Monday: Worshiping the Image
Daily Lesson for Monday 16th of June 2025
However much fealty Nebuchadnezzar, impressed by what Daniel had done, at first paid to Daniel and to his God (see Daniel 2:1-49, especially vv. 46–48), it didn’t last.
Read Daniel 3:1-12. What significance can be found in the fact that the statue was all gold and that the king demanded that it be worshiped?
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The king underscored his defiance of God’s message by constructing a statue made entirely of gold. The message? Babylon will never fall, and Nebuchadnezzar will always be king. And anybody who dared to challenge that idea would be put to death. It serves as a powerful reminder that our human desire for self-determination can quickly blind us to the truth about how the great controversy will most certainly play out.
In some ways, Nebuchadnezzar displays characteristics of Lucifer: he was ambitious, self-important, and prideful enough to rebel openly against God’s authority. In other ways, of course, there are marked differences: Nebuchadnezzar eventually came to faith in the true God, and it is likely that we will meet him in the kingdom he originally fought so hard to defy.
Read Daniel 3:17-18, the words of the three Hebrew boys in defiance of the king. What does this teach us about faith and what at times it could demand of us?
Think how easily these three men could have rationalized their way out of this dangerous situation. After all, were they not being fanatics, willing to be burned alive over merely bowing down? Couldn’t they have just faked it, bowing to tie their shoelaces while praying to their own God? Was it really worth what they were facing? Obviously, they thought so, even though their words showed that they knew that they might not escape with their lives.
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How can we avoid the easy rationalizations that present us with opportunities to compromise on our faith? What does this text say that addresses a similar temptation: “ ‘He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much’ ” (Luke 16:10, NKJV)? |
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Oops! It looks as though I got ahead of myself in my comment yesterday. It is a reminder that I should read ahead a bit more. In my defence, yesterday was very busy.
But, maybe today's lesson in important enough for a double hit.
Nebuchadnezzar's golden image was essentially an illustration of the extremes of self-centredness. He missed the point entirely of the interpretation of the dream. Interestingly, of all the kingdoms represented in the dream, the Babylonian one was among the shortest ones. They peaked suddenly and fell quickly.
The witness of the three friends in the face of such a display was exemplary. We like to concentrate on the spectacular, the consuming fire, the standing up instead of bowing. But we need to remind ourselves that such steadfastness does not come as a spur-of-the-moment decision. They were prepared. Right from the outset of their captivity, they were determined to keep their faith.
That is the opposite to the self-centredness displayed by Nebuchadnezzar. It requires unselfishness, selflessness and a sense of purpose.
Of course we should apply that lesson to ourselves personally, but I want to add one further thought to this.
In a few weeks, the Seventh-day Adventist Church will have its 62nd Session. It is going to cost an arm and a leg and will set church directions for the next 5 years. It has the potential to be a self-congratulatory event. At the same time there are deeply disturbing rumblings among some elements of the Church community. I would like to suggest that we pray for a sense of institutional unselfishness in the lead-up to the Session. There are big divisions in the church and these won't be resolved by personal agendas and mandated actions. Collectively we need to pray:
Let's make this a matter for prayer.
Maurice, I like the way you've inserted this into your comments. In a few weeks, the Seventh-day Adventist Church will have its 62nd Session. It is going to cost an arm and a leg and will set the church's direction for the next five years.
These are special times we have on our hands, and what we must do is to pray for the Holy Spirit's leading during these times. Let us pray for the leaders that the Holy Spirit will choose to lead His church for the coming years, officials from the General Conference President to the local conferences.
I am profoundly impressed by the conviction, courage and uncompromising spirit of the three Hebrew “boys”. “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter” (Daniel 3:16, NIV). It was non-negotiable, it was a closed chapter, it was a no-go area, it was set on stone, and it was off the table. In a spiritual world where believers compromise like a chameleon changing colour, these “boys” are impressive giants of faith, indeed. No excuses. No rationalization. No compromise.
How can we as believers emulate the example of these “boy”?
1. We should be firmly rooted in the Word of God so that we can know when to stand. They stubbornly refused to break the Second Commandment (Exodus 20:4–5)
2. These boys like Daniel must have purposed in their hearts not break God’s laws. We must also resolutely purpose in our hearts before the trials and temptations come.
