How can we remain faithful to God when our circumstances are difficult, our culture is hostile to biblical truth, or we feel like we're living in a kind of captivity?

In Daniel 1–3, we meet young men who show us that our circumstances do not have to dictate our faithfulness. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were taken from their homes, immersed in a pagan culture, pressured to assimilate, and ultimately threatened with death. Yet they remained faithful to God.

In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox begins the book of Daniel and explores what these faithful young men can teach us about Christian parenting, biblical courage, working with integrity, standing firm in a difficult culture, and trusting God's sovereignty over every kingdom and circumstance.

Daniel's life gives Christian moms an important reminder: we can honor God wherever He has placed us—and we can teach our children to do the same.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

• The historical context surrounding the Babylonian captivity
• Why Daniel is considered one of the Bible's major prophets
• Who Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were
• How young Daniel responded when he was taken from his home and family
• Why Babylon's education system was designed to assimilate these young Jewish men
• The significance of Daniel and his friends being given new Babylonian names
• Why Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the king's food
• How Daniel demonstrated wisdom, humility, courage, and discretion
• What Daniel's response to Nebuchadnezzar's impossible demand teaches us about faith
• Why Daniel prayed before God revealed the king's dream
• What Nebuchadnezzar's statue represents in Daniel 2
• How Daniel points us toward the ultimate and everlasting Kingdom of God
• Why Christians can work with excellence and integrity even under difficult leadership
• How Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego responded when commanded to worship a false god
• What their words "But if not" teach us about trusting God
• Who the fourth person in the fiery furnace might have been
• How Christian parents can help their children stand firm in a culture that pressures them to compromise
• Why our circumstances don't determine whether we can be faithful to God

Daniel: Faithfulness in a Difficult Culture

Daniel was likely only a teenager when he was taken captive and transported roughly 500 miles from Judah to Babylon.

He had every reason to feel powerless.

He didn't choose captivity. He didn't choose to leave his family. He didn't choose Babylonian culture. And yet Daniel refused to allow his circumstances to determine his obedience to God.

He resolved that he would not defile himself.

That decision became the beginning of a lifetime of faithfulness.

As Christian parents, we can't always control the culture our children grow up in. We can't remove every worldly influence, prevent every difficult circumstance, or make every decision for them.

But we can teach them that faithfulness to God is possible wherever they are.

Daniel's example gives us hope as we raise children in a culture that increasingly challenges biblical convictions.

"There Is a God in Heaven"

Daniel's response to Nebuchadnezzar's impossible demand is one of the great demonstrations of faith in Scripture.

Daniel didn't pretend to possess supernatural wisdom. Instead, he immediately turned to God.

After God revealed the mystery, Daniel praised Him:

"He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings."

—Daniel 2:21

Daniel understood something that we desperately need to remember today:

God is sovereign over kings, governments, cultures, circumstances, and history.

Nothing happening in our world has taken God by surprise.

The kingdoms of this world may look powerful, but Daniel 2 reminds us that an everlasting kingdom is coming—the kingdom of God.

Parenting in a Difficult Culture

One of the most encouraging aspects of Daniel is that he was young when his faith was tested.

Daniel and his friends didn't wait until adulthood to develop convictions.

They had already determined whom they would serve.

As parents, this challenges us to prepare our children before the moment of testing arrives.

We can help our children:

• Know God's Word
• Understand why we believe what we believe
• Practice making wise choices
• Develop godly character
• Speak with wisdom and discretion
• Work diligently and honestly
• Recognize cultural pressure to compromise
• Trust God when obedience comes with a cost

We shouldn't merely teach our children how to survive a difficult culture.

We want to raise children who know their God and are willing to stand faithfully for Him.

"But If Not"

Daniel 3 gives us one of the most remarkable declarations of faith in the Bible.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew God could rescue them from the fiery furnace.

But they didn't make their obedience conditional upon rescue.

Their faith was essentially:

God is able to save us. But even if He doesn't, we will still worship Him.

That is resilient faith.

It is the kind of faith we want to cultivate in our own homes—a faith that trusts God's goodness even when the outcome isn't what we hoped for.

