The Fiery Furnace

 

 

Daniel 3:8-18

 

March 11, 2024

 

The Fiery Furnace

Therefore, at that time, certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews.  They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever!  You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music shall fall down and worship the golden image.  And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar, in furious rage, commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So, they brought these men before the king.  Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?  Now, if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.  But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

 

A foolish king who wants all the people to bow to his rule, and when confronted with three young men who know who the True God is, and have no doubt He has the power to save them, and that He loves them.  We see Faith in action, and not fear in control.   They stood, and have we not been taught to stand and look to God?  Ephesians 6 gives this command: "Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." "Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." 

 

We also see God being confronted by this foolish king, and it comes to my mind when we see Fear rule in the hearts of so many whose actions were not an act of Faith in a God who has the power to keep COVID-19 from harming you.  For me and my house, we believe our God was bigger, and so did so many others who were fired because they did not bow to the little liar who told us he was science, or the pharmaceutical companies.  It was our government's golden image, and it was a dark time for our nation and God’s Church.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Nebuchadnezzar's Golden Image

 

Daniel 3:1-7

 

March 9, 2023

 

Nebuchadnezzar's Golden Image

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.  Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.  Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.  And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.  And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.”  Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

That golden has long been gone, but the God of heaven and earth and everything that is still reigns over the affairs of man.  A very powerful man with great wealth is often the easiest person to think is great and the maker of their power and wealth.  Nebuchadnezzar was full of himself and wanted to force others to worship him.  

The Creator of everything that is or will be is Jesus Christ. He is referred to as the Word that was with God, in that he was God. You will find Him referred to in John, chapter 1:1-3.  The enemy of our soul hates our Lord, and he has this has his goals, to kill, steal, and destroy, whereas the Word, our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, came to bring life in the full.

It is one thing to be liked, but only God is to be worshiped.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Daniel Is Promoted

 

Daniel 2:46-49

 

March 7, 2024

 

Daniel Is Promoted

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him.  The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king's court.

 

Only God can humble a mighty man of power and wealth like this, to fall on his face and pay homage to another.  One must remember that this confession was from a pagan king who worshiped the Babylonian gods Nabu and Marduk. But one also should recall that God refers to him as “my servant” three times in the book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:9; 27:6; 43:10. Was Nebuchadnezzar saved? Ultimately, this is not a question that can be answered dogmatically. Whatever the case, the story of Nebuchadnezzar is an example of God’s sovereignty over all men and the truth that “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will” (Proverbs 21:1).”  (Taken from “Got Questions.”)

 

Now put yourself in a young Daniel's shoes. Do you understand how the enemy was setting him up, the king was worshiping him, and most men, no matter their age, would get excited to be a buddy with the king?  Not Daniel, he made it clear that only God, who made everything that has been or will be, is the only one who can do so.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

Daniel Interprets the Dream

 

Daniel 2:31-45

 

March 7, 2024

 

Daniel Interprets the Dream

 “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening.  The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.  As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.  Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together, were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

“This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation.  You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold.  Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.  And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these.  And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay.  And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.  As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.  And in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,  just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

 

What is the message to a lost world in Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream?  A world that is seeking the little gods of this world, like power, wealth, and pleasure.  Nebuchadnezzar was appointed by God to rule that world, yet he was as pagan and evil as they come.  This was from the internet, and it is well stated about this Scripture.  “In Daniel 2:31-45, the message conveyed is that God is sovereign over all earthly kingdoms and that He will establish an eternal kingdom that will never be destroyed. The passage describes a dream of a statue made of different metals, representing successive kingdoms, which is ultimately shattered by a stone not cut by human hands. This stone symbolizes God's eternal kingdom that will triumph over all earthly powers.” 

 

Our Lord and redeemer came to His own, and his own did not receive him, but to all that will, He is Savior and Lord, and He is coming back this time as King of Kings and Lord of LORDS.  His reign will be forever!  Drop those little gods; they cannot do what God can do, and in the end, you will be in a place that was not designed for you.  A place designed for the devil and his demons. 

 

From our Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

 

Daniel 2:17-30

 

March 6, 2023

 

God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.  Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.   Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.  He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.  To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter.”

Therefore, Daniel went into Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.”

Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?”  Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked,  but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:  To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be.   But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.

As you read this, did you notice what Daniel did? He first went to men who knew God, his friends, and asked them to pray that God would reveal the king’s dream.​  God did so, and look at the response of David: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.  He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.  To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter.”

He then made sure that Arioch, whom the king had appointed to kill all the wise men, and told him not to do so, he would reveal the dream's meaning to the king.​  And the last point is that Daniel made sure the king understood that it was not his wisdom, but God, that gave Him these insights.  That was a big decision for this young man, who was standing before a man with the power to give and take lives, and had given orders to kill David and his friends, along with the other wise men.  Today, many a man takes credit for the wisdom that only comes from God.  That may be why we are in the mess we are in.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

 

 

 

Daniel 2:1-16

 

March 5, 2024

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him.  Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So, they came in and stood before the king.  And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”  Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.”  The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins.  But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore, show me the dream and its interpretation.”  They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.”  The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore, tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.”  The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.  The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

Because of this, the king was angry and very furious and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.  So, the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions to kill them.  Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.   He declared to Arioch, the king's captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel.  And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.

 

Nebuchadnezzar reminds me of a boss I work for, the guy sits beside you in your car and, on calls, takes some kind of notes, but would not share how you were doing or whether he was writing something good or bad.  Always telling you he was so much better than you.  But he never threatened to have me torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. In fact, he never even threatened to fire me.

 

Do you understand these guys were good con men? They made their living telling the king what he wanted to hear.  I bet if you worked in corporate USA, you worked with some of those people, and they often were put over others; they were posers, only knowing how to ask what the boss believed or wanted and do that.  They were and are as worthless as these magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, were to the King.

 

What the king did not know was that Daniel was a man who knew the God of Creation, who knew what the king was going to say before a word came out of his mouth.  So, all David needed to do was ask God to reveal the dream to him and its meaning to him.  

As followers of Christ, we have the Spirit of God living in us, so why do we not ask Him to guide us in wisdom?

 

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice

We all have Two Channels We listen too

 

I was taught this Truth

We all have Two Channels

We listen too

 

Channel One is the Deceptive channel. Why is it so dangerous? The voice sounds like your voice?  It often tells you how much you deserve.  Or it tells you that you are a total failure,  and the world would be better off without you.  Both messages are lies from hell.  Channel One loves religion, as long as it's what you can do, and not what Jesus Christ has done for you.

 

Channel Two is Truth; it will confront you about your unbelief and seeking the things of this world.  It does not sound like you; it is not loud; it requires you to be still and know that the Spirit of God is speaking.

 

Have you given any thought to which Channel Judas Iscariot listened to?

“But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,  “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”  He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.”  (John  12:4-6)

 

It sure sounds as if a disciple, one of the twelve, never listened to Jesus, but was tuned in to channel One.  And, once he had betrayed our Lord, the voice of channel one told him what a fool he had been, as he went back to try to give back the money, talking to the priest was like talking to a politician today.  Most of them only listen to Channel One.

 

What Channel are you tuning into?

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

I heard a quote on the radio today that went something like this: It was about success.  It is impossible to have success when you are trying to undo the past.​ I can only say Amen.