Prophecy to the Nations Part 2
Prophecy to the Nations • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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See the True Light
See the True Light
Most of you may be familiar with the story of the three Hebrew children taken captive to Babylon, forced to either bow to a pagan idol or be thrown in a fiery furnace. What you may not be aware of is the back story that lead to this choice in which these three young men stood firm in their faith even in the face of death.
We will begin in the book of Daniel 3:1
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.
This thing was basically 90 feet tall or the equivalent of a ten story building. The Hebrew word for image used here is the same word God uses in Genesis 1:26
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Tselem צֶלֶם means more than just likeness or resemblance. It refers to being under the shadow of God’s wings. It refers to a covenant covering to be under one’s protection, provision and authority as a bride to a groom or husband.
So, what was the image that King Nebuchadnezzar made? Was it of an animal or some heavenly creature? Was it of a Babylonian god or a god from some other culture? And why is this even relevant to us in our day, our nation, and our lives in Christ Jesus?
Well, to start answering these questions we need to look back a bit. Now, some would say that indeed it was in the image of some historical, mystical or earthly creature. Some would even be satisfied with the answer, “we do not know”. But look at what Daniel tells this king when interpreting his dream in Daniel 2:31-32
“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,
And then in Daniel 2:38 we see the answer to our question.
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.
The head, face, and countenance of the idolatrous image was King Nebuchadnezzar himself. Even after Daniel interpreting his dream and the king acknowledging with his lips the power of Daniel’s God, this king does not get it. Instead of his eyes being opened to the truth of who the one true God is, he perceives himself a god.
If you go to Las Vegas, Nevada you can see the replica of this idol they have erected in their blindness and ignorance.
With this deception of sovereign authority, king Nebuchadnezzar proceeds to exalt himself by creating this image of himself and calling all to worship it.
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.
Notice that this is a worldwide call to worship. This call included all nations to come and worship the image of the king. This included national government and local government. Every tribe, every home, all peoples.
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 so, all are called to this dedication. Notice the importance of music in this act of worship. The word “dedication” here is actually the Hebrew word chanukah חֲנֻכָּא which means consecration (to be made holy; set apart for divine purpose). This king is declaring this image of himself as divine and holy by his own hand and authority. Where there is a dedication there is a devotion requirement to follow. As well, the world chanukah refers to a feast of lights. This worship is to take place in the reflection of the brightness from the countenance of this idol.
Now we see another interesting fact regarding those who refuse to comply with the demands of the Babylonian governmental authorities and their call to pay homage, bow down, submit, worship or surrender to this leadership’s exaltation of itself. And again, we see that it has to do with “light”.
And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.”
Now, we often perceive that this was like a giant heating and air system, smoker, bar-b-q or fire pit. But it was much more than that. This was not a quick makeshift furnace for the occasion. This was an altar used for pagan worship as historical of the Chaldeans and their idol worship including sacrifice of children or youth and ritual prostitution.
The Hebrew word used here for “furnace” is ash אֵשׁ meaning “altar fire”. This means that the king of Babylon was going to offer these Jewish young men in child sacrifice as part of his pagan worship.
These young men of faith stood in a massive crowd of their peers before a giant brightly shining and intimidating idol while facing incredible pressure to compromise the faith of their fathers that had become their faith. The entire time, they are fully aware of the extreme and sever consequences of standing in absolute opposition to the cultural mainstream norm. Yet, they stood firm. This means they had made the decision to stand firm in faith long before ever facing the furnace but right in the midst of the culture and their brothers who chose to bow in safety of the compliance and compromise. Instead, these three probably turned their backs to the idol and their face to the true light of God so as to not even allow this idol to be in their faces.
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.”
The word for “worship” that the king used for his idol was segid סְגִד meaning to bow to and pay homage. But the word these three young men used regarding their devotion to Adonai was pelach פְּלַח meaning to serve, minister for and cleave to.
