Daniel 2:46-3:15 | The Lure of the Idol

Lord God, we come to you as we, again, open the book of Daniel, excited to learn and to experience the sovereignty of God.

Nebuchadnezzar, troubled by a dream, was given a message through Daniel from God, and Lord, we pray,

Lord, now that we would be as confident in you in all things, we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. An LGBTQ group called the

Sisters of Perpetual something or other, yes, have for years made an absolute mockery of Christ and his crucifixion, parading about naked and mimicking the crucifixion, and have just absolute debauchery.

Bowing to this movement, the Los Angeles Dodgers invited them to come and represent, but by the grace of God, there was one

Dodger who made a statement saying that his faith in Jesus Christ comes even before his job.

He was unwilling to bow down to that idol, and as a result,

I think they ended up canceling that group and then inviting something else back to try to mitigate the position.

But the question is, when the woke mob demands that you bow down to the

LGBTQ pride flag, and they wave it over you, will you bow, or will you stand against?

This is the question of our age. This is one example of the kind of idols that our culture sets up.

There are different iterations of the same idolatry. It may come in the form of the

BLM movement, where all of America was called upon to bow to BLM.

Now, the letters are different, LGBTQ, but it's the same demand to bow to the idol, and those who refuse will be ostracized.

Recently, Target decided to bow to the idol, and they began producing clothes to make a boy look like a girl in a woman's bathing suit, and they put that at the front of the store.

And they've been boycotted. And they have been boycotted, just like Bud Light. And thankfully, there are many people in America that refuse to bow to the idol.

The question of our day is, who is willing to stand against, and who is going to bow?

Let's turn to Daniel chapter 2. Yeah, nothing new under the sun.

They just changed the letters and the isms. But behind all of these things are the forces of the devil.

It's spiritual warfare behind it. Yeah. Yes.

Yes. Chick -fil -A. Yeah.

Whatever. Whatever the alphabet. Good. Well, most recently, this week,

I heard that there is an area where they're beginning to capitulate, too. Yeah, and that's what's so remarkable.

It's not just out in the world. It comes into the church, and Chick -fil -A representing itself as a

Christian company. I heard that Fox News actually has gender -neutral bathrooms now.

Gender -neutral bathrooms at Fox. What about the hit show, The Chosen, which we all like?

They were captured this last week with a pride flag in the background as they were filming.

So, a pride flag flying behind as the filming was taking place.

Now, hopefully, that was just one actor who planted it, and maybe they repent of that and rip it down and whatnot.

But you know that the temptation is there, and it's a spiritual battle. John, would you read for us?

You were saying it, but it's very important. How many Evangelical churches have capitulated to the

Black Lives Matter, and now even to this, and say, well, we should accept them? Andy Stanley, Charles Stanley's son, who was really good,

Charles Stanley, his son is just promoting and saying they have more faith than we do to support his church.

You're right. Well, Rick Warren was disfellowshipped from the

Southern Baptist Convention because he ordained three women in 2021. But as you really dig how deep that rabbit trail goes,

Rick Warren has pointed out that there's at least 300 churches that have female pastors in the

SBC. So, if they're going to disfellowship one, they really need to disfellowship all.

The question, you know, it's a lot deeper than what we notice on the surface. The movement against the

Word of God. Wow, that's the age in which we live. But Rick, thank you for what you said. There's nothing new under the sun.

Let's read it. John, would you pick up? And we'll go from Daniel 2, verses 46 to 49.

The king answered and said to Daniel, Then the king gave

Daniel high honors and many great gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and the 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 in the king's court. Okay, so you'll recall what's happened here in Daniel chapter 2.

The king had this troubling dream. And he wouldn't allow the enchanters and the magicians and the

Chaldeans to simply listen to the dream and then give some wild -eyed interpretation.

He said, you tell me what I dreamt and then tell me what it means. And they couldn't do it.

But of course, the king of kings, the lord of lords, is the revealer of mysteries. And Daniel was able to tell him what he dreamt and to give the interpretation of all these coming kingdoms.

So when we get to this passage and it's Nebuchadnezzar's reaction, of course, his mind is blown.

He is just in awe that there is a God that could reveal mysteries. And it looks like all is well in verses 46 to 49.

In fact, look at verse 47. Truly, your

God is God of gods and lord of kings.

Rich, what do you say? Does that settle it? Is he a born -again Israelite?

