Daniel Chapter 3 Part 1

Shalom and welcome to via hafte yes Ryan a Hebrew phrase which means you shall love Israel we hope you'll stay with us for the next 30 minutes as our teacher dr. Baruch shares his expose Ettore teaching from the Bible dr. Baruch is the senior lecturer at the Zahra Avraham Institute based in Israel although all courses are taught in Hebrew at the Institute dr. Baruch is pleased to share this weekly address in English to find out more about our work in Israel please visit us on the web at love Israel you are G that's one word love Israel dot o RG now here's baroque with today's lesson are you obedient to God now many times it's easy to be obedient it doesn't really cost you anything but what happens when obedience to God being faithful to his word well what if that should cost you your life and by the way there are an increasing number of countries in this world that we live it where if you are faithful to the God of this book if you are faithful to the revelation of this book the words of it you can be put to death put into prison suffer great things have property taken away from you being outcasts in many places in the world faithfulness to God the God of Israel faithfulness to his Messiah the Son of God Yeshua these things can cause you to be put to death now that may seem for many of those who are watching something so far so distant from us but do you know what it is going to become a reality in all the places throughout this world when in the last days and therefore we need to make a decision today remember how we began our study of the book of Daniel five weeks ago we talked about how that name Daniel means God is my judge is that true for you is God really your judge meaning this that you are living with a constant awareness that everything that you say even everything did you think every action that you do everything is going to be judged by God now I'm not talking about a judgement of where you're gonna spend eternity but I'm talking about whether God's going to reward you or you're going to suffer loss realize make the foundational principle of your life god is my judge he is the one that I need to be pleasing to and though whatever what the consequences are of obedience to him be willing to endure them because our life is just a vapor well take out your Bible and look with me to the Book of Daniel in Chapter three the Book of Daniel in Chapter three now here we're going to answer that question that I posed last week we saw in chapter one that Daniel and his three friends they made a request you know we don't want to defile ourselves so we don't want to eat the delicacies of the King we don't want to drink his pagan wine we just prefer to eat vegetables and fruit and drink water with would that be okay and remember they were given favor God moved with grace God was merciful and the leadership agreed to let them do that but the question would have been what if the leader said no that chief of the eunuchs what if he said you have to eat what we set before you're not getting just vegetables you're not just drinking water you're gonna eat the diet that the Kings commands how would they have responded see many people think that they would just say well we try but we shouldn't give our life over food so we'll just eat what the king wants us to they would have not they would have refused to have done that regardless of the consequences how do I know that well as I said look with me to the Book of Daniel chapter 3 and verse 1 we read here verse 1 and King Nebuchadnezzar he made a golden image whose height was sixty cubits and who widths was six cubics now we just learned last week at the end of chapter two that Nebuchadnezzar came to conclusion God of Israel is the one true God that he is the one that gives those hidden things and can reveal them and interpret them only God can and no sooner does he come in contact with that God with that truth what does he do he begins to violate the law of God now you say well he's not Jewish makes no difference what this book does and make no mistake about it what this book does is to teach us that God's Word his Commandments are for all people are we saved by the commandments no we're not are we under the law no we're not can we utilize the commandments of God today apply them under the leadership of the Holy Spirit in order that we live in a way that fulfills the righteous of the law yes we can to fulfill the righteousness of the law and walk in the spirit of the law not necessarily in the letter of the law read sometimes Romans chapter 7 especially verse 6 so this is what this scripture is sharing with us how importance is obedience even if it means your life well Nebuchadnezzar he begins immediately to act in the wrong way what does he do again and King Nebuchadnezzar verse 1 he made a golden statue whose height was sixty cubits and whose width was six cubits now you know I see there I see 60 and six now what is that reminiscent of well the number six is grace he's testing grace that's what we should see from this and he set it up in the plains or the valley of Dora in the Providence of Babylon so here's this great statue that he set up verse two and King Nebuchadnezzar he sent to gather up all the the government officials those who were rulers the governor's the judges those who were involved in the Treasury also those who had counsel for judgment and also another type of judges all those who were in the administration or the regime of the country on account that they should come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up so all these leadership that's what he's saying in very very clear terms all these leaders of the government they have to come to the dedication of this image that Nebuchadnezzar shouldn't have made and now he's set up in a very prominent place within his kingdom that they should come and for what purpose the dedication but why is it being dedicated what is the purpose of this image look at verse 3 and behold we read here that the government officials the rulers the governors the judges the Treasury officials the counselors the judges all those who were in the regime of this Empire they were gathered for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up so he gave the word you all come and what do we find they all came to this dedication verse 4 and verse 4 we see the purpose beginning to be revealed and the Carew's now the word let crease means to proclaim or to announce and the one who does that is called a Carew's in in Hebrew this is Aramaic but it's the same general word in the Aramaic just a different form of it so the announcer we might say the announcer called in a great voice this is the commandment given to you so this image also comes a commandment and what does that tell us you're gonna have Commandments you are going to be given Commandments from the time that you're born until the time that you die some of these Commandments are godly Commandments and the other ones are ungodly Commandments which ones are you going to follow you are going to obey Commandments realize that there either of God or there against God you make the determination and these are a commandment which