Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Statue

I was relieved to find out that I’m not the only one who forgets things. Everyone does at one time or another, according to Karen Bolla, A Johns Hopkins researcher. The things most often forgotten: Names 83% Where something is 60% Telephone numbers 57% Words 5 … More

Forgotten

Most Bible scholars agree that between eighteen and twenty three years have taken place since the events of chapter 2 and the building of this image in chapter 3. When Nebuchadnezzar made this huge statue he showed that his devotion to Daniel’s God was soon forgotten (vv. 1-2). The king appreciated the wisdom of Daniel but he had no heart for the God who had inspired his servant.

At the height of his power it was easy for Nebuchadnezzar to forget the Word of the Lord through Daniel. It is in the time of our health and strength and prosperity that most of us forget God. The gigantic image he constructed was 90 feet tall and 9 feet thick which was placed on the plain of Dura (v. 1). At the dedication of this image all of the nations and tribes that were subject to Babylon were ordered to send a delegation to the ceremony (vv. 2-4). At a given signal in the ceremony all were to bow down and worship the golden image or be thrown into a fiery furnace (vv. 5-6). This fiery furnace was not a small oven for cooking dinner. It was a huge industrial furnace that could have been used for baking bricks or smelting metals. As soon as the people heard the music, they bowed down and worshiped the gold statue that the king had set up (v. 7).

Application

It is very easy to forget how God has blessed me over the years and just take all of His blessings for granted. Lord help me to never worship the gods of this world but to always be praising you.

Daniel 3:1-7 (English Standard Version)


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