MATTHEW 5:17 – 20 CHRIST AND THE LAW; The Christian and the Law

 

 SUMMARY OF  PREVIOUS  GROUND COVERED IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT 

1. The Beatitudes (5:1-12) reveal the essential characteristics of the Christian.

2. The Salt and Light metaphors of  5:13 - 16  exhibit the nature of Christian influence in the  world, acting as it were  as preservatives  to a decaying society and as  illuminators  to a world in darkness  and thus with no sense of direction.   

5: 17-20: Christ and the Law; The Christian and the Law

This is an important topic. Many Christians are confused about the function of the OT law. 

Views on this topic generally range between two extremes:

(i)         The law is nothing. It no longer applies to the Christian.   Therefore the law has no place in the life of a believer. Such people say that the law is no longer relevant since Christ has died to redeem us from the curse of the law. This is of course true, but it ignores the true function of the law.

(ii)        The law is everything. The keeping of the law is necessary for salvation.  This is essentially the view of the Pharisees.  But what does Jesus say?

5:17-18 CHRIST AND THE LAW

Here Jesus firmly asserts in 5:17, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets” – by which He means the whole O.T.  This may be a response to His perpetual critics, the Pharisees, who were thinking that this popular teacher, Jesus had come to abolish the law, the Torah. This is the impression they perceive in the incident of the plucking of corn on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:1), and the healing of a man's shrivelled hand on that same Sabbath (Matt. 12:10).  Let’s consider this for a moment.  The OT Scriptures nowhere forbid either activity explicitly. So where then did they get this idea from? The Pharisees got this from their ‘commentaries’ on the OT – the Mishnah and Talmud[1]. Jewish scholars looked at the Torah - the law of Moses, and determined that it contained 613 commandments: 248 positive and 365 negative. The next step they took was to create a hedge around these commandments, so that nobody could possibly break these holy laws intentionally or accidentally. And so for instance, concerning the breaking of the Sabbath[2], they had created 39 prohibited acts in relation to the Sabbath alone.

We find that Jesus does not overrule the Torah – and in particular the heart of the Torah -  the moral law, the 10 commandments.  But Jesus  does overrule the additional applications and interpretations of the Pharisees.  That is why you will find Jesus questioning a good number of their interpretations with these words, “You have heard it said … But I say to you…”  (e.g. Matt. 5:22,28,32,34,39,44). To the common people this seemed like a new teaching, because they were so used to hear what the Pharisees had taught them. "What is this? A new teaching with authority!” (Mk 1:27). In truth it was the plain, old, purest form of the teachings of Moses. 

All this raised big questions concerning the relationship between Jesus’ authority and the authority of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, who claimed to stand upon the traditions of the elders. As such they thought of themselves as the custodians of the law, interpreting the law for the people.  And now here was a man who spoke with His own authority, "Truly (Amen) I say to you..." (5:18,22,26,28,32,34,39,44 etc.). 

Was He setting Himself up as an authority   against the holy Law of Moses, the Word of God?

Jesus immediately lays these thoughts to rest in 5:17. He is not abolishing the law. Quite the opposite will be true. In fact, He will give the law an even profounder status - far higher than the Pharisees! We shall see this in the coming “you have heard it said… but I say” passages to come in Matthew 5. Here is an example. The law teaches, “You shall not commit adultery” (Matt. 5:27 cf. Ex 20:14) - the 7th commandment.  The Pharisees limited this to actual acts of adultery.  Jesus raises the standard in 5:28, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart!” Here Jesus enters into the area of motives – the starting point of all sin – the heart, making the matter of sin  much deeper and darker. The law is profounder  than we would care to believe.

Now notice what He says about the law: “I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill[3] (literally to fill) them.” Jesus did not come to set the law aside but to fill it up, to give it proper application and perspective. Do you see?  There is no implication here that the OT moral law is in any way obsolete. How can it be obsolete? The law is holy because it is first given by a holy God.  It is perfect (Psalm 19:3). Psalm 119 teaches us to have a high regard for the law of God.

The problem then is not with the law, but what fallen sinners do with the law.  This has been the problem ever since.  In our hands the law of God is easily manipulated, misinterpreted and misapplied. In the hands of Jesus it is fully clarified. That is why the New Testament is really the key to a proper understanding of the law. Without the New Testament - without Jesus’ clarifying words on the use of the law,  the plain Old Testament is easily abused. 

Let’s settle a few things about the importance of  the Old Testament:

The OT is the source of all doctrinal teaching. The OT was the sourcebook of Jesus’ and the apostle’s teaching. The OT instructs us about the doctrine of God, man, sin and salvation. All the great biblical doctrines are there. And yet in our sinful condition we cannot understand the significance of these until Jesus comes and ties all the knots together in His person and work.  The person and work of the Lord Jesus are the interpretational  key  to the OT. Bishop J.C. Rile summed it up like this: "The O.T. is the gospel in the bud; the N.T. is the gospel in full flower." Martin Luther put it like this:  “The gospel (Christ) is in the O.T. concealed and in the N.T. revealed.". And so we find that  O.T.’s   predictive prophecy looks forward to the days of the Messiah (e.g. Isaiah 53)  or  by  foreshadowing  Him in type (e.g. the  Passover lamb  Exod.12   or  Abraham’s substitutionary ram  in Isaac’s place Gen. 12).  All these were the anticipation of the true fulfilment, which Jesus fulfilled it in His first coming, death and resurrection. The OT also contains our ethical precepts - the moral law - the 10 commandments, all affirmed by Jesus, without which civilization can just not exist.