Our children need to know that following Jesus doesn't guarantee an easy life.

It does guarantee that God is worthy of our trust.

When You Feel Like You're in Captivity

Maybe your circumstances don't look anything like Daniel's, but perhaps you understand the feeling of being stuck in circumstances you didn't choose.

A difficult marriage.

A challenging workplace.

Financial pressure.

A difficult culture.

A season of parenting that feels overwhelming.

A situation caused by someone else's decisions.

Daniel reminds us that we can honor Christ even when our circumstances aren't our fault and aren't what we would have chosen.

God was not absent from Daniel's captivity.

He was working through it.

And the same sovereign God who was at work in Babylon is still at work today.

Scripture Mentioned

• Daniel 1–3
• 2 Kings
• Ezekiel
• Acts
• Revelation

Key Scriptures

Daniel 1:8 — Daniel resolves not to defile himself.

Daniel 2:20–22 — Daniel praises God as the One who changes times and seasons, removes kings, gives wisdom, and reveals mysteries.

Daniel 2:44 — God establishes a kingdom that will never be destroyed.

Daniel 3:17–18 — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego declare that God is able to deliver them—but even if He doesn't, they will not worship the golden image.

A Bible Study for Busy Christian Moms

If you're following a chronological Bible reading plan, studying Daniel gives you an important look at the Babylonian exile and helps connect the historical books of the Old Testament with the prophetic books.

But Daniel isn't simply a book about ancient Babylon.

It points us toward God's sovereignty over history and ultimately toward the everlasting kingdom of Christ.

As we study Daniel together, we're reminded that God is still on His throne, even when the world around us seems chaotic.

And as moms, we have the opportunity to pass that confidence on to the next generation.

Our circumstances don't have to dictate our faithfulness.

We can honor God wherever He has placed us.

Prayer

God of heaven, sovereign over all kings and kingdoms, we praise You for Your providence and Your power.

We rejoice that regardless of what happens in our homes, communities, nations, or world, we can cling to Your trustworthiness.

We pray that our children, our spouses, and ourselves would be filled with deep, resilient faith in the midst of circumstances that seem impossible to resolve well.

Help us to trust You for a good result, and ultimately help us to bring You glory through all things.

Teach our children to speak with wisdom and discretion as Daniel did. May they walk in an honorable way, demonstrating godly character and testifying to Your goodness.

And when we walk through trials, remind us that we are not alone.

We love You, Jesus.

Amen.Resources Mentioned:

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast: Interview with Chris McKenna Part 1, Part 2
• Full-Circle Discipline Resources
• Journey Through the Bible

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

This is a Dwelling Place

from Entrusted Ministries.

2

Today, we're beginning the Book of Daniel,

covering chapters one through three.

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It'll teach us how to maintain

hope in a difficult place.

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Daniel's example reveals that

our circumstances don't need to

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dictate our faithfulness to God.

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We can honor Him

regardless of where we are.

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Daniel wrote 12 chapters of

Scripture, but he's included As

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a major prophet for a reason.

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His life and his writings

have a lasting impact.

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Before we dig in, I need to

apologize to you for the late

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release of the last couple episodes.

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I've had three out-of-state trips

in the last month, two for family

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weddings and another for a training.

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I've been recording in hotel

rooms and trying to keep up.

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And then, of course, I got sick,

had car issues, house issues, and

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I'm trying to get my kids kicked

off of their homeschool year.

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It's been a lot, and then yesterday,

as I was about to release the

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episode, the file deleted.

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It's never happened before, and

it shouldn't be able to happen

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with the recording platform I use.

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I just wanted to alert you

that it is not the norm.

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I promise we'll get back on track,

and I so appreciate your grace.

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I hope that if you ever check in

and there isn't a new episode yet,

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That you choose to read Scripture

on your own, and that God meets

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you in a way that's so much more

powerful than what I could ever offer

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If I asked believers to assemble a dream

team of biblical characters, I think

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Daniel's name would be on most rosters.

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He's a remarkable example of faith and

character, and He's one of the few Bible

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characters we have this length of content

about, but none of it includes a time

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in which he fell into sin He walked

his talk from an early age and stayed

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faithful to the Lord throughout his days.

