Bible Studies
Servants of the Most High God (Dan. 3-4:3)
Series: There is a God in Heaven (Studies in the Book of Daniel)Introduction:
1. Have you ever been faced by a circumstanced that challenged you to do something that you believed was wrong? 2. There was a young woman 17 years of age. She was quite popular among her high school classmates. She was very attractive, respectful and friendly to all. 3. She was a senior in high school and was elected to the home coming court. At half-time at the home coming football game she was escorted out on to the field, along with the other young ladies representing their respective classes. 4. But this young lady could see the “handwriting on the wall.” She realized that the student body would probably elect her homecoming queen. She really hoped she did not get it. 5. It was tradition that the homecoming queen begin the homecoming dance after the football game. But she had a problem. It was her conviction that such dancing was wrong. It was a violation of her principles. 6. Sure enough, her name was called and she was crowned homecoming queen. She trembled as she made her way to sit on the throne before all those people in the stands. 7. She must have felt like Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, Daniel’s three friends, when Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image and called on all to bow down and worship it. But God had specifically forbidden the worship of false gods and their associated images. 8. The account is given in Dan. 3.Discussion:
I. Servants of God simply will not worship other gods (3:8-18).A. The society in which we live often puts pressure on us to conform to their expectations.
1. No need to be angry at them for this.
2. No real maliciousness is intended.
3. They are just operating on the basis of their assumptions.
a. From the Babylonian’s polytheistic perspective there was no real reason for anyone to hesitate to worship in their way.
b. From the community’s perspective no reason for anyone to hesitate to lead the homecoming dance.
B. The society in which we live is a pluralistic society in which tolerance is advocated.
1. There is a place for diversity and some things we need to be flexible about. Ex. language, holiday traditions, clothing styles.
2. Illustration of intolerance. Two guys in Florida, who opposed homosexual sex, murdered two homosexual males.
3. But it is not appropriate to tolerate and advocate that any and everything is right.
4. God grants people freedom to sin, but it does not mean that sin is right.
5. Some confuse toleration and validation.
a. “Be tolerant,” is translated to mean “validate my behavior.”
b. I may give you the freedom to sin, but that does not mean that I validate it as
B. Servants of God resist idolatry to the point of death (3:17-18).
1. We may think we have no temptation to worship an image, but we should not limit idolatry to the worship of images.
2. More subtle forms today.
a. Our addictions can make pleasure an idol: alcohol, drugs, sex, or some other cheap thrill.
b. Power to control some part of our world can be an idol.
c. Revenge to get even with someone who has hurt us.
d. Relationships: spouse, child, friend.
e. Knowledge, degrees, writing books, delivering impressive sermons. Anything that stands between us and our relationship with the Lord can be an idol.
II. God delivers those who trust Him (3:19-27). “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psa. 34:19).A. Sometimes deliverance is like that of Shadrack, Meschack and Abed-nego—“without the smell of smoke.”
B. Sometimes deliverance is confusing—Job.
C. Sometimes deliverance is not as we expected—Paul (2 Cor. 12:7-10).
D. Sometimes deliverance is painful—the others of Heb. 11:36ff; Jesus (Heb. 12:1-3). Cf. 2 Tim. 3:11.
E. Deliverance requires a faith walk (2 Cor. 4:8-7a).
III. God is glorified when His servants put their trust in Him (3:28-30).A. Nebuchadnezzar praised God (28).
B. He commanded that God be respected (29).
C. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).
Conclusion:
1. Servants of God simply will not worship other gods. They will sacrifice their lives rather than do this. 2. God delivers those who trust Him. 3. He is glorified when His servants put their trust in Him. 4. Are you like these three men?a. Do you trust in the graciousness of God? Hananiah means “God is gracious.”
b. Is your God different than all others? Mishael means “Who is like God.”
c. Does your God help you? Azariah means “He whom God helps.”
5. “What happened with the young woman?” She spoke to the crowd of football fans at the homecoming game and thanked everyone for electing her homecoming queen. She then explained her Christian convictions and how she could not lead the homecoming dance. The audience was silent as she spoke. And then they applauded her! 6. People of conviction, these servants of the Most High God.