So we see that Jesus does not abolish the law, but He comes to reveal the depths of the meaning of the law, disposing of all superficial ideas, and instituting the radical demands of the righteousness of a holy and just God. He came not to abolish, but to fulfill in the fullest sense. That is why He says in  5:18,  not  an iota (the “yod” in Hebrew) -  the smallest letter of the Greek and  the Hebrew alphabet; not a dot  “keraia”, which distinguishes  some Hebrew letters from others, will fall away – not until heaven and  earth pass away. Jesus says  that  the law is as enduring as the Universe.

Jesus could not have stated His own view of the Old Testament more clearly than this. And therefore this should end all our arguments about the law. Now that Jesus has shown us in 5:17 & 18 that He is the fulfilment of the law, He now helps us as Christians to “live with the law”.

2.  5: 19 & 20 THE CHRISTIAN AND THE LAW

The original Greek text in  5:19 begins with a “therefore“  [correctly translated by the ESV  but not the NIV] “Therefore, if anyone shall relax (lit. loosen)  one of the least of these commandments…”. By means of this conjunction Jesus connects His own high regard for the law to  what He would expect of His disciples to do  with the law: “Therefore whoever  relaxes one of the least  of the least of these commandments  and teaches others to do the same  will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever  does them and teaches  them will  be called great  in the kingdom of heaven .”

Whatever we do with the law, we teach others - some through poor example, and others by good example.  Please take note that greatness in the kingdom of God will be measured by our obedience and conformity to the law.  Jesus says that even the least of the commandments should be obeyed – precisely because it is a commandment of God our  King. To break or relax the least of the commandments is to loosen its hold on our conscience and authority in our life. That is when we sin against God. That is when we lose spiritual power. That is when we teach others wrongly. So the consequence is that if we downplay God’s laws and commandments we may find ourselves at the bottom of the ladder in the kingdom.  Please note that the keeping of the law does not earn us our salvation. Our salvation is rooted in the finished work of Jesus.  His Name is Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins (1:21). He is the One who baptises us with the Holy Spirit. But our disregard or regard of the law   will earn us ‘ least ‘or ‘great’ in the kingdom of heaven. 

In 5:20 Jesus now turns our attention to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. Jesus  says  that “unless  your  righteousness  exceeds that of the scribes and the  Pharisees, you  will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” What does he mean? Well, clearly the Pharisees had a very high outward regard for the law.  Sadly though, it was a defective understanding of the law, precisely because it was merely focussed on outward behaviour.  Once you peeled the outward away this is what you saw : In Matthew 23 Jesus had  a number  of charges against the Pharisees. Here are some...

They preach but do not practise. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, whilst being unwilling to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others… (23:3-5).They shut the kingdom in people’s faces (23:13). They neglect the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy and faithfulness (23:23).  They are concerned with externalities, but inside are full of greed and self -indulgence (23:25), full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (23:27). 

The ultimate goal of the Pharisee was to not to obey God from the heart, but to impress Him with outward displays that looked impressive (and unattainable to the ordinary man and woman).   We now understand that the Pharisees had outwardly high standards, which anyone would find hard to keep. But we also understand now that   the Pharisees did not keep the standards  of  God either , because Jesus  standard,  which is God’s law,  is  even  higher than theirs! How then shall we be saved? Certainly not by works of the law!

Here’s the answer and conclusion: Get your centre right! Jesus says, “You need a righteousness not  based on the law  or derived from the law, although the law is holy and righteousness in itself. But you can’t keep it, and all your attempts will fail (and the Pharisees tried harder than all not to fail). So,  look to me,  receive my righteousness.  The imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ is that RIGHTEOUSNESS ALONE WHICH  BY FAR EXCEEDS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES.

It is the righteousness of Jesus Christ the Righteous One in whom we must be clothed if we were to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is that righteousness of Christ, which in the closing words of Jude 24,   "...keeps us from falling and which presents us before His glorious presence with exceeding joy..." AMEN.

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[1] The Talmud is a collection of writings that covers the full gamut of Jewish law and tradition, compiled and edited between the third and sixth centuries  BC. Written in a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic, it records the teachings and discussions of the great academies of the Holy Land and Babylonia.

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbat_(Talmud)

[3]  Greek : plerosai  - to fill

Matthew 5:13 - CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE #1 - You are the Salt of the Earth

Here is a question.  Do you believe that our lives can make or should make a difference in this world? 

We have previously  considered  Matthew  5:3 - 12 (The Beatitudes)  in which our Lord Jesus teaches  us   concerning the essential  (and very counter cultural) character  of  a  Christian. The salt and light metaphors which now follow in 5:13-16 indicate that our lives should be an influence for good in this world.

