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Daniel 6

27 Nov

6 Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. 2 The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. 3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.

4 Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. 5 So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”

6 So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King Darius! 7 We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions. 8 And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” 9 So King Darius signed the law.

10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. 11 Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. 12 So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?”

“Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.”

13 Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.”

14 Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament.

15 In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.”

16 So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”

17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night.

19 Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. 20 When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”

21 Daniel answered, “Long live the king! 22 My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”

23 The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.

24 Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den.

25 Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:

“Peace and prosperity to you!

26 “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.

For he is the living God,
    and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
    and his rule will never end.
27 He rescues and saves his people;
    he performs miraculous signs and wonders
    in the heavens and on earth.
He has rescued Daniel
    from the power of the lions.”

28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Daniel 6

Dear God, I had an interesting thought as I read this story this morning: Should Daniel have tried to stop King Darius from killing the plotters and their families? Should he have said, “No, King. Have mercy”? And if the men needed to die, did their wives and children need to die too? I can see why Darius made this decision. He was a worldly king who made worldly decisions. But should Daniel have used it as a teachable moment for all of them? I honestly don’t know the answer to any of these questions, but they are the questions that came to mind when I read this story.

As I type this prayer to you, it is Thanksgiving morning. It’s a quiet morning for my wife and me. She is out walking the dog. I am taking advantage of this moment of solitude to pray to you. Holy Spirit, sit with me and talk with me as I make this moment intentional.

When I first started this morning and before I found the Daniel passage as the Old Testament reading for the day, I was thinking about Abraham Lincoln’s first Thanksgiving proclamation. It was published in October 1863 and decreed that the last Thursday of November should be a national day of Thanksgiving. I think we’ve tweaked it since then to make it the Thursday before the last weekend of November, but the tradition still stands. What’s remarkable to me about the proclamation is that it was set right in the middle of the Civil War. He found things to be grateful for in the midst of unimaginable suffering and anxiety, and he thought it was the best thing for the nation to be able to recognize the good in their lives. It is still that way. In the midst of a stressful year–and it has been a stressful year–the healthiest thing we can do is worship you and give thanks.

Father, as I sit here this morning, my life is not exactly the way I want it to be. I have sorrows and sadness. But there is so much that I’m taking for granted and ungrateful for in the midst of that sorrow, and my lack of gratitude is killing the fruit you are trying to grow in me. If I am ungrateful for the good and only focus on what I perceive to be bad (even though you might be using it and working the “bad” to be good, and I just cannot see it) then I will miss the opportunity to worship you, be grateful for what I have–starting with you–and then let your Spirit flow through me. I’m going to church here in a few minutes. I pledge to make it a time of great thanksgiving from my heart and worship of you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 27, 2025 in Daniel

 

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Daniel 5 (with some Daniel 3)

26 Nov

5 Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. 3 So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, 6 and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.

7 The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!”

8 But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant. 9 So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken.

10 But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened. 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king—your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar—made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon. 12 This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”

Daniel Explains the Writing

13 So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles brought from Judah by my predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar? 14 I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods within you and that you are filled with insight, understanding, and wisdom. 15 My wise men and enchanters have tried to read the words on the wall and tell me their meaning, but they cannot do it. 16 I am told that you can give interpretations and solve difficult problems. If you can read these words and tell me their meaning, you will be clothed in purple robes of royal honor, and you will have a gold chain placed around your neck. You will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

17 Daniel answered the king, “Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means. 18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar. 19 He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. He killed those he wanted to kill and spared those he wanted to spare. He honored those he wanted to honor and disgraced those he wanted to disgrace. 20 But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them.

22 “You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. 23 For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! 24 So God has sent this hand to write this message.

25 “This is the message that was written: Mene, mene, tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is what these words mean:

Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end.
27 Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up.
28 Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

30 That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed.

31 And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.

Danie 5

Dear God, the Old Testament reading for the Catholic Church today was portions of Daniel 5, but I figured I’d just do the whole chapter since it forms the story. I think they were just trying to keep the public reading time down a little by focusing on the essence of the story.

Of course, when I was reading this story I first wanted to compare myself with Daniel. How might I be faithful and wise like Daniel was? How might I be humble and eschew all glory offered to me and just humbly perform my assignment which includes glorifying you? What words of wisdom and warning are you giving to me that I need to share with others? Those are the questions I started to ask myself.