Not in the right direction. Sure looks like it, right? Until you get to chapter 3 verse 1.

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold and he makes an idol to himself. So here's what

I would like to propose. That even in verses 46 to 49, the victory celebration, you have already the introduction of the next temptation.

The great victory is actually the introduction of the next temptation.

Because look at verse 46. King Nebuchadnezzar falls upon his face.

Is that a good posture before a human? Nope. Shouldn't want to be bowed down to.

And I'm sure Daniel didn't want that. He gave homage to Daniel and commanded that an offering and incense be offered to Yahweh?

To him. And see, here's the thing. The king is flattering and even worshipping.

I'm glad you moved on that side. We have men on this side and women on that side. Well, I'm glad he knows his place.

At this age, people don't know anymore. So the incense is offered to him.

This is a form of worship and idolatry. And the temptation to Daniel, even if part of him is repulsed by it, something in him might lurch for that.

Might love the attention. Might like the esteem. Wow, there's a king bowing down to me.

Now, I don't think that's in Daniel. We don't see any picture of sin in him in the book. As well as in the life of Joseph.

Well, you see it maybe a little bit early on. But in his life, it's I think

Christ -like in the portrayal of his innocence. But you don't see anything wrong here in Daniel.

That the king is falling down. But this behind the king is a temptation from the enemy.

Notice also his friends. The great gifts.

The high honors. The ruler over the whole province of Babylon. The chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.

Esteem lifting up. What goes before the fall? Pride. The puffing up of the head is a potential here in verse 49.

Daniel made a request of the king. And he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon.

They're being elevated. Daniel stayed humble. He did stay humble. But notice that this could be a temptation to them.

The esteem. They're now given gifts and honors. And they're above others. And surely they're living in a nice house.

They have a lot to lose at this point. So when we move into chapter 3. John, if you could read the first three verses.

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold. Whose height was 60 cubits.

Its breadth 6 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, and the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the province to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Then the satraps, the prefects, 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. So these power players will create idols.

And that's as true today as it was back in the day. Have you ever seen a structure that blew your mind?

That you were just in awe? I remember being in Kentucky, and we went to see the ark that Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis had built.

And you come down this winding road, and then you see it over the horizon. And it's just like, wow! Look at this thing.

It's just awe -inspiring. Right? Have you ever seen anything like that? I think. It's like when you go in the cabernacle.

Yes. Either direction. In DC. Either direction. It just comes up out of the roadway.

Yes. And as you come around the corner, all of a sudden, oh, wow! It's there. Yeah. It's amazing.

What's that? Rick, how high would you estimate this ceiling is in this room?

Maybe 30 feet. 30? Can you imagine a 60 -foot statue of gold?

That's literally the distance from home plate to first base. Home to first. That is a big golden statue.

If I had to one ratio, it would be that it's thin waste. It must have been on a pedestal.

Okay. Mine says it's 90 feet tall. Oh, really? By 90 feet wide. Okay. Oh, I'm reading 60 cubits.

60 cubits. That's 90 feet. That's a majorly distance. Oh, majorly! Yes. Yeah.

It's just huge. It's a lot of gold. Yeah. And can you imagine what the craftsmanship would have been like?

The work put in this to make it look like him. And it's out in this plane and people approach the sense of awe.

They come before and it says at the end of verse 3, they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Idols have a certain appeal. There's something about them that makes people want to worship.

That Mormon tabernacle is meant to have this grandiose kind of sense of transcendence with little

Moroni up there blowing his trumpet on the top of it. The Roman Catholic Church knew that with their collection of relics and whatnot.

Yeah. If you go to New York City and that Roman Catholic Cathedral they have downtown, it was just filled with idols.

Yeah. It has a mystique about it and that's how this is. It's set up in the plane. It's meant to create a sense of awe.

I found it fascinating that after having had a dream of the image, that he chooses to make an image.

Yeah. Of course it was most likely of himself. Yes. But it was copied.

It was looked by God for a purpose. Yes. Obviously. Yes. God's allowing it for a purpose.

Yes. Now when the idols of our culture are set up, they don't put a monstrous face on it.

They put the most beautiful representatives they can to do their most attractive dances and all that they can.

Although it's becoming more and more monstrous. Baphomet images. Oh yeah. Yeah.