A word about our context is in order. The opening verses  of  this Sermon on the Mount (Chapters 5-7)known as the “Beatitudes“ (5:1-12) are  seminal, for here the Lord Jesus  teaches us concerning the essential marks of  Christian character. So, you say you are converted? You say that you have repented of your sin and turned to Christ?  So, how do I know, how does anyone else know that you and I are a Christian?  What are the essential marks? Who are those that are truly considered blessed by God? Jesus taught the following (5:2):

• A Christian knows  their own poverty before God and therefore their need of Him (5:3). 
• A true Christian mourns because of the sin that is in the world (5:4).
• Because of this  a Christian is a meek person (5:5). 
• A Christian hungers and thirsts after righteousness – the righteousness of God (5:6). 
• A Christian is merciful (5:7). 
• A Christian longs for purity in heart –for godly holiness (5:8). 
• A  Christian is not a troublemaker,  but a   peacemaker (5:9), 
• ...and yet paradoxically  because of their Christ-like attitude  they are often  persecuted for righteousness sake (5:10-11).

These are the typical actions and attitudes of the true Christian. They are not known primarily by their words, but by their fruit (Matt. 7:20).

And now, following the Beatitudes, Jesus proceeds to show us how a Christian life ought to affect or influence our surroundings. I am answering my question:  Do you believe that our lives can make a difference? ABOLUTELY YES!  In order to illustrate this influence Jesus  makes use of two metaphors: Salt and Light!

There is much to say about these two metaphors  and therefore I will divide this subject into two sermons.  Today  we shall simply consider the first metaphor, SALT  in 5:13 : “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. “

3 Observations from this text…

 

1.                  The Christian life is meant to be lived out and expressed in this earth (world).

2.                  The effects of living the Christian life are comparable to the effect that salt has on its environment.

3.                  ‘Salt-less’ Christians are contradictions in terms and useless for God’s kingdom purposes.

1.         The Christian life is meant to be lived and expressed in the earth

The context of our Christian life, lived out in the spirit of the beatitudes (5:3-12), is this   earth, this world.  This is the world into which we are born into, and this is the world in which the Spirit of God causes a Christian to be born again. In this world a Christian is called to live out their   faith.  The Christian shares a common humanity with all the people of this  world, but through the new birth, and by the sanctifying power and work of the Holy Spirit the Christian has received power and desires to think and act  differently to the norms of this world. The contrary nature of their thinking and acting has already been explained in 5:2-12. In this world, Christians must be nurtured and raised to the glory of God. What a challenge! 

When you become a Christian, God does not transport you to another planet. Neither does He place you into a protected environment. Christians are not given separate cities to live in. They are not given a Christian country for themselves. Christians are called to live by God’s power and standards, and they must often  do this  living in the midst of ungodly, atheistic, agnostic  and idolatrous societies. 

It appears to be a strange paradox by which the Christian must live in this world. The Christian is told that he must live in this world, and yet he is not of this world. He is ultimately not a citizen of this world. Jesus, in His High priestly prayer (Jn. 17) prays to the Father concerning His disciples, says on the one hand, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of it" (Jn.17:16) and yet He prays: "...take them not out of the world, but protect them from the evil one." (Jn.17:15)

Biblical logic  is  very counter-cultural and very unusual.  What lasting influence can the poor, the mourning, the meek, the merciful, the pure, the peacemaker have in this world?  Will they not simply be trodden upon or persecuted, as indicated 5: 11-12? How will they survive in an aggressive, self- centred world, where things can seemingly only get done through  assertiveness, brutality and selfishness? 

It is evident, that Jesus does not share my scepticism. He tells His disciples that they are to be "salt and light" in this world despite the fact that it may not go well with them. So, how can Christians, with such, humanly speaking  weak influences exert a powerful influence in  this world? In this text we have an answer to this question.      

 2. Salt has an  Effect  on its Environment.

"You are the SALT of the earth".  Here Jesus says two things. Firstly, He describes  the effect that living a Christian life  has on this world. Secondly, He also tells us something by implication what the world is like.

Jesus uses  the salt metaphor  to  describe  Christian influence. When Christians live   in the spirit of  5:3-12 they  act  like salt.  We know that salt is a preservative. When used as a preservative it keeps food from rotting.   Christians are the preservatives of the earth. This implies that the earth without the presence and influence of Christians rots. 

Since the fall in Genesis 3 death and decay is  written into the DNA of this earth. Every living thing grows and dies.  We die. The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).  Nothing lasts for ever.