is against the things of God why look again to verse 4 the announcer the proclaimer he called out in a great voice in an exalted voice it literally says this is the commandment given unto you all the people and nations and languages it says here just as or when you hear the sound of the horn and the flute and the lyre and the harp and the piano piano and this special heart maybe the bad pipe and the rest of all these instruments so there's a list of instruments given in this verse now we can be debating about what exactly instruments what type of instruments are there there's a whole bunch of them and scholars debate on what the words mean literally in regard to what instruments but what is the purpose of this these instruments making music and we're going to see that music takes a very significant place and notice what says here says when you hear all of these instruments middle verse 5 you are to fall down upon the ground and worship the image of gold which Nebuchadnezzar has set up now here's the principle there's this image what do we learn about that same word Salem last week the word Salem is a word for image and last week we learned it is a kingdom remember there was that image that was set up and it's gold in the head silver in the chest and its arms copper and the waist and the upper lake and I earn in the lower leg and its feet were a mixture of iron and clay so this is going to be different empires that rule over the world but the image is basically a collection a composite of these empires they all have something in common and what is that they are satanic in nature so what we're learning here in the progression of the book of daniel is that this image this Empire is going to rise up it's its origin is satanic it's not something new there's going to be one that rises up in the last days and it is going to be related to worship the real battle and we talked about this last week the real battle is who are you going to worship but make no mistake about it you are going to worship one you are either worship the one who is a liar who is the father of all lies who is the author of adversity the one who's going to be eternally condemned or you were gonna worship Messiah sure the Living God there's no other alternatives either God or Satan worship is going to be something that characterizes this image this Empire that we're going to learn more about now I say Empire it's going to manifest itself at different periods remember the gold the silver the the copper all of these are new and different expressions of that Empire that keeps manifesting itself we'll see that clearly in the weeks to come so look at verse verse six he says you know when you hear all this music you are to fall down and you were to worship this this golden image which Nebuchadnezzar has set up see if you can control how someone's worship you can control them that's the point that's being made here verse 6 and whoever does not fall his face to the ground and does not worship what's it happened to him he is going to be cast and there's something in Phatak immediately make a note of that word he will be cast immediately into the midst of a furnace that burns with fire when verse seven when all the people heard the sound of the horn the flute the liar the the harp the piano and the rest of the instruments they fell therefore upon the people fell and the nations and the people in the languages they fell upon their face and they worship the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up so the world just does what it just goes along with the program doesn't say well is this this you know what is this image what's its origin what's its nature no they just want well they're the clay that we talked about last week they're very impressionable you can form them however you want and they do that why well because of the alternative because if you don't do that what's gonna happen you are going to be cast into this furnace which burns with fire that is that you are going to be judged by Nebuchadnezzar and therefore the people all the people all the nations all the different languages that people speak everyone all the cultures they go ahead and worship this look now to verse 8 but in that time very important this is introducing a change up until this time Nebuchadnezzar's plans going very well everyone's following but what happens but at that time men from the Chaldeans they approached in order to accuse who the Jews now it's interesting they didn't come just to condemn Daniel and his three friends those individuals Kanaya Michelle and Azaria there's a change here up until this time we're not speaking about Jews but we're speaking about four Jewish men those four that I mentioned but now they came to accuse the Jewish people so let me tell you if you are a Jewish individual it doesn't matter what you do what Satan wants to do is to exterminate the Jewish race I mean do we have to suffer so many pilgrims so many things in our history not to realize that it doesn't matter what you do if you're Jewish the world is out against you and that's what we are seeing more and more we saw it 80 years ago during the time of the Holocaust and it's going to be and we'll see this in an undeniable way before we finish the Book of Daniel it is going to be repeated in the last days so they come to accuse the Jews look now at verse 9 and they answered and they said to the king Nebuchadnezzar Oh King live forever verse 10 come up in a very flattering way you O king have commanded that every man when he hears the sound of the horn the flute the lyre the piano and the other type of flute and the rest of the instruments that he is to fall on his face to the ground and worship the golden image well that's true that's what he says and who should not verse 11 and whoever does not fall upon his faith and does not worship that he should be cast into the midst of the furnace that burns with fire right isn't this what you said and Nebuchadnezzar knows that it's the case verse 12 there are Jewish men who you have appointed over the command of the Providence of Babylon they are Shadrach Meshach and Abednego these men they do not do not pay attention to you O king nor to your gods they do not bow down nor to the golden image that you have set up they do not worship so we're speaking here now about these three individuals now perhaps they thought that Daniel was just too powerful at that time perhaps Daniel was in the courtyard and they had forgotten him so to speak but they were focusing upon the individuals who were leading them in the Providence of Babylon and they came to accuse them verse 13 then Nebuchadnezzar he commanded with anger and with wrath to bring Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego and they DH men were brought before the king verse 14 now notice how the King speaks a little bit differently verse 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them now there's a change in language usually Nebuchadnezzar is called either hemella the king or King Nebuchadnezzar it is not normal for him to be just called Nebuchadnezzar and the reason of this is to show that he's really not the king there is a real king of kings in the