Baphomet imagery. Yeah. But they try to sell it as this virtue, right? Defending the poor and the oppressed and trying to stir the emotion of here you are.

You're on the right side of history. You're a defender of the poor and you're good and you're virtuous.

It's not the sense of, well, you know, come and worship the devil. They don't.

Well, now more and more they even do that. That's part of the Super Bowl performance and the performances at the

Grammys with dressing and worshiping Satan. It's becoming more open as we approach the end times.

Yeah. I just finished reading a book about Eva Peron. And even with her millions of dollars worth of jewelry and whatever, she was a champion of the people.

Right. It was a real paradox. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Interesting.

Yeah. Okay. So let's move on to chapter 3 verses 4 to 7.

Candy, would you want to read that? Daniel 3. Yeah. 4 to 7. And the herald proclaimed aloud,

You are commanded of peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, triton, 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, triton, 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.

So the command is issued. You are to bow down and worship. And as soon as the music is played, therefore, the people heard the sound, they fell down and worshiped.

That tells me that the world is under the sway of the enemy, under the sway of the devil.

People are dancing to the music of the enemy. They're under the sway. It goes back to Exodus when

Moses was up on the mountain. Rick, could you read for us Exodus 32 verses 6 and 19?

You can read right off the notes. But if you recall, Moses went up to meet with God on the mountain.

And when he came back, he discovered the idolatry of the people. And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings.

And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing,

Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

Okay. Notice in that story, the people are eating and drinking and they rose up to play.

It's kind of metaphorical for their debauchery. And the dancing, they saw the calf.

Moses saw the calf and the dancing. They're dancing around. They're playing. They're filled with delight.

I think you have a similar scene here in the book of Daniel. The music that's mentioned.

It's in the scene of this rejoicing and this revelry. It's like a dance studio.

They're having fun. They're loving it. The whole world being led into idolatry.

But it seems to them like so much fun and such good. And who's the stick in the mud that's going to stop this?

Yeah. First John 5 19 in the King James reads in the

New King James. We know that we are of God and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. So when we look out at the world around us and we see what's happening with the

Dodgers and with Target and with Chick -fil -a and so many other examples.

Should we be surprised? Not really sad. We should be sad.

But what we've experienced in a country that has been so influenced by Christianity is actually the aberration not the rule in the history of the world.

Idolatry and the worship of idols paganism in the Roman Empire and around the world has been the rule.

That's the norm. And so to see it coming into our culture breaks our heart.

And it's been there all along. Maybe not in this this overt fashion.

I think we've kind of hit a tipping point in America where there is a new boldness.

There is maybe a majority now of those who are pagans over against Christians.

And so it's bringing out this... They're emboldened to put their worship on display and their revelry on display.

But it was there all along. Maybe hit a tipping point to where it's now more overt.

And that's really significant is going after the generation, the new generation right now.

Because now they have in schools, after school Satan clubs. You have to wear that. It's becoming widespread.

Very true. But they've always gone after the kids in school. And we've lost the flags.

A lot of them don't want to fly flags. The Christmas trees, you can't do that. I was growing up in the 60s and 70s and we had prayer in school.

That became ugly. So they're getting rid of it in schools for the kids. Hitler would control the kids and he'd control the nation.

Is there any indication that the image is of Nebuchadnezzar? No, I think as Rich pointed out, it's likely.

But it doesn't say that in the text. It says the image that he has set up.

What, Nebuchadnezzar's worship? Whether it was made to look like him. Oh, that's my guess, yeah.

It's a guess. I've heard that in other commentaries. Other commentators have said that. Commentators have speculated, but we can't know for sure.

Because he figured he was the head of gold in the dream. He might as well be the old statue. Yeah, so tying into the dream that he had, which he might be representing now.

Oh, I'm the head of gold. Well, let's make a statue of me. It's striking me now that in the past, the story of this chapter was always

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and Fiery Furnace. But it's striking me now that these three verses, four to seven, may be the bigger story in this chapter.

Because, like you said, it's what's happening now and what is going to happen with the Antichrist.

Yep, we're returning toward the days of Noah. Our expectation of what things are going to look like is not that we, the church, will make the world

Christian so that Christ can come back. That's the post -millennial view.

But as pre -millennialists, and not because of our system of theology, but because of the text that we read.

Right? First Thessalonians 5, and then in 2 Thessalonians 2, we get this expectation.

