CONQUERING INSECURITY—Daniel 3
I wonder how many of us here this morning struggle with insecurity.
Maybe you don’t feel good enough—attractive, competent, successful enough. Maybe you don’t feel that your opinions are valued—you are not respected, or you don’t have a lot of influence. Maybe you don’t feel safe—always asking, “What if…?” Maybe people have high standards for you, and you wonder whether you can measure up, or whether you will disappoint them. Maybe you have high standards for yourself, and you can’t seem to satisfy your goals and hopes for yourself.
Most people struggle with insecurity of some sort—ESPECIALLY those who go out of their way to project an image of unshakable confidence and power.
Nebuchadnezzar was one of those people.
He had a vast kingdom, unlimited power, and hundreds of people to do whatever he asked. When he said, “Jump,” people would say, “How high?”
Yet insecurity is not eradicated by wealth, power, popularity, beauty, or success. If we could sit down in private with people who have those things, we would discover that none of them make insecurity disappear.
As we saw last week, Neb had a dream—actually, more like a nightmare. His dream was of an enormous statue, dazzling and awesome. The head was pure gold, but going down on the body, gold turned to silver, then bronze, then iron, and finally iron mixed with clay.
In Neb’s dream, a rock was cut out of a mountain, “not by human hands.” It struck the statue, crushing it to powder, making it like chaff on a threshing floor. The meaning was clear, as Daniel described it: The gold head was Nebuchadnezzar, powerful and strong, but his powerful kingdom stood on feet of clay, and all that he built was destined to be broken apart.
The dream haunted Neb, as it haunts us, because we know that no matter how successful we are—whether in education, athletics, work, family, or personal achievements—it could all crumble away and turn to dust.
So Neb desperately set out to prove the dream wrong.
Read Daniel 3:1-7.
The statue is 90 feet tall! Who needs a statue 90 feet tall, unless he is trying to prove something? The statue is gold, not just in the head, but from top to bottom. The consequence for refusing to worship Neb is to be thrown into a blazing furnace. If Neb cannot earn respect, he will decree respect.
The storyteller enjoys listing all the government officials who must bow on command before Neb, so he repeats the list twice: “satraps, prefects, governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all other provincial officials.” Everyone is called to worship Neb by a cacophony of musical instruments—Persian, Greek, Afghan, and Hebrew instruments—and the storyteller repeats the list 4 times! To allay Neb’s insecurity, “all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshipped the image of gold”—the 90 foot image of gold—that King Neb had set up.
Neb is struggling with insecurity. But he is not the only one.
Read Daniel 3:8-12.
Why do the astrologers care whether 3 men, out of many thousands, pay no attention to Neb’s command to worship him? Are they jealous? Are they trying to eliminate the competition for power and influence?
Well, we do sort of know why they care. It is like junior high girls who say, “Did you hear about Susie…?” (Of course, the girls might be 53 or 83 years old.) It is like people who delight in sharing the faults of coworkers, or publicly criticize others for things which are none of their business. Insecurity.
When Neb hears that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego have dared to disobey his unreasonable order, he loses it.
Read Daniel 3:13-15.
What is this really about?
Do you ever ask that question? Two people get into it at work, over some small thing—What is this really about? A husband and wife tear into each other, over the tiniest little mistake—What is this really about? Two friends aren’t speaking to each other, and they can hardly remember what caused the shutdown—What is this really about? Insecurity—insecurity about power, love, self-worth, competition, or fear of rejection. Insecurity causes conflict and nasty behavior.
Neb is insecure. The astrologers are insecure. Daniel’s 3 friends (foreigners and former interns) have every reason to feel insecure, for they have been called into the boardroom, and they are in danger of being (literally!) fired. Are they insecure?
Read Daniel 3:16-18.
The story is masterfully told, contrasting the insecurity of Neb and his astrologers with the unshakable confidence and resolve of Daniel’s 3 friends. Even facing death, they seem solid as a rock.
We have to ask,
HOW CAN WE CONQUER INSECURITY? What can we learn from these 3 men?
-PLAY TO THE RIGHT AUDIENCE—an audience of One.
Daniel 3:16 “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.’”
That is priceless. “We do not need to defend ourselves BEFORE YOU…”
When you were in school, were there people you just had to please? You had to make the team, get invited to the party, or be first in your class.
Now that you are older, maybe you feel the need to impress your friends, satisfy the expectations of your spouse, or prove to yourself that you can be a huge success. You don’t want to disappoint at work, fall short on your retirement account, or lose the respect of your kids.