Then I saw this king sitting over there in the story. He’s actually the protagonist of this chapter in Daniel’s book. Belshazzar. Accomplished, but also handed a kingdom by his father Nebuchadnezzar. So more Solomon than David. Arrogant. Presumptuous. Self-congratulatory and disrespectful. In the end, powerless. How much of me is like him, and if I’m not like him now, how much potential do I have to become like him? What do I need to do to guard myself from slipping into the trap that grabbed him?

I think one of the first things I need to do is offer you all of my worship. The Catholic Psalm of the Day is Daniel 3:62-67 (I’ll confess, before today I never noticed the Catholic Church used psalms for the Psalm of the Day that weren’t from the Book of Psalms.

R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Sun and moon, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Stars of heaven, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Every shower and dew, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“All you winds, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Fire and heat, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Cold and chill, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Interestingly, these verses are not in the Protestant Bible. They are in the Catholic Bible and, I presume, the Jewish version of Daniel. These words were sung by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace (hence the references to heat and chill. These were the words sung by those who were facing persecution for their love for you. We really do miss something in our Protestant Bibles (and I say “our” because I am not Catholic, but continue to worship with Catholics because my wife is Catholic and I both think it’s important to worship with her and have come to appreciate parts of Catholic theology and tradition). I love having this piece of the story. Daniel 3 in the Protestant Bible has 30 verses. In the Catholic Bible, Daniel 3 has 100 verses. 70 verses of great stuff. Too bad I’ve never really noticed or read it before.

But I digress. How do I keep from becoming like Belshazzar? First, submit to you and worship you. Check. Next, examine my heart before you and repent. Where do I take credit for the things that I have when it could all be gone in a heartbeat? What do I take for granted that is really so fragile, up to and including my health and life? We are not as strong as we think we are. I am not as strong as I think I am. So second is self reflection/examination and repentance. Oh, Father, I am sorry for my ingratitude and arrogance in that area.

Next, how do I do with the second commandment (according to Jesus) of loving my neighbor as myself? Am I there sacrificing for others? Loving my enemies or those I simply don’t like? Am I willing to go the extra mile for not only my friends (even sinners do that), but also for those with whom I disagree or don’t appreciate? Father, give me eyes to see my hypocrisy here and help me to recognize when you are calling me to act in your name, regardless what it will cost me.

Father, I have a lot more Belshazzar in me than I do Daniel. On a spectrum of Belshazzar to Daniel, I would love for my needle to point towards the Daniel side of the scale than Belshazzar’s, but I recognize that it’s a constant struggle to submit to you in worship, submit to you in repentance, and submit to you and my neighbors in love and sacrifice. Walk with me, Holy Spirit. Speak to me. Guide me. And in the words of the song “Spirit of the Living God,” “Break me. Melt me. Mold Me. Fill me.”

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 26, 2025 in Daniel

 

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Daniel 9:4-6

06 Mar

I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land.
Daniel 9:4-6

Dear God, my wife told me a story this evening about John Michael Talbot speaking at an event she attended last night. He mentioned a time in his life when he felt the burden of his sin after an experience of dying briefly during a heart event and feeling the weight of it in that small moment between life, death, and then back to life. He said he spent months really repenting through his sin.

Regarding this passage, I remember when I was listening to the Bible in a year podcast last year and the priest focused on Daniel repenting in this passage for not only himself, but the people as well. He owned the corporate sin for himself. He repented.

My wife is Catholic and last week was a “reconciliation” service that was scheduled for lent. It’s a time for Catholics to confess their sins to a priest and then receive dispensation and penance instructions. It’s not the worst tradition I’ve ever heard of.

Recently, watching the Jesus Revolution movie, I experienced once again the power of repentance. The freedom felt from that first exposure to you and the grace of Jesus. Repentance is powerful.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I’ve repented so much for things that I think I’m beyond the “high” of repenting, but I am certainly not past the peace it brings. The peace your forgiveness brings. It breaks my heart when anyone rejects you because they see you as the great Rule-Maker in the sky, just waiting for us to break your rules. The truth is, the rules serve a function and purpose. Like for our own children. We don’t just make rules for rules’ sake. We make them to guide and protect them from things they may or may not see. So as for me, I’m sorry for the things I do. I’m sorry for the selfish, unfaithful, insecure things I do. Help me to find my joy only in you and the things you call me to. Help me to be your example of repentance and grace for others. Help me to be your salt in this increasingly saltless world.

