Jesus spoke these timeless words in Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
From this simple illustration we gain these important truths.
· We are to be bold in our defense of
God’s Word and its truth.
·
We are to do this in an equal and fair
way to all people.
·
We are to do this to glorify God,
ultimately to point to Him.
When you consider the reality of Jesus’ words, it really changes the way we live our lives today. So often we are tempted to do the opposite of each of these truths. We are tempted to be timid and to blend into the godlessness of the world around us. We are tempted to treat others based on what we think of them or how much we like them or what they stand for. And, we are tempted to point to ourselves, and not to God.
These words not only provide a good reminder for us today, they also are exactly what we see from Daniel in chapter 2. What Daniel does is show us an example of how to live faithfully to God under an ungodly government. We mentioned last weekend that throughout our study of the book of Daniel, we will see several examples of how believers are to operate when under the secular authority of godless rulers. We see a very clear example today, as well as some very practical attitudes from Daniel. Underneath everything we study today is the light of Jesus shining through His servant Daniel. We pray for God’s blessing and that we could say the same of our example today.
One attitude tool we see from Daniel is calm and patience in the midst of extreme trial and evil. This is the first time, that we know of, that Daniel’s life is threatened. Unlike some of the stories coming up, it’s not because Daniel is singled out for his faith. Nebuchadnezzar is overcome by the emotional stirring of his dream and he immediately wants answers from his wise men. Daniel and his three friends were part of this group through their training in the king’s house.
Now, the initial wise men are not being dishonest in their reaction to Nebuchadnezzar’s request, nor was the king necessarily foolish in demanding it. Nebuchadnezzar not only wanted an interpretation to the dream, he wanted a recap of the vision itself. Some think this was because Nebuchadnezzar had forgotten the details of the dream. More likely it was because he wanted to make sure he wasn’t being conned by one of the wise men. So, one might say the king is wise for demanding this, but one might also say the wise men are being fair in their complaint. They say in verses 10-11: “There is no person on earth who is able to reveal what the king wants. No great and powerful king has ever asked for a thing like this from any magician, spell caster, or astrologer. 11 The thing that the king is asking is difficult. There is no one who can reveal it to the king except the gods, who do not dwell with mortal flesh.”
They’re right, aren’t they? This saying, although unintended as such, provides a nice backdrop for the reality of the situation at hand. Truly, no earthly god could reveal such a matter. But, Daniel’s God was no earthly God. The king’s response to this complaint was to issue a death sentence for all the wise men in the kingdom – which would have included Daniel and his friends. Now, how would you have reacted to this kind of decree? There’s little doubt that we would be overcome with panic, fear, and perhaps delirium. However, we’re told that Daniel “responded with good judgment,” went to the chief executioner to get more information, sought the LORD’s counsel in prayer, and even consulted the king directly to request more time. These are not the actions of someone who is freaking out. Daniel is amazingly calm and reserved, certainly thinking clearly, for a person who has just been issued a death warrant.
Now one may retort by saying, “Of course Daniel would respond this way, he knew the dream and its meaning.” But, at this point Daniel didn’t know anything. The LORD had not yet chosen to reveal the meaning of the dream. In fact, that was the entire purpose of the prayer – to request that God would reveal the meaning. Daniel knew with absolute certainty that the LORD’s answer very well could have been no. And yet, Daniel remained patient, calm, and faithful. Why? Because He trusted in God’s plan, whether that meant life or death for Daniel.
These are powerful thoughts for our lives. Few of us could honestly say that we react with a similar measure of calm and faithfulness when confronted with much less severe situations. When we consider our reaction to government, authorities, and politics the thought hits even closer to home. We live in amazing prosperity, comfort, and protection as compared to Daniel. And yet, we are prone to running around in chaos like the sky is falling when things don’t go our way – especially when it comes to the state of the world around us. How rare it is to witness calmness under duress in this day and age!
We see this especially in a particularly divisive election year in our nation. People talk as is the outcome is going to either save or destroy our nation. There is no patience. There is no nuanced position. It is either extreme elation or disappointment depending on whether you get what you want. And sadly, there is no trust of God. How easily the light that Jesus talked about fails to shine through our lives. How quickly we turn to kings and princes of the earth to solve every problem, rather than the Creator of heaven and earth.
I would simply ask you to consider Daniel’s first practical attitude as you look at your heart. Bad leaders alone will not cast our world into chaos and destruction. Of greater effect than them are the Christians who live and act without a care or consciousness for God’s work – without trust in Jesus and a greater look to heaven than to the matters of this world.
The second practical attitude from Daniel is based on where he turned to for help. It was clear that human wisdom could not help in this situation. The wisest and most trusted advisors in Babylon didn’t even know where to begin to find an answer. In contrast, every action of Daniel pointed to the LORD. He began by turning to prayer and enlisting the help of Mishael, Hananiah, and Azariah. He continued by praising the LORD when an answer was revealed. He finished by deflecting the glory from himself to God alone. These are the marks of someone who is shining their light as Jesus taught.
Remember what Jesus Himself taught elsewhere. "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12). This is parallel to the last verse of Matthew, with which we opened, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” The light we have comes only from Jesus. It is a product of faith – of trusting in Him as our Savior. We do not have it without Him. We cannot claim it by our works or effort, but only through His grace. It is the light that we first need before anyone else sees it through our lives.
Consider the familiar words we use often here when we confess our sins, 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Human effort and wisdom can do nothing against sin. It’s as powerless as the Babylonian mystics were to answer the king’s demand. Daniel knew this too because he had the same limitation. He said before the king, “The mystery that the king is asking about, no wise men, spell casters, magicians, or diviners are able to explain it to the king. 28 However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days.”
Daniel before had already confessed similarly in his song of praise, “May the name of God be blessed forever and ever, because wisdom and power are his. 21 He changes times and eras. He removes kings, and he brings kings to power. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have good judgment. 22 He reveals deep things and hidden things. He knows what is in the dark, and the light dwells with him.”
That was Daniel’s answer – There is a God. A God in heaven. A God who reveals mysteries. A God who gives wisdom to the ignorant. A God who shines light into the darkness. And, a God who redeems sinners. Because this was Daniel’s God, God used him to reveal the truth by letting the light of his faith shine. And through the same dream and interpretation, God pronounced through Daniel the Gospel message in Christ, who would usher in the eternal kingdom of God. In verse 44: In the days of those kings, the God of Heaven will establish a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another race of people. It will crush and put an end to all of these kingdoms, but it will stand forever.
Why do we live in fear of the kingdoms of this world? Daniel didn’t. He wasn’t so absorbed into the culture around him that lived as if all was lost, even if he didn’t get the leader that he wanted – and his life was at immediate risk. When people see your light – what source does it go back to? Is it bound up in your works? Does it praise and honor human virtue (even under the guise of faith and the Bible)? Is your light all about a political ideology? Listen to Daniel’s witness! The kingdom of Christ – established by the gospel word – will conquer all earthly kingdoms. Don’t put your hope and confidence in people, because there is a God who is in control, who preserves wisdom, and who saves sinners.
God would have us learn from this lesson to protect us in the spiritual climate of our day and age when so many tempt us to run to earthly rulers for help. There is a God who will never be defeated. He has a kingdom which will never end. May He be your sole hope and consolation in difficult days.
Amen.
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