Upstaged by God

The powerful men and women on this planet are often upstaged by God.  One of my favourite examples is when King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian empire built a massive image of himself out of gold.  It was way bigger than life-sized, for Daniel 3 says it towered over 27 metres high!  The king summoned all the kings, governors, princes, and rulers of the provinces to attend a grand unveiling ceremony.  Everyone was informed when the music was heard to play, all needed to bow down and worship the imagine.  And just in case people were disinclined to obey, a lit furnace was present where any who refused would be thrown.  To Nebuchadnezzar it seemed a foolproof plan to show his wealth, power as king, and and opportunity to demand loyalty from all.

When the musicians played, all present complied with the command and bowed before the image - all but three men, Jews who had been specially trained in Babylon and held positions of honour.  Nebuchadnezzar was not pleased almost all bowed in compliance before his image, but was incensed any would disobey his command.  In spite of his fury, he surprisingly offered the three Hebrews a reprieve.  Though enraged by their rebellion, he provided them one more opportunity to obey and bow in worship when the musicians played.  He said in Daniel 3:15:  "Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"  The challenge Nebuchadnezzar threw down would be divinely answered in the sight of all.

For the second time and to his face Nebuchadnezzar was shown up by three men who would not bow before his image, even at the cost of their lives because they trusted in the God of Israel, the God they acknowledged could protect them even from a fiery furnace.  There was no guarantee God would save them from the fiery inferno Nebuchadnezzar heated seven times hotter than before, but they chose to bow only before God alone.  It is in this place of humility and absolute, resolute trust in God where the believer in God is victorious.  Many followers of Jesus have been slain and silenced, yet their virtue, meekness, and steadfastness continues.  It is not the martyr who ought to be praised, but Jesus Christ who lives in them and will see them received into eternal glory.

Nebuchadnezzar made good on his boast, commanding the Jewish men be thrown into the furnace.  The king's command had been resisted, and now he would have vengeance upon those who dared oppose him.  After Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were cast into the flames Daniel 3:24-25 reads, "Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." ²⁵ "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."   Before all the nations the king of Babylon had been upstaged by the almighty God and His faithful servants.  There, before the eyes of the king, the Son of God walked with His humble men who were made mighty through Him.  What the king intended for evil God meant for good and revealed Himself to the nations on a grand stage.  God didn't need Nebuchadnezzar to challenge Him to show His awesome power and authority, but He made use of the situation anyhow by preserving the lives of His people.

Daniel 3:28-29 says, "Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! ²⁹ Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this."  Nebuchadnezzar was wowed, but he didn't really "get" the message:  since God is mighty and great, has he any need of kings' decrees to uphold His glorious name?  Regardless of legislation of men, God reigns supreme and delivers like no other.  Praise God for the many times He has graciously responded to the proud boasts of men and revealed Himself in power.

Having Come In

I love how the Bible routinely describes the miraculous intersecting the mundane.  Mary, a young woman, was in a house when God sent an angel with a message specially for her.  Luke 1:26-29 says, "Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸ And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" ²⁹ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was."

God knew who Mary was and where to find her.  Verse 28 is amazing to me:  "And having come in, the angel said to her..."  He just came in, and no invitation was required because it was an errand of the Almighty.  It does not seem the angel Gabriel bothered to knock!  Can you imagine being occupied with some routine household chore when suddenly an angel stood there exhorting you to rejoice?  He had glad tidings to proclaim to a highly favoured young virgin, chosen by God for a special task.  He said, "Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women."

Perhaps when Mary was occupied in the house she was not thinking about God at all.  Maybe she felt like she was being imposed upon by all the menial tasks others expected her to do.  But she could be glad because God was gracious to her, He was with her, and she was most blessed - more than she could have possibly imagined.  No one but Mary will have the privilege and responsibility to carry the Son of God in her womb, yet even those who do not have a womb can rejoice in the truth of Gabriel's words to Mary.  Because Jesus has come, the reasons for Mary to rejoice have been extended to all people who trust in Christ as LORD and Saviour.  God's grace is sufficient for all our needs, the LORD is with us, and we are most blessed.

The angel's greeting left Mary troubled and questioning, but may those who have experienced new birth through the Gospel rejoice with thanksgiving.  When we trusted in Jesus as Saviour, the Holy Spirit has come into our hearts.  God has come to us and I pray this exhortation to rejoice comes as a flashing bolt of lightning that illuminates God's goodness in the darkness.  Let not your soul be troubled for God has come and abides with us, and He will never leave or forsake us.

The Old Paths

Last night the family and I enjoyed a BBQ dinner and watched the movie "Hidden Figures" together, a film about three African-American women who worked at NASA who assisted with the launch of astronaut John Glenn in 1962.  One of the main conflicts in the film (in addition to racial segregation and bigotry) was the inability to determine the correct coordinates for re-entry of the capsule.  The math consultant for the film, the late Morehouse professor Rudy Horne, suggested the problem be solved with "Euler's method."  Here is the clip from the film.

