Daniel

Who is That God Part 1 of 2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-02-13

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver examines the blasphemous question of Nebuchadnezzar, 'Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?' He shows how this question reveals both ignorance and arrogance, common to pagan rulers like Pharaoh and Sennacherib. The sermon emphasizes that God can only be known by divine revelation, and that true belief in God's sovereignty demands obedience regardless of circumstances, as demonstrated by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

[John Weaver] And I'm going to be reading from one of the most familiar stories in the Bible. And the message I start today, I really will not finish until next Sunday. So this is going to be a two-part message. The title of the message is, Who is that God? You will understand just momentarily. So look in Daniel chapter 3, beginning there with verse 9. Daniel three, verse nine, they spake and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O King live forever. Thou O King has made a decree that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sack bolt, uh, the psaltery, the dulcimer, and all kinds of music shall fall down and worship the golden image.

[John Weaver] And who so falleth not down and worship it that he should be cast into the midst of a burning, fiery furnace. And there are certain Jews who now was settled with the affairs of the province of Babylon. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not regarded thee. They serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in his rage and fury, commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Do not you serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

[John Weaver] Now, if you be ready that at what time you hear the sound of the cornet, the flute, harp, sackbuck, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the image which I have made well. But if you worship not, you shall be cast the same hour in the midst of a burning fiery furnace, and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note that question that Nebuchadnezzar asked. And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? You and I would sit here today and say, what utter blasphemy. Yet do you realize there are other civil rulers in the Word of God that issued the same blasphemous questions and remarks. For instance, if you will hold Daniel 3, but go back in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 18, 2nd Kings chapter 18.

[John Weaver] And let's begin reading there with verse 29. 2nd Kings 18 and verse 29. Rabshaken, who is a representative of the king of Assyria, Sennacherib, says this. Notice 2nd Kings chapter 18 verse 29. Thus said the king, let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand. That is, out of the king of Assyria's hand. Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered in the hands of the king of Assyria. Skip down to verse 33. Watch carefully. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Verse 35. Who are they among all the gods of the countries that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand? In other words, Sennacherib's attitude was this. I've conquered all the other countries. I've conquered their gods. Who does the Lord think He is that He can stop me from conquering Judah and Jerusalem?

[John Weaver] And then very quickly, if you look back to Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2, you will find another civil ruler who had the same attitude, and that is Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Notice if you would, in Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2, and Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. Pharaoh was essentially saying in Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2, that he did not recognize any God above himself. He is claiming for himself not only supremacy, but sovereignty as well. His attitude was basically this, your God is helpless, I do not acknowledge him, nor do I acknowledge his power. So you find three rulers, you find Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, and Pharaoh.

[John Weaver] asking blasphemous questions, and when they ask these blasphemous questions, they are displaying two very damning attributes. What are those attributes? First, they display their ignorance. They had no idea who the One True and the Living God was. They did not know Him. God had not revealed Himself unto them. You remember the Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 17. When he was preaching on Mars Hill, he said this in verse 32, For as I passed by, I beheld your devotions. They had an altar to practically every God imaginable. Then he said, I found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God, whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. So these Athenians then, had altars to every God imaginable, And just in case they left one out that they were not aware of, they had an altar then to the unknown God. You see, the truth is man by nature does not know who God is. He does not know the one true and the living God. Many of you will remember what our Lord said in John chapter 4 and verse 10 to the Samaritan woman.

[John Weaver] You remember He asked her, to give him a drink of water. And she asked him, saying, How is it, thou being a Jew, askest a drink of water of me, being a woman of Samaria? And our Lord said this, He said, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it was that spake unto thee, and said, Give unto me drink, thou would have asked him, and he would have given thee living water.

[John Weaver] But the whole point is, she did not know Christ. She did not know who He was. She did not know anything about eternal life. She did not know anything about the gift of God. If you will look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, here's a passage that will explain all of this very clearly. 1 Corinthians 2 and look at verse 14. Notice what the Scripture says. very clearly. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 14. God says, but the natural man, that's the unsaved man, that's man by nature, man without grace, but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, now watch carefully, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. So he says man by nature thinks everything in relationship to God is absolutely pure foolishness. And then he said that natural man by nature does not have the ability, he does not have the capacity to know God or the things of God because they're spiritually discerned.

[John Weaver] So obviously, Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, Pharaoh, in asking such blasphemous questions are merely displaying their ignorance. Now, their ignorance is also reinforced by the simple fact that God can only be known by divine revelation. Our Lord Himself in John 1 and 18 said this, No man had seen God at any time. The only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. No man had seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, that is Christ, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.

[John Weaver] Now, if you will go back in your Bibles to the book of Luke, the book of Luke, chapter 10, and look at verse 22, and notice what our Lord says. Luke chapter 10 and verse 22. It cannot be more plainly stated than that which we are about to read. Our Lord said it like this, Luke 10 verse 22, All things are delivered to me of my Father. And no man knoweth the Son, no man knoweth who the Son is but the Father, and to whom the Father is but the Son, and to whom the Son will reveal Him. Now who knows the Son? The Father. Who knows the Father? The Son. How do you get to know the Father? Only because the Son reveals Him. How do you get to know the Son? Only because the Father reveals Him.

[John Weaver] In other words, without divine revelation, without divine illumination, no one can know who God is. Period. Do you remember When our Lord came into Caesarea Philippi in Matthew 16, he looked at his disciples and said, whom do men say that I, the son of man am? Well, some said that you're Elijah or Elias or one of the prophets. And then he said, but whom say ye that I am? And Peter responded and he said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.

[John Weaver] I want you to listen carefully. I'm going to quote the next verse. I want you to note what our Lord did not say. He did not say, well done Peter. You're smarter than everyone else. You figured this thing out all by yourself. No. He didn't say, well done Peter. Because someone told you ahead of time the answer to this question. No. When Peter said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Our Lord said, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood have not revealed unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven." The only way that Peter knew who Christ was was through divine revelation. It does not matter how high you are in the world, how low you are in the world, how rich you are, how poor you are, the only way that you can know God is by divine revelation and divine illumination. No one can know the Father apart from the Son, and no one can know the Son apart from the Father. And so when Nebuchadnezzar came up with this question, and who is that God?

[John Weaver] He was displaying, first of all, his absolute ignorance. Secondly, I want you to note, the question displayed not only his ignorance, but his arrogance.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you, will men challenge God? And the answer is yes. Will men even present themselves as God? And the answer again is yes. Don't turn there, but let me just read it to you. Listen to what the scripture says in 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 4. And the Bible says this, Who opposeth and exalted himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped. Now listen. So that he as God sitteth in the temple showing himself that he is God. Some men are so arrogantly blasphemous that they portray themselves as God.

[John Weaver] So Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, Pharaoh in their arrogance were unwilling to acknowledge and confess that there might be someone above them. There might be someone who had more power than they possessed. You have to remember something especially as you read in the Old Testament and it's true in the New Testament as well. But most of the pagan rulers always claimed to be God. Now, sometimes they claimed to be a God. At times they claimed to be the only God.

[John Weaver] They believed that they had an absolute right to establish their own worship and their own religion. In some cases, a lot of the society was polytheistic. That is, they believed in many gods. But you will always come to this realization that the civil ruler always claimed to be the chief god. In other words, it didn't matter how many other gods were out there. He was at the top of the totem pole, so to speak. He was the chief. Now, is it any wonder that these civil rulers would even recognize other gods when they were setting themselves up as God. But now let me tell you why they were willing to recognize other gods other than themselves. Because they would acknowledge these other gods in order to prove to the people that they were a god themselves.

[John Weaver] Most of these ancient religions were state religions. That is the worship of the state, the worship of the emperor. Some of you are old enough to remember Hirohito in World War II. Emperor worship. Same thing with Pharaoh. Same thing with Nebuchadnezzar. Same thing with Sennacherib. Same thing with the Caesars. Same thing today. I'm just simply pointing out the fact that they were, Worship is God. And the only reason these civil rulers would acknowledge the lesser gods was for the benefit of the state.

[John Weaver] They used the religion then to control the people, to keep them in awe, to keep them in check. And the worship of the lesser God then led to the worship of the civil ruler as God. And since the civil ruler then claimed to be God, listen carefully, His military accomplishments demonstrated His power as God. You should read some of these ancient inscriptions. For instance, Sennacherib in Ashurbanipal would say this, I came, I conquered, I killed many. Look at my power.

[John Weaver] Hey, that's what they were doing. It was their military power, their military might, their military prowess that demonstrated they were God.

[John Weaver] Now Nebuchadnezzar says to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Who is that God that will deliver you out of my hand? Now there was a military reason for that question. Nebuchadnezzar had burned the temple of God. He had destroyed Jerusalem. He had broken down its walls and he had made slaves out of the people. Now listen carefully. Since God did not deliver the city, since God did not deliver His temple, since God did not deliver His people, what made these three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, think that He's going to deliver them? Nebuchadnezzar thought like this, I've already defeated that God. Look at His temple. Look at His city. Look at His people. Your God is helpless. I've whipped Him. I've defeated Him. So he viewed the God of Israel as impotent and helpless. If God would not deliver His temple and His city and His people, what makes you think He's going to deliver three men? And so therefore, he said, and who is that God that will deliver you out of my hand? His attitude was simple.

[John Weaver] Your God is a defeated God. He's not powerful enough to protect His temple, His city, or His people, and He's certainly not powerful enough to take you out of My hands.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to Daniel chapter 2. Because I want you to see something that preceded Daniel chapter 3. Because in Daniel chapter 2 in verse 47, Daniel of course has already had a run-in with Nebuchadnezzar. He's already interpreted the dreams when no one else could. And in Daniel chapter 2 and verse 47, Nebuchadnezzar makes a startling confession. He says, The king answered unto Daniel and said, Of a truth it is that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldst reveal this secret. And you say, well boy, He already knew who God was? No, he didn't know who God was. And I want you to notice what he's saying. Daniel, your God can reveal secrets. He can't fight, but He can reveal secrets. I mean, He's good in that area, but He's just not a fighter. He's just not a warrior.

[John Weaver] Do you understand the reason for polytheism. The reason there were so many gods that the heathen had was because no one god was sovereign. No one god had all power. In other words, what they believed in was this, a localized god with a localized power. Let me show you. Turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 20. First Kings chapter 20. And let's begin reading there with verse 23. First Kings chapter 20.

[John Weaver] Israel has already fought with the king of Syria and defeated him. And notice, if you would, the advice that is given to the king of Syria now. First Kings chapter 20, beginning there with verse 23. And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills, therefore they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they. And do this thing, take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms, and number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, chariot for chariot, and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we'll be stronger than they.

[John Weaver] And he hearkened their voice and did so. And it came to pass at the return of the year that Ben-Hadad numbered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. And the children of Israel were numbered and were all present and went against them. And the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids, but the Syrians filled the country. And there came a man of God and spake unto the king of Israel and said, Thus saith the Lord, because the Syrians have said, The Lord is the God of the hills, but He is not the God of the valleys. Therefore, I will deliver all this great multitude in Thine hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord."