The Bible teaches us that man is not naturally tended towards good. Leaving a child to grow up by itself will not make it better. Life needs a restorative power. That restorative  power  is provided by God through the gospel of  Jesus  Christ. But the gospel  of Jesus has been put into the hands  and mouths  of  Jesus’ redeemed people.  And so we can say that  Jesus’ people, the church of Jesus, has been given for the healing of the nations. The church stops the rot!  As the church  preaches the gospel, and  as people are saved  through the  life –giving Word of God,  and as  the Holy Spirit  opens ears, eyes and hearts so people  are plucked out of the fire and they  are now  justified  before God by grace through faith. They have eternal life. But that is not all. Now they must be discipled.  That is the process of sanctification.  They must grow out of their sin and out of the rot,  and  they must grow up into Christlikeness. Men and women   learn to put off the rot by  being  godly men and women , better husbands and wives, leaving their respective societies in a better shape than they find them. The church, that is the sum-total of all  Christians,  must  do the preaching that leads  sinful men  and women away  from  damnation  to justification, and the church  must also  do the preaching that leads to sanctification.  The great work of the church is to worship and to work.  Working  for Christians  means, acting like salt. 

From worship on Sunday we go into the week meeting, praying for, encouraging, helping  broken sinners -  broken by personal sin  and broken  by being sinned against.   Daily Christians go to work , working against  the strong satanic  tide of destruction, bringing  the salt of Christ’s gospel  into every situation.  We leave people in a better shape than we find them. In this way we see that  Christian people are the salt - the preserving agent of society.

The encouraging fact is that  a relatively small amount of salt makes a huge difference to the preservation  of meat.  A small church   filled with true disciples of Jesus, with the heart of a Christian described in  5:3-12,  can have an amazing influence  upon their society. Christians do not have to be a majority in order to control their ever decaying  society.

Christians that are truly salt  i.e. “that have salt in themselves” (Mk. 9:50)  can make a huge difference, even  though they are in the minority.  Simply think of the influence which a Christian has when they enter into a room in which people are blaspheming and   gossiping.  Their presence has an immediate effect. The Christian does not say a word, but   people begin to modify their language. He is acting like salt; she is controlling their decadent language.  In the same way, a honest God fearing Christian begets an ethical work environment. A holy pastor begets holy church members. 

From this perspective it would also be unimaginable to think what would happen if you took Christians out of this world. The world would bite and devour one another without the influences of the men and women of the statue found in 5:3-12.  Imagine there was no one mourning over sin, no one having mercy and no peacemakers. If you take Christians out of the world, it is just as good as saying that you take God out of the world, for Christians are the means through which God acts as salt.

The stress is also on the individual – on you to be salt. All too often we hide behind an organization, without having salt in ourselves. We can see  this  chronic ineffectiveness in these large humanitarian organizations managed by  people that do a job but they have no  motivation to be there,  except to get their salary at the end of the  month. And then  take an exceptional  man  like  George Mueller of Bristol  who in his life time  led an orphanage which  cared for, clothed,  fed and educated  over 10 000 orphans. Think of a man like  C.H. Spurgeon whose church had 66 societies (including an orphanage)  for the biblical upliftment of humanity

3. ‘Salt-less’ Christians are useless for  kingdom purposes

Finally, Jesus speaks about ‘salt-less salt’.  This is really a contradiction in terms. It is unimaginable for salt not to be salty. And that is precisely the point here. Salt-less salt is useless. Jesus uses this terminology to describe the paradox of a Christianity that has no effects upon its society. It is useless.  He uses  very strong language,  “ It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men …”  

This is  the same as  what Jesus  says in  Matt 25:30: “Throw that worthless servant outside into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth…”.  

Salt-less Christians are like fruitless trees. They are   a contradiction in terms. Therefore such will not be found in heaven. This is no idle threat. This is a warning!  Jesus is not interested in you being a mere member of your Church. Dead branches are also attached to a vine and they will be cut off.  The question is this.  Are you a productive, preserving agent working together  with the "Eastside   Baptist  Church Saltworks" for the  preservation of our  corrupt society ? Are you exercising a healing ministry in this rotten world?

Don’t hide  behind the church, and say: "I'm a member of such and such a church, and my pastor says...". NO! “Have salt in yourselves!”  (Mk. 9:50) Stop the rot!  All the acts of parliament will not stop the rot. Newspaper articles will not arrest the decay. Obedient Christians – Christians in keeping with  5:3-12 will! This and nothing less will preserve our society from decay, for this is God’s plan for the church.   Be salt!

DANIEL 4 - NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S CONVERSION

 

This is a thrilling and exciting chapter. This is the story of a Babylonian king called Nebuchadnezzar, attributed with the capture of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Although he is the enemy of the Jews, yet we shall see that this mighty and powerful pagan king is in the hands of God. Here we find the exposition and application of Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.”  

In this chapter we shall see how he is finally brought to conversion, although some commentators, including John Calvin argue against it[1]. I will take the position of E.J. Young[2] and most other commentators I have consulted, who believe that in this chapter Nebuchadnezzar did experience the regenerating grace of God.

Rehearsing what we know of Nebuchadnezzar

In chapter 1 we get to know him as a powerful king and conqueror of nations – perhaps the most powerful man in his time. He depended on the counsel of wise men, among who were the Jews, Daniel and his friends, who stood head and shoulders above all the Babylonian wise men, simply because they were equipped by God in wisdom and in knowledge.  

