This sermon, “Trusting God in Difficult Times Part 3“, from the Book of Daniel, is based on the experience of the Jews who were exiled in Babylon in 605BC. These Jews demonstrated that it is possible to operate in your God-given gifting in Babylon with excellence. This is what will make you a blessing to others, yourself, and God.
Trusting God in difficult times
God is in control
Remember, we had already established, more than once, that God is in control of every event in the world and your life. That’s why God made Nebuchadnezzar dream about a large statue that was later hit by a rock as recorded in Daniel chapter 2.
When Daniel interpreted the dream, it turned out to be a revelation of God’s timeline of future events in his day – some have already taken place and some are yet to take place in the days to come (I will therefore concentrate on the Babylonian kingdom first (2:37-38)).
Accurately interpret dreams
This means that, upon receiving God’s word through a dream, it is important and even prudent to accurately interpret the same. Otherwise, you will misunderstand God’s word or communication.
The key to interpreting dreams lies in the symbols employed. In this case, God employed the human body and its parts to pass across his message. That’s why God will always employ symbols that are common or available to you (and so will the devil, in the form of masquerades).
The body represents a whole thing or wholeness. Thus, the statue represented the whole timeline of God’s future events for the world. Meaning that a body part represented a part of God’s entire future timeline as it was then.
When you shower, the water flows from your head to your feet/toes. Similarly, anointing oil flows in the same manner.
It is therefore no surprise that the head of the statue represented the kingship (authority) of Nebuchadnezzar, and by extension, the Babylonian kingdom. The Bible describes the head as an authority (that is, “the head of every man is Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:3)). It could also represent pride, decision making or intelligence.
Gold then represents the level of strength of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingship. For the kingdom that came after him was inferior in strength (2:39a). That’s why verse 37 of chapter 2 recorded that “God had made Nebuchadnezzar a king of kings”. That is, God had given him dominion, power, and might.
Receive God’s word with humility (worship)
Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and worshiped him (2:46-49). Thereafter, he rewarded Daniel and granted him the request to have his companions rule over Babylon.
Therefore, you need to receive God’s word with humility. Humility is very important to God. It is a key ingredient in the worship of God.
Desire God’s word (dreams)
God’s word also empowers. Being armed in advance with knowledge is better than not.
Therefore, desire God’s word (Job 33:14-18 and Joel 2:28). And you’ll be up-to-date and ahead of time.
In any case, it is very clear in Scripture that “God’s people perish for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). So you would rather be knowledgeable than not.
God will deliver you, now and in the days to come
(even the tribulation that is to come).
Continue to put your trust in Him.
Trusting God in difficult times
I’m strongly convinced that Nebuchadnezzar’s image of gold could have been conceived from, or inspired by, his dream about the large statue. Meaning that, dreams from God can become grounds for wickedness by the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
Worship only the Lord God
The target of wickedness is always worship. So, when Nebuchadnezzar had made the image of gold, he invited all his leaders or government officials to its dedication. And there, the king commanded all people to “fall and worship his image of gold when they heard the sound of instruments and music” (3:5).
Trust God to deliver you from wickedness
In addition, the command also stated that “whoever would not fall and worship, would immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace” (3:6). Thus, except for Daniel and his companions, all the people “fell and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up when they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music” (3:7) – Daniel served in the king’s court, therefore, he was not part of Nebuchadnezzar’s leadership team.
This enabled the Chaldeans/astrologers to accuse the Jews, especially Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (who were governors/leaders), of not serving their gods and worshiping the king’s image (3:8-12). Remember, the purpose of setting up the image of gold was to test allegiance/loyalty to the king (3:12).
However, underlying this, was that the image would lead God’s people to engage in idolatry. And this was contrary to their faith (Exodus 20:3-5) (the case in Daniel chapter 6).
Thus, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And they still declined to worship his image citing their trust in God to deliver them. They even declared that even if God couldn’t deliver them, they were still not going to worship his image.
Therefore, they were bound and thrown into the fiery furnace. The furnace had been heated 7 times more specifically for them.
But who is like our God? He delivered Daniel’s 3 companions. And they had suffered no harm (3:27b-29).
Don’t plot evil against others
Don’t plot evil against others, for the evil you plot against others may befall you. This is what happened in Daniel 6.
Daniel’s malicious accusers had hatched a wicked plot against him. They were jealous because God distinguished him among the 3 presidents that he was part of, and the 120 satraps. God had given him an excellent spirit.
Therefore, King Darius had planned to set him over the whole kingdom (just like Joseph in Potiphar’s case). Then his 2 co-presidents and the 120 satraps came together and sought to find grounds for complaint against him concerning the kingdom.
However, they couldn’t find any. They therefore were forced to find a complaint that related to his worship of God (6:4-5).
Daniel’s accusers therefore made the king establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction that they knew would make them have a complaint against him. And Daniel indeed went on and prayed to, and thanked God 3 times a day from from his upper chamber, which had a window facing Jerusalem. Consequently, the 2 presidents and 120 satraps observed him and reported him to the king.
The king tried the much he could to deliver him. But at the end of that fateful day, he couldn’t.
Therefore, Daniel was cast into the den of lions, to the distress of the king (6:6-18). Early in the morning, King Darius went to the den of lions and found Daniel unharmed (6:19-23).
Trusting God in the difficult time of malicious accusers and accusations
In other words, the plot against Daniel had failed because he was all about trusting God in difficult times. Therefore, the king commanded that Daniel’s accusers be cast into the den of lions (6:24-28).
Your accusers too are in the hands of God. Trust God to deliver you from their wicked plots.
