Saturday, December 3, 2016

Year 6, Day 337: Daniel 3

Theological Commentary: Click Here


This chapter is one of my perennial favorites.  Yes, it is a favorite because it is one of the first stories that I remember learning as a young child.  There is something warm and comfortable and reassuring about this story.

From a mature theological perspective, though, look deeply into the story to see what it offers.  Do you see how ready Daniel and his three friends are to stand up for God?  Do you see the prioritization that is in their life?  Their life is about God being first.  They live their faith day in and day out.  They don’t have times in their life where they show their faith.  They show their faith every moment of every day.

That’s the only way that Daniel can make a statement like he makes here.  When Daniel says, “God can save us,” He’s making a statement of faith.  But the really powerful statement of faith comes after that.  When Daniel says, “Even if He doesn’t save us, we’re still not worshipping your golden image,” Daniel is really making a statement of faith.  What Daniel is saying is that he will worship God whether God performs some supernatural act on His behalf or not.  He isn’t worshipping God base on what God does for Him.  He’s worshipping God because that’s how He lives.

God doesn’t need to prove himself to Daniel.  Neither does Daniel worship God when it’s convenient or easy.  Daniel worships Go through every moment of his life.  It’s how Daniel lives.  This is why when push comes to shove, Daniel can resist the urge to worship something else.

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