Article 2017-02 - Power Encounters
Chapter 29: Power Encounters
Introduction
When we revisit the missionary lives of Daniel and friends we learn about power encounters: situations where God confronts the local gods. When that happens, God sometimes places missionaries in dangerous situations. But when they respond in faith, God’s name will be visibly glorified. Local gods are exposed as worthless and unable to save and lives of idol worshipers and sorcerers are often saved in the process. The king’s behavior shows that superficial positive responses do not equal true repentance.
When authorities mockingly challenge God’s power, He responds. Often His workers have enemies who love to see them fail. Daniel’s friends valued God’s honor more than their lives. They stood firmly, without knowing whether God would save them. This was a testimony for all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues. This proves that lay-people can be genuine missionaries.
Scripture reference
Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled … so he summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers … The King … decided ‘If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor …’ (Dan. 2:1,2,5,6)
The story
One day, the chief-magician and some of his colleagues ran into the library. The young Hebrews looked curiously at the panicky bunch of men, who had totally shed their dignity. The head-magician told them what disastrous thing the king had decreed.
The king had had a dream that greatly disturbed him, but he didn’t know why. He forgot his dream, but insisted that they would tell him what his dream was and explain its meaning. The diviner then mentioned the consequences if they would be unable to answer the king satisfactorily. They would all be killed, because he would suspect them to cheat on him when explaining the dreams. The king demanded proof that what his astrologers said really came from the gods. The panic was intense. Everyone understood the impossibility; they were not gods!
Then a young man appeared, politely greeted Arioch, the commander, and introduced himself as Belteshazzar, the name Daniel had received earlier. He told the man that he trained to become the king’s attendant. He said also that he served the almighty God of Israel, claiming to believe that He can and will reveal this secret, and would allow him to explain it to the king. Thus, he requested an audience with the king, and that the other wizards would not be harmed. Both requests were granted, to everyone’s relief.
As soon as the friends met, Daniel shared with them this God-given opportunity. He explained that none of the servants of those gods could provide the king with an answer, but that God could. They prayed that God would give Daniel the dream as well as its meaning, and in the process glorify His name.
Scripture reference
The king asked Daniel .. ‘Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?’ Daniel replied ‘No … magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come (Dan. 2:26-28)
The story, continued
Later, when Daniel approached the king, he started to tell the him that he was a mere man, unable to help with his dream, but that there is the Most High God, Who created the heavens and the earth. For Him no difficulties exist. Daniel said he knew that none of the magicians could draw wisdom from their gods, and proposed that the king let him ask wisdom from his God. He would then tell the king the dream and its explanation.
That night Daniel dreamed Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. He saw a great statue with a golden head, a silver breast and arms, and its belly and thighs of bronze. The dream spoke of different empires, including and after Babylon. In the dream a stone came rolling down a mountain, that crushed the statue and filled the whole world. God explained the dream to Daniel, and joyfully he met his friends, explaining that the Lord had saved their lives.
When Nebuchadnezzar summoned Daniel, he recalled the dream, explained its meaning and emphasized that this was God’s doing, not his own. The king then glorified God and gave Daniel a high position at his court. The wizards, enchanters, sorcerers and diviners accepted Daniel as their new chief. After all, he had saved their lives.
Scripture reference
The King … fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor … The king said to Daniel, ‘Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries … Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and … made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men … the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel … remained at the royal court (Dan. 2:46-49)
The Story continued
So the Babylonian court was confronted with God’s power, defying the local gods. The king had even worshiped God. Had he and his magicians now repented? Left their sins and their gods and lead a new life, serving the true God? Unfortunately not. Some time later God organized another situation to reveal Himself. That time only Daniel’s friends were around. Would they respond with the same faith as Daniel did? He was their leader. How well had he trained his disciples? Let’s see, as the story continues.
Another power-encounter
Years passed. The Hebrews had grown into their positions: Daniel as the king’s counselor and his friends as governors of the province of Babylon. One day, the three met. Daniel wasn’t with them. Their main topic of discussion was the king’s latest order:
Scripture reference
King Nebuchadnezzar made an image … and … summoned … all … provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image … So they … assembled … Then the herald loudly proclaimed, … ‘O peoples, nations and men of every language: as soon as you hear the sound of … all kinds of music you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace’ (Dan. 3:1-6)
Another power-encounter, continued
The friends realized that apparently the king had forgotten that once his gods had been unable to help him, when Daniel had explained the dream. Now Nebuchadnezzar elevated himself to be god and wanted the whole world’s worship. The friends prayed that God would show them what to do to honor His name in those circumstances.
They decided to go to the meeting but not to bow down for the image, regardless of the consequences. They knew Judah’s exile was because of its idolatry and resolved that the least they could do to honor God, would be not to give in to bowing before that image.
