Studies

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Studies in Daniel
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The Table of Contents

Chapter 1v1-21 Compromise or
Else Chapter 2v1-49 A Disturbing Dream
Chapter 3v1-30 Dare to be Different
Chapter 4v1-37 God Humbles the Proud
Chapter 5v1-31 The Destiny of Man
Chapter 6v1-28 Finding Yourself on the Menu
Chapter 7v1-28 The Four Beasts
Chapter 8v1-27 The Little Horn
Chapter 9v1-27 Daniels Prayer
Chapter 10v1-11v1 Spiritual Conflict
Chapter 11v2-35 Historys Pattern
Chapter 11v36-12v-13 The End
Time
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Dare to Be Different Chap 3v1-30
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Introduction
Being different is never easy. However, it is
only when Gods people are different that they
are effective in confronting others with
spiritual truth. Jim Elliot, the missionary
martyr in Brazil wrote let me not be a milepost
on a single road, make me a fork that men must
turn one way or another in facing Christ in
me. The witness of the three men in our passage
helped shape the direction of the life of one
of the most powerful men in the ancient world.
Their behaviour also challenges us to ask what
we might accomplish for God in pressure
situations.
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The Man who would be God
In Chapter 2 of Daniel, God had used a dream to
unsettle Nebuchadnezzar and persuade him of the
existence of a greater king and an everlasting
kingdom. It left Nebuchadnezzar standing on the
threshold of commitment to God but he did not
cross it. He recognised God to be the Revealer
of Secrets but he found it hard to accept that
his little kingdom would have to give way to the
kingdom of Christ. He is not alone in that
regard. Many people today cannot bring themselves
to submit to the absolute authority of God over
their lives.
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The Man who would be God
Nebuchadnezzar wasnt only stubborn, he was
foolish enough to think that he could displace
God. He decided to promote a personality cult and
set up a dazzling gold plated statue of himself
on the plains of Dura. He would become the object
of worship for all of his subject peoples. The
personality cult, with its use of portraits /
statues of rulers has been used throughout
history. Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Khomeini
have all marketed themselves in this way and in
the process have introduced threat, intimidation
and fear. Freedom of speech or conscience are
discouraged - lest they fracture a fragile unity.
Dissidents and reactionaries are quickly
identified and severely dealt with.
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The Man who would be God
Three dissidents, whod previously refused to
compromise their faith Chap 1, now build on
their earlier resolution by refusing to comply
with the kings command. Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego knew the penalty of their defiance would
result in their being thrown into a fiery
furnace. Gracious defiance of rulers intent upon
compromising the believer can be found in the
history of the church from the early days of the
Roman empire to more recent acts of defiance in
Communist Russia and the Islamic Republic of
Iran.
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The Man who would be God
The three dissidents defiance caused the king to
fall into an uncontrollable rage. Why? Did their
refusal fuel a gnawing suspicion that his
religious extravaganza would fail to accomplish
its purpose. These men were challenging a belief
system of his own creation? One which he
desperately wanted to be true! The truth
that he was a god which he was so desperate to
establish and have others build their lives upon,
was beginning to crumble. His faith system was
built on his fertile ideas and not upon what God
had clearly revealed. It was built on sand.
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The Man who would be God
Saul of Tarsus breathed out threats of murder in
Acts 9v1. His rage cant be explained solely in
terms of religious zeal. The foundations of his
life were also crumbling. Having heard Stephens
teaching in the synagogue, hed been unable to
refute his arguments? Could he have been wrong
all these years about how to get right with God?
Like Nebuchadnezzar his was also the rage of a
man running away from the truth about himself.
Nebuchadnezzar, Saul, and countless others of
every age have responded with anger, when the
foundations of their lives are shaken and shown
to be insubstantial. The focus of their anger is
generally aimed at those who have been
responsible for exposing their truth and
revealing it to be a lie.
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The Non-Conformists
As we turn our attention to the three
non-conformists the first thing that strikes us
is their resolute fearlessness cf. v16 Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O
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 save us from it, and he will rescue us
from your hand, O king. But even if he does not,
we want you to know, O king, that we will not
serve your gods or worship the image of gold you
have set up. They werent overawed by this
great king or his giant incinerator. Why? They
feared God more than they feared man! Oh! they
saw an infuriated majesty, but they acknowledged
a greater MAJESTY and HIM they would not
offend.
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The Non-Conformists
Alex Whyte a well known Edinburgh minister, once
faced a crisis in his ministry. He was being
criticised because he preached about sin. He was
tempted to dilute his ministry but after a break
in the highlands he wrote What seemed to be a
divine voice spoke with all commanding power in
my conscience and said, Go on and flinch not. Go
back, boldly finish the work that has been given
you to do. Speak out, fear not. Make them at any
cost see themselves in Gods holy law as in a
mirror. Do that for no one else will do it. No
one will risk his life or reputation to do it,
you have not much left to risk. Whyte returned
to his ministry and enjoyed the particular
favour of God. Like these three men he had seen
the splendour and majesty of God and feared him
more than what man could do to him.
