The final sermon on OT stories, unless I continue it after Easter. I've enjoyed it so much, I'm contemplating doing some more stories over the summer. Maybe I should add some NT stories as well.
Another two long Scripture lessons for the worship service, but these stories beg to be heard in their entirety.
1. I am fascinated how these stories are told to the Israelite community in exile as a way of providing examples of faithfulness for the Israelites. I have read To Be a Runner by Martin Dugard recently, which is a series of essays about running. One of this essays is about the need we have for superheroes. I imagine for a community of people in exile Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel could have been superheroes.
2. In Chapter 3, the king has a strangely dimensioned statue built -- it is almost like a pole. It would appear that the King of Babylon wants to be divinized.
3. The Israelites heroes refuse to bow down to the statue, so they are thrown into a furnace of fire. It is reminiscent of the images of hell.
4. Notice that the advisers of the king in both instances seem to create the problems. I wonder if this also allows these stories to be told without fear of the king getting mad since the king seems more victim of bad advice than perpetrator.
5. I love 3:18 in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego note the even if God does not deliver them from the fiery furnace, they would not bow down before the king.
6. Daniel 6 tells a similar story to Daniel 3, except it includes the throwing of the advisers and their families into the lions' den to be killed. Not sure what to make of that awful part of the story, except to note that the pernicious punishment apparently cuts both ways.
What do you think of these stories?
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