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Like Ezekiel, Daniel wrote his

book from Babylon, and it covers

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an incredibly long time span.

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Here's a quick history

recap to set the context.

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In 605 BC, one of the turning

points in world powers occurred

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when at the Battle of Carchemish,

Egypt and Assyria were defeated

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by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

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Sadly, King Josiah was killed by Pharaoh

Necho before that battle, and I bring

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this up because Daniel was alive during

part of the reign of King Josiah.

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As a very young boy, it's probable that

he was in the audience as Josiah was

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reading scripture over the people and

calling them to faithfulness in the Lord

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After Nebuchadnezzar won that battle

in 605 BC, he entered Judah and

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captured the most handsome and most

intelligent of the Jewish people.

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There were three deportations, but

Daniel was chosen in the first round.

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Ezekiel was in the second.

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Most scholars believe Daniel was

between 15 and 17 at this point

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Daniel is written in a narrative

format, but it also contains history and

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prophecy, much of which are apocalyptic.

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This can have an intimidating connotation,

but we will repeatedly find hope that

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Jesus Christ will be victorious The

Book of Daniel has over 100 prophecies

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that have been fulfilled to date.

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it's so astoundingly unbelievable that

many doubt Daniel could have been written

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in the sixth century BC.

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We know Daniel is the author both

by internal evidence and because

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Jesus himself attributed this book

to Daniel chapters one through six

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include stories highlighting Daniel

and his friends' faithfulness.

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but chapters 6 through 12

are full of prophetic visions

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But perhaps a more interesting division

is to divide the book up by the two

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different languages Daniel wrote in.

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He began by writing in Hebrew, his native

language, and he switched to Aramaic,

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a language employed by the Babylonians,

the Assyrians, and many others.

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In chapters eight through 12,

he switches back to Hebrew

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His intention seems to point

to the focus of the book.

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Initially, both in the beginning

and the end, the focus is how we

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can have godly character even while

living in the age of the Gentiles.

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In the middle, when he switches

to Aramaic, the focus is on God's

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sovereignty over all kingdoms and rulers.

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Daniel's name means God is my judge.

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It's fitting since the Lord

vindicated Daniel's innocence

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Chapter one displays how a follower

of God can have godly character.

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he makes about the five hundred

mile trek back to Babylon

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These young men were educated for three

years in the ways of the Babylonians, and

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after that were allowed to serve the king.

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it's intriguing that the Babylonians

were so ruthless, But that they also

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highly stewarded their intellects.

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It was this people group that devised

a counting system based on 60.

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It's where we get our number of

minutes and hours, and how the number

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of degrees in a circle was developed.

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Nebuchadnezzar himself was a fierce,

effective warrior and military

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strategist, but also a determined builder.

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I'm excited to talk more about him

later with you, as he's mentioned

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over 90 times in scripture,

more than any other foreign king

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It might sound nice that Daniel gets to

eat the king's food and is provided with

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this great education, but this was not an

altruistic endeavor of the Babylonians.

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It was indoctrination.

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They wanted these young men to

forget their culture and assimilate.

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Right off the bat, Daniel,

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

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are given an opportunity to be

faithful to Yahweh and his laws

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As they're being entered into this

educational system, instead of maintaining

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names that clearly point to the goodness

of the God of Israel, they're given names

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that reflect the pagan gods of Babylon

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When offered these foods and wine

that included horse meat, pork, and

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were sometimes offered to pagan gods,

Daniel and his friends resolved to not

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defile themselves Though Daniel seems

entirely winsome, the Lord deserves

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all the credit for giving Daniel

favor when he asks for an exception

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to not eat the defiled food and drink.

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His request is eventually approved

after he comes up with an idea.

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" Hey, how about for ten days we'll just

eat vegetables and drink water, and

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then you can compare us with the guys

that have been eating your foods?"

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The word vegetables here is best

translated anything that comes from seed.

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This probably includes grains,

fruits, and vegetables.

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And it's not God saying we should be

vegetarians 'cause that would contradict

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His directions to Noah after the flood.