I pray all of this under the grace afforded to me through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 6, 2023 in Daniel

 

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Daniel 4:24-32

14 Jan
“The Madness of King Nebuchadnezzar” by Matthew Clark. From Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups by Ned Bustard

24 “‘This is what the dream means, Your Majesty, and what the Most High has declared will happen to my lord the king. 25 You will be driven from human society, and you will live in the fields with the wild animals. You will eat grass like a cow, and you will be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses. 26 But the stump and roots of the tree were left in the ground. This means that you will receive your kingdom back again when you have learned that heaven rules.

27 “‘King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.’

28 “But all these things did happen to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later he was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon. 30 As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’

31 “While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. 32 You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’

Daniel 4:24-32

Dear God, this story convicts me this morning. I found myself jokingly talking like Nebuchadnezzar this morning. I have a tricky issue I’m trying to think through, and I knew I wanted to spend some time with you in earnest prayer about it this morning, but I also had some ideas of my own. So as I talked to my wife about it, I jokingly said that I had come up with some ideas, but I would check in with the Holy Spirit to see if He had any thoughts on the matter, as if it would be an automatic ratification of what I had come up with. As if I could do any of this on my own.

Daniel’s words are for me this morning: “Stop sinning and do what is right.” In this case, it’s just hubris. But the truth is, the ideas I came up with overnight, while they were good, I do think they came from you and you speaking to me and not from me. No, I’m a fool. I’m vain. I want to be respected. I want to be liked. But you are the author of everything good, not only in my life but in me as well. If I have any good thoughts, they are from you. If I have any good decisions or counsel to provide someone else, it is from you. You are my only hope. You are the only thing that keeps me from making a complete disaster of my life. You and you alone.

As I look at this image created by Matthew Clark it can be a little hard to see what all he is putting in there. I see what I think is a snake coming around Nebuchadnezzar’s neck and under his beard. It’s almost like he’s wearing a helmet with oxen horns and ears. It looks like his mouth is hanging open. This is what it looks like when we descend into ourselves.

I want to reprint here what Bustard shares about this piece:

Verse 33 continues with, “Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.” [Matthew Clark] writes, “the ‘horns of divinity’ appear in many ancient Sumerian and Babylonian idols. Also, the ancient peoples often thought of crazy people as touched by divinity. So, ironically, Nebuchadnezzar achieved what he desired to accomplish in chapter three when he commissioned the golden statue of himself–but not exactly the way he wanted!” Ultimately the king recovered his sanity and could “praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”

Father, I am humble before you right now. I am an arrogant fool, and I am sorry. I experience success and I count is as credit to me. It is not. It is you. It is all about you. I pray that my life today might be about worshipping you and carrying you into the world. I pray that those who encounter me might experience a piece of you and your Holy Spirit today. My utmost for your highest. All that I am for all that you are. Take my life, Lord, and let it be consecrated unto you.

I pray all of this in the name of the Lord of Lords, the King of King, and my God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 14, 2023 in Daniel, Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups

 

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Daniel 9:1-3

01 Mar

It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians. During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.

Daniel 9:1-3

Dear God, I don’t know my Old Testament timelines well enough. I’ve ranted about the modern misinterpretations of Jeremiah 29:11:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

But they almost always skip verse 10:

This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.

There are times when I think I focus too much on trying to see the forest from the trees, but sometimes I think it is important to ignore the forest and just deal with the trees for which you have given responsibility. Help me to be faithful with these trees.

Then there is Daniel’s response, from I can learn as well. Help me to be pained by my country’s sin, and help me to start with my own repentance. I should probably be more burdened for the impact my country’s sin has on the poor and/or vulnerable. What impact it has on children. What impact it has on the elderly. Marriages. Friendships. Isn’t it interesting that our temptation as Americans is to read this passage and find hope. Daniel’s response was to be convicted, heartbroken and repent. Let it convict me as well.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 1, 2021 in Daniel, Jeremiah

 

Ephesians 1:9-10

06 Nov

God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.

Ephesians 1:9-10

Dear God, I wonder what Paul would have to say about these verses now. Would he be surprised to know that it’s been nearly 2,000 years since he wrote these words and we are still waiting for your plan to be fulfilled? Better said, we are waiting on Paul’s perception of your plan to be fulfilled.