Plus, if anybody's read the book of Revelation, it certainly doesn't look like the whole world is worshipping.

But Matthew 24, that Olivet Discourse where Jesus discussed what it will be like as the end approaches.

The signs of the times. You're going to have false Christs and wickedness will increase as in the days of Noah.

Before the flood. So that's what we would expect to happen. So lift up your head!

Your redemption draweth nigh! Verses 8 -12.

Carol, would you mind reading? Yes, sure. But some of the astrologers went to the king and informed on the

Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, long live the king! You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue when they hear the sound of all the musical instruments.

That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace.

But there are some Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon.

They have defied your majesty by refusing to serve your gods or to worship the gold statue you have set up.

So why would they go narc on them? Why would they go tattletale? Because they're jealous. Yeah, well what's their aim though?

What do they want to see come of this? Get rid of them. They want them dead! Because they were exalted.

Yes! Yeah, there was a jealousy before, but now when they see that they do not bow down to the idol, they are filled with rage, hatred.

They want to see these men dead. The world will hate those who refuse to dance with them to idols.

And that's the case today. Do you expect that the world will love us? No. No way.

Sandy, could you read for us 1 Peter 4 .4, and that's in your notes? With respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you.

So we're told in 1 Peter, do not think it strange when you face various trials and these fiery testings of your faith.

So, we should expect the world not to like us, and to persecute us, for them to malign us.

How does the world actually view us? Strange!

Right, we're freaks. Prior to 1 Peter 4 .4, where we were just reading, in the end of chapter 3, it draws on the metaphor of baptism.

That we are baptized underwater as a symbol of our salvation.

If someone from the neighborhood is watching on Sunday, June 11, when we baptize a bunch of people, what does that look like to them?

Strange. Strange. What are those cult members doing?

They're dunking themselves underwater. Gotta be a cult. What on earth?

That looks so bizarre to them. And they mock. They laugh at that concept.

Why would you get put underwater and brought back up in the presence of everybody? That's just strange.

They mock it, they laugh at it. But they stop laughing when you refuse to do what they do.

And when you uphold the righteous law of God. The reason why they will hate you is not because you get baptized.

Let people have their own religion. In paganism, the Roman Empire would have happily allowed the worship of Jesus Christ.

If he would just be one among the pantheon. Yeah, you can have yours.

Everybody can have their cultic religion. Rome didn't care about that. What they cared about was the exclusive claim to the

Lordship of Christ. That he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That he is over the

Emperor and he's over all things. And they, the Christians, refused to pinch the incense and lay it on the altar.

To throw it to the altar. They refused to bow to idols. They said that is idolatry and we can have no part in it.

We worship the King of Kings. And now there's a problem. Now Christians begin to be thrown to the lions and lit up like torches in Rome.

Persecuted for their faith in Christ. Because they condemned the ungodly.

Noah was a preacher of righteousness. And according to Hebrews, he condemned the world.

The world hated Noah. They mocked him for all those years of preaching. As he upheld the moral law of God and called for repentance.

And built an ark. And I'm sure that's the part they mocked. That picture is baptism too. Also, according to Peter, that's being brought safely through the water.

Yeah. But the point here in the text is the hatred that they have.

Because these three refused to bow with them. They want to feel good about their sin.

Down deep, they're suppressing the knowledge of God. They know that they're sinning. But if the whole world does it, they feel like they're safe.

But to the extent that there are Christians that say we will not bow to the pride flag.

That pride goes before the fall. We will not bow. Just by that very act of refusing to affirm sin.

You will be hated. These men were hated because they would not bow to the idol of the land.

The world will hate those. 2 Timothy 3 .12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

It's your moral life, your godly life, the stands that you have to take that will invite persecution.

People will be fine with you going to church. As long as it's live and let live. But if you refuse to participate, or as Peter puts it, to plunge with them in the same flood of dissipation.

If you refuse to plunge in with them, if you don't jump into the pool with them. If you don't join in the worship of the false idol.

They will malign you. The mockery will turn beyond just laughter.

At that point, you become their enemy. You're in their crosshairs. Now, we do live in a blessed country.

Because there still are Dodger players that will stand up to their own organization. And I think that group was kicked out.

And they went with some other LGBT nun or something like that. Nun? Nun. I don't know,

I read some weird thing. It's a battle. But our side does have numbers as well.

In fact, there's an entire movement on our side that is looking to reestablish a Christian nation.