It seems that everyone is watching, and we need to perform to their expectations.
Yet the three former interns stand before the king, and say, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.’
Really? All he has to do is nod, and they will be fired (literally, remember!) Why the attitude? Two reasons:
First, the king can’t offer them true security. They will always be subject to the whims of an undependable man. You see, no matter how much we play along with the irrational demands of others, or how much wealth or success we accumulate, it will not guarantee our future.
Second, if they try to play the king’s game, they will lose themselves. As Jesus said, “What good does it do to gain the whole world (popularity, job security, a few extra bucks), and lose your soul.”
Who can give true security?
Jesus said in Luke 12:4-5, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”
That might sound rather harsh, but it puts it into perspective: “What is the worst that could happen?” Would it be losing a job or a spouse, being rejected by people, or being forced to pinch pennies? Those would be really bad!
But keep perspective. If, at the end of our lives, God says to us, (Matthew 25:21) “Well done, good and faithful servant!...Come and share your master’s happiness!”—Would that be enough to carry us through life?
Hebrews 13:6 puts it this way: “So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Play to the right audience—an audience of One.
-TRUST GOD FOR LASTING SECURITY.
Daniel 3:17 “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.”
Is God able to save? Of course. Will he? Honestly, he might not save us in exactly the way we wish!
In the book of Acts, Peter is freed from prison by an angel, but James is killed by the sword. Stephen dies, with a vision of heaven opened and Jesus at the right hand of the Father.
The apostle Paul had a tough life. He was whipped, stoned, and spent time in prison. His security was not in daily circumstances, but in trusting God for the big picture. We can hear his confidence and trust in 2 Timothy 1:8-12, “Join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God…[My suffering] is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.”
-COMMIT TO WHAT IS RIGHT.
Daniel 3:18 “But even if our God does not deliver us, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
OK, so you know the right thing to do, but you are still questioning: Is this safe? How much will it cost me? Will anyone support my decision? What if this blows up in my face?
A tentative commitment leads to insecurity.
***I still remember how hard it was for me to learn to ride a bicycle. I wanted a guarantee that if I rode a little faster, so my dad would let go of the seat, I would not fall. He could not guarantee that I would not fall, so I tentatively wobbled along. Finally, when I committed to taking off on my own, I was safe and secure!**
A strong commitment—a commitment to do what is right, no matter what the cost—projects confidence and strength. People will look at us and see:
We treat people right, when they have nothing to offer us in return.
We take the high road, instead of getting down in the dirt.
We put forth our best efforts, when there are no guarantees it will pay off.
We stand firm on ethical values, even though it might cost us.
Often, our commitment to what is right will pay off, in respect, trust and confidence—but if not, we will be secure in the hands of God.
1 Peter 3:14-15 puts it this way: “Even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.”
As Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stand before Nebuchadnezzar, the tables are beginning to turn. The 3 men are standing firm in their faith, while Nebuchadnezzar is shaking with uncontrollable rage:
Read Daniel 3:19-23.
Like it often does, insecurity causes collateral damage. Neb commands the fire to be stoked incessantly, and it becomes so hot that it kills the soldiers throwing the 3 men into the inferno.
Surely, after all this, Neb’s absolute power will be established, for all to see. When the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisors see what the king is capable of doing, they will immediately fall down before him in worship and awe.
But that is not what happens!
Read Daniel 3:24-30.
Neb is forced to bow before the God who is above all—the God who saves his faithful servants. In fact, he is so in awe of God that he elevates the interns to a higher position.
And when Neb looks into the fire, he sees a fourth man, who appears to him like “a son of the gods,” or an “angel.” Who was the fourth man? Was it an angel, in appearance as a man? Was it the Son of God, the One who would later come as Jesus of Nazareth? The question is left unanswered, but without a doubt, God was with the men in the fire, and they were not burned.
What an amazing story, about 3 amazing men, and God’s amazing presence with them in time of trouble!
Even more amazing is the fact that God promises to be with US in times of trouble. He is always with us, but especially when we stand up in faith for what is right, and when we bear witness to Jesus Christ.
Jesus said in Luke 12:11-12, “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
Because we can trust God to be with us in the fire, we live with confidence and assurance.
We don’t have to impress people. We live for an Audience of One.
We don’t give in to fear. We trust God to save us in the end.
We do what is right, no matter what the cost, because we know that God will be with us in the fire.
