Worship of Self

Resisting pride has to be the most challenging spiritual discipline. I should say humility is the most elusive virtue. On the heels of learning his kingdom would one day end and be surpassed by 3 successive kingdoms after his, Nebuchadnezzar decides to take matters into his own hands.

Daniel 3:1–2 (ESV) 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. 2 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.

What do we see here? We see an image made fully of gold, whereas the image of his dream only had a head of gold (representing Babylon). We see his desire for world unity under his reign through a global invitation to the image's dedication. 

Daniel 3:3–5 (ESV) 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. 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 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.

What does Nebuchadnezzar have? Pride. What does he want? He wants to never die. He doesn't want the image of his dream to become reality. He wants to rule and reign forever. He wants what Lucifer wanted. He wants to be god. 

What's more shocking in this chapter is the ease of which the rest of the world fell under his self-obsession. 

Daniel 3:7 (ESV) 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.

Thus, the scene is set for one of scripture's most thrilling showdowns. But of course, the Bible is not just telling us what happened; the Bible is telling us what always happens. In every generation is a system of governance seeking to capture the hearts and minds of the world in self-adulation around itself. Today, politicians seek globalism to inaugurate a global peace and utopian unity. The problem is, these systems are usually corrupted by pride. To stand against it is to threaten its self-perception, and people rarely take kindly to that. 

Nebuchadnezzar believed his destiny was in his hands. He missed the message that God raises up and takes down kings. He forsook the truth that he was only allowed to do what God permitted him to do, that he was indeed God's servant to accomplish God's purposes. 

Warren Wiersbe rightly points out that "worship" is mentioned at least 11 times in this chapter. That's what Nebuchadnezzar wanted. He fell right into the desires of the devil and he stands in a long line of world leaders and important people who sought the same. In the world and in the church, pride and self-love corrupt. 

For this most stunning moment of rejecting the system, we first see the nature of things in every generation. The status quo flows, and only God's people, filled with the Spirit and courage He gives, can stand against it. 

May I be one of them, Lord. I humbly ask.

Amen.