[John Weaver] Notice what the heathen said. The reason we lost that war, He was the God of the hills. We made the mistake. We fought on the ground and on the terms of the localized God. But now, He can't be God of the valleys as well. He only has to be God of the hills, so we'll fight in the plain or in the valleys and surely we're going to be stronger because the God of the hills cannot be the God of the valleys. So Nebuchadnezzar then was willing to recognize, yes, your God is indeed a revealer of secrets.

[John Weaver] He's got power to do that. But he can't fight. He's not a warrior. He is not sovereign. Oh, he may have had some power. But it was not as powerful as Nebuchadnezzar.

[John Weaver] Now, if you can find the book of Habakkuk very quickly, I want you to do so. The little book of Habakkuk, a minor prophet, and you will find it right after Nahum, right before Zephaniah, Habakkuk chapter 1, And we're going to begin reading there with verse 6. And I want you to see what God said about the Chaldeans and the Babylonians, or Nebuchadnezzar if you please. Notice Habakkuk chapter 1 and verse 6. Look what God says. For lo, I will raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.

[John Weaver] They are terrible and dreadful. Their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. Their horses also were swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. And their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far, and they shall fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. They shall come up all for violence. Their face shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.

[John Weaver] And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them. They shall deride every stronghold. They shall heap dust and take it. Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over and offend. Watch, imputing this his power unto his God. Now wait. Go back to verse 6. Look at verse 6. What does God say? Lo, I will raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, What is God saying? God said, I've chosen the Babylonians to whip Judah.

[John Weaver] He's going to be my rod. He's going to be my staff. He's going to be my switch. I chose Him and I'm going to give Him a charge. I'm going to send Him through the land to whip those people for their rebellions and their wickednesses and their disobediences. But what happened was this. Nebuchadnezzar changed his mind. It's no longer God sending him. He is now imputing this power unto his God.

[John Weaver] Or you shall see a little bit later, himself. He refuses to give God honor and glory. The Assyrians did the same thing. You can read about that in Isaiah chapter 10. So he's saying, look, this victory is my victory. This is my power. I'm the one that did this.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back to Daniel chapter 3 and I want to ask you a question. This is a very interesting passage if you will look at it in light of the truth that I'm conveying to you. Look in Daniel chapter 3 and let's begin reading there. with verse 13. So those Chaldeans who were jealous of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego have come up and informed Nebuchadnezzar that hey, these guys aren't bound down to your God. Okay? Watch verse 13. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?

[John Weaver] Do not you serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if you be ready, I'm going to give you a second chance. If you be ready, at what time you hear the sound of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackcloth, the psaltery, the dulcimer, and all kinds of music, if you fall down and worship the image which I have made, But if you worship not, you shall be cast the same hour in the

[John Weaver] midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is that God that will deliver you out of my hands? That kind of reminds me of what old fight and Joe Hooker said the union army. When he came against general Lee and Stonewall Jackson, Lee and Jackson were greatly outnumbered. An old hooker said, may God have mercy on General Lee for I shall have none. Well, I got news for you. God did have mercy on General Lee and General Hooker lost the battle. But what God is this? Who is this God that deliver you out of mine?

[John Weaver] I'll give you a second chance boys. You better bow down when you hear the music because I want you to know, I've already defeated your God, your God is not going to deliver you. But notice if you would, when he heard it in verse 13, the Bible said, the Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury. The word fury literally means wrath. Here was a king, here was a monarch that was bent out of shape, this guy, was in a rage.

[John Weaver] He was a man of violent passions. He was very excitable. And evidently he had deep religious feelings for his God. And here's what he's saying. Boys, I gave a command. I commanded everyone to bow down when that music played. You didn't do it. You get one more shot. And if you don't bow down this time, I'm going to vindicate myself, my power, my sovereignty, my supremacy. I will throw you into that burning fiery furnace. And who is that God that will deliver you out of my hand? Now here's what Nebuchadnezzar was doing. He was explaining his supreme power authority.

[John Weaver] to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He implied that his order was a demonstration of his sovereignty. And he was saying in essence, you're not allowed to deliberate on this order. You're not allowed to think about it. You're not allowed to have any thoughts of your own. I gave the order. That's sufficient. You just simply obey me. I erected this statue purposely, deliberately, decidedly. This is what I want.

[John Weaver] If you don't do what I'm telling you to do, it is a direct offense to me. It's a slap in my face. It's a denial of my kingship and my power and my authority and my supremacy.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to think about this. This statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected, may not have been just a representative or representation of his God. In all probability, it was a representation of Nebuchadnezzar who was claiming to be God. For instance, look back in your Bibles to Daniel 2 and verse 38. Daniel 2 verse 38, because when Daniel is interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream, he said this, And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all, thou art this head of gold. So Nebuchadnezzar has made this golden image. And in all probability, at least the head represented Nebuchadnezzar. And Nebuchadnezzar is now saying, this is my God, it's true, but I am my God.

[John Weaver] I'm the one that's on that totem pole out there. You better acknowledge my deity. You better acknowledge my supremacy. Statue could in all probability be a declaration of his Godhood. Thus a refusal to bow down, a refusal to worship was a refusal to recognize Nebuchadnezzar as God. That's probably why he was so enraged. That's probably why he was so furious and so wrathful. I want you to understand something. Listen closely and carefully. I'm going to use the word religion. And I'm going to also add the word Christianity. Religion and or Christianity mean nothing, means nothing to the rulers of the earth except as it serves them to accomplish their program and their policy. The only reason civil rulers will have anything to do with religion in general, and Christianity in particular, is to elevate themselves in the eyes of the world. They have no desire to submit to the one true and living God.

[John Weaver] Hold Daniel 3 and look back in your Bibles to Psalm 2. Look in Psalm 2 and begin reading there with verse 1. Psalm 2 verse 1. This should be reason enough right here to clarify this point. Notice Psalm 2 verse 1. Why do the heathen rage and why do the people imagine a vain thing? Watch carefully. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us."

[John Weaver] In other words, we don't want anything to do with God. We don't want God's limitation upon us. We don't want God's boundaries. We don't want God's law. We don't want God's commandments. We'll use him, we'll use Christianity, we'll use religion, but nobody's going to tell us what to do. The rebellion of civil rulers demonstrates they have no desire for Jesus Christ. If they were in submission to Christ, they would obey Him. They would obey His law. instead of trying to substitute their own law.

[John Weaver] Here is what is happening. Here's what has happened. It is happening and it will happen in the future. Men will deny God's sovereign authority only to establish their own. That's exactly what Nebuchadnezzar was doing. Have you ever stopped to think about this? If God is not sovereign, who is? You can only have one sovereign. You can only have one ultimate, only one absolute. The word sovereignty and absolute and ultimate, those words are mutually exclusive in the sense there can't be any other. And if you deny that God is sovereign, The truth is, you must have a sovereign somewhere. You must acknowledge something.

[John Weaver] So Nebuchadnezzar then looks at those boys and says, if you hear, when you hear the sound of the music, if you bow down, fine, we'll get along okay. Just so you recognize my authority, my sovereignty. But if you don't, who is that God that will deliver you out of my hands? Nebuchadnezzar did not think too highly of the one true and the living God. In fact, he did not think too highly of anyone but himself.

[John Weaver] But I want you to look in Daniel 3 because his challenge did not go unheeded. Look in Daniel 3. After he said in verse 15, and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? In other words, there's no God strong enough to take you out of my hands. Verse 16, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we're not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Now, I want you to note they said in verse 16, we're not slow to answer thee in this matter.

[John Weaver] That just simply means this. We don't have to think about it. We don't have to meditate upon it. We don't have to ponder it. We don't have to concentrate upon it. We don't have to wait. We will tell you right now our answer. We are ready to answer. You have to remember their lives were at stake. Humanly speaking, death was almost certain for these young men. And it would have been a painful death as well. But they said, we're not slow to answer. Their answer was undeniable. It was unequivocal. Their answer was this.

[John Weaver] Our God can deliver us. He can. He's sovereign.

[John Weaver] Now, whether He chooses to do so is His business. We don't know. We don't know whether He will or whether He will not. But we know one thing. We will not bow down. We will not recognize your gods. There are no other gods. Our God is sovereign. He is ultimate. He is the absolute. We're not going to recognize you Nebuchadnezzar. We're not going to recognize your program, your policy, your government. We're not. There's only one God.

[John Weaver] Wow, look at verse 19. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury. I mean, he was enraged before, and now he's boiling over. And the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He had tried to present himself as merciful, giving them one more opportunity. Therefore, he spake and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont or usually heated. What in the world would make this man so enraged? Why would it be necessary to heat the furnace seven times hotter than normally? I mean, very obviously, you get thrown in the furnace, you're going to die. I mean, if he wanted to slow cook them, it looks like he would, you know, not have it nearly as hot as, what, seven times hotter than normal? I mean, they would be thrown in and probably be killed instantaneously. Why in the world was he so enraged? Here's why.

[John Weaver] Because his sovereignty was challenged. His supremacy was challenged. His deity was challenged. You know when you're going to have problems with civil government? When you challenge their authority. When you challenge their deity. Their supremacy. Their sovereignty. And he said, look boys, I'm God. They said, no, you're not. Their answer not only crushed his ego, but it denied his Godhood, his power, and his authority. It's important to note that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to die for their faith in God. And they were willing to die a painful death. They did not know that God would deliver them. They said, be it known to you, O King, our God can deliver us out of thine hand.

[John Weaver] But if not, if he doesn't, Be it known unto you, we will not serve thy gods, nor bow down, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Here you go. Listen carefully. You say, Brother Weaver, I believe that the one true and the living God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ is sovereign. He is supreme. Let me tell you what recognizing God's sovereignty really means. Recognizing God's sovereignty means this, that we are willing to obey Him at all costs and leave the results and consequences of our obedience in His hands.

[John Weaver] Now you stop and think about that. When you say that God is sovereign, you're saying there is no other God. He has the right to give the orders. He has the right to give His commandments. And I am obligated, I am duty bound, I am responsible to obey Him. And the results and consequences of my obedience is left entirely in His hands. They did not know that God was going to deliver them.

[John Weaver] Now He did so, thankfully. But I want you to understand something. If you believe and confess and acknowledge that our God is sovereign, it means this. That obedience is mandatory. Obedience is mandatory. Obedience is obligatory. Our obedience is not determined by our circumstances or by our situations. Our obedience is determined by God's Word. God said it and that's sufficient. We obey. Now, let me tell you something.

[John Weaver] This is the hard part. Believing God's sovereignty in your mind is easy. If you believe the scripture. What is difficult is applying that truth to your everyday life. Why? Because Believing God's sovereignty means that you yield your bodies to Him. You obey Him. Watch carefully. Look in your Bibles to Daniel 3 and verse 28. You know the story of how the fourth man is in the fire and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego get delivered. But look in verse 28. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent His angel, and delivered His servants that trusted in Him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own." What would it have cost Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had God not delivered them? Their lives, their bodies, everything.

[John Weaver] But what was it that impressed this heathen king? They were willing to yield their bodies. It's one thing to understand that God is sovereign. It's another thing to make application and you understand that you're responsible to obey Him in every area of your life. and that includes yielding your bodies, even if it comes to a life and death situation.