And their hope is to have anti -sodomy laws and anti -blasphemy laws and all these kind of things.

Christian nationalists who identify that way. I think it's their post -millennial expectation that's leading them into overstatement and things like that.

I think we do need to do the best that we can to be salt and light. And preserve the culture as long as God will.

Until the restrainer takes us out of the way. So we don't just give up and say, alright, we're going to lose.

No, we don't have a loser theology. We are going to fight and we're going to stand. And we're going to trust

God, come what may. But not worry ourselves about what the future holds that way.

Because we don't know. We know who the winner is. Yeah, we know the end of the story. But I'll tell you what though.

When the United States of America, prior to Christopher Columbus, was dominated by paganism.

And the Aztec Indians down in Mexico City had a giant mountain.

And daily they would rip out the still beating hearts of victims. And throw the bodies down.

And offer that as sacrifice. It sure didn't look like things would ever get better. But things did.

The United States of America is the evidence of the power of the gospel to change even culture.

Right? So, how do we know, but that we will win for a season of time?

There could be a massive revival. There absolutely could be. So, we know how we're going to be regarded.

But that doesn't mean we ever join the dance. Right. Gordon thinks there will be. Thinks there will be a revival.

I know you two go to the gym. Last year, they had pride flags all over the place.

Do we say something about that? Yes, I think so. Chick -fil -A wore pride pins on their shirt last

June. For pride month. The one in Marlton. So, I went and spoke to the manager. And I said, look, here's the

Chick -fil -A handbook. About political activism and things. And that it's not allowed. And he said, I don't care about that.

You know, we're going to do what we want. We don't care about you bigots. And all your hate, you know. He tried to turn it against, like we're the haters.

But ultimately, Chick -fil -A does not allow that at the national level. They're the ones. So, speak up.

So, speak up and say something. Yeah, say something. What does it hurt? They're going to hate you for it. They're going to think, oh, there's that bigot.

We should have pride pins be the proper 1618. Pride goat before destruction.

Or what about yours about the rainbow? I think that this would be a great month to have a reclaim the rainbow

T -shirt. And wear it to the Y. Yeah, that's a good idea. It was ours first.

It was God's symbol. Yeah, that's right. Satan always does that.

Takes what's good and turns it into something for himself. Such an important point. And he did it in the

Garden of Eden. Yep. And your desire will be your husband. He will rule over you. Yeah.

How important that is. The sinful nature today wants you to have a switch role.

Satan wants you to follow his way. Reversal of rule. Yes. God creates,

Satan counterfeits. Yes. He always counterfeits whatever God does and tries to turn it upside down.

Isaiah 5 20. Good, evil, evil, good. Sweet, bitter, bittersweet. Everything upside down.

Okay. And then lastly in verses 13 to 15. We're going to see that masking internal fury.

Worldly powers act as if their demand is only reasonable. This is only reasonable.

But their underlying hatred for God is still obvious.

Rich, would you mind reading 13 to 15? 13 to 15. That's Daniel 3, right?

Yeah. Okay. 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?

Right, that's 15. Yes. Now you're at 15. One more.

Oh, okay. I only read the fourth one. Now, if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, tri -john harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, 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 the burning, fiery furnace.

And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands? Arrogant challenge.

Wow. Notice this, though. We're told at the beginning of verse 13, he's already in a furious rage.

He inside a furious rage. But notice how he speaks to them.

Is it true, 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, et cetera, et cetera, fall down and worship the image.

But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning, fiery furnace. And who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?

He begins with this reasonableness. Like, all you have to do is simply bow down.

That's all. I'm not asking anything hard of you here. I'm being reasonable. We play the music, you bow, and I'll let you go.

This stand never happened. Because I'm a gracious master. But he's masking a fury, because by the end of it, he's saying, and if you don't,

I'm going to throw you in a fiery furnace. Church, they hate you.

They hate you. This man hated Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

The world hates you. They don't always show that they hate you.

But the world hates you when you stand against what they love. They don't necessarily hate you just as a person.

But when you stand and what you say against its idols provokes an internal hatred that they won't show on the face of it.

They'll mask it. But underneath it, it is exactly the furious rage. Described here.

It's interesting that it says, who is the God, lowercase g. Yeah. He's just picturing.

See, even in this earlier kind of like conversion where he's confessing God of gods, he's still seeing them among other gods.