Lord of lords Nebuchadnezzar is just in a position of temporary authority he's not the king in other words he's not our ultimate judge who is well what does the name Daniel me Daniel's absent here and his absence should emphasize him he is the one whose names means God is my judge so that's the question he's not mentioned here because the question is this where's Daniel meaning where are you do you recognize God is your judge or do you not look at verse 14 nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them true with this true is s'matter meaning what you have said about this image being set up when the music is played yes people are supposed to bow down their face the ground and worship the golden image that I have set up true as this matter that Shadrach Meshach and Abednego now what he says here is is it true and he's speaking to these men it says in verse 14 I want to get it right Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them that is to these three men is this matter true ohshe Adric Meshach and Abednego that my god you do not worship and the image of gold that I have set up you do not bow down to verse 15 now it's true but notice that nebuchadnezzar he doesn't want to push the issue he is ready to forgive them he's ready to act as this never have happened because he says but now I mean we'll let bygones be bygones but now if you are ready maybe perhaps earlier you weren't ready to do this but now if you are ready to fall down on your face to the ground and worship the image which I and this is emphatic which I have set up just as you hear the voice or the sound of the horn the flute the lyre the harp the piano and that other instrument that's like a flute perhaps a bagpipe and the rest of the instruments well and find he says how good literally in the biblical language this will just be wonderful this is good if you do it right now but if you do not worship he says you shall be cast into the midst of the furnace that burns with fire and notice what he says he's forgotten something seeing the previous chapter at the very end Nebuchadnezzar he understood there is a true God the God who knows all the God who's able to do all things him it's appropriate to worship he's forgotten that and he says look at the question in to verse 15 he says and who is the god that is able to save you from who my hand now what this is really a battle over who is going to be the king whether it's Nebuchadnezzar or whether it's God so he says who is the God who is able to save you from my hand and Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they answered and they said to the king Nebuchadnezzar there is no need I love their response I mean what they're saying is this you should know us by now and you should know how we behave and that is this we have no reason it says there's nothing that we should return to you mean we don't have a reason to give you an answer concerning this for behold our God him and this is emphatic our God it is him that we serve and he is able to deliver us to save us from that furnace that burns with fire and from your hand he will save us O king what a precious statement it's confidence it's that same boldness that Peter and John had in the book of Acts when they were brought before the government officials about speaking in the name of Jesus same thing he says here or they say together for our God he we serve and he is able to deliver us from that furnace that burns with fire and from your hand he will save us O king verse 18 and also meaning also if he does not do this meaning if we should die still you are to know o king that your God we will not serve and the golden image which you have set up we will not bow down to now they make it very clear so this answer is a question does it not for those who wondered well what if they weren't granted permission for that food would they still refuse would they suffer the punishment well this makes it very clear yes they would it doesn't matter what the rule is these men OBE and whether it's something as trivial as food or whether it's trivial as worship this is what a lot of people think and this is going to get you into a lot of trouble in the end of the hñ even now and what is that well on these important things what I view as spiritually significant I'm willing to die for but you know this is not a thing that I want to break faith over this is not what I want to break fellowship over this is that this is not all that important so I'll just just cave in on that that is a very foolish way remember the principle those who are faithful in the small things they're gonna be trustworthy and the law at large things it's because these men obeyed God with food they were now able to what obey God in regard to worship now if you come from a Jewish background you're gonna know something you're gonna know that there's a connection between food eating food and worship why is that well just think let me give you the citation Deuteronomy chapter 8 in verse 10 Vera hopped evasive octoroks attetion lo heheh which means in Hebrew you are going to eat and be satisfied and then you bless the Lord your God that's the principle there's a connection between eating and worshipping this is what the Torah states and this is what the Book of Daniel States and most people they missed the connection between chapter 1 and chapter 3 what chapter 3 is trying to teach us so realize what the Word of God is revealing these men they are not going to compromise their faith in regard to the little or in regard to the big things worship they state it perfectly before the king be it known to you you don't need an answer you should know how our Arkan it is to our God we are not going to bow down to your gods we're not going to worship the image look at verse 19 then as a consequence of that Nebuchadnezzar he was full of anger and the expression of his face changed meaning it was also full of anger toward Shadrach Meshach and Abednego and he answered and said to heat up that furnace seven times now why seven times well seven is the number of purpose and there was a purpose why it would take time to heat up an oven seven times I mean the word here that's used is to kind of bring things to make it burn more and more and more hotter it would take time and here again he wants what he doesn't want them to challenge him he wants them to submit and he's giving them time but now doesn't make any difference because Nebuchadnezzar's not in charge who is the Lord God Almighty who's in charge of your life well we hope you will benefit from today's message and share it with others please plan to join us each week at this time and on this channel for our broadcast of love Israel org again to find out more about us please visit our website love Israel dot o-r-g there you will find articles and numerous other lectures by Baruch these teachings are in video form may download them or watch them in streaming video until next week may the Lord bless you in our Messiah Yeshua that is Jesus as you walk with Him Shalom from Israel [Music]

Channel: LoveIsrael.org

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Length: 28min 30sec (1710 seconds)

Published: Sun Nov 04 2018