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Rather, it's pointing us to the

faith of these young men and God's

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supernatural power to sustain

them regardless of what they ate.

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At the end of 10 days, Daniel and his

friends were rewarded for their faith

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and found to be in better shape

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than the other young men When their

training concluded, they came before the

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king, and he found that their wisdom far

exceeded the other wise men in the kingdom

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In chapter two, the name the God

of Heaven is used four times.

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But we don't find that title

anywhere else in Daniel.

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It focuses on God's omniscience and

capability of revealing mysteries.

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It reveals that God was higher

than the celestial deities

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the Babylonians worshiped

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This chapter includes the statue vision

that God provides Nebuchadnezzar with.

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It's tormenting him, so he summons

all of his magicians and sorcerers.

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He doesn't want to be tricked into

an interpretation, and he demands

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that they tell him what the dream was

before they reveal the meaning Even

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though they're pagans, I actually

love some elements of their response.

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The Chaldeans declare, " There

is not a man on earth who

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can meet the king's demand.

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The thing that the king asks is

difficult, and no one can show

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it to the king except the gods,

whose dwelling is not with flesh."

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They know their gods to be

far off and inaccessible

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the God of the Bible, although

all-powerful and sovereign over the entire

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universe, is accessible to His people.

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And I love the glory God rightfully

receives as He reveals Himself to

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this nation In ancient times, when

a nation was defeated, it symbolized

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that their God was defeated also.

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But in Daniel, God gets to

say, " Actually, I used you

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to accomplish my purposes.

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I wanted my people to be

deported, and here they are.

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And at the exact time I

say, they'll go back."

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but none of the wise men can ascertain

just what this dream was about.

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Nebuchadnezzar is just furious

at the inability of the men.

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He demands they be killed Daniel and his

friends hadn't been consulted, but the

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decree will cost their lives as well.

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He goes in to the captain of the

king's guard, which would best

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be translated, the executioner.

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God gives him prudence and discretion as

he asks, " Why is this decree so urgent?"

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but a better translation here would

be, " Why is the decree so harsh?"

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The executioner explains, and the

verse that is jumping off the page

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and making me so excited is And

Daniel went in and requested the king

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to appoint him a time that he may

show the interpretation to the king

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What I absolutely love about this is that

Daniel didn't have the interpretation yet.

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He made this appointment in absolute faith

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He goes back and explains the situation

to his friends, and they seek God.

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And in the night, just as

Daniel believed, God reveals the

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dream and the interpretation.

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Daniel's immediate response of praise

is recorded beginning in two twenty.

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" Blessed be the name of God forever and

ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.

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He changes times and seasons.

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He removes kings and sets up kings.

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He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge

to those who have understanding.

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He reveals deep and hidden things.

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He knows what is in the darkness,

and the light dwells with him.

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To you, O God of my fathers, give

thanks and praise, for you have given

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me wisdom and might and have now made

known to me what we asked of you."

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For you have made known to us the

king's matter Daniel advocates for even

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With the revelation

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Daniel goes to advocate even for

the wicked wise men, and then

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he's brought before the king,

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And he's brought before

King Nebuchadnezzar.

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This is our main reading for today.

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" Are you able to make known to me the dream

that I have seen and its interpretation?'

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Daniel answered the king and said, ' No

wise men, enchanters, magicians,

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or astrologers can show to the king

the mystery that the king has asked.

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But there is a God in heaven who

reveals mysteries, and He has

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made known to King Nebuchadnezzar

what will be in the latter days.

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Your dream and the visions of your

head as you lay in bed are these: To

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you, O king, as you lay in bed came

thoughts of what would be after this.

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And He who reveals mysteries

made known to you what is to be.'

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But as for me, this mystery has been

revealed to me, not because of any wisdom

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that I have more than all of the living,

but in order that the interpretation

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may be known to the king, and that you

may know the thoughts of your mind You

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saw, O king, and behold a great image.

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This image, mighty and of exceeding

brightness, stood before you, and

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its appearance was frightening.

