the unity of Nebuchadnezzar s empire was rooted in the common worship of the golden image. Dan. 3:5 The Aramaic names for the lyre, harp, and bagpipe may well be words loaned from Greek. Some conclude that the story must therefore have come from the time of Greek cultural dominance, namely, after Alexander the Great (d. 323 B.C.). But since there was Greek cultural influence in the Near East long before Alexander, this is not evidence of a late date for the book. Dan. 3:8 29 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Preserved in the Fiery Furnace. Daniel s three friends, who serve Nebuchadnezzar as officials, refuse to obey the command to worship the statue, even under threat of a horrible death in a furnace. Sentenced to die, they are rescued, which amazes Nebuchadnezzar. Dan. 3:12 Certain Chaldeans (v. 8 that is, the magicians, enchanters, etc.; cf. 2:2, 4) observed the fact that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had not joined in bowing to the statue. They charged the young men with ingratitude for the positions they held and impiety toward Nebuchadnezzar s gods. Daniel himself is curiously absent; perhaps he is away on a mission, or perhaps above the administrative rulers mentioned in 3:3 and thus immune from such displays of Nebuchadnezzar s pride, or perhaps the Chaldeans did not feel safe accusing Daniel. Dan. 3:18 But if not. There was no doubt in the three men s minds as to God s power to save them (see 2:20 23). Yet the way in which God would work out his plan for them in this situation was less clear. God s power is sometimes extended in dramatic ways to deliver his people, as when he parted the Red Sea for Israel on the way out of Egypt (Exodus 14); at other times, that same power is withheld, and his people are allowed to suffer. Either way, they would not bow down to Nebuchadnezzar s image. Dan. 3:19 In anger, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the furnace superheated: seven times more than it was usually heated is probably a figurative expression meaning as hot as possible (seven is a number signifying completion or perfection, cf. Prov. 24:16; 26:16). Dan. 3:22 Ironically, Nebuchadnezzar s order resulted in the death of his own soldiers, demonstrating the fact that the Lord is able to protect his servants better than Nebuchadnezzar can protect his. Dan. 3:23 After this verse the various Greek OT versions add The Song of the Three Young Men, which is an effort to elaborate the men s experience of deliverance in the furnace. Dan. 3:24 25 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were joined in the fire by a fourth individual, who had the appearance of a divine being like a son of the gods, who was either a Christophany (a physical appearance of Christ before his incarnation) or an angel (see v. 28). In either case, this is a physical demonstration of God s presence with believers in their distress, a graphic fulfillment of the Lord s promise in Isa. 43:2. The Lord promised his presence with his people, ensuring that their trials and difficulties would not utterly overwhelm them.

9 Dan. 3:27 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were completely untouched by the fire: their clothes were not harmed nor their hair singed, and they did not even smell of fire a testimony to the comprehensiveness of the Lord s protection. Dan. 3:28 Nebuchadnezzar s question in v. 15 had been decisively answered, as he himself was forced to testify. Yet his heart was not yet changed: the God of whom he spoke was still the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, or their God, not his own. Dan. 3:30 Nebuchadnezzar Promotes Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar shows that he appreciates the integrity of these men. Dan. 6:1 28 The Lions Den. In an episode that reminds us of ch. 3, but this time in the Medo-Persian court, Daniel refuses to treat the Persian king as the gods chief representative. When God delivers him from the lions, Darius learns to respect the God of Daniel. Dan. 6:1 3 Daniel Promoted. Daniel had served the empire faithfully for almost 70 years, and he continued to serve the new Medo-Persian administration. The satraps were provincial rulers, responsible for security and collection of tribute. The three high officials oversaw their work, making sure the tribute reached the king s treasury. As one of these three, Daniel received the reward promised by Belshazzar (see 5:29), in spite of Belshazzar s demise. Daniel did such an excellent job in this role that Darius planned to set him in an even higher position, over the whole kingdom (6:3). Dan. 6:4 15 The Administrators Plot to Remove Daniel. The other officials in the Medo-Persian court, jealous of Daniel s successful service, conspire to bring about a royal edict that they know Daniel cannot obey. Dan. 6:5 Daniel s faithfulness earned him some powerful enemies, either through jealousy or because his incorruptibility restricted their opportunities to enhance their income. Yet his character was such that they knew that the only way to bring a charge against him was in the area of the law of his God. Dan. 6:6 7 The high officials and the satraps came together by agreement (Aramaic regash); the equivalent Hebrew (Hb. ragash) depicts the nations noisily assembling against the Lord and his anointed (Ps. 2:1). They went to King Darius with a proposal for a new law: for the next thirty days no one was to petition any god or man except the king himself; all offenders would be cast into the den of lions. Darius likely viewed this law as a political rather than a religious edict, seeing it as a means of uniting the realm by identifying himself as the sole mediator between the people and the gods, the source of their every blessing. Dan. 6:8 the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked (cf. Est. 1:19; 8:8). This motif does not mean that the Medo-Persian Empire never changed its mind. Yet the concept of the king s word as inflexible and unchanging law underlined the fixed nature of the king s decisions. While it was always possible for the king to issue a contrary counter-edict, to do so would result in an enormous loss of face.