Like, well, this one was more powerful than the rest, because at least this one could interpret my dream. But he's not understanding that all the gods of the nations are but idols.

And there's one true God in the heavens. Yeah. So he's still looking at already seen that Daniel's God interpreted his dream.

Yeah. Yeah. Two years ago, when President Biden was trying to get everybody to be injected to take that, which should be a personal choice to whoever, whether they take the vaccine or not.

He acted like a gracious master. He said, look, the choice is yours.

Either get the injection or wear a mask for the rest of your life. So he tweeted to that effect as if he has authority over my face.

And he'll graciously not force me or not make me wear a mask if I'll allow him to put a shot in my arm.

But what about the natural rights of those made in the image of God stewardship over our own bodies?

Romans 14, 23, that we have a conscience before God to allow into our bodies what we feel, the individual rights of a person made in the image of God.

But a dictator will say, if you just do this, then

I won't do that. That's the Nebuchadnezzar spirit here. I'm giving you an easy way out.

You're the unreasonable if you won't bow down and worship my idols. But even if we got the shot, we still had to wear a mask.

You still had to wear the mask, yeah. It's in that era. Stop using logic.

Yes. There are still people that say that those who refuse the vaccine are murderers.

Oh, yeah. Don't confuse them with the facts. Satan has so deceived the population.

Look what Hitler did with the children and created his SS. The Antichrist now is in the process of building his

SS. Yeah, the Antichrist. Think about how bad that's going to be during the tribulation. Right, if it'll be worse than World War II.

So, yeah. Nebuchadnezzar has already said to Daniel, your

God is God of gods and Lord of kings. Yeah. The revealer of mysteries. And he still doesn't recognize the difference.

Right. What passage is that? That's at the end of chapter 2. That's 247.

Chapter 5, verse 37. At the end of chapter 2,

Nebuchadnezzar makes this proclamation that Jeff accurately said. He's the

God of gods, but he is one of men. Yeah. The way that's actually stated.

But the thing about this, we have no idea the passage of time between 2 and 3.

Okay, he sets up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego across the kingdom, across the province.

We don't know the amount of time, but enough time for Nebuchadnezzar to forget the sovereignty of God.

That doesn't take long. In 437, he says,

Well, that's after he's been reduced to an animal for 7 years.

It's a stronger profession. Yeah. And I think that's a thesis statement of the book.

God puts that in the mouth of a wicked king to confess his sovereignty overall.

All right. So, in closing, guys, I think this is what's happening. If you remember back to when Daniel and his friends refused to defile themselves with the king's food.

Remember that? Yeah. In chapter 1, verse 8, we're told God gave them favor with the leader of the eunuchs.

With the eunuch. They had favor for a time. They made their stand then, and there wasn't a political consequence to their decision.

In fact, they had favor to do that. They helped him out. Now what's happening, as we've moved into chapter 3, now the tested genuineness of their faith must endure a still greater challenge.

Now they make their stand, and it's going to cost them. Instead of being allowed the better food, the kosher, clean food, now they're going to be thrown in a fiery furnace.

Now we'll see how the faith is refined. And I think that's the principle for us.

The tests that we go through in this life never bring us to home and the end of the testing until we're glorified.

Until that point, the tested genuineness of our faith has to endure one trial after another.

Even Daniel's great victory was the introduction of a new trial. Now pride would be the struggle.

Now the king is bowing down to him, and he has to fight any temptation towards pride.

Another temptation, the bowing down to idols. That's a harder thing because there's a greater cost.

Now, if they refuse to bow. And in our lives, the same thing is going to be the case.

Time and again, our faith will be tested. And it shouldn't surprise us that now we've moved into an era in American history where there's a political consequence, or a social consequence, or an employment consequence.

These things will come, and do not be surprised when they do. Because in all of these things, our

Lord is victorious. He's testing our faith, refining our faith. And there's coming a day when his victory over these idols will be clear and unmistakable.

Close the prayer? Absolutely. Lord God, you are the sovereign God, yet you call us to an ideal of holiness.

And the opportunities, the temptations, even the pressure to acquiesce to the culture of the day cannot measure up against the promises and the hope that we have because we know the

Lord of Lord and King of Kings. Father, let this message ring true to us and not be dismayed when the world hates us.

But let us realize with greater joy that you love us. We pray these things in Jesus' name, amen.