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The head of this image was of

fine gold, its chest and arms of

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silver, its middle and thighs of

bronze, its legs of iron, its feet

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partly of iron and partly of clay.

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As you looked, a stone was cut out

by no human hand, and it struck

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the image on its feet of iron and

clay and broke them in pieces.

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Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the

silver, and the gold all together were

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broken in pieces and became like the

chaff of the summer threshing floors,

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and the wind carried them away so that

not a trace of them could be found.

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But the stone that struck the

image became a great mountain

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and filled the whole earth.

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This was the dream.

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Now we will tell the

king its interpretation.

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You, O king, the king of kings, to whom

the God of heaven has given the kingdom,

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the power, the might, and the glory, and

into whose hand he has given, wherever

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they dwell, the children of man, the

beasts of the field, and the birds of the

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heaven, making you rule over them all.

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You are the head of gold Another kingdom

inferior to you shall arise after

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you and yet a third kingdom of bronze,

which shall rule over all the earth.

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And there shall be a fourth kingdom

strong as iron, because iron breaks

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to pieces and shatters all things.

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And like iron that crushes, it

shall break and crush all these.

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After Daniel explains that the final

kingdom will be a divided kingdom, partly

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made of iron and partly made of clay

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He reveals the most important element.

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" And on the days of those kings, the God

of heaven will set up a kingdom that

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shall never be destroyed, nor shall

the kingdom be left to another people.

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It shall break in pieces all these

kingdoms and bring them to an

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end, and it shall stand forever.

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Just as you saw that a stone was cut

from a mountain by no human hand and

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that it broke in pieces the iron, the

bronze, the clay, the silver, and the

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gold, a great God has made known to

the king what shall be after this.

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The dream is certain and

its interpretation sure."

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Nebuchadnezzar's response of praise

might seem to elevate the God of

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the Bible, but this polytheistic

ruler still doesn't quite get it.

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Because when he falls on his face,

he tells Daniel, " Truly your God

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is God of gods and Lord of kings."

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He does not understand

Yahweh is the one true God

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he honors Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

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But Daniel is elevated to a

position in the king's court.

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When analyzing this statue, if

you begin at the head, you have

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the most valuable material, but

it's also the weakest material.

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And as we go down, the material

decreases in value but increases

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in strength Initially that head

of gold represents Babylon.

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Next, a chest of silver

representing the Medo-Persian era.

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Following the bronze thighs which

indicate the Greeks And next, we get

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to the iron rule of the Roman Empire.

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finally the iron mixed with clay is

a bit contested, but points to either

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the second era of Roman rule and the

10 nations that ruled under them, or

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will be a future Roman rule divided

into 10 parts The stone that comes

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is not crafted from human hands.

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It shatters the statue, and This will be

the final kingdom, the kingdom of God.

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It will be a literal earthly reign,

and it points to Christ's second

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coming because in his first coming,

he perfectly fulfilled his mission

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of purchasing our salvation, but

he did not end earthly rulers

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I continue to be impressed by the way that

Daniel seeks to bless those who have put

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him in captivity and have caused him pain

He has been kidnapped by this ruler and

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taken away from his nation and family.

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But he acts honorably and blesses the

Babylonians while he's there, we can be

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encouraged by his diligent work ethic.

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Christians should be known as the

hardest workers with the most integrity.

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And even if there are relationships or

positions in which we have to submit

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to awful or unfair bosses, we can serve

well There may be a circumstance in

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your life that feels like captivity

at times, but we can honor Christ

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even in those difficult circumstances.

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As Daniel shows us, it may not be

your fault you're in captivity.

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Perhaps it's the result

of someone else's sin.

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I think Daniel was too young to be liable

for the sins his nation was committing.

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God allowing him to be deported

wasn't a punishment to him.

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It was actually a provision and an,

and an incredible ministry opportunity.

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I love, love, love when Daniel prays to

God, " You know what is in the darkness,

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and yet the light dwells with you No

one else has the purity to withstand

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exposure to evil like the Lord does.

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His character is

impenetrable by wickedness.

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And I think that's a way

we can encourage our kids.

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Even if there are worldly influences

around them, when they know what

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is in the darkness, they don't

need to share it or spread evil.