[John Weaver] Now, the outcome of this story is very miraculous, because if you look in verse 27, And the princes and governors and captains and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was the hair of their heads singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed upon them. Now, what really impressed Nebuchadnezzar and his counselors was not only that these young men were not burned to a crisp, their hair wasn't even singed. The smell of fire was not upon them. Look in verse 25. And Nebuchadnezzar was astounded because he said, Then answered he and said, Lo, I see four men loosed, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt.

[John Weaver] and the former of the fourth is likened to the Son of God. So what amazed Nebuchadnezzar was, he sees four men, he knows he's only thrown three into the fire, he sees four men walking around loose, in other words, they were acting like they were pretty much at a Sunday school picnic, you know, just enjoying the fellowship, the warm weather, you know, that kind of thing. And what's going on? There's a controversy, and I'm not going to get into that. But when he says in verse 25, and the former the fourth is like to the Son of God.

[John Weaver] There are some scholars who will say this was a Christophany. And a Christophany is nothing more than a pre-incarnate appearing of Jesus Christ in the flesh before he actually became flesh. He was only born in the flesh in the New Testament. But he's appearing here in the flesh. There are Christophanies in the Old Testament. But some would say that this is a Christophany, this is a pre-incarnate appearing of Jesus Christ. My question would be this, if this is a pre-incarnate appearing of Jesus Christ, how could a pagan king recognize the Son of God?

[John Weaver] Isaiah 53 tells us that multitudes saw him and he was not desirable. They didn't recognize him. How could he do it? And then if you look down in verse 28, Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His, what? His angel.

[John Weaver] Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. It really doesn't matter in one sense of the word whether you call this a Christophany or not. He may have been there. Or God could have just sovereignly sent His angel. It really doesn't matter in that sense of the word because the results were absolutely the same. Look in verse 29. Look what Nebuchadnezzar said, Therefore I make a decree that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other God that can deliver after this sword. Wow! I hope you can see where I'm coming from and hopefully where I'm going next week. Nebuchadnezzar said, and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Hmm. Ask that question again, Nebuchadnezzar. And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hand? God said, hold on a minute. I will show you.

[John Weaver] I am the Sovereign, Eternal, Immutable, Infinite, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Majestic, Sovereign God of Heaven and Earth. I can do it. And He did it. And we know who the Sovereign God is. He is the One True and the Living God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. He is the God who delivers.

[John Weaver] Now let me make just two applications. The first one is this. It is a fact, a biblical truth we could say, that most rulers do not know Christ, nor do they wish to know Christ. Why? Because to know Him, You must bow to Him. You must submit to Him. You must obey Me. What did our Lord say? Why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I send to you? If Christ is your Lord, you must obey Him. If they acknowledge the sovereignty of Christ, they have to deny their own sovereignty. If they acknowledge the supremacy of God's laws, They must acknowledge and confess that their own laws are worthless. Very few, there are exceptions I know, but very few civil rulers really know Christ and are really in genuine submission to Him.

[John Weaver] The second application is this. You cannot deny this. If you genuinely believe that God is sovereign, you will obey. You will yield your bodies to Him. That means in morality. That means in your family life. That means in your social life. That means everywhere you go and everywhere you turn, if you genuinely believe He is sovereign. You yield your bodies to Him and you obey Him regardless of the circumstances and regardless of the situation. Because we recognize that He is the one true and living God and beside Him there is none other.

[John Weaver] And we worship and serve Him alone. And the God that delivers after this sort, even according to a pagan king, deserves to be worshiped and honored. And no one should be able to deny that He is God. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we thank You for Your love. We thank You for Your mercy. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You for being God. The God who delivers.

[John Weaver] And Lord, we praise Thee for all of the marvelous, miraculous deliverances that You've given us in our lives. Help us, Lord, to trust in Thee and to yield our bodies only unto Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Who is That God Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	681FlY6l81Y
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Daniel
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-13
Dictation Name
Book	Book 130: Who is That God — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	67

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Blasphemous Question

Reading from Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar challenges Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, asking 'Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?'

And I'm going to be reading from one of the most familiar stories in the Bible. And the message I start today, I really will not finish until next Sunday. So this is going to be a two-part message. The title of the message is, "Who is that God?" You will understand just momentarily. So look in Daniel chapter 3, beginning there with verse 9. Daniel 3, verse 9:

Scripture Reading — Daniel 3:9-15

"They spake and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, the dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image."

"And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?" "Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"

Now, I want you to note that question that Nebuchadnezzar asked. "And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" You and I would sit here today and say, "What utter blasphemy." Yet do you realize there are other civil rulers in the Word of God that issued the same blasphemous questions and remarks? For instance, if you will hold Daniel 3, but go back in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 18, 2 Kings chapter 18.

Other Rulers with the Same Attitude

Sennacherib and Pharaoh also asked similar blasphemous questions, displaying ignorance and arrogance.

Now, I want you to note that question that Nebuchadnezzar asked.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 18:29-35

"And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"

You and I would sit here today and say, "What utter blasphemy." Yet do you realize there are other civil rulers in the Word of God that issued the same blasphemous questions and remarks? For instance, if you will hold Daniel 3, but go back in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 18, 2 Kings chapter 18. And let's begin reading there with verse 29. 2 Kings 18 and verse 29. Rabshakeh, who is a representative of the king of Assyria, Sennacherib, says this. Notice 2 Kings chapter 18 verse 29:

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 18:29-35

"Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:"

that is, out of the king of Assyria's hand.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 18:29-35

"Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria."

Skip down to verse 33. Watch carefully.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 18:29-35

"Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?"

Verse 35:

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 18:29-35

"Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?"

In other words, Sennacherib's attitude was this: I've conquered all the other countries. I've conquered their gods. Who does the LORD think He is that He can stop me from conquering Judah and Jerusalem?

And then very quickly, if you look back to Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2, you will find another civil ruler who had the same attitude, and that is Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Notice if you would, in Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2: "And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go." Pharaoh was essentially saying in Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2, that he did not recognize any God above himself. He is claiming for himself not only supremacy, but sovereignty as well. His attitude was basically this: your God is helpless, I do not acknowledge him, nor do I acknowledge his power. So you find three rulers, you find Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, and Pharaoh. asking blasphemous questions, and when they ask these blasphemous questions, they are displaying two very damning attributes. What are those attributes? First, they display their ignorance. They had no idea who the One True and the Living God was. They did not know Him. God had not revealed Himself unto them. You remember the Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 17. When he was preaching on Mars Hill, he said this in verse 23:

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:23

"For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions,"

they had an altar to practically every god imaginable. Then he said,

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:23

"I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you."

So these Athenians then, had altars to every god imaginable, and just in case they left one out that they were not aware of, they had an altar then to the unknown god. You see, the truth is man by nature does not know who God is. He does not know the one true and the living God. Many of you will remember what our Lord said in John chapter 4 and verse 10 to the Samaritan woman.

Ignorance: Man by Nature Does Not Know God

Natural man cannot know God; knowledge of God comes only by divine revelation through the Son.

asking blasphemous questions, and when they ask these blasphemous questions, they are displaying two very damning attributes. What are those attributes? First, they display their ignorance. They had no idea who the One True and the Living God was. They did not know Him. God had not revealed Himself unto them. You remember the Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 17. When he was preaching on Mars Hill, he said this in verse 23:

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:23

"For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions,"

they had an altar to practically every god imaginable. Then he said,

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:23

"I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you."

You remember He asked her to give him a drink of water. And she asked him, saying, "How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?" And our Lord said this, He said, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." But the whole point is, she did not know Christ. She did not know who He was. She did not know anything about eternal life. She did not know anything about the gift of God. If you will look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, here's a passage that will explain all of this very clearly. 1 Corinthians 2 and look at verse 14. Notice what the Scripture says very clearly. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 14. God says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

"But the natural man,"

that's the unsaved man, that's man by nature, man without grace,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

"but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:"

now watch carefully,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

"neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

So he says man by nature thinks everything in relationship to God is absolutely pure foolishness. And then he said that natural man by nature does not have the ability, he does not have the capacity to know God or the things of God because they're spiritually discerned.

So obviously, Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, Pharaoh, in asking such blasphemous questions are merely displaying their ignorance. Now, their ignorance is also reinforced by the simple fact that God can only be known by divine revelation. Our Lord Himself in John 1 and 18 said this, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, that is Christ, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.

Now, if you will go back in your Bibles to the book of Luke, the book of Luke, chapter 10, and look at verse 22, and notice what our Lord says. Luke chapter 10 and verse 22. It cannot be more plainly stated than that which we are about to read. Our Lord said it like this, Luke 10 verse 22,

Scripture Reading — Luke 10:22

"All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him."

Now who knows the Son? The Father. Who knows the Father? The Son. How do you get to know the Father? Only because the Son reveals Him. How do you get to know the Son? Only because the Father reveals Him.

In other words, without divine revelation, without divine illumination, no one can know who God is. Period. Do you remember when our Lord came into Caesarea Philippi in Matthew 16, he looked at his disciples and said, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" Well, some said that you're Elijah or Elias or one of the prophets. And then he said, "But whom say ye that I am?" And Peter responded and he said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." I want you to listen carefully. I'm going to quote the next verse. I want you to note what our Lord did not say. He did not say, "Well done Peter. You're smarter than everyone else. You figured this thing out all by yourself." No. He didn't say, "Well done Peter. Because someone told you ahead of time the answer to this question." No. When Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," our Lord said, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." The only way that Peter knew who Christ was was through divine revelation. It does not matter how high you are in the world, how low you are in the world, how rich you are, how poor you are, the only way that you can know God is by divine revelation and divine illumination. No one can know the Father apart from the Son, and no one can know the Son apart from the Father. And so when Nebuchadnezzar came up with this question, "And who is that God?"

He was displaying, first of all, his absolute ignorance. Secondly, I want you to note, the question displayed not only his ignorance, but his arrogance.

Arrogance: Rulers Claiming to Be God

Pagan rulers set themselves up as gods, using religion to control people and demonstrating power through military might.

Now let me ask you, will men challenge God? And the answer is yes. Will men even present themselves as God? And the answer again is yes. Don't turn there, but let me just read it to you. Listen to what the scripture says in 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 4. And the Bible says this,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:4

"Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."

Some men are so arrogantly blasphemous that they portray themselves as God.

So Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, Pharaoh in their arrogance were unwilling to acknowledge and confess that there might be someone above them. There might be someone who had more power than they possessed. You have to remember something especially as you read in the Old Testament and it's true in the New Testament as well. But most of the pagan rulers always claimed to be God. Now, sometimes they claimed to be a god. At times they claimed to be the only god. They believed that they had an absolute right to establish their own worship and their own religion. In some cases, a lot of the society was polytheistic. That is, they believed in many gods. But you will always come to this realization that the civil ruler always claimed to be the chief god. In other words, it didn't matter how many other gods were out there. He was at the top of the totem pole, so to speak. He was the chief. Now, is it any wonder that these civil rulers would even recognize other gods when they were setting themselves up as God? But now let me tell you why they were willing to recognize other gods other than themselves. Because they would acknowledge these other gods in order to prove to the people that they were a god themselves.

Most of these ancient religions were state religions. That is the worship of the state, the worship of the emperor. Some of you are old enough to remember Hirohito in World War II. Emperor worship. Same thing with Pharaoh. Same thing with Nebuchadnezzar. Same thing with Sennacherib. Same thing with the Caesars. Same thing today. I'm just simply pointing out the fact that they were worshipped as God. And the only reason these civil rulers would acknowledge the lesser gods was for the benefit of the state.