These young men clung to who they knew their God was. They clung to their identity in their God alone. They refused to accept the Babylonian identities through pagan culture that were forced upon them. They never embraced the pagan names the king had given them, but they clung to Hananiah (Jehovah is gracious), Mishael (Who is like Jehovah our provider), and Azariah (Jehovah has helped us).
What we see happening here is a contrast of lights. We see a golden idol putting off reflective light or a countenance of a pagan king who has made of himself a god. We see the light of a fiery furnace for sacrifices to pagan gods made of men. We see a dedication, a feast of lights, to idolatrous worship. We see in this culture, just like in ours today, all kinds of various shades of light. But they are all false lights in contrast to the true light. The true light resided with the three Hebrew young men. Now it did not seem evident at first. But the Spirit of God, the true light was with them the entire time, even long before they faced the furnace but when they chose to stand firm in their faith.
Too many professing Christians today are so influenced by the intimidation and seduction of culture that they have absolutely no or little discernment between the false light and the true light. Look at what Scripture says about the false light:
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
And here the words of Jesus, the true light.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Many cannot discern the true light because they are trying to still walk in darkness while professing to be in the light of Christ. You cannot walk (halak הָלַךְ live a lifestyle) in both.
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
These three young Hebrew men had enough discernment to recognize, that while everyone else bowed in obedience to the pressures of culture and government in opposition to the one true God, that this was indeed an act of darkness. This was not an act of cultural love, tolerance, peacemaking, or just getting along with your neighbor. This was an act of idolatrous enmity and darkness against Adonai.
We see a similar situation right here in our own nation. In the New York Harbor stands an icon of pagan enlightenment. It was fashioned in copper-clad after the Roman goddess of liberty Libertas and was dedicated on October 28, 1886. And above her head she holds a torch of what? A torch of light. Now you can argue the point all day. But nothing about this image, or it’s source of inspiration, represents the true light of Christ. Instead, it was inspired by the pagan worship and idolatrous ideologies of Ancient Roman culture.
This king, like men and cultures today, attempted to be his own god. There is a difference between just any gold and pure gold. Pure gold is of greater value because of its properties and process. It is soft, pliable and translucent. This we why we are called to be gold refined by God’s processes of purification and holiness before Him alone.
so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Even the Jewish menorah teaches us the shades of light (discernment) through the knowledge and ways of God reveling the true light of Messiah.
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Here we see the tools of righteous discernment through Christ Jesus in who is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the God Almighty. This is discernment through the true light and exposes all the false lights in this world.
Finally, the true light is revealed in the flames of the false light.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
Who was this fourth man in the fire? These three young men did not go hanging out in the darkness nor did they make themselves commonly familiar with the false lights of the culture. But when bound by culture and thrown into the false flames of cultures idolatrous worship, they stood firm in their faith and the true light was right there with them. And it shown brighter than the pagan lights of cultural lies.
He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
The lights of lies may have bound them but the true light set them free. The word used here by this pagan king for “a son of the gods” is bar ‘elah בַּר אֱלָהּ meaning “a chosen one of a god not our own or a God we do not know.” The Messiah, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, the true light was with them and shown brighter than the lights of lies. Let this light also be in you.
Even when Daniel was brought before the king, the king saw the light but did not recognize it or understand it. He perceived it, but did not discern it.
Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.
But through these three young Hebrew men, the true light was made known to him. Even through Daniel, God prophesied of these days and the nations darkness.
Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.
Are you among those who are purified by God’s refinement? Let this light of discernment, wisdom, and understanding be in you during these days of darkness. Do not be deceived by the false lights that permeate the culture and the common way of life around us that indulges itself in the ways of sinful compromise and compliance. Let the light of Christ be in you.
for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Who today among us dares to face the fiery furnaces of the world’s lights of lies and stand as a pure light for the one true God among the nation today? If the Spirit of God is stirring in you as it did these three young Hebrews, stand and step up to the purifying fires of the Most High and embrace who He has identified you as in His truth. Make it known that you will not compromise, you will not bow, but you will stand firm. Come and say, “Let Your light fill me Lord Jesus.”