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The Non-Conformists
The second striking thing about these men is
their confidence in God cf. v17 our God is able
to deliver. This is not presumption, nor is it
optimistic self-deception. This is the confidence
of faith. They saw the power of the king but
beyond that they saw the OMNIPOTENCE of God.
They had been schooled in Gods Word, which is
now applied with power and grace to their souls.
It is as though God had left his signature upon
the walls of their hearts beside the promises
made them in his word. In this way under trial
they could adjust their expectations to the
promises of God in complete assurance that the
God of the whole earth cannot lie.
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The Non-Conformists
The last point to make about their interview with
the king concerns their faithfulness. Note what
they are saying in v18 In other words, If God
doesnt deliver us in the way that we expect, he
still has our vote. Nothing will convince us
otherwise. That kind of talk rocks Satans
kingdom. It baffles the pragmatism of the world,
which argues, if something doesnt work for your
immediate benefit and in the way you expect
then discard it. Now God does not always
deliver in the way we expect!
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The Non-Conformists
Our hearts allegiance will be tested, perhaps in
the area of personal relationships, or in our
work situations where our response to pressure is
often muted by fear of loss of promotion or of
our job itself. Or we might be influenced by
the prospect of physical harm imprisonment of
separation from our families. Or perhaps its
the peer group pressure to remain one of the
boys that discourages us from taking a stand.
Three men stood their ground for God and ended
up in Nebuchadnezzars incinerator!
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Gods Intervention
How did God deliver his people? Not by using a
heavenly sprinkler system. Gods deliverance was
not FROM the furnace but IN the furnace.
Something that we need to note when we are
experiencing sore trials. Gods deliverance is
not FROM the furnace but IN the furnace. There
is a big difference between the two. Often we
expect God to deliver us from furnace
experiences that come about as a result of our
commitment to him. But it is IN the situation
that Gods deliverance is to be found and where
his grace is to be proved. The fire did not harm
the captives and God will allow no lasting harm
to be done to his people, when they walk
through the furnace of affliction!
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Gods Intervention
The second thing to notice about this deliverance
is the presence of the Deliverer. Nebuchadnezzar
saw, One like the Son of the gods v25... in
reality this is considered to be a theophany a
pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. Should the
fact that God presences himself with his people
in their affliction, surprise us? What had Isaiah
written a few years earlier? When you pass
through the waters I will be with you and when
you and when you pass through the rivers they
will not sweep over you, when you walk through
the fire you will not be burned, the flames
will not set you ablaze for I am the Lord your
God the holy one of Israel. Isa.42.3 Were these
men familiar with this text?
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Gods Intervention
The presence of God is promised in affliction.
Before his ascension to heaven, Jesus said to his
followers, Go and make disciples... I am with
you always Matt 28.19-20. His presence was
promised not just to empower their witness but to
sustain them in their furnace of affliction!
Samuel Rutherford, seeking to comfort persecuted
Christians in Scotland who were struggling in
the crucible of affliction wrote, The
weightiest end of the cross of Christ, which is
laid upon you, lies on a strong Saviour. Do
you see what hes saying? Jesus is with you in
the furnace. He wont allow the experience to
crush you, hes taking the weight. Therefore,
expect him to be with you and allow his presence
to comfort and encourage you.
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Gods Intervention
Nebuchadnezzar was amazed that his fiercest
furnace hadnt consumed the three dissidents. He
was having a bad day! Not only did he have to
come to terms with their fearlessness and
faithfulness but with the accuracy of his
eyesight and most significantly with the awesome
power of a God who delivers. This act of
deliverance had a powerful evangelistic effect on
Nebuchadnezzar. There is still no heart
repentance, or humbling of himself before God,
but he is learning that this God is not just a
revealer of secrets, he is a mighty
deliverer!
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Conclusion
Perhaps one day someone will write a book
entitled, Furnace Evangelism. Its aim would be
to show that the way to gain the attention of an
unbelieving world is to refuse to bow to its
pressures and to stand uncompromisingly for God.
It is no easy thing to do! There are a whole
variety of furnaces. We cannot tell how God will
use our uncompromising witness or how he will use
our furnace experience to speak powerfully and
effectively to others. That is not our
responsibility. When you stand in your furnace,
you can be sure that Gods presence will be
with you and that he will permit it to do you no
lasting harm. God always brings his people
safely home no matter what men may try to do to
them.
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