Exeter Temple Message notes: 25^th October 2015

Theme: Dancing to a different tune

Bible Reading: Daniel 3:1-12

Nebuchadnezzar built a huge statue and decreed that when certain music was played everyone must bow down and worship it. In other words they must dance to his tune or die.   In our modern world there is still the danger of our being conditioned to dance to the wrong tune.

1.      V 5       As soon as

As soon as” is a significant phrase.  King Nebuchadnezzar arranged a signal to alert people to conform to his wishes. Initially this was for the dedication ceremony. However once dedicated the statue remained.  It is unlikely that the musical signal was a one off. But “as soon as “people heard the signal, they stopped what they are doing and bowed.   We do not have Nebuchadnezzar orchestrating our corporate responses but we can all have our own triggers to which we’ve been conditioned.  

a)      The world

We can be happy to go along with the Biblical point of view whilst we are in the majority but “as soon as” we are swimming against the tide of opinion we feel that we have no choice but to conform to the majority.

 In the story all the people bowed except Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  Nobody else it appears is resisting this decree.   We can understand why. They were a conquered people, a long way from home. Some Jews were even heard to say, “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?”                                                                                         

As Christians we are like those Jewish exiles, living in a foreign land.  Society mainly runs counter to our faith. The world thinks one way and the Christian must decide whether to bow to its thinking or face the consequences. 

This applies to a whole range of attitudes that the world supports but which is not the way of Jesus Christ.  To be a follower of Jesus is to: 

“give and not to count the cost, fight and not to heed the wounds, toil and not to seek for rest, labour and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do God’s will.” (Prayer of St Ignatius of Loyola

This is opposite to the world’s philosophy that believes everyone has their price, desires constant attention and demands rewards.

Will we dance to that tune or will we listen to the music of His voice? 

b)     The flesh

When we feel strong, positive and comfortable we engage in spiritual pursuits but for many “as soon as” our bodies demand attention, we can easily abandon the spiritual and focus on the physical. 

Advertisers use Nebuchadnezzar’s technique all the time.  Those jingles get in our heads and help us tune into the desires of our physical appetites.

When we begin to work live the Christian life we are faced with the problem that this physical body, has been used by habit to obeying another rule, called sin. When Jesus delivers us from this rule, he does not give us a new body, he gives us the power to break and then re-mould every habit formed while we were under the dominion of sin.        

(See Romans 12:1-2)                         

Much of the defeat in our Christian life comes not because the devil tackles us but because we have never understood the simple laws of our make-up. We must treat the body as the servant of Jesus Christ.

c              c) the Devil

Nebuchanezzar was not out to influence people he was demanding complete compliance to his wishes and he enforced it through fear.  He not only wanted to be in charge he wanted to exploit and humiliate his subjects.  This is exactly what our enemy Satan wants to do to the human race.

 Nebuchadnezzar used music not just a signal to begin a ceremony he linked it with the threat of torture and death.  He put a fear trigger in place.  The people had better learn to recognise it or lose their lives.  Fear would be enough for them to react instantly to the sound of the music.

On the surface they act and behave like citizens in lots of cities all over the word but “as soon as” the horn, the flute and the zither start up, they are on their knees bowing down to a golden statue. 

The Devil loves to do that to us. He wants to bind us to conform to unbiblical behaviour patterns through fear.  On a day to day basis most of us look like any other Christian but then “as soon as” our enemy plays his tune and suddenly we bow, we dance. 

     v 18      We will not……..

If verse 5 begins “As soon as” and indicates failure and defeat v 18 has the glorious and victorious phrase “but we will not” 

In the whole nation there were 3 young men who would not bow.  They resisted the music.  They would not dance to anyone’s tune but God’s.

a        a)      They remembered who they were

We live in a world where two kingdoms are in conflict, the kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of Christ. Which one do you really belong to?

 “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves in whom we have forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13

         b)    They kept looking at God

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not attempt to control the situation because it was literally out of their hands. They have a choice to make, either bow down to the wishes of the king and sacrifice their relationship with God or stand for God and trust Him to deliver. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego let go of the situation and placed their trust in God.

There comes a moment when we stop trying to work out an escape route and jump off the cliff, as it were straight into the arms of God.

c      c)      They recognised that they did have a choice

When the band began to play, the people fell down and worshipped the image. They thought there was no alternative.  But these three showed that there was.  We mistake what choices there are.  We say things like we have to go with what the world says and change our values. We say things like my flesh is weak and I cannot help but give into temptation. 

God has more choices than the devil tells you are available. It’s not compromise or lose.  It’s always trust God and it will surprise what the Lord can do.         

When we refuse to stand for God, we are saying that He is not worthy of our faith. That he is not able to find a way through.  If we are faithful to God and follow Him, we can’t lose.

In the end it was Nebuchadnezzer who stood in awe of God’s power. It was Nebuchadnezzar who had to change his policy.

 “Submit to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”  (James 4:7-8)

This is just what the story literally illustrates.  The three heroes, would only bow to God, they resisted evil and it was conquered but also in the heat of the fire they were not alone.  Looking into the furnace where the three young men were thrown, the King saw a fourth person, who looked like a son of the gods.”    It is clear that the writer of Daniel means us to understand that in the midst of this trial the very person of God stood beside them.

After the crucifixion the disciples locked themselves away in fear but the resurrected Jesus came and stood among them.  (Luke 24 :36)

When Paul was alone in the prison, facing huge challenges and possible death, the Lord stood near Paul. (Acts  23:11)

Blessings 

Alan and Carol