In chapter 2 we saw that Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which greatly   troubled him.  None of the wise men of Babylon could interpret the dream (2:10), but Daniel with the help of God (2:19ff) could, for “… there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to king Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days."(2:28). The impact of God's revelation to Daniel, and Daniel's subsequent interpretation of it to the King, is observed in 2:46,47.  

In chapter 3 we learn that the human mind very quickly forgets the mighty acts of God. In this chapter he forces his subjects to worship a man- created, lifeless image of gold. Refusal to do so means death in a fiery furnace!  When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, refuse to  bow down to this image of gold, because they fear God more than king,  the king is furious, and commands that they be thrown into the furnace. The God who is greater than the king or the fire preserves his servants in the fire. Nebuchadnezzar’s astonished reaction is found in 3:28 -29. We must not be fooled to think that such profound experiences have the power to convert anyone.  Notice Jesus' observations in Luke 16:19 – 31, the story of Lazarus and the rich man…The rich man in Hades, being in torment   begs Abraham to send a messenger to his 5 brothers that he might warn them of what was awaiting them. He says, “If someone goes to them from the dead (a miracle), they will repent.  Lk 16:31 records, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, nether will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead”. Miracles in themselves do not convince people to repent and to place their faith in God. A dead heart is unresponsive. You must receive a new heart! Many people are like Nebuchadnezzar and this rich man here, and also like Judas. They see the mighty works of God. They hear the gospel preached. They see the results. Some of them are profoundly impressed by gospel truth and evidence, but they are not converted. We need to be reminded of the parable of the sower and the seed (Mk. 4:1 - 20). Only the seed sown on good soil is the seed that hears the word, AND receives it wholeheartedly AND produces a crop that is fruitful.  These are those who are born again (John 3).

There is another great lesson in these first 3 chapters. They show us how patient God is. He has spoken to Nebuchadnezzar indirectly in Chapter 1.  He has spoken to him directly in Chapter 2. God has shaken him in Chapter 3. God is knocking and knocking, but his heart remains hardened.  And now in Chapter 4 he is going to knock again.  Stuart Olyott says,"... and this time He is going to knock in such a way that the door will come right off its hinges. God has determined to enter Nebuchadnezzar's heart, so enter it, He will."[3]

OUTLINE

1.  4:1-3  The Perspective of hindsight  

2.  4:4-18 A second dream, which creates much anxiety

3.  4: 19-27 Again, Daniel interprets the dream           

4.  4: 28-33 The fulfilment of the dream          

5.  4:34-37 Nebuchadnezzar's recovery and confession of faith

       

1.      4:1-3  THE PERSPECTIVE OF HINDSIGHT

The introduction is actually a conclusion! Chronologically, these opening words belong at the end of the chapter because they come out of Nebuchadnezzar's experience, recorded in this chapter. This is an introduction to that which God had done in Nebuchadnezzar’s life. It begins with a terrible dream, followed by Daniel’s interpretation and ends with Nebuchadnezzar’s restoration. Here we find a new tone, a new sense of worship and a new humility in the king. The truth about the Sovereign God has finally sunk in! He is no longer talking about God among the gods - except in 4:8,9 - which needs to be understood  in the context of his testimony, when he was as yet  unconverted. After the period of humbling, the only name on his lips is the Most High God and His praiseworthy attributes. In 4:34 - 37 we will find the newfound praise which he now has for the Sovereign King of heaven.  

Do you have a friend, a relative or spouse that you think is too hard for God to reach  and bring about conversion? Remember the work of God in bringing about Nebuchadnezzar's repentance and conversion.

2.      4:4-18 A second dream!  

It all starts with yet another dream in which Nebuchadnezzar becomes afraid by what he sees, ...”As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me…” (4:5).   Once again, nobody but Daniel is able to make sense out of this dream (4:8). The substance of the dream concerned a big, beautiful, fruitful tree in the midst of the earth, a tree which sustained the earth, visible to all. This is a picture of  Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian empire. The prophet Ezekiel used a similar image of a tree in terms of the kingdom of Assyria...‘Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches and forest shade, and very high, and its top was among the clouds. (Ezek. 31:3).

Suddenly, an angelic being, called here a watcher[4] (see also 4:17,23) came down from heaven and commanded this tree to be chopped down, leaving only a stump bound with a band of iron and bronze. The function of the band of iron and bronze is not clear. Some see the band as a figurative allusion to the king being bound by mental illness. Others see it as a sign that the stump would be protected thus assuring its survival. In 4:15b,16  that  stump is clearly identified with Nebuchadnezzar. God would severely downsize him, but not destroy him. Out of the stump he was going to make something new! Before this happens God will strike Nebuchadnezzar with temporary insanity. God caused him to live like an animal for 7 years.  There is a rare mental disorder called lycantropy in which  a person identifies as an animal[5].   This is the dream that Nebuchadnezzar saw.