Mathematics is not an area of skill for me, and I have no knowledge of Euler or his methods.  What I can affirm is just because something might be deemed "ancient" or "old" does not mean it is of little value.  The scientists and engineers in the film "Hidden Figures" were looking for new maths to solve what they viewed as a new problem:  how to mathematically prove possible what they were attempting in the space race.  The reality was they didn't need new maths but to apply an older, well-established approach to this new problem.  The way to answer to their unsolved equations already existed, and it was in looking back and dusting off an old textbook which aided NASA to progress to do what was once only dreamed of.

Whether we are moving towards a new frontier or in the midst of routine, for a follower of Jesus it's important we continue to keep doing just that.  It is easy with the wealth of material, books, points of emphasis, and new interpretations we continue to remain grounded in the basics.  Jeremiah 6:16 says the old, good paths are where we will find rest for our souls, and our enduring rest is in Christ (Matt. 11:29).  Quite often when we find ourselves in a quandary and have no idea what we should do, dust off the Bible and seek guidance from the LORD.  Perhaps the neglect of reading, meditating on, and obeying the Word is part of our problem!  We should seek the LORD in prayer, praising Him in all situations.  We should be intentional in trusting God and desiring His will, believing He is good and in control.  It is easy in the pursuit of our dreams to forget about God and His desires for us are good and glorious.  It isn't new facts we need, but renewed faith in our everlasting God who loves us.

Incorruptible Beauty

This morning I read in Proverbs 31:30, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised."  Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart.  Whilst hairstyles and clothing options are different for men and women, the chaste conduct Peter exhorted women to exhibit is practical for both sexes in 1 Peter 3:3-4:  "Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- ⁴ rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."  Luxury watches are called "timeless" and Gucci and other designer apparels command a high price, but God deems humble hearts beautiful and precious.

A person need not be a model or beauty queen to be vain, even as we need not be wealthy to be miserly.  Vanity can be a very subtle sin similar to that of greed, and it is never content.  Money is not bad in itself, and it is in no way sinful to wear clothes purchased in high-end boutiques.  A man is not more spiritual because he buys used unbranded clothes, nor is a person conceited and self-absorbed because she wears make-up and has a number of designer handbags.  At every stage of our lives - whether we have money to afford luxuries or are clothed by charitable donations - we are responsible to consider the condition of our hearts.  The young man should ask himself why he is working towards six-pack abs:  is it because he seeks to be fit, to draw attention to self, to impress others, or?  Sometimes we don't bother to think things through this far concerning our primary motivation in making decisions.

This subject of cultivating a heart after God (which does not preclude being well-groomed, well-presented, and keeping fit) is spoken of in 1 Timothy 2:8-9:  "I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; ⁹ in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,"  When our eyes are fixed on the LORD and our hearts leaning into Him in worship, we won't be obsessed over our appearance or trying to impress others with wealth.  A heart rejoicing and content in the LORD does not find its identity in the fragrance or brands of clothing we wear.  Is there anything inherently wrong with braiding hair or wearing gold jewellery?  Should we avoid pearls and stock up on diamonds and platinum instead?  That is obviously not the point:  we ought to cultivate praying, humble, and meek hearts which seek the approval of God - not to live to impress men.

The principle held forth in scripture goes beyond the examples provided.  Outward adornment of our bodies today has gone beyond hairstyles or clothing worn but now includes injections, piercings, implants, and modifications.  Is there anything inherently wrong with surgeries considered "cosmetic?"  Hardly.  Only God can know hearts, and I cannot count the many sensible reasons people undergo various procedures to lift this, tuck that, and shape parts of their bodies to be bigger or smaller.  The vast amount of people who utilise these services suggests there might be many people inside and outside of the church who are not, for whatever reason, comfortable or content in their own skin.  The pressure to look a certain way does not end in our youth when peer pressure is supposedly at a peak but continues.  It's a good thing to ask ourselves:  why do I want implants?  What's the reason behind me wanting cosmetic surgery, seeking whiter skin, reducing wrinkles, dying my hair, or making my lips fuller?  Is there a degree of vanity at play?  Am I more focused on my outward appearance or the condition of my heart before God?

How good it is that the God who knows our hearts can also transform them.  We who were mired in greed, selfishness, and vanity have been redeemed from the curse of sin and reconciled to God by His grace.  As Christians we no longer need be ruled by commands and prohibitions as Israelites under Law, for the Holy Spirit indwells us and leads us righteously.  May we all as followers of Jesus place our primary focus on our great God, seeking His approval rather than seeking to catch the attention of others.  The fear of God is more praiseworthy than a flawless physique or designer clothes.