Daniel 3

I read from chapter 3 of the book of Daniel this morning. This was a morning of random reading: my Bible was open to that spot; I thought about how Jesus had obviously read Daniel, almost certainly, in fact, had memorized this book along with the rest of the Old Testament (I know people who would point out that he, actually, wrote it all), and it made me feel a little closer to him, knowing that this was something that we shared together with God's people across the centuries: we were reading the same scriptures "together." I want to "hear" the scriptures as Jesus heard them.

I soon was drawn into the familar story: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - men of God living in a foreign land among people who worshipped other gods. They had "positions" in society where their faith would make them "stand out" among their peers. Maybe, their distinctive faith would not always be noticeable, but there are times when it was painfully obvious. This was one of those times.

I am especially intrigued - excited, even, when I read their response to their boss' edict to worship the idol "or else:" They are not sure what God will do - "If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us..., let him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you. O king, that we will not serve your gods, and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up." Apparently, they have had no special revelation from God, no vision, no word, no dream that gives them audio/visual proof that God is going to work a miracle. From the wording of the NRSV translation, it sounds like they have never experienced what we might call God's "miraculous" intervention in their lives (maybe he can deliver, maybe he can't). But, miraculous intervention or not, they are going to serve and worship him and him alone.

Our job is not to be a God-predictor, a God-defender or a God-apologist - just serve him, call on him and accept the consequences.

It will turn out well.

Psalme 17: Spirit and flesh

A friend of mine whom I have not seen for a long time came to my house, and we talked for hours. Actually, we talked some, and he preached a lot. I don't think that he thinks that I am any more of a sinner than him or anyone else, but I may be one of the relative few who willingly listens and who agrees with most of everything that he says. Last night, he preached a lot to me about the importance of realizing that we are "two-part beings, spirit and flesh," that we have to understand our identity and origins and respond accordingly. Instead of realizing this, most of us live as though we are flesh only. All of our plans and all of our actions are based on an understanding of ourselves as merely fleshly beings. We live only for this world and in this world, taking only account of what we want for our sensual, physical, flesh-related needs and desires.

We never stop to consider that we are spirit, too - that our spirit needs to be fed, that if we neglect our spirit that it will shrivel and die. Instead, we need a resurrected spirit: we need to be born-again; we need a God who is Spirit to quicken ours, that with his help and ministry to us our spirit, we will thrive, not die. We need to make provision for our spirit, feed it, nourish it, and most of all humbly and sincerely ask God to come to us, because we need him - our spirits need him.

This morning my Bible was open to Psalm 17. I read it. In verse 14 the psalmist speaks of the wicked who are "mortals whose portion in life is in this world." They are the wicked ones who are seeking to destroy him. But the psalmist says in contrast, "As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness, when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness." The psalmist is saying that there are those whose concerns and rewards are all centered around this world; he, on the other hand, lives for his Father - his concerns and rewards centered around God. In the end he will wake and see the beautiful face of the one who is Spirit.