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. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
Having received both a description of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and an interpretation of it from God, Daniel approached the man under orders to kill all of Nebuchadnezzar’s advisers on wisdom. Daniel told him not to carry out his orders because Daniel was able to tell the king the meaning of his dream. When Daniel was brought into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence the first thing he did was refuse to take any credit for the interpretation. Daniel told the king that no human agency has the ability to reveal the secret which the king was keeping. However, God knows all secrets and reveals them to whom He wills. The key lesson I take away from this passage is Daniel’s statement that he did not possess some special insight, not was he wiser than others. He was merely the one whom God had chosen to reveal His meaning to King Nebuchadnezzar. Do we have the same humility when God chooses to use us for His purposes?
The second part of today’s passage from Daniel is one of my favorite stories in the Old Testament. King Nebuchadnezzar set up a gold statue and issued a proclamation that everyone was to bow down to worship it. Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego refused to do so. When King Nebuchadnezzar found out, he confronted them. Nebuchadnezzar asked them what god would be able to save them from being thrown into a fiery furnace at his orders? Their response is one that I wish to emulate in all circumstances:
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us… But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.
The God whom I serve is able to rescue me from all troubles and hardships, but even if he does not, I will not serve or worship any god but the one true God.
This passage is full of important teachings. It starts by reminding us to have disciplined prayer lives, something I struggle with. It then tells us to demonstrate hospitality to our fellow believers in an ungrudging fashion. Peter then tells us to use whatever gifts God has given us to serve others with all of the strength we have, which also comes from God. Whether that gift is one of speech, or some other means of helping others, let us seek to use it to bring glory to God’s name.
We should not be surprised when we face trials and tribulations as a result of our faith. I will rejoice when I am insulted or persecuted because of my faith in Christ. God will not fail me in my trials any more than he failed Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego. Peter changes tack somewhat as he moves to his next exhortation. He tells us that elders, those with authority over others in the Church, should humbly use that authority to serve those others, while those who are younger should accept the authority of the elders. Let us serve one another with humility and humble ourselves before God, just as Daniel did. I will give all of my worries and cares to God because He desires good things for me and has the power to bring them into being. I will stand firm on the foundation which God has laid for me.
We may face troubles and trials that seem to be beyond our endurance, yet God knows our limits. His love for us knows no bounds and His faithfulness is eternal. He will rescue us when the time is ripe. Let us humbly wait for His rescue for it will arrive in a timely fashion, even if not in the time we desire.
A wicked ruler is as devastating to those he rules over as a wild predator is to someone who is helpless. A ruler who oppresses his people is a fool, a wise ruler will hate corruption. This fits in with what Peter said about leaders in the Church. Those in a position of leadership, whether it be elders in the Church, or government officials, should use their authority to serve others, not to satisfy their own desires.