3. We must refuse to compromise. “God will understand”, “God knows my heart”, “just this one time”, “I will repent”, all these are masks of compromise.
4. We must be ready to stand alone. Faith does not need numbers.
5. We need to trust God with the outcome. “God we serve is able to deliver us” (Daniel 3:17).
The kind of faith that will be able to stand at the end time (Revelation 13) in one which does not compromise no matter the cost. These three Hebrew “boys” are a model of the remnant church.
Maranatha Saints,
your comments reminds me of Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
also reminds me of text from Patriarchs and Prophets:
No deviation from strict integrity can meet God's approval.
Historically, rejecting God and embracing idolatry has led to disaster. As seen with King Nebuchadnezzar, communities that abandon divine worship for false gods inevitably decline. Despite receiving divine revelation through Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar's pride led him to build a massive golden image, demanding worship for himself. This act highlights the essence of idolatry: pride and rebellion against God, a human yearning to replace Him with anything—false gods, occult practices, or material power—all serving to divert true worship.
Nebuchadnezzar's story reveals God's sovereignty over human history and warns against turning divine revelation into self-exaltation. His golden statue, symbolizing his kingdom, became an idol of pride instead of a reminder of God's authority. This illustrates that when humanity elevates its achievements or power above God, it leads to spiritual emptiness and ruin, mirroring Nebuchadnezzar's profound downfall.
Revelation 13:16-18 describes the prophecy of a time still in our future when the beast will be requiring everyone to receive a mark on their right hand OR their forehead. One or the other is fine with this power. No one can participate in the economy without this mark. It won’t matter whether deep down, between our ears and behind our eyes (ie mark on our forehead in our minds), we embrace what the beast has to say or not… It’s enough to just follow what the beast has to say with our actions, symbolized by the right hand. Remember in the wilderness, how Satan wanted Jesus to fall down and worship him… Doesn’t mention that Satan cared whether Jesus actually thought Satan was worthy of worship or not… The carrot Satan held out to Jesus was a promise of earthly honor and comfort (Matt. 4:8-10).
Had Shadrach and his friends fallen down when they heard the music, but in their minds thought, “I don’t really believe in this. In my heart I’m really worshiping the Lord God right now,” Nebuchadnezzar would not have threatened them because he would have gotten what he wanted: their participation in his public, brazen lie. The beast power is always wanting to turn rebellion against God into law and force everyone to participate. Mandating everyone to repeat lies or live in fear.
God asks us to stand strong and tall, albeit humbly…. wise as serpents and gentle as doves….against idolatry and anything that lifts man/self up above Jesus/God.
Whenl King Nebuchadnezzar commanded all to bow before the golden image, the three young men's refusal wasn’t rebellion for rebellion’s sake—it was holy defiance, a bold stand for the God they knew and trusted. Why this kind of courage?
Their courage was rooted in their knowledge of God’s past faithfulness. These young men had been taught the history of their people—how God delivered Israel from Egypt, parted the Red Sea, fed them in the wilderness, and brought down Jericho’s walls. That history wasn’t just information—it was evidence. It formed the foundation of their unshakable loyalty to God.
They knew that worship belonged to God alone. And whether He chose to deliver them or not, they were confident in His power and worthiness: “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us… but if not… we will not serve your gods” (Daniel 3:17–18).
As end-time Christians, we will face similar moments of testing. Just like these young men, we will need holy boldness—a courage anchored in deep trust and a clear understanding of God’s faithfulness through the ages.
Faith like this doesn’t appear overnight. It grows from a personal walk with God, a knowledge of His Word, and a heart fixed on eternity. When the fire comes, may we stand, not because we feel brave, but because we know the One who walks with us in the fire.
How much are we willing to compromise with the Truth? If we can't be truthful in minor difficulties, how are we going to do so in big ones? Again, what kind of relationship do we have with God? God sent us His Son so we could approach Him in a much lighter way. Because Christ became like one of us, He understands what and how we feel - He was on our "level". For a good relationship with God, it may be easier to start by relating to Jesus first.
God is good all the time no need to disappoint. We believe in a God who listens, a God who is working, so we are required not to worry about what so ever. We seventh day Adventists have a special message to the world to tell the world which we believe the world should be aware. If idol worship is problem to us we must cut off anything that hinders us to see our Creator we must love one another and the Creator God only.