They used the religion then to control the people, to keep them in awe, to keep them in check. And the worship of the lesser god then led to the worship of the civil ruler as God. And since the civil ruler then claimed to be God, listen carefully, his military accomplishments demonstrated his power as God. You should read some of these ancient inscriptions. For instance, Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal would say this, "I came, I conquered, I killed many. Look at my power." Hey, that's what they were doing. It was their military power, their military might, their military prowess that demonstrated they were God.

Now Nebuchadnezzar says to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, "Who is that God that will deliver you out of my hand?" Now there was a military reason for that question. Nebuchadnezzar had burned the temple of God. He had destroyed Jerusalem. He had broken down its walls and he had made slaves out of the people. Now listen carefully. Since God did not deliver the city, since God did not deliver His temple, since God did not deliver His people, what made these three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, think that He's going to deliver them? Nebuchadnezzar thought like this, "I've already defeated that God. Look at His temple. Look at His city. Look at His people. Your God is helpless. I've whipped Him. I've defeated Him." So he viewed the God of Israel as impotent and helpless. If God would not deliver His temple and His city and His people, what makes you think He's going to deliver three men? And so therefore, he said, "And who is that God that will deliver you out of my hand?" His attitude was simple.

Nebuchadnezzar's View of God as Defeated

Nebuchadnezzar considered God defeated because Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed; he saw God as a revealer of secrets but not a warrior.

Scripture Reading — Daniel 2:47

"Your God is a defeated God. He's not powerful enough to protect His temple, His city, or His people, and He's certainly not powerful enough to take you out of My hands."

Now, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to Daniel chapter 2. Because I want you to see something that preceded Daniel chapter 3. Because in Daniel chapter 2 in verse 47, Daniel of course has already had a run-in with Nebuchadnezzar. He's already interpreted the dreams when no one else could. And in Daniel chapter 2 and verse 47, Nebuchadnezzar makes a startling confession. He says,

Scripture Reading — Daniel 2:47

"The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret."

And you say, "Well boy, He already knew who God was?" No, he didn't know who God was. And I want you to notice what he's saying. "Daniel, your God can reveal secrets. He can't fight, but He can reveal secrets. I mean, He's good in that area, but He's just not a fighter. He's just not a warrior."

Do you understand the reason for polytheism? The reason there were so many gods that the heathen had was because no one god was sovereign. No one god had all power. In other words, what they believed in was this, a localized god with a localized power. Let me show you. Turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 20. First Kings chapter 20. And let's begin reading there with verse 23. First Kings chapter 20.

Israel has already fought with the king of Syria and defeated him. And notice, if you would, the advice that is given to the king of Syria now. First Kings chapter 20, beginning there with verse 23.

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 20:23-28

"And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms: And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they." "And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so. And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country. And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD."

Notice what the heathen said. "The reason we lost that war, He was the God of the hills. We made the mistake. We fought on the ground and on the terms of the localized God. But now, He can't be God of the valleys as well. He only has to be God of the hills, so we'll fight in the plain or in the valleys and surely we're going to be stronger because the God of the hills cannot be the God of the valleys." So Nebuchadnezzar then was willing to recognize, "Yes, your God is indeed a revealer of secrets." "He's got power to do that. But he can't fight. He's not a warrior. He is not sovereign. Oh, he may have had some power. But it was not as powerful as Nebuchadnezzar."

Now, if you can find the book of Habakkuk very quickly, I want you to do so. The little book of Habakkuk, a minor prophet, and you will find it right after Nahum, right before Zephaniah, Habakkuk chapter 1, and we're going to begin reading there with verse 6. And I want you to see what God said about the Chaldeans and the Babylonians, or Nebuchadnezzar if you please. Notice Habakkuk chapter 1 and verse 6. Look what God says.

Scripture Reading — Habakkuk 1:6-11

"For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs."

God's Sovereignty vs. Human Sovereignty

Nebuchadnezzar's rage stemmed from his sovereignty being challenged; civil rulers reject God's authority to establish their own.

Scripture Reading — Habakkuk 1:6-11

"For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs." "They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand."

"And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it. Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god." Now wait. Go back to verse 6. Look at verse 6. What does God say? "Lo, I will raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation." What is God saying? God said, "I've chosen the Babylonians to whip Judah."

"He's going to be my rod. He's going to be my staff. He's going to be my switch. I chose Him and I'm going to give Him a charge. I'm going to send Him through the land to whip those people for their rebellions and their wickednesses and their disobediences." But what happened was this. Nebuchadnezzar changed his mind. It's no longer God sending him. He is now imputing this power unto his god.

Or you shall see a little bit later, himself. He refuses to give God honor and glory. The Assyrians did the same thing. You can read about that in Isaiah chapter 10. So he's saying, "Look, this victory is my victory. This is my power. I'm the one that did this."

Now, I want you to go back to Daniel chapter 3 and I want to ask you a question. This is a very interesting passage if you will look at it in light of the truth that I'm conveying to you. Look in Daniel chapter 3 and let's begin reading there with verse 13. So those Chaldeans who were jealous of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego have come up and informed Nebuchadnezzar that "Hey, these guys aren't bowing down to your god." Okay? Watch verse 13. "Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?"

"Do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready, I'm going to give you a second chance. If ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" That kind of reminds me of what old Fighting Joe Hooker said to the Union Army. When he came against General Lee and Stonewall Jackson, Lee and Jackson were greatly outnumbered. And old Hooker said, "May God have mercy on General Lee, for I shall have none." Well, I got news for you. God did have mercy on General Lee and General Hooker lost the battle. But what God is this? "Who is this God that deliver you out of mine?"

"I'll give you a second chance boys. You better bow down when you hear the music because I want you to know, I've already defeated your God, your God is not going to deliver you." But notice if you would, when he heard it in verse 13, the Bible said, "Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury." The word fury literally means wrath. Here was a king, here was a monarch that was bent out of shape, this guy was in a rage. He was a man of violent passions. He was very excitable. And evidently he had deep religious feelings for his god. And here's what he's saying. "Boys, I gave a command. I commanded everyone to bow down when that music played. You didn't do it. You get one more shot. And if you don't bow down this time, I'm going to vindicate myself, my power, my sovereignty, my supremacy. I will throw you into that burning fiery furnace. And who is that God that will deliver you out of my hand?" Now here's what Nebuchadnezzar was doing. He was explaining his supreme power authority.

to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He implied that his order was a demonstration of his sovereignty. And he was saying in essence, "You're not allowed to deliberate on this order. You're not allowed to think about it. You're not allowed to have any thoughts of your own. I gave the order. That's sufficient. You just simply obey me. I erected this statue purposely, deliberately, decidedly. This is what I want."

"If you don't do what I'm telling you to do, it is a direct offense to me. It's a slap in my face. It's a denial of my kingship and my power and my authority and my supremacy." Now, I want you to think about this. This statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected, may not have been just a representative or representation of his god. In all probability, it was a representation of Nebuchadnezzar who was claiming to be God. For instance, look back in your Bibles to Daniel 2 and verse 38. Daniel 2 verse 38, because when Daniel is interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream, he said this,

Scripture Reading — Daniel 2:38

"And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold."

So Nebuchadnezzar has made this golden image. And in all probability, at least the head represented Nebuchadnezzar. And Nebuchadnezzar is now saying, "This is my god, it's true, but I am my god."

"I'm the one that's on that totem pole out there. You better acknowledge my deity. You better acknowledge my supremacy." Statue could in all probability be a declaration of his godhood. Thus a refusal to bow down, a refusal to worship was a refusal to recognize Nebuchadnezzar as God. That's probably why he was so enraged. That's probably why he was so furious and so wrathful. I want you to understand something. Listen closely and carefully. I'm going to use the word religion. And I'm going to also add the word Christianity. Religion and or Christianity mean nothing, means nothing to the rulers of the earth except as it serves them to accomplish their program and their policy. The only reason civil rulers will have anything to do with religion in general, and Christianity in particular, is to elevate themselves in the eyes of the world. They have no desire to submit to the one true and living God.

Hold Daniel 3 and look back in your Bibles to Psalm 2. Look in Psalm 2 and begin reading there with verse 1. Psalm 2 verse 1. This should be reason enough right here to clarify this point. Notice Psalm 2 verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 2:1-3

"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us."

In other words, "We don't want anything to do with God. We don't want God's limitation upon us. We don't want God's boundaries. We don't want God's law. We don't want God's commandments. We'll use him, we'll use Christianity, we'll use religion, but nobody's going to tell us what to do." The rebellion of civil rulers demonstrates they have no desire for Jesus Christ. If they were in submission to Christ, they would obey Him. They would obey His law, instead of trying to substitute their own law.

Here is what is happening. Here's what has happened. It is happening and it will happen in the future. Men will deny God's sovereign authority only to establish their own. That's exactly what Nebuchadnezzar was doing. Have you ever stopped to think about this? If God is not sovereign, who is? You can only have one sovereign. You can only have one ultimate, only one absolute. The word sovereignty and absolute and ultimate, those words are mutually exclusive in the sense there can't be any other. And if you deny that God is sovereign, the truth is, you must have a sovereign somewhere. You must acknowledge something.

So Nebuchadnezzar then looks at those boys and says, "If you hear, when you hear the sound of the music, if you bow down, fine, we'll get along okay. Just so you recognize my authority, my sovereignty. But if you don't, who is that God that will deliver you out of my hands?" Nebuchadnezzar did not think too highly of the one true and the living God. In fact, he did not think too highly of anyone but himself.

But I want you to look in Daniel 3 because his challenge did not go unheeded. Look in Daniel 3. After he said in verse 15, "And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" In other words, "There's no God strong enough to take you out of my hands." Verse 16, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Now, I want you to note they said in verse 16, "We are not careful to answer thee in this matter."

The Response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

They declared God is able to deliver, but even if not, they would not worship the image, demonstrating obedience regardless of consequences.

That just simply means this. We don't have to think about it. We don't have to meditate upon it. We don't have to ponder it. We don't have to concentrate upon it. We don't have to wait. We will tell you right now our answer. We are ready to answer. You have to remember their lives were at stake. Humanly speaking, death was almost certain for these young men. And it would have been a painful death as well. But they said, "We're not careful to answer." Their answer was undeniable. It was unequivocal. Their answer was this.

"Our God can deliver us. He can. He's sovereign." Now, whether He chooses to do so is His business. We don't know. We don't know whether He will or whether He will not. But we know one thing. We will not bow down. We will not recognize your gods. There are no other gods. Our God is sovereign. He is ultimate. He is the absolute. We're not going to recognize you Nebuchadnezzar. We're not going to recognize your program, your policy, your government. We're not. There's only one God.

Wow, look at verse 19. "Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury," I mean, he was enraged before, and now he's boiling over, "and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego." He had tried to present himself as merciful, giving them one more opportunity. "Therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated." What in the world would make this man so enraged? Why would it be necessary to heat the furnace seven times hotter than normally? I mean, very obviously, you get thrown in the furnace, you're going to die. I mean, if he wanted to slow cook them, it looks like he would, you know, not have it nearly as hot as, what, seven times hotter than normal? I mean, they would be thrown in and probably be killed instantaneously. Why in the world was he so enraged? Here's why.