Then the day came. They went to the plain of Dura, where the statue stood. Speeches were delivered. The music played. Everybody bowed down, except for the Hebrews. It was reported quickly. The enemies of the friends, motivated by jealousy, were ready to betray them. Would the king make good his threat? Nobody doubted that. But would he even kill three governors? Soldiers came. The king interrogated them. They were given a second chance – which they missed. They said to the king:
Scripture reference
‘If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, … we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up’ (Dan. 3:16-18)
Nebuchadnezzar was furious. ‘Away with them,’ he shouted. ‘Make that furnace seven times hotter before you thrown them in!’ The soldiers took the friends and threw them in, losing their own lives. Approaching that furnace was more than a body could endure.
‘Look,’ the king exclaimed. ‘Didn’t we throw in three people? How come I now see four? There is one who is like a god! They walk as if they’re in a garden. These guys don’t burn, not even their garments!’ The king didn’t realize that he had just met Israel’s God again. He ordered the men to be released and worshiped God in front of all nations.
Once more it was clear Who God is. Would the king and his elite have learned their lessons now? Did the king really repent? It looks like it. But was it
No, it was not. Nebuchadnezzar was obliged to honor God in front of all nations. He gave it with his lips but not with his heart. God’s purpose of confronting the nations with His name and power had progressed. Nebuchadnezzar himself however, would see one more confrontation with the God he had dodged so far. Again the nations would hear about it.
A third power-encounter
Later he dreamed again and remembered, but failed to understand. Again Daniel had to explain. The king’s power would be taken away after a year, for a seven-year period in which he would lose his sanity and become like a cow, grazing the fields. He missed his opportunity to repent and stuck to his pride. ‘Is this not the great Babylon that I have built?’ he exclaimed. That self-exaltation led to his demise. After that he was restored and became mightier than before. He understood that only God can set up kings and remove them. This was the third power-encounter between Nebuchadnezzar and God. Daniel played a major role, this time without danger for his life. Once the king had been restored to power he was sufficiently convinced to glorify God and put it in writing, dispatching it to the ends of his empire. Nebuchadnezzar ended his career with the missionary task of writing about God’s great deeds. Is that God’s humor? Here Nebuchadnezzar’s story ends, but not Daniel’s.
Scripture reference
I, Nebuchadnezzar … praised the Most High … His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the people of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth… (Dan. 4:34,35)
When Daniel was over 85 years old, he witnessed two more power encounters. The first was when Nebuchadnezzar’s descendant Belshazzar worshiped his material possessions instead of God. God had been forgotten, over twenty years after Nebuchadnezzar’s death and once more idolatry was rampant in Babylonia. The night when Belshazzar was feasting, the writing on the wall appeared (which only Daniel could explain) and the Babylonian empire was defeated by Medes and Persians.
The last power encounter in Daniel’s life took place when the new empire had come to power. King Darius, like Nebuchadnezzar, had the tendency to desire people’s worship, which led to Daniel being thrown into the lion’s den. The old man still had enemies. Once again he was saved because God’s honor was at stake. This was God’s gracious way of providing even the ruler of the new empire with a witness of His power. One last time God used his trusted servant, who had served Him for about seventy years. Now his ministry was over. New people had been prepared to take over the missionary baton.
Comment
What happened to Daniel and his friends was scary. They had no chance to run: their choice was of swimming or drowning, living or being killed. Daniel responded in faith. Conscious of their missionary vocation, he discerned the opportunity to show God’s superiority to the Babylonian gods. Therefore he was not afraid of power-encounters. He knew that the gods would be powerless when confronted with God, just like when Moses confronted Egypt’s gods. In power-encounters God never fails to win. Therefore Daniel took the opportunity when he saw it. God knew that Daniel was wise and mature enough to respond in a spiritual way. He would not have put His servant in graver danger than he could handle. Risking God-ordained danger never kills you before your appointed time.
God was manifestedly the only One, able to solve the problem. The gods were exposed as worthless; lives of many were saved and yet there was no lasting repentance and change of heart among those who saw it. In today’s mission field God will also allow us to present His power and expose the idols. Convincing as the outcome may be, we may not take for granted that people will sincerely turn to God.
The statue-story was the second power-encounter. In Daniel we read about five such clashes. They happen so often, that we can call its occurrence a missionary method. God only uses power-encounters in our ministry if we are willing to ‘deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him’. Unless we are willing to die for the sake of our cross-cultural ministries, God will not let us use that powerful weapon.
It is important to understand that the friends were not full-time career missionaries. They were God-fearing people, lay-men in terms of ministry, who did not love their lives unto death. Only through such an attitude will all nations be confronted with God’s power.
We are impressed with Daniel, who did not fear to remain at the missionary fore-front, even when he was old. Was there ever a time that he refused to play his role in the war for the world, to show that God is more powerful than the gods of the nations?
Discussion & dialogue
- Mention the five power-encounters in the book of Daniel and explain their common goal
- If you have had any power-encounters yourself, briefly tell your discussion group about it
- Which six of the ten themes do we see in this chapter? How? (Answer are in the Teacher’s Guide)
