Watch the service on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnkm-YeYaBI
Sermon text: Daniel 1:8