Because his sovereignty was challenged. His supremacy was challenged. His deity was challenged. You know when you're going to have problems with civil government? When you challenge their authority. When you challenge their deity. Their supremacy. Their sovereignty. And he said, "Look boys, I'm God." They said, "No, you're not." Their answer not only crushed his ego, but it denied his godhood, his power, and his authority. It's important to note that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to die for their faith in God. And they were willing to die a painful death. They did not know that God would deliver them. They said, "Be it known to you, O King, our God can deliver us out of thine hand."

"But if not, if he doesn't, be it known unto you, we will not serve thy gods, nor bow down, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Here you go. Listen carefully. You say, "Brother Weaver, I believe that the one true and the living God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ is sovereign. He is supreme." Let me tell you what recognizing God's sovereignty really means. Recognizing God's sovereignty means this, that we are willing to obey Him at all costs and leave the results and consequences of our obedience in His hands.

Now you stop and think about that. When you say that God is sovereign, you're saying there is no other God. He has the right to give the orders. He has the right to give His commandments. And I am obligated, I am duty bound, I am responsible to obey Him. And the results and consequences of my obedience is left entirely in His hands. They did not know that God was going to deliver them.

The Miraculous Deliverance and Its Impact

God delivered them; Nebuchadnezzar saw a fourth man like the Son of God and acknowledged no other God can deliver like this.

Now He did so, thankfully. But I want you to understand something. If you believe and confess and acknowledge that our God is sovereign, it means this. That obedience is mandatory. Obedience is mandatory. Obedience is obligatory. Our obedience is not determined by our circumstances or by our situations. Our obedience is determined by God's Word. God said it and that's sufficient. We obey. Now, let me tell you something.

This is the hard part. Believing God's sovereignty in your mind is easy. If you believe the scripture. What is difficult is applying that truth to your everyday life. Why? Because believing God's sovereignty means that you yield your bodies to Him. You obey Him. Watch carefully. Look in your Bibles to Daniel 3 and verse 28. You know the story of how the fourth man is in the fire and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego get delivered. But look in verse 28. "Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God." What would it have cost Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had God not delivered them? Their lives, their bodies, everything.

But what was it that impressed this heathen king? They were willing to yield their bodies. It's one thing to understand that God is sovereign. It's another thing to make application and you understand that you're responsible to obey Him in every area of your life, and that includes yielding your bodies, even if it comes to a life and death situation.

Now, the outcome of this story is very miraculous, because if you look in verse 27, "And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them." Now, what really impressed Nebuchadnezzar and his counsellors was not only that these young men were not burned to a crisp, their hair wasn't even singed. The smell of fire was not upon them. Look in verse 25. And Nebuchadnezzar was astounded because he said, "Then answered he and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt;" "and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." So what amazed Nebuchadnezzar was, he sees four men, he knows he's only thrown three into the fire, he sees four men walking around loose, in other words, they were acting like they were pretty much at a Sunday school picnic, you know, just enjoying the fellowship, the warm weather, you know, that kind of thing. And what's going on? There's a controversy, and I'm not going to get into that. But when he says in verse 25, "and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

There are some scholars who will say this was a Christophany. And a Christophany is nothing more than a pre-incarnate appearing of Jesus Christ in the flesh before he actually became flesh. He was only born in the flesh in the New Testament. But he's appearing here in the flesh. There are Christophanies in the Old Testament. But some would say that this is a Christophany, this is a pre-incarnate appearing of Jesus Christ. My question would be this, if this is a pre-incarnate appearing of Jesus Christ, how could a pagan king recognize the Son of God?

Isaiah 53 tells us that multitudes saw him and he was not desirable. They didn't recognize him. How could he do it? And then if you look down in verse 28, "Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his," what? "His angel."

Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. It really doesn't matter in one sense of the word whether you call this a Christophany or not. He may have been there. Or God could have just sovereignly sent His angel. It really doesn't matter in that sense of the word because the results were absolutely the same. Look in verse 29. Look what Nebuchadnezzar said, "Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort." Wow! I hope you can see where I'm coming from and hopefully where I'm going next week. Nebuchadnezzar said, "And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" Hmm. Ask that question again, Nebuchadnezzar. "And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hand?" God said, "Hold on a minute. I will show you."

"I am the Sovereign, Eternal, Immutable, Infinite, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Majestic, Sovereign God of Heaven and Earth. I can do it." And He did it. And we know who the Sovereign God is. He is the One True and the Living God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. He is the God who delivers.

Applications: Sovereignty Demands Obedience

Most rulers do not know Christ because they refuse to submit; genuine belief in God's sovereignty means yielding our bodies in obedience.

Now let me make just two applications. The first one is this. It is a fact, a biblical truth we could say, that most rulers do not know Christ, nor do they wish to know Christ. Why? Because to know Him, you must bow to Him. You must submit to Him. You must obey Him. What did our Lord say? "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" If Christ is your Lord, you must obey Him. If they acknowledge the sovereignty of Christ, they have to deny their own sovereignty. If they acknowledge the supremacy of God's laws, they must acknowledge and confess that their own laws are worthless. Very few, there are exceptions I know, but very few civil rulers really know Christ and are really in genuine submission to Him.

The second application is this. You cannot deny this. If you genuinely believe that God is sovereign, you will obey. You will yield your bodies to Him. That means in morality. That means in your family life. That means in your social life. That means everywhere you go and everywhere you turn, if you genuinely believe He is sovereign, you yield your bodies to Him and you obey Him regardless of the circumstances and regardless of the situation. Because we recognize that He is the one true and living God and beside Him there is none other.

And we worship and serve Him alone. And the God that delivers after this sort, even according to a pagan king, deserves to be worshiped and honored. And no one should be able to deny that He is God. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we thank You for Your love. We thank You for Your mercy. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You for being God. The God who delivers.

And Lord, we praise Thee for all of the marvelous, miraculous deliverances that You've given us in our lives. Help us, Lord, to trust in Thee and to yield our bodies only unto Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Ignorance of God

Summary: Natural man cannot know God; divine revelation is necessary.

Evidence: 1 Corinthians 2:14 says the natural man cannot know the things of God; Luke 10:22 says no one knows the Father except through the Son.

Arrogance of Rulers

Summary: Pagan rulers set themselves up as gods, refusing to acknowledge any authority above them.

Evidence: Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, and Pharaoh all questioned God's power; 2 Thessalonians 2:4 describes one who exalts himself as God.

Sovereignty of God

Summary: God alone is sovereign; human rulers who deny His sovereignty establish their own.

Evidence: Psalm 2 shows kings rebelling against God; Habakkuk 1 shows God raising up the Chaldeans, but Nebuchadnezzar imputed power to his own god.

Obedience Regardless of Consequences

Summary: True belief in God's sovereignty means obeying Him even at the cost of one's life.

Evidence: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said they would not worship the image even if God did not deliver them; they yielded their bodies.

God's Deliverance

Summary: God miraculously delivered the three Hebrews, demonstrating His power over earthly rulers.

Evidence: The fire had no power on them; Nebuchadnezzar saw a fourth man and declared no other god can deliver like this.

Key Arguments

Man's natural ignorance of God

Summary: Without divine revelation, no one can know God; natural man considers spiritual things foolishness.

Evidence: 1 Corinthians 2:14; Luke 10:22; John 1:18; Matthew 16:17.

Pagan rulers' arrogance and self-deification

Summary: Rulers like Nebuchadnezzar claimed to be god, using religion to control people and military power to prove their deity.

Evidence: Nebuchadnezzar's golden image likely represented himself; Habakkuk 1:11 says he imputed power to his god.

God's sovereignty challenged by human authority

Summary: Nebuchadnezzar's question challenged God's ability to deliver; his rage came from his sovereignty being denied.

Evidence: Daniel 3:15; Psalm 2:1-3; Nebuchadnezzar's fury when the three refused to bow.

Faith demonstrated through obedience

Summary: The three Hebrews were willing to die rather than disobey God, showing that true faith yields bodies in obedience.

Evidence: Daniel 3:16-18; they said 'we are not careful to answer' and 'we will not serve thy gods.'

God's deliverance validates His sovereignty

Summary: The miraculous preservation of the three men proved God's power, leading Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge Him.

Evidence: Daniel 3:27-29; no hair singed, no smell of fire; Nebuchadnezzar's decree.

Scripture References

Daniel 3:9-15

Context: Nebuchadnezzar's decree and challenge to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

2 Kings 18:29-35

Context: Rabshakeh's blasphemous words on behalf of Sennacherib, questioning God's ability to deliver.

Exodus 5:2

Context: Pharaoh's question, 'Who is the LORD?' showing his ignorance and arrogance.

Acts 17:23

Context: Paul's reference to the altar to the unknown god, illustrating man's ignorance of God.

John 4:10

Context: Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that if she knew the gift of God, she would ask for living water.

1 Corinthians 2:14

Context: The natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit; they are spiritually discerned.

John 1:18

Context: No man has seen God; the Son has declared Him.

Luke 10:22

Context: No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son reveals Him.

Matthew 16:13-17

Context: Peter's confession of Christ was revealed by the Father, not flesh and blood.

2 Thessalonians 2:4

Context: The man of sin exalts himself above God, showing himself as God.

Daniel 2:47

Context: Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God as a revealer of secrets but not as a warrior.

1 Kings 20:23-28

Context: The Syrians thought God was only God of the hills, not the valleys, showing localized god concept.

Habakkuk 1:6-11

Context: God raised up the Chaldeans, but they imputed their power to their own god.

Daniel 2:38

Context: Nebuchadnezzar is the head of gold, possibly linking the image to himself.

Psalm 2:1-3

Context: Kings and rulers rebel against the LORD and His anointed.

Daniel 3:16-18

Context: The three Hebrews' response: God is able to deliver, but even if not, they will not worship the image.

Daniel 3:25

Context: Nebuchadnezzar sees a fourth man like the Son of God in the fire.

Daniel 3:27-29

Context: The men are unharmed; Nebuchadnezzar decrees no one speak against their God.

Isaiah 53

Context: Reference to the fact that many did not recognize Christ.

Luke 6:46

Context: Jesus asks why call Him Lord and not do what He says.

Historical References

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon

Context: His challenge to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; his self-deification and military conquests.

Sennacherib, king of Assyria

Context: His representative Rabshakeh questioned God's ability to deliver Jerusalem.

Pharaoh, king of Egypt

Context: His question 'Who is the LORD?' in Exodus 5:2.

Hirohito, Emperor of Japan

Context: Mentioned as an example of emperor worship in World War II.

General Joseph Hooker

Context: His boast against General Lee compared to Nebuchadnezzar's challenge.

Ashurbanipal

Context: Mentioned alongside Sennacherib for boasting of military power.

Important Quotes

And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Significance: Nebuchadnezzar's blasphemous challenge that frames the entire sermon.

Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

Significance: Pharaoh's similar arrogant question, showing the pattern of pagan rulers.

All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

Significance: Jesus' teaching that knowledge of God comes only through divine revelation.

Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Significance: Peter's confession was not from human wisdom but divine revelation.

Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Significance: The three Hebrews' declaration of faith and obedience regardless of outcome.

Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

Significance: Nebuchadnezzar's acknowledgment of God's unique power after the miracle.

Discussion Questions

Why does the natural man consider the things of God foolishness, and how does this affect evangelism?

Context: Based on 1 Corinthians 2:14 and the theme of ignorance.

In what ways do modern rulers or authorities display the same arrogance as Nebuchadnezzar?

Context: Application of the historical examples to today.

How does believing in God's sovereignty change the way we respond to government mandates that conflict with God's commands?

Context: From the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

What does it mean to 'yield our bodies' to God in practical terms today?

Context: Application from Daniel 3:28 and the call to obedience.

Why is it difficult to apply the truth of God's sovereignty to everyday life, and how can we grow in this area?

Context: From the pastor's comment that believing sovereignty in the mind is easy but applying it is hard.

How does the deliverance of the three Hebrews point to Christ and His work?

Context: Discussion of the fourth man as a possible Christophany.

Applications

Recognize that most rulers do not know Christ

Summary: Understand that civil rulers often reject Christ because acknowledging Him means denying their own sovereignty.

Evidence: Pastor stated: 'It is a fact... that most rulers do not know Christ, nor do they wish to know Christ.'

Obey God regardless of circumstances

Summary: If we genuinely believe God is sovereign, we must obey Him in every area of life, yielding our bodies to Him.

Evidence: Pastor said: 'If you genuinely believe that God is sovereign, you will obey. You will yield your bodies to Him.'

Leave results to God

Summary: Recognizing God's sovereignty means obeying Him at all costs and leaving the consequences in His hands.

Evidence: Pastor said: 'Recognizing God's sovereignty means this, that we are willing to obey Him at all costs and leave the results and consequences of our obedience in His hands.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-04T18:08:30Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T20:36:38Z

