Last Thursday (7/3/14) around 5:50pm, The Lord dropped in my spirit a topic: Modern Day Nebuchadnezzar's. So, who is Nebuchadnezzar, and what is he all about? Daniel 3:1-7 says this: King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And the herald proclaimed aloud, "You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
As I thought about the topic, I saw the following things:
1. The bureaucratic/political system
2. How state and federal governments are run
3. What I experienced around this time in 2011 (specifically June - September), and yes, I was starting DDBS.
If you look at the passage above, a few things stand out to me:
1. Nebuchadnezzar set up an image that was an idol and everyone was expected to worship it.
2. The governors and those who were sold out to the system had to attend this ceremony and bow down to it.
3. This is the main point: when the three Hebrew boys made the decision not to worship the image, the people in #2 ratted them out if we were to look at verses 8-12.
Continuing from point #3. Notice that they maliciously accused the Jews (God's people). I believe the accusers were doing everything they could to gain the favor of men and were determined to step on as many toes (to include kissing up) so they could get promoted by man and to not get on man's bad side so they would not be burned.
Side note: Jesus said to not fear man who can kill the body but not soul, but fear God who can destroy man AND soul.
In many of the jobs we work, we see this a lot (and there are many leaders who act like Nebuchadnezzar but in a modern day setting).
Let's add to that, there are those who we work for who are sold out to the system that they are acting like the Chaldeans in verse 8 (accusing God's chosen so they can protect their security in the system). What the Chaldeans missed (and many people acting like this today are missing) is this: you can have the favor of men as you step on people, but God's chosen will always be protected and you will end up in the fire!
Nebuchadnezzar missed this (and modern-day Nebuchadnezzar's - especially those who manipulate, lie and rule with an iron fist need to understand this): you may think you can outsmart God and those who are God's chosen, but as Nebuchadnezzar realized, God's chosen will come out of the fire. Modern day Nebuchadnezzar's need to know that God's chosen will be delivered from their wrath (and God's chosen will say like the three Hebrew boys, if God doesn't deliver us, we still won't bow down or compromise our faith)!
Lessons from this blogpost:
1. Modern-day Nebuchadnezzar's need to understand who God has chosen and know they WILL BE covered by God. In short, they can't touch God's anointed (even the more if they are on a prophetic assignment).
2. If you are dealing with a modern-day Nebuchadnezzar, do not lose your faith or compromise just to gain the favor of men!
