Book of DanielNäide

Today’s passage seems to be a complete 180 from what we read at the end of Daniel 2. When we last heard from Nebuchadnezzar, he was bowing at Daniel’s feet, proclaiming that his God was the one true God. Now, we see Nebuchadnezzar creating a statue that stood as a symbol of his self-proclaimed power and authority. In a similarly imposing ceremony, he summoned leaders and officials from across the kingdom to its dedication, making it clear that this was not merely a regional or optional event but an empire-wide mandate to idolatry.

In our world today, idolatry is much more subtle than what we read in this passage. We don’t really see mandated worship from political figures. However, that doesn’t mean that idolatry is any less prevalent. In his book Counterfeit Gods, Tim Keller says “The human heart is an idol factory that takes good things like a successful career, love, material possessions, even family, and turns them into ultimate things.” No matter how good of a person you are, no matter how long you’ve been following Jesus, we are all susceptible to “bowing down” to the good things in our lives and making them ultimate things.

These things may promise us meaning, hope, and happiness, but, in the end, they will always leave us feeling empty inside. This is because you and I were made to enjoy the good things in our lives, not worship them. However, the good news is that our souls’ longing for more implies that there is more. We can be free from the disappointment of idolatry by turning to the one who never disappoints. The only one truly worthy of our worship.

Prayer

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)