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They can choose to dwell with the Lord in

the innocence and purity He calls them to

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I know chapter three and the fiery

furnace is such a favorite, but I'm

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assuming you know it quite well, so

I'll just hit a couple highlights.

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Some commentators believe this happened

quickly after chapter two, and some

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believe it was ten to twenty years later

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The first verse says, "King

Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold."

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What?

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After God just revealed to him that

his nation won't stand, he goes ahead

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and makes a statue honoring Babylon.

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From what archaeologists know about this

nation, it probably wasn't a statue of

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himself, but one of the Babylonian gods.

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It was 90 feet tall and nine feet wide.

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If you map out those dimensions,

that'd be a super skinny statue.

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It probably means there was a

significant pedestal underneath

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the figure to give it that height.

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Was Nebuchadnezzar crafting the statue to

reject the interpretation of the dream?

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Stating, "I am gold, and I'm going

to make an entire statue of gold."

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That will not fall.

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It likely wasn't solid gold, but just

overlaid with gold, and it's hard

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to believe that this wasn't in some

way connected to the dreams he was

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tormented by Nebuchadnezzar and his

officials command everyone To bow the

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knee to the statue when the music plays.

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Everyone does, but Shadrach, Meshach, and

Abednego stand firm and tall for the Lord.

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They're brought before the king

for their rejection of his policy.

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He's enraged and threatens to send

them into a burning fiery furnace,

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questioning, " Who is the God who

will deliver you out of my hands?"

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And in one of the most peaceful,

radical displays of faith that

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we see in all of scripture, they

respond, " O Nebuchadnezzar, we have

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no need to answer you in this matter.

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If this be so, our God whom we

serve is able to deliver us from the

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burning fiery furnace, and He will

deliver us out of your hand, O king.

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But if not, be it known to you,

O king, that we will not serve

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your gods or worship the golden

image that you have set up."

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As you probably know, they are bound

and thrown into the fiery furnace.

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It's quite possible this is the same

furnace that melted down the gold for the

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statue, and the king commands it to be so

hot that even the men guiding them to the

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furnace are extinguished by the flames

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But as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

fall into the blistering heat, they

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remain untouched by the flames.

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Nebuchadnezzar peeks in one of

the side vents of the furnace and

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notices there is a fourth figure

walking in the fire with them.

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Either this is an angel or the

pre-incarnate Jesus Christ Himself

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After realizing that these courageous

young men are immune to his punishment,

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Nebuchadnezzar calls them out Not

only has God spared their lives, their

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clothes and hair are fully intact,

and they don't even smell like smoke

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Nebuchadnezzar declares, " Blessed be the

God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,

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who has sent his angel and delivered

his servants, who trusted in him and

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set aside the king's command and yielded

up their bodies rather than serve and

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worship any god except their own God."

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He commands that no one speak ill of

the God of Israel ever again, but he

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doesn't claim to embrace this God himself

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And we'll tug at that thread a

little bit more in the next episode.

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My biggest question about this

chapter is where was Daniel?

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Because he was given a different

position than his three friends,

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it's likely that he was serving over

a different district at the time.

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You and I can be encouraged

by the revolutionary faith of

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Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

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Whatever the circumstances, and

no matter how wicked the culture,

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let's pray that our families stand

strong and stand out for Christ.

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God of heaven, sovereign over all

kings and kingdoms, we praise You

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for Your providence and Your might

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We rejoice that regardless of what

happens in our homes, our communities,

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our nations, or the world, we can cling

to your trustworthiness We pray our

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children, our spouses, and ourselves

would be filled with deep, resilient

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faith in the midst of circumstances

that seem impossible to resolve well

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Help us to trust you for a good

result, and ultimately help us to

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bring you glory out of all things

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We pray you would teach our kids to speak

with wisdom and discretion as Daniel

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did May they walk in an honorable way

that would allow them to be elevated

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for their character and testify to your

goodness We love you, Jesus, and we

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thank you that when we are in a trial

And we praise you that when we walk

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through a trial, we are not alone.

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It's in your name we pray.

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Amen.