I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me. I am striving to improve these devotionals, so from time to time I am going to take note of countries from which I have seen a significant number of visitors and ask how those from that country think I can improve my blog. Today I have chosen the Philippines. If you live in the Philippines and are visiting my site today, please tell me what you would like me to do differently with my site, and if you visit it regularly let me know why. Thank you.
Daniel described King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to him and then told him what it meant. Daniel first tells Nebuchadnezzar that no man could reveal the king’s secret. However, there is a God in heaven that can reveal any secret. This God has revealed the king’s secret to Daniel. Daniel describes the dream as of a giant statue made of mixed materials. The head was of gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of bronze, its legs were iron and its feet were mixed iron and clay. In the dream, a rock was then cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. The rock struck the statue and crushed it into small pieces. The wind rose up and blew the bits away. The rock then grew into a mountain that filled the whole earth.
Daniel then explains the meaning of the dream to Nebuchadnezzar. The gold head was Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom. Each of the different metals represented the empires that one after another succeeded Nebuchadnezzar’s. The mixed iron and clay represents and empire that will be two kingdoms that form alliances with each other through intermarriage. The two kingdoms will not hold together just as iron and clay do not mix. The rock represents a kingdom set up by God that will crush all the other kingdoms into nothingness and endure forever. Traditional interpretation is that the silver kingdom was that of the Persians which succeeded the Babylonian Empire, the bronze was the empire of Alexander the Great and the iron was the Roman Empire (with the iron and clay feet being after Constantine established Constantinople separating the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western parts). The rock represents the rise of God’s Kingdom with the coming of Christ. After Daniel reveals the dream and its interpretation to Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar appointed him to a high office. At Daniel’s request, Nebuchadnezzar also appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to high office.
Some time after this, Nebuchadnezzar built a giant statue and ordered all of the kingdom officials to gather for the dedication of the statue. Nebuchadnezzar then ordered that all of the people bow down and worship the statue when they heard the sounds of the musical instruments. Those who refused to bow down would be thrown into a blazing furnace. When the horns and other musical instruments sounded all of the people bowed down except for some of the Jews. Some of the court musicians made Nebuchadnezzar aware that Daniel’s three friends, Meshach, Sadrach and Abednego did not worship the gods of Babylon and had refused to bow down and worship the statue. Nebuchadnezzar was infuriated. He had the three brought before him and offered them one more chance to worship the statue. He asked them what god would rescue them from his power when he had them thrown into the furnace. They replied that they had no need to defend themselves to him and that the God that they served was able to rescue them from his power. They further said that even if God did not rescue them from his power, they would not serve his gods nor worship the statue he had built.
Nebuchadnezzar was so furious at this response that he ordered the furnace stoked up even hotter. He then ordered them tied up and thrown into the furnace fully dressed. The fire was so hot that it killed the soldiers who threw the three into the furnace. Nebuchadnezzar suddenly cried out that instead of three bound men lying in the furnace, he saw four men unbound walking around in the fire unharmed. Nebuchadnezzar approached the furnace as close as he could and called for Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego to come out of the furnace. When the three emerged, those nearby observed that not only was not a single hair on their heads was singed but they did not even smell of smoke.
I think that the response of Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego is a model for us today when we pray for divine intervention. They declared that they knew that God was capable of rescuing them from Nebuchadnezzar’s power, but they recognized that He might not do so. They declared that they would be faithful to God even if he did not grant their petition. We should have faith that God is capable of granting that which we are asking of Him, but that even if it is His will to not do so, we will continue to faithfully serve Him and we will NOT give our loyalty to other gods in His place.
Peter tells us that the end of the world is coming soon, so we should be disciplined in our prayers. In addition he tells us to show deep love for one another and demonstrate hospitality. Before I began this daily devotional blog I had been aware of the Bible’s instruction for us to be hospitable but I had never realized how much emphasis it placed on exhibiting hospitality. In this passage, Peter goes on to tell us that each of us has been given a spiritual gift from God. We are to use whatever gifts we have been given to serve one another. We need to use all of the energy and strength that God has supplied us with in the exercise of our spiritual gifts. By doing this we will bring glory to God in everything we do.
We should not be surprised that we suffer for being Christians. We should be joyful when we suffer and receive insults for being Christians for it is a sign that God’s Spirit is resting upon us. We should not suffer for doing wrong. However, when we suffer for being faithful to God we should praise God for the honor of suffering in His name.
Peter wrote that the elders should care for the congregation willingly, not for what they can get out of it, but because they are eager to serve God. The elders should not lord it over those who have been entrusted to their care. Instead they should lead them by setting a good example. Younger men should accept the authority of the elders and all in the Church should serve one another with humility. We must stand firm against the devil and be alert against his attempts to lead us astray. Our fellow Christians throughout the world are experiencing trials for their faith just as we are.
Even when my life is filled troubles and strains and I am being persecuted for following the Lord I will look to the Lord for rescue. I know that in His time He will provide me relief. I will not abandon His commands because I know that He loves me with unfailing love. The Lord’s commands are eternal and will withstand the test of time. I will not forget the Lord’s commands because they are the path by which He gives me life and joy. Even though my enemies may lay in wait and plot against me, I will not be distracted from following God’s commands.
I have just written to above in positive affirmation as if I do these things as a matter of course, when these are merely my statements of what I wish to do as God gives me the strength to do so.
A wicked ruler is as much of a danger to the poor as any wild predator. A ruler who oppresses those over whom he rules is demonstrating a lack of wisdom, while a ruler who fights corruption will lead a long life.