Clean Transcript

Who is That God Part 1 of 2

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

And I'm going to be reading from one of the most familiar stories in the Bible. And the message I start today, I really will not finish until next Sunday. So this is going to be a two-part message. The title of the message is, "Who is that God?" You will understand just momentarily. So look in Daniel chapter 3, beginning there with verse 9. Daniel 3, verse 9: "They spake and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, the dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image."
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"And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?"
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"Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"
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Now, I want you to note that question that Nebuchadnezzar asked. "And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" You and I would sit here today and say, "What utter blasphemy." Yet do you realize there are other civil rulers in the Word of God that issued the same blasphemous questions and remarks? For instance, if you will hold Daniel 3, but go back in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 18, 2 Kings chapter 18.
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And let's begin reading there with verse 29. 2 Kings 18 and verse 29. Rabshakeh, who is a representative of the king of Assyria, Sennacherib, says this. Notice 2 Kings chapter 18 verse 29: "Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:" that is, out of the king of Assyria's hand. "Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria." Skip down to verse 33. Watch carefully. "Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?" Verse 35: "Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?" In other words, Sennacherib's attitude was this: I've conquered all the other countries. I've conquered their gods. Who does the LORD think He is that He can stop me from conquering Judah and Jerusalem?
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And then very quickly, if you look back to Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2, you will find another civil ruler who had the same attitude, and that is Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Notice if you would, in Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2: "And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go." Pharaoh was essentially saying in Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2, that he did not recognize any God above himself. He is claiming for himself not only supremacy, but sovereignty as well. His attitude was basically this: your God is helpless, I do not acknowledge him, nor do I acknowledge his power. So you find three rulers, you find Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, and Pharaoh.
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asking blasphemous questions, and when they ask these blasphemous questions, they are displaying two very damning attributes. What are those attributes? First, they display their ignorance. They had no idea who the One True and the Living God was. They did not know Him. God had not revealed Himself unto them. You remember the Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 17. When he was preaching on Mars Hill, he said this in verse 23: "For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions," they had an altar to practically every god imaginable. Then he said, "I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you." So these Athenians then, had altars to every god imaginable, and just in case they left one out that they were not aware of, they had an altar then to the unknown god. You see, the truth is man by nature does not know who God is. He does not know the one true and the living God. Many of you will remember what our Lord said in John chapter 4 and verse 10 to the Samaritan woman.
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You remember He asked her to give him a drink of water. And she asked him, saying, "How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?" And our Lord said this, He said, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."
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But the whole point is, she did not know Christ. She did not know who He was. She did not know anything about eternal life. She did not know anything about the gift of God. If you will look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, here's a passage that will explain all of this very clearly. 1 Corinthians 2 and look at verse 14. Notice what the Scripture says very clearly. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 14. God says, "But the natural man," that's the unsaved man, that's man by nature, man without grace, "but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:" now watch carefully, "neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." So he says man by nature thinks everything in relationship to God is absolutely pure foolishness. And then he said that natural man by nature does not have the ability, he does not have the capacity to know God or the things of God because they're spiritually discerned.
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So obviously, Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, Pharaoh, in asking such blasphemous questions are merely displaying their ignorance. Now, their ignorance is also reinforced by the simple fact that God can only be known by divine revelation. Our Lord Himself in John 1 and 18 said this, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, that is Christ, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.
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Now, if you will go back in your Bibles to the book of Luke, the book of Luke, chapter 10, and look at verse 22, and notice what our Lord says. Luke chapter 10 and verse 22. It cannot be more plainly stated than that which we are about to read. Our Lord said it like this, Luke 10 verse 22, "All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him." Now who knows the Son? The Father. Who knows the Father? The Son. How do you get to know the Father? Only because the Son reveals Him. How do you get to know the Son? Only because the Father reveals Him.
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In other words, without divine revelation, without divine illumination, no one can know who God is. Period. Do you remember when our Lord came into Caesarea Philippi in Matthew 16, he looked at his disciples and said, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" Well, some said that you're Elijah or Elias or one of the prophets. And then he said, "But whom say ye that I am?" And Peter responded and he said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
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I want you to listen carefully. I'm going to quote the next verse. I want you to note what our Lord did not say. He did not say, "Well done Peter. You're smarter than everyone else. You figured this thing out all by yourself." No. He didn't say, "Well done Peter. Because someone told you ahead of time the answer to this question." No. When Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," our Lord said, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." The only way that Peter knew who Christ was was through divine revelation. It does not matter how high you are in the world, how low you are in the world, how rich you are, how poor you are, the only way that you can know God is by divine revelation and divine illumination. No one can know the Father apart from the Son, and no one can know the Son apart from the Father. And so when Nebuchadnezzar came up with this question, "And who is that God?"
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He was displaying, first of all, his absolute ignorance. Secondly, I want you to note, the question displayed not only his ignorance, but his arrogance.
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Now let me ask you, will men challenge God? And the answer is yes. Will men even present themselves as God? And the answer again is yes. Don't turn there, but let me just read it to you. Listen to what the scripture says in 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 4. And the Bible says this, "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." Some men are so arrogantly blasphemous that they portray themselves as God.
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So Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, Pharaoh in their arrogance were unwilling to acknowledge and confess that there might be someone above them. There might be someone who had more power than they possessed. You have to remember something especially as you read in the Old Testament and it's true in the New Testament as well. But most of the pagan rulers always claimed to be God. Now, sometimes they claimed to be a god. At times they claimed to be the only god.
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They believed that they had an absolute right to establish their own worship and their own religion. In some cases, a lot of the society was polytheistic. That is, they believed in many gods. But you will always come to this realization that the civil ruler always claimed to be the chief god. In other words, it didn't matter how many other gods were out there. He was at the top of the totem pole, so to speak. He was the chief. Now, is it any wonder that these civil rulers would even recognize other gods when they were setting themselves up as God? But now let me tell you why they were willing to recognize other gods other than themselves. Because they would acknowledge these other gods in order to prove to the people that they were a god themselves.
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Most of these ancient religions were state religions. That is the worship of the state, the worship of the emperor. Some of you are old enough to remember Hirohito in World War II. Emperor worship. Same thing with Pharaoh. Same thing with Nebuchadnezzar. Same thing with Sennacherib. Same thing with the Caesars. Same thing today. I'm just simply pointing out the fact that they were worshipped as God. And the only reason these civil rulers would acknowledge the lesser gods was for the benefit of the state.
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They used the religion then to control the people, to keep them in awe, to keep them in check. And the worship of the lesser god then led to the worship of the civil ruler as God. And since the civil ruler then claimed to be God, listen carefully, his military accomplishments demonstrated his power as God. You should read some of these ancient inscriptions. For instance, Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal would say this, "I came, I conquered, I killed many. Look at my power."
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Hey, that's what they were doing. It was their military power, their military might, their military prowess that demonstrated they were God.
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Now Nebuchadnezzar says to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, "Who is that God that will deliver you out of my hand?" Now there was a military reason for that question. Nebuchadnezzar had burned the temple of God. He had destroyed Jerusalem. He had broken down its walls and he had made slaves out of the people. Now listen carefully. Since God did not deliver the city, since God did not deliver His temple, since God did not deliver His people, what made these three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, think that He's going to deliver them? Nebuchadnezzar thought like this, "I've already defeated that God. Look at His temple. Look at His city. Look at His people. Your God is helpless. I've whipped Him. I've defeated Him." So he viewed the God of Israel as impotent and helpless. If God would not deliver His temple and His city and His people, what makes you think He's going to deliver three men? And so therefore, he said, "And who is that God that will deliver you out of my hand?" His attitude was simple.
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"Your God is a defeated God. He's not powerful enough to protect His temple, His city, or His people, and He's certainly not powerful enough to take you out of My hands."
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Now, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to Daniel chapter 2. Because I want you to see something that preceded Daniel chapter 3. Because in Daniel chapter 2 in verse 47, Daniel of course has already had a run-in with Nebuchadnezzar. He's already interpreted the dreams when no one else could. And in Daniel chapter 2 and verse 47, Nebuchadnezzar makes a startling confession. He says, "The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret." And you say, "Well boy, He already knew who God was?" No, he didn't know who God was. And I want you to notice what he's saying. "Daniel, your God can reveal secrets. He can't fight, but He can reveal secrets. I mean, He's good in that area, but He's just not a fighter. He's just not a warrior."
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Do you understand the reason for polytheism? The reason there were so many gods that the heathen had was because no one god was sovereign. No one god had all power. In other words, what they believed in was this, a localized god with a localized power. Let me show you. Turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 20. First Kings chapter 20. And let's begin reading there with verse 23. First Kings chapter 20.
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Israel has already fought with the king of Syria and defeated him. And notice, if you would, the advice that is given to the king of Syria now. First Kings chapter 20, beginning there with verse 23. "And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms: And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they."
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"And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so. And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country. And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD."
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Notice what the heathen said. "The reason we lost that war, He was the God of the hills. We made the mistake. We fought on the ground and on the terms of the localized God. But now, He can't be God of the valleys as well. He only has to be God of the hills, so we'll fight in the plain or in the valleys and surely we're going to be stronger because the God of the hills cannot be the God of the valleys." So Nebuchadnezzar then was willing to recognize, "Yes, your God is indeed a revealer of secrets."
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"He's got power to do that. But he can't fight. He's not a warrior. He is not sovereign. Oh, he may have had some power. But it was not as powerful as Nebuchadnezzar."
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Now, if you can find the book of Habakkuk very quickly, I want you to do so. The little book of Habakkuk, a minor prophet, and you will find it right after Nahum, right before Zephaniah, Habakkuk chapter 1, and we're going to begin reading there with verse 6. And I want you to see what God said about the Chaldeans and the Babylonians, or Nebuchadnezzar if you please. Notice Habakkuk chapter 1 and verse 6. Look what God says. "For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs."
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"They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand."
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"And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it. Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god." Now wait. Go back to verse 6. Look at verse 6. What does God say? "Lo, I will raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation." What is God saying? God said, "I've chosen the Babylonians to whip Judah."
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"He's going to be my rod. He's going to be my staff. He's going to be my switch. I chose Him and I'm going to give Him a charge. I'm going to send Him through the land to whip those people for their rebellions and their wickednesses and their disobediences." But what happened was this. Nebuchadnezzar changed his mind. It's no longer God sending him. He is now imputing this power unto his god.
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Or you shall see a little bit later, himself. He refuses to give God honor and glory. The Assyrians did the same thing. You can read about that in Isaiah chapter 10. So he's saying, "Look, this victory is my victory. This is my power. I'm the one that did this."
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Now, I want you to go back to Daniel chapter 3 and I want to ask you a question. This is a very interesting passage if you will look at it in light of the truth that I'm conveying to you. Look in Daniel chapter 3 and let's begin reading there with verse 13. So those Chaldeans who were jealous of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego have come up and informed Nebuchadnezzar that "Hey, these guys aren't bowing down to your god." Okay? Watch verse 13. "Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?"
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"Do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready, I'm going to give you a second chance. If ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"
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That kind of reminds me of what old Fighting Joe Hooker said to the Union Army. When he came against General Lee and Stonewall Jackson, Lee and Jackson were greatly outnumbered. And old Hooker said, "May God have mercy on General Lee, for I shall have none." Well, I got news for you. God did have mercy on General Lee and General Hooker lost the battle. But what God is this? "Who is this God that deliver you out of mine?"
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"I'll give you a second chance boys. You better bow down when you hear the music because I want you to know, I've already defeated your God, your God is not going to deliver you." But notice if you would, when he heard it in verse 13, the Bible said, "Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury." The word fury literally means wrath. Here was a king, here was a monarch that was bent out of shape, this guy was in a rage.
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He was a man of violent passions. He was very excitable. And evidently he had deep religious feelings for his god. And here's what he's saying. "Boys, I gave a command. I commanded everyone to bow down when that music played. You didn't do it. You get one more shot. And if you don't bow down this time, I'm going to vindicate myself, my power, my sovereignty, my supremacy. I will throw you into that burning fiery furnace. And who is that God that will deliver you out of my hand?" Now here's what Nebuchadnezzar was doing. He was explaining his supreme power authority.
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to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He implied that his order was a demonstration of his sovereignty. And he was saying in essence, "You're not allowed to deliberate on this order. You're not allowed to think about it. You're not allowed to have any thoughts of your own. I gave the order. That's sufficient. You just simply obey me. I erected this statue purposely, deliberately, decidedly. This is what I want."
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"If you don't do what I'm telling you to do, it is a direct offense to me. It's a slap in my face. It's a denial of my kingship and my power and my authority and my supremacy."
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Now, I want you to think about this. This statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected, may not have been just a representative or representation of his god. In all probability, it was a representation of Nebuchadnezzar who was claiming to be God. For instance, look back in your Bibles to Daniel 2 and verse 38. Daniel 2 verse 38, because when Daniel is interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream, he said this, "And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold." So Nebuchadnezzar has made this golden image. And in all probability, at least the head represented Nebuchadnezzar. And Nebuchadnezzar is now saying, "This is my god, it's true, but I am my god."
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"I'm the one that's on that totem pole out there. You better acknowledge my deity. You better acknowledge my supremacy." Statue could in all probability be a declaration of his godhood. Thus a refusal to bow down, a refusal to worship was a refusal to recognize Nebuchadnezzar as God. That's probably why he was so enraged. That's probably why he was so furious and so wrathful. I want you to understand something. Listen closely and carefully. I'm going to use the word religion. And I'm going to also add the word Christianity. Religion and or Christianity mean nothing, means nothing to the rulers of the earth except as it serves them to accomplish their program and their policy. The only reason civil rulers will have anything to do with religion in general, and Christianity in particular, is to elevate themselves in the eyes of the world. They have no desire to submit to the one true and living God.
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Hold Daniel 3 and look back in your Bibles to Psalm 2. Look in Psalm 2 and begin reading there with verse 1. Psalm 2 verse 1. This should be reason enough right here to clarify this point. Notice Psalm 2 verse 1. "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us."
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In other words, "We don't want anything to do with God. We don't want God's limitation upon us. We don't want God's boundaries. We don't want God's law. We don't want God's commandments. We'll use him, we'll use Christianity, we'll use religion, but nobody's going to tell us what to do." The rebellion of civil rulers demonstrates they have no desire for Jesus Christ. If they were in submission to Christ, they would obey Him. They would obey His law, instead of trying to substitute their own law.
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Here is what is happening. Here's what has happened. It is happening and it will happen in the future. Men will deny God's sovereign authority only to establish their own. That's exactly what Nebuchadnezzar was doing. Have you ever stopped to think about this? If God is not sovereign, who is? You can only have one sovereign. You can only have one ultimate, only one absolute. The word sovereignty and absolute and ultimate, those words are mutually exclusive in the sense there can't be any other. And if you deny that God is sovereign, the truth is, you must have a sovereign somewhere. You must acknowledge something.
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So Nebuchadnezzar then looks at those boys and says, "If you hear, when you hear the sound of the music, if you bow down, fine, we'll get along okay. Just so you recognize my authority, my sovereignty. But if you don't, who is that God that will deliver you out of my hands?" Nebuchadnezzar did not think too highly of the one true and the living God. In fact, he did not think too highly of anyone but himself.
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But I want you to look in Daniel 3 because his challenge did not go unheeded. Look in Daniel 3. After he said in verse 15, "And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" In other words, "There's no God strong enough to take you out of my hands." Verse 16, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Now, I want you to note they said in verse 16, "We are not careful to answer thee in this matter."
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That just simply means this. We don't have to think about it. We don't have to meditate upon it. We don't have to ponder it. We don't have to concentrate upon it. We don't have to wait. We will tell you right now our answer. We are ready to answer. You have to remember their lives were at stake. Humanly speaking, death was almost certain for these young men. And it would have been a painful death as well. But they said, "We're not careful to answer." Their answer was undeniable. It was unequivocal. Their answer was this.
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"Our God can deliver us. He can. He's sovereign."
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Now, whether He chooses to do so is His business. We don't know. We don't know whether He will or whether He will not. But we know one thing. We will not bow down. We will not recognize your gods. There are no other gods. Our God is sovereign. He is ultimate. He is the absolute. We're not going to recognize you Nebuchadnezzar. We're not going to recognize your program, your policy, your government. We're not. There's only one God.
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Wow, look at verse 19. "Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury," I mean, he was enraged before, and now he's boiling over, "and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego." He had tried to present himself as merciful, giving them one more opportunity. "Therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated." What in the world would make this man so enraged? Why would it be necessary to heat the furnace seven times hotter than normally? I mean, very obviously, you get thrown in the furnace, you're going to die. I mean, if he wanted to slow cook them, it looks like he would, you know, not have it nearly as hot as, what, seven times hotter than normal? I mean, they would be thrown in and probably be killed instantaneously. Why in the world was he so enraged? Here's why.
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Because his sovereignty was challenged. His supremacy was challenged. His deity was challenged. You know when you're going to have problems with civil government? When you challenge their authority. When you challenge their deity. Their supremacy. Their sovereignty. And he said, "Look boys, I'm God." They said, "No, you're not." Their answer not only crushed his ego, but it denied his godhood, his power, and his authority. It's important to note that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to die for their faith in God. And they were willing to die a painful death. They did not know that God would deliver them. They said, "Be it known to you, O King, our God can deliver us out of thine hand."
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"But if not, if he doesn't, be it known unto you, we will not serve thy gods, nor bow down, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Here you go. Listen carefully. You say, "Brother Weaver, I believe that the one true and the living God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ is sovereign. He is supreme." Let me tell you what recognizing God's sovereignty really means. Recognizing God's sovereignty means this, that we are willing to obey Him at all costs and leave the results and consequences of our obedience in His hands.
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Now you stop and think about that. When you say that God is sovereign, you're saying there is no other God. He has the right to give the orders. He has the right to give His commandments. And I am obligated, I am duty bound, I am responsible to obey Him. And the results and consequences of my obedience is left entirely in His hands. They did not know that God was going to deliver them.
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Now He did so, thankfully. But I want you to understand something. If you believe and confess and acknowledge that our God is sovereign, it means this. That obedience is mandatory. Obedience is mandatory. Obedience is obligatory. Our obedience is not determined by our circumstances or by our situations. Our obedience is determined by God's Word. God said it and that's sufficient. We obey. Now, let me tell you something.
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This is the hard part. Believing God's sovereignty in your mind is easy. If you believe the scripture. What is difficult is applying that truth to your everyday life. Why? Because believing God's sovereignty means that you yield your bodies to Him. You obey Him. Watch carefully. Look in your Bibles to Daniel 3 and verse 28. You know the story of how the fourth man is in the fire and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego get delivered. But look in verse 28. "Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God." What would it have cost Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had God not delivered them? Their lives, their bodies, everything.
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But what was it that impressed this heathen king? They were willing to yield their bodies. It's one thing to understand that God is sovereign. It's another thing to make application and you understand that you're responsible to obey Him in every area of your life, and that includes yielding your bodies, even if it comes to a life and death situation.
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Now, the outcome of this story is very miraculous, because if you look in verse 27, "And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them." Now, what really impressed Nebuchadnezzar and his counsellors was not only that these young men were not burned to a crisp, their hair wasn't even singed. The smell of fire was not upon them. Look in verse 25. And Nebuchadnezzar was astounded because he said, "Then answered he and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt;"
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"and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." So what amazed Nebuchadnezzar was, he sees four men, he knows he's only thrown three into the fire, he sees four men walking around loose, in other words, they were acting like they were pretty much at a Sunday school picnic, you know, just enjoying the fellowship, the warm weather, you know, that kind of thing. And what's going on? There's a controversy, and I'm not going to get into that. But when he says in verse 25, "and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
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There are some scholars who will say this was a Christophany. And a Christophany is nothing more than a pre-incarnate appearing of Jesus Christ in the flesh before he actually became flesh. He was only born in the flesh in the New Testament. But he's appearing here in the flesh. There are Christophanies in the Old Testament. But some would say that this is a Christophany, this is a pre-incarnate appearing of Jesus Christ. My question would be this, if this is a pre-incarnate appearing of Jesus Christ, how could a pagan king recognize the Son of God?
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Isaiah 53 tells us that multitudes saw him and he was not desirable. They didn't recognize him. How could he do it? And then if you look down in verse 28, "Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his," what? "His angel."
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Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. It really doesn't matter in one sense of the word whether you call this a Christophany or not. He may have been there. Or God could have just sovereignly sent His angel. It really doesn't matter in that sense of the word because the results were absolutely the same. Look in verse 29. Look what Nebuchadnezzar said, "Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort." Wow! I hope you can see where I'm coming from and hopefully where I'm going next week. Nebuchadnezzar said, "And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" Hmm. Ask that question again, Nebuchadnezzar. "And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hand?" God said, "Hold on a minute. I will show you."
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"I am the Sovereign, Eternal, Immutable, Infinite, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Majestic, Sovereign God of Heaven and Earth. I can do it." And He did it. And we know who the Sovereign God is. He is the One True and the Living God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. He is the God who delivers.
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Now let me make just two applications. The first one is this. It is a fact, a biblical truth we could say, that most rulers do not know Christ, nor do they wish to know Christ. Why? Because to know Him, you must bow to Him. You must submit to Him. You must obey Him. What did our Lord say? "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" If Christ is your Lord, you must obey Him. If they acknowledge the sovereignty of Christ, they have to deny their own sovereignty. If they acknowledge the supremacy of God's laws, they must acknowledge and confess that their own laws are worthless. Very few, there are exceptions I know, but very few civil rulers really know Christ and are really in genuine submission to Him.
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The second application is this. You cannot deny this. If you genuinely believe that God is sovereign, you will obey. You will yield your bodies to Him. That means in morality. That means in your family life. That means in your social life. That means everywhere you go and everywhere you turn, if you genuinely believe He is sovereign, you yield your bodies to Him and you obey Him regardless of the circumstances and regardless of the situation. Because we recognize that He is the one true and living God and beside Him there is none other.
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And we worship and serve Him alone. And the God that delivers after this sort, even according to a pagan king, deserves to be worshiped and honored. And no one should be able to deny that He is God. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we thank You for Your love. We thank You for Your mercy. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You for being God. The God who delivers.
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And Lord, we praise Thee for all of the marvelous, miraculous deliverances that You've given us in our lives. Help us, Lord, to trust in Thee and to yield our bodies only unto Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-04T18:08:30Z