Part of me wants to sit and talk about whether or not Paul was right or wrong. Another part wants to sit and contemplate what your plan is. What exactly are you doing? But that’s a fool’s errand, and I am certainly in no position to form such opinions. No, I think it’s a mistake for me to try to figure out your plan. After all, what will it gain me? What will it gain the world to know your plan for the next 2,000 years? I said a long time ago that you keep me on a need-to-know basis and I very rarely need to know. Those words are as true now as ever.

What I need to focus on is worshipping you today, and being so in tune with the Holy Spirit that I can hear his voice giving me guidance at any given moment. So here is my worship to you. It’s from Daniel 2:19-23:

That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. He said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.”
Daniel 2:19-23

Father, you gave Daniel the information you needed him to have without burdening him with information he didn’t need. Please do the same for me. Give me wise counsel for others. Give me insight into the activities that should get my attention and energy. Move through me and bring others to yourself through my life. Be glorified in me so the world might know how amazing you are. And as you choose to raise up leaders here and there, I trust that you are doing exactly what you need, not necessarily for my person good in this moment, but for our good in the long run. It’s all about you and not about me. I am yours.

In Jesus’a name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 6, 2020 in Daniel, Ephesians

 

The Fiery Furnace – Daniel 3:14-23

27 Oct

The above image is from Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups by Ned Bustard. The image is called “Even If” and was created by Ned Bustard.

Daniel 3:13-23
Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. ” Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

Dear God, before I get into the artwork that accompanies this story, I want to spend a little time with a revelation that I had. Christians/Jews in the Bible who were living in exile or under the rule of a non-Jewish/Christian king didn’t seem to complain about persecution. Whether it was Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in this story or Paul, Peter, or any of the other martyrs in the New Testament, they seem to take it in stride. Now, I’m sure they were scared and frustrated, but they seemingly dealt with that internally and with you. Externally, however, they just worshipped you through it.

Contrast that with how a lot of Christians respond to what they call “persecution of Christians” in our country today. First, I hardly think it can be called persecution in light of what real persecution looks like. But I hear a lot of whining about Christians being persecuted. Outside of the enforcement of the separation between church and state rules that have been set up, I’m not even totally sure what they’ve been referring to. And maybe I have only a limited picture because I live in the South where there are still large parts of the community that honor faith, but even so, whining is not how to be a witness for you. In this case, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego influenced the king by their faith in action, not by complaining to him that he was being unfair. Paul and Peter were the same way. Letting our faith shine in the midst of trials is what changes hearts. Complaining only makes others tune us out.

Okay, with that being said, let me take a look at this image created by Bustard and see what I see before I read his description.

  • You are overlooking Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego with your arms out wide and your hands open. Everything about you is outstretched and present.
  • Your eyes are focused on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
  • The flames are very present. They have not been removed. The three of them had to go into the fire.
  • The three men are certainly given distinct looks and hair styles.
  • The one on the right with the curly hair seems to have a rye smile.
  • All three of the men are looking at us while you are focused on them.
  • The guard is dead and the fire had already skeletonized him.
  • The guard is holding a bellows, indicating that he was part of making the fire as hot as possible and he paid a priced for it.
    • He sacrificed his life out of obedience to a king/god that couldn’t save him from the fire that you saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from.
  • I just noticed a triangle behind your head. Is that a reference to the Trinity? If so, that’s a nice touch.

With that said, here is what Bustard said about his piece “Even If.”

The title for this piece comes from a different translation of the “But if not” protest against Nebuchadnezzar made by these three young men in this passage. And at the end of the passage above it looks like God will not save them. The poor Persian soldier on furnace duty that day lies on the ground, burned hallway to the bones by the incredible heat, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are doomed to be burned to death. But then the king was astonished to see four men unbound, walking  unhurt in the fire. God had chosen to save them. He protected them from the king, from the heat, and from death. The appearance of the fourth man in the fire represents a theophany–God revealing himself in human form before the incarnation. Other such appearances include Genesis 32:24-30 and Joshua 5:13-15.

Father, I will follow you “even if” you choose not to save me from earthly situations. I will follow you “even if” I am disappointed with how things that I for which I’m praying turn out. I will follow you “even if” I am angry with you. I will follow you “even if” the road is hard. Let “even if” be my mantra today. I have nothing to prove to anyone else. I am following you “even if” they can’t understand why. But with that said, let my life be an example to others of why, and draw others to yourself through what they see of you in me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 27, 2019 in Daniel, Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups

 

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