3.  4: 19-27 Again Daniel interprets the dream           

It now becomes clear that this is a personal message from God Most High to Nebuchadnezzar and it disturbs Daniel (4:19). Nebuchadnezzar must have seen the look of concern on Daniel’s face, but he encourages him to tell the truth.  In 4:22 Daniel delivers the verdict: “It is you O king”[6] . The tree is Nebuchadnezzar. He is going to be chopped down… severely, even to the point of being insane- all this is designed by God to bring Nebuchadnezzar to his knees (4:25,26). Daniel the evangelist  has but one word for the king in 4:27… “ break off your sins…”.  In the light of this judgement, Daniel pleads with the King to repent, so that the King might not suffer the consequences, remembering that God is merciful and quick to forgive. However, we see that the pleadings of Daniel fall on deaf ears. One of the hardest facts to face as a preacher is that despite the urgent pleas we issue for people  to repent everywhere, many will not hear! King Nebuchadnezzar is our prototype.

4.      4: 28-33 The fulfilment of the dream - the stubbornness of sin

In 4:28,29 we find  the king’s pride is overtaking him, and so  the time for judgement has arrived. God has been very patient, but He is not mocked. Nebuchadnezzar's iniquity has reached its full measure. Pride is killing him. Let this not be lost on us. It is a very common sin. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to search each of our hearts. Allow the ultimate Watcher to search your own heart. 

Warning signs of a proud heart are:  

• Usually thinks that he is right. 
• Is easily offended.
• Does not like to be corrected. 
• Often complains about circumstances or people. 
• Usually ungrateful. 
• Often impatient with others and sometimes with God. 
• Secretly ashamed of serving Christ. 
• Likes to talk more than to listen; 
• freely offers opinions. 
• Desires to be first or best. 
• Needs to be noticed. 
• Obstinate towards authority. 
• Quick to find fault with others. 
• Quick to contradict others. 
• Demanding and hard to please. 
• Much more sensitive to personal desires than to the needs of others. 
• Has a hard time forgiving others.
• etc[7]

5.      4:34-37 NebuchaDnezzar's recovery and confession of faith

And so we find that Nebuchadnezzar finally gets the big point made repeatedly   in - see 4:17, 25,32

A VITAL LESSON ABOUT CONVERSION:

1.      Man’s heart is  dead in  sin

2.      Only God  can  change  that heart  

Nothing in the whole world would have moved Nebuchadnezzar to bow down to God in repentance and humble   submission. God alone has brought Nebuchadnezzar into a state of faith and  repentance by a persistent pursuit, reminiscent of a poem, The Hound of Heaven  by Francis Thompson (1890).  He came because God had determined so. Note, that at the end, Nebuchadnezzar is like a tamed horse - his will is submitted - but his life is restored to him. We never need to fear to be broken by God, or to see others broken, for whom we pray for salvation. God remakes what He breaks, and a contrite and broken heart, God does not despise (Psalm 51:17). In fact, the most merciful thing God can do to a sinner is to knock him down. Sometimes we must be knocked down flat on our backs, so that we can look up!

Let me speak a frank word with those of you who have no testimony of conversion and no assurance of salvation.  The reason why you are not yet saved, despite all your interest in coming to church and your interest in the Bible, is because you have not been  humbled  to  confess your sin  and  turn to God. ou are still too proud to come humbly before the throne of Grace, and there to acknowledge that you are a sinner. 

It is time for you to face the fact, dear friend that God will not take you on your own terms. Those who come to God through Christ must come in the same way as all others have come before. You must come through Christ the narrow door. Not until you have cried in the words of the tax collector: "God be merciful, to me - a sinner (Lk. 18:13) and not until you have fallen on your knees like the Philippian jailer and cried, "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30) will you experience true salvation. Jesus did not come to   save the righteous (i.e. those who trust in their own strength and self- sufficiency). Jesus came to save the broken hearted sinner (Mark 2:17). Nebuchadnezzar's conversion proves that. The entire spectrum of Scripture proves that. Repent today- unless you want to wait  until God has knocked you down!

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[1] https://www.grace-ebooks.com/library/John%20Calvin/JC_Daniel_Vol_1.pdf . P 154/5   …Nebuchadnezzar confessed Israel’s God to be Most High; yet, he did not correct the idolatry which still flourished under his sway… he mingled and confused the false gods with the God of Israel….He celebrates indeed with magnificence the glory of the supreme God, but this is not sufficient without  abolishing all superstitions, and promoting that religion alone which is prescribed by the word of God, and causing his pure and perfect worship to flourish..”

[2] E.J. Young , Banner of Truth: Daniel, pp 113,114

[3]  Stuart Olyott: Dare to Stand Alone (Evangelical Press), p.52,53

[4] a unique Aramaic word (only in Daniel 4:13, 17, 23) which means watchman and comes from the verb meaning to be wakeful or on watch. The idea is a "waking one", one who is constantly alert. "This distinctive name occurs  also in extra-Biblical literature (the book of Enoch). The term suggests that angels are watching us, and they "desire to look into" God's dealings with us (1Peter 1:12)

[5] R.K. Harrison in  his Introduction to the Old Testament  (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1969) describes such a case.