Who is That God Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver examines the blasphemous question of Nebuchadnezzar, 'Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?' He shows how this question reveals both ignorance and arrogance, common to pagan rulers like Pharaoh and Sennacherib. The sermon emphasizes that God can only be known by divine revelation, and that true belief in God's sovereignty demands obedience regardless of circumstances, as demonstrated by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Introduction: The Blasphemous Question

Reading from Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar challenges Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, asking 'Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?'

Scripture Reading — Daniel 3:9-15

"They spake and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, the dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image."

Other Rulers with the Same Attitude

Sennacherib and Pharaoh also asked similar blasphemous questions, displaying ignorance and arrogance.

Now, I want you to note that question that Nebuchadnezzar asked.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 18:29-35

"And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 18:29-35

"Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:"

that is, out of the king of Assyria's hand.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 18:29-35

"Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria."

Skip down to verse 33. Watch carefully.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 18:29-35

"Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?"

Verse 35:

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 18:29-35

"Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?"

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:23

"For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions,"

they had an altar to practically every god imaginable. Then he said,

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:23

"I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you."

Ignorance: Man by Nature Does Not Know God

Natural man cannot know God; knowledge of God comes only by divine revelation through the Son.

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:23

"For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions,"

they had an altar to practically every god imaginable. Then he said,

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:23

"I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you."

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

"But the natural man,"

that's the unsaved man, that's man by nature, man without grace,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

"but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:"

now watch carefully,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

"neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Scripture Reading — Luke 10:22

"All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him."

He was displaying, first of all, his absolute ignorance. Secondly, I want you to note, the question displayed not only his ignorance, but his arrogance.

Arrogance: Rulers Claiming to Be God

Pagan rulers set themselves up as gods, using religion to control people and demonstrating power through military might.

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:4

"Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."

Some men are so arrogantly blasphemous that they portray themselves as God.

Nebuchadnezzar's View of God as Defeated

Nebuchadnezzar considered God defeated because Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed; he saw God as a revealer of secrets but not a warrior.

Scripture Reading — Daniel 2:47

"Your God is a defeated God. He's not powerful enough to protect His temple, His city, or His people, and He's certainly not powerful enough to take you out of My hands."

Scripture Reading — Daniel 2:47

"The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret."

Israel has already fought with the king of Syria and defeated him. And notice, if you would, the advice that is given to the king of Syria now. First Kings chapter 20, beginning there with verse 23.

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 20:23-28

"And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms: And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they." "And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so. And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country. And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD."

Scripture Reading — Habakkuk 1:6-11

"For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs."

God's Sovereignty vs. Human Sovereignty

Nebuchadnezzar's rage stemmed from his sovereignty being challenged; civil rulers reject God's authority to establish their own.

Scripture Reading — Habakkuk 1:6-11

"For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs." "They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand."

Scripture Reading — Daniel 2:38

"And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold."

So Nebuchadnezzar has made this golden image. And in all probability, at least the head represented Nebuchadnezzar. And Nebuchadnezzar is now saying, "This is my god, it's true, but I am my god."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 2:1-3

"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us."

The Response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

They declared God is able to deliver, but even if not, they would not worship the image, demonstrating obedience regardless of consequences.

The Miraculous Deliverance and Its Impact

God delivered them; Nebuchadnezzar saw a fourth man like the Son of God and acknowledged no other God can deliver like this.

Applications: Sovereignty Demands Obedience

Most rulers do not know Christ because they refuse to submit; genuine belief in God's sovereignty means yielding our bodies in obedience.

Who is That God Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	681FlY6l81Y
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Daniel
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-13
Dictation Name
Book	Book 130: Who is That God — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	67

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Blasphemous Question: Reading from Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar challenges Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, asking 'Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?'
Other Rulers with the Same Attitude: Sennacherib and Pharaoh also asked similar blasphemous questions, displaying ignorance and arrogance.
Ignorance: Man by Nature Does Not Know God: Natural man cannot know God; knowledge of God comes only by divine revelation through the Son.
Arrogance: Rulers Claiming to Be God: Pagan rulers set themselves up as gods, using religion to control people and demonstrating power through military might.
Nebuchadnezzar's View of God as Defeated: Nebuchadnezzar considered God defeated because Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed; he saw God as a revealer of secrets but not a warrior.
God's Sovereignty vs. Human Sovereignty: Nebuchadnezzar's rage stemmed from his sovereignty being challenged; civil rulers reject God's authority to establish their own.
The Response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: They declared God is able to deliver, but even if not, they would not worship the image, demonstrating obedience regardless of consequences.
The Miraculous Deliverance and Its Impact: God delivered them; Nebuchadnezzar saw a fourth man like the Son of God and acknowledged no other God can deliver like this.
Applications: Sovereignty Demands Obedience: Most rulers do not know Christ because they refuse to submit; genuine belief in God's sovereignty means yielding our bodies in obedience.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Man's natural ignorance of God

Without divine revelation, no one can know God; natural man considers spiritual things foolishness.

1 Corinthians 2:14; Luke 10:22; John 1:18; Matthew 16:17.

Pagan rulers' arrogance and self-deification

Rulers like Nebuchadnezzar claimed to be god, using religion to control people and military power to prove their deity.

Nebuchadnezzar's golden image likely represented himself; Habakkuk 1:11 says he imputed power to his god.

God's sovereignty challenged by human authority

Nebuchadnezzar's question challenged God's ability to deliver; his rage came from his sovereignty being denied.

Daniel 3:15; Psalm 2:1-3; Nebuchadnezzar's fury when the three refused to bow.

Faith demonstrated through obedience

The three Hebrews were willing to die rather than disobey God, showing that true faith yields bodies in obedience.

Daniel 3:16-18; they said 'we are not careful to answer' and 'we will not serve thy gods.'

God's deliverance validates His sovereignty

The miraculous preservation of the three men proved God's power, leading Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge Him.

Daniel 3:27-29; no hair singed, no smell of fire; Nebuchadnezzar's decree.

Scripture References

Daniel 3:9-15: Nebuchadnezzar's decree and challenge to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
2 Kings 18:29-35: Rabshakeh's blasphemous words on behalf of Sennacherib, questioning God's ability to deliver.
Exodus 5:2: Pharaoh's question, 'Who is the LORD?' showing his ignorance and arrogance.
Acts 17:23: Paul's reference to the altar to the unknown god, illustrating man's ignorance of God.
John 4:10: Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that if she knew the gift of God, she would ask for living water.
1 Corinthians 2:14: The natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit; they are spiritually discerned.
John 1:18: No man has seen God; the Son has declared Him.
Luke 10:22: No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son reveals Him.
Matthew 16:13-17: Peter's confession of Christ was revealed by the Father, not flesh and blood.
2 Thessalonians 2:4: The man of sin exalts himself above God, showing himself as God.
Daniel 2:47: Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God as a revealer of secrets but not as a warrior.
1 Kings 20:23-28: The Syrians thought God was only God of the hills, not the valleys, showing localized god concept.
Habakkuk 1:6-11: God raised up the Chaldeans, but they imputed their power to their own god.
Daniel 2:38: Nebuchadnezzar is the head of gold, possibly linking the image to himself.
Psalm 2:1-3: Kings and rulers rebel against the LORD and His anointed.
Daniel 3:16-18: The three Hebrews' response: God is able to deliver, but even if not, they will not worship the image.
Daniel 3:25: Nebuchadnezzar sees a fourth man like the Son of God in the fire.
Daniel 3:27-29: The men are unharmed; Nebuchadnezzar decrees no one speak against their God.
Isaiah 53: Reference to the fact that many did not recognize Christ.
Luke 6:46: Jesus asks why call Him Lord and not do what He says.

Historical References

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon: His challenge to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; his self-deification and military conquests.
Sennacherib, king of Assyria: His representative Rabshakeh questioned God's ability to deliver Jerusalem.
Pharaoh, king of Egypt: His question 'Who is the LORD?' in Exodus 5:2.
Hirohito, Emperor of Japan: Mentioned as an example of emperor worship in World War II.
General Joseph Hooker: His boast against General Lee compared to Nebuchadnezzar's challenge.
Ashurbanipal: Mentioned alongside Sennacherib for boasting of military power.

Important Quotes

And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Nebuchadnezzar's blasphemous challenge that frames the entire sermon.

Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

Pharaoh's similar arrogant question, showing the pattern of pagan rulers.

All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

Jesus' teaching that knowledge of God comes only through divine revelation.

Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Peter's confession was not from human wisdom but divine revelation.

Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

The three Hebrews' declaration of faith and obedience regardless of outcome.

Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

Nebuchadnezzar's acknowledgment of God's unique power after the miracle.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why does the natural man consider the things of God foolishness, and how does this affect evangelism?

[Context]

Based on 1 Corinthians 2:14 and the theme of ignorance.

[Question]

In what ways do modern rulers or authorities display the same arrogance as Nebuchadnezzar?

[Context]

Application of the historical examples to today.

[Question]

How does believing in God's sovereignty change the way we respond to government mandates that conflict with God's commands?

[Context]

From the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

[Question]

What does it mean to 'yield our bodies' to God in practical terms today?

[Context]

Application from Daniel 3:28 and the call to obedience.

[Question]

Why is it difficult to apply the truth of God's sovereignty to everyday life, and how can we grow in this area?

[Context]

From the pastor's comment that believing sovereignty in the mind is easy but applying it is hard.

[Question]

How does the deliverance of the three Hebrews point to Christ and His work?

[Context]

Discussion of the fourth man as a possible Christophany.

Applications

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