10 Dan. 6:10 Daniel continued his practice of prostrating himself three times daily toward Jerusalem, consciously fulfilling the scenario described in Solomon s prayer at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:46 50). This practice must have made it easy for the satraps and high officials to gather the evidence necessary to convict Daniel. Dan. 6:12 When his officials approached King Darius, they first asked the king to reaffirm the unchangeability of the decree, to make it hard for him to circumvent it. In spite of the king s efforts to deliver Daniel, he was forced to acknowledge the fact that his decree condemned Daniel to the den of lions (v. 16). Dan. 6:16 24 Daniel Preserved in the Lions Den. An angel protects Daniel from the lions overnight; but the accusers have no such protection. Dan. 6:16 18 To make sure that no outside help was given to Daniel, the mouth of the den was covered with a stone, which was then sealed with the signet rings of the king and his lords. Humanly speaking, Daniel was left all alone to face his fate. Yet Darius s last words to Daniel pointed to a higher source of help: May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you! Dan. 6:19 23 At break of day, Darius arose and hurried to the lions den, where he discovered that Daniel had spent a far more comfortable night surrounded by wild animals than Darius did in his royal luxury. Because Daniel trusted in his God and was found blameless before him, God sent his angel and shut the mouths of the lions so that they were unable to hurt him. The meaning of Daniel s name, God is my Judge, was thus affirmed. Dan. 6:24 After Daniel s release, those who had schemed against him were thrown to the same lions. This was in accord with the common principle in the ancient Near East that anyone who made a false charge against someone else should be punished by receiving the same fate they had sought for their victim (cf. Deut. 19:16 21). In line with the ruthless practice of the Persians, the sentence was also carried out on the families of the guilty men: their children, and their wives. The experience of the conspirators in the den was the exact opposite of Daniel s: they were seized and killed by the lions before they even hit the bottom of the den. Dan. 6:25 27 Darius Acknowledges the Power of Daniel s God. Darius, like Nebuchadnezzar, confesses the awesome power and protection of Daniel s God: he is the living God his kingdom shall never be destroyed (v. 26). Dan. 6:28 Daniel Preserved Until the End of the Exile. This closing comment rounds off the story of Daniel s life and puts his experience in the lions den into a broader context. It reminds the reader that Daniel s entire life was spent in exile, in a metaphorical lions den. Yet God preserved him alive and unharmed throughout the whole of that time, enabling him to prosper under successive kings until the time of King Cyrus, when his prayers for Jerusalem finally began to be answered. Cyrus was God s chosen instrument to bring about the return from the exile, when he issued a decree that the Jews could return to their homeland and rebuild Jerusalem (see 2 Chron. 36:22 23; Ezra 1:1 3).

11 REFERENCE: Developed with the help of the following: ESV Study Bible, Crossway.