[6] cf. Nathan to King David- 2Sam. 12:7

[7] https://lifeaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ProudBrokenSummitRevivalWorksheet-bw.pdf

DANIEL 3 “THROUGH THE FIRE“

 

In Chapter 1 we saw how Daniel and his friends refused to accommodate themselves to the idolatry of the Babylonian, not because they were  deliberately difficult or obnoxious, but because they feared God more than man. Truly, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge/ wisdom“ (Prov.1:7). As a result we read that God gave to these men ‘knowledge and understanding’ (1:17). This kind of knowledge was not based on a   superior Intelligence Quotient (I.Q.), but this knowledge is the gift of God to those that fear Him.  

These 4 young Hebrew men grew up in the household of faith in Israel. They were raised to fear God, not in an abstract way, but in a real experiential way. They did not simply know about God in an abstract way. They knew God. The longer one is married the more knowledge one gains of the person one has married.  We do not   gain an understanding of our spouse by reading all sorts of books about the other gender or by studying personality theories -   “5 scientific facts on why females act like they do”, written by a specialist on marriage that has never been married. No! We get to know our spouses when we live with them, when we experience them first hand.  These young men knew their God, and because they knew Him they knew that they could trust Him (unlike the gods of the magicians in 2:11), especially when the odds were stacked against them.  We shall see this again in Chapter 3.

By the time we come to Chapter 3, these young Hebrew men would have been through two major faith trials - 

(i) not defiling themselves with the King’s food. 

(ii) the trial brought about by Nebuchadnezzar’s dream which was humanly speaking impossible to interpret.  

And now they are about to face their third major trial. Again we will see them not compromising  even at the risk  of losing their lives (again!). 

OUTLINE

1.      3:1 – 7 Nebuchadnezzar forces all to worship the golden image. 

2.      3:8 – 12 The faithful Jews accused of disobedience

3.      3:13 – 18 Nebuchadnezzar’s fury and the  Hebrew boys  response  

4.      3:19 -  25 The fiery furnace; Four men in the fire

5.      3:26 – 30 Nebuchadnezzar’s response to this miracle  

 

1.      3:1 – 7 NEBUCHADNEZZAR FORCES ALL TO WORSHIP THE GOLDEN IMAGE

“King Nebuchadnezzar made an image…”. Now this is somewhat ironic.  The substance of the dream of Daniel 2 was a great image (Aramaic- sělēm)  of a human  figure. We saw that that image represented 4 kingdoms which was smashed by a stone (Christ’s kingdom)  that grew into a mountain. In the interpretation of that dream Nebuchadnezzar was explicitly told that his kingdom would not last (2:39). Nebuchadnezzar was absolutely bowled over by that dream and interpretation, declaring Daniel’s God to be God of gods and Lord of kings (2:47). The irony is that in the third chapter King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold. Has he not understood  that human images and powers  will also be  destroyed by the God of gods?

It was not unusual among Babylonian and Syrian rulers to erect images to their own honour. This particular statue was massive: 27 metres high and 2.7 metres wide! A ‘dedication service’ was to be held in the plain of Dura[1]. All the people, including the conquered nations were commanded to bow before this image[2]. Present at the ceremony was an orchestra. At the sound of the music, the people were commanded to fall down and worship the statue. Failure to bow down would be seen as treason followed by certain death in a burning fiery furnace. Most people wanted to stay alive and obliged.

It is an unfortunate thing that false religion has frequently been used to oppress. The emperor worship of the Romans cost many early Christians their lives. Christians at the time were being told, under threat of death, to renounce Christ, confess that “Caesar is Lord,” and offer incense to the emperor. One of the modes of torture/execution of Christians was to have them attacked by wild animals in a public arena. The story of Polycarp (AD 69—156), bishop of Smyrna, one of the last living disciples of John the apostle, is well known.  The Roman authorities  wanted him to  say “Caesar is Lord” and offer incense to him. Polycarp said, ‘Fourscore and six years have I been His servant, and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?’” (Polycarp 9:1–3).  Realizing that Polycarp would not recant, his captors threatened him with wild beasts. When that did not work, he was threatened with burning alive. That did not frighten him, either. A pyre was made, and the wood caught on fire but Polycarp was unharmed. Then a man stabbed him in the heart, and a great gush of blood came out and extinguished the remaining flames. After his death by stabbing, his body was burned.

Nebuchadnezzar looked for such affirmation from all his subjects. The sad thing is that he had just witnessed a supreme demonstration of the power of Daniel’s God (2:47), calling him “God of gods and Lord of kings…”. In truth he has learned nothing as he tries to exalt himself. He saw, but he does not know. How very foolish to make people fall down in front of a statue in worship, when you have just experienced the great power of the God of gods. This is not a time for self- glory. This is a time to seek the All glorious One.

2.      3:8 – 12 JEALOUSY AND ACCUSATION  

In the meantime many of the Babylonian wise men (aka. Chaldeans 3:8) had resented the success of the Jewish wise men. Jealousy makes you nasty, and when they saw that three of them, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (we don’t know, where Daniel was) would not bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue (3:12), they grasped this opportunity “to tell on them” (3:8).   Before we look at that, let us take a quick  look at the response  of  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and then the  response  to  their  standpoint:

No compromise! Why is it that these young Hebrew men were so adamant about not falling down before the statue when everybody was doing it? As stated before, the principle of “no compromise” was rooted in their understanding of the nature of God.  They knew Him. They knew His nature for it had been revealed to them in the law of Moses. They knew that He is the solitary, only Creator and Owner of the universe. No one can stand alongside Him. They knew that idolatry was a great sin. They knew the 10 commandments which state explicitly, “I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD …You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I THE LORD YOUR GOD, AM A JEALOUS GOD…” (Ex.20:2-5).    

As modern Christians we find ourselves in the same predicament. Our battle is not so much with bowing down to idolatrous statues but to idolatrous systems! Christians are constantly challenged to compromise the clear standards which God has given us in His Word. Here we simply consider what the world wants us to believe in matters of creation (evolution), in   matters of gender identity and human sexuality, the marriage institution. The world has its own fiery furnace for those who do not conform to the worship of these satanic thought idols. It is the furnace of being ridiculed, ostracised, ignored and excluded, and called ‘narrow-minded’.  But we cannot compromise. We know our God and the words of Acts 5:29 come readily to mind:  “We must obey God, rather than men.” (Peter and the apostles before the Sanhedrin)

In reality, the world is jealous. It cannot stand people that possess a godly righteousness. They will do everything to side-line them, and if necessary to get rid of them. Ultimately, these people are shaking their fists against God Himself! The absurdity of this jealousy is that Daniel and his 3 friends  actually saved the skins of these so-called Babylonian wise men, by interpreting the dream  for the King. Had they not done that, all the wise men would have been executed by now. Jealousy, which issues here in malicious accusation is a sad attribute of our fallen human nature. These Babylonian wise men were probably jealous of Daniel and his friends, because they had risen to positions of prominence, which they themselves had hoped to secure.  Jealousy  is listed among the acts of the sinful nature (Gal. 5:19). People who persist in this sin are warned, that they will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (Gal. 5:21). Sadly this trait can even be found among Christians. In many churches the work of Christ is hindered because of jealousy. [3] May God deliver us from such!            

3.       3:13-18 NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S FURY AND  THE FAITHFUL  HEBREW BOY’S  RESPONSE 

We have already noted that Nebuchadnezzar who had recently seen the power of God through the prayer and testimony of these men (2:46ff), has forgotten this. And right now he is in the hands of blind anger  which always   impairs one’s sense of judgement.

Now see the response of the three Hebrew men to his threatening:  

a. They affirm that God is able to deliver 

b. But even if He doesn’t, they will not compromise (3:18)

The Hebrew men ruled by their knowledge of God stuck by God. They knew Him! That principle is KEY. When the choice needs to be made between pleasing the most powerful man on earth and the eternal King of Creation, there can be but only one way to go. Not deliverance but obedience is key! And secondly, remember that the worst the world can do is to kill us! But it cannot kill our soul, which belongs to God. Our accusers should be aware of the fact, that they will have to give account of themselves in the day of judgement. They must fear the ONE who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt 10:28).

4.      3:19 – 25 THE FIERY FURNACE: FOUR MEN IN THE FIRE

And because Nebuchadnezzar was furious (3:19) he commands the fire to be heated seven times as hot. The furnace was so hot that the fire killed the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to the fire. Miraculously, however, the fire does not appear to consume these three men. Something very strange happens: A fourth person appears in the fire with them (3:25). He is described “like a son of the gods” by the King. Later in 3: 28, he is described as an angel. It is the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus who in all times and ages has stood with and delivered His people..  

This is the promise found in Isaiah 43:1-2,  

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob,  he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you;  I have called you by name, you are mine.2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;  and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,  and the flame shall not consume you” 

The great lesson learnt here is this: NOBODY LOSES  BY REFUSING TO SIN, whatever may be said to the contrary. We also learn that deliverance FROM the fire was not  to be their experience.  God delivered them  IN the fire … i.e. “when you walk THROUGH the waters… the fire...”; “when you walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death...” Ps. 23)

5.       3: 26-30  OUT OF THE FIRE: NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S RESPONSE

What can Nebuchadnezzar say? He knows, and acknowledges what has happened, and he again gives the credit to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. But is he converted? We will leave that answer for another time.

Our great encouragement is this: When one stands uncompromisingly for God 

a.           We may trust Him in the fire of our afflictions. When we say “NO” to the world, we are certain to experience fiery furnaces, but we may rest assured, that there is no fiery furnace which a mortal man can invent that can destroy the people of God. 

b. Even our opponents will be brought to respect Him. And again we see a promotion in 3:30

The warning is this: When we compromise the truth as it is in Jesus we become like everyone else. We shall loose the power to do any good, and we shall loose the truth. And ultimately we will  reveal our true character and thus incur God’s judgement.

Exhortation : 2 Corinthians 13:5,6

 

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[1] Location is not known

[2] Image -sělēm - mentioned  5 times in Chapter 2 and  12  times in Chapter 3 

[3] Be warned, in the words of Scripture in 2 Timothy 3:12,13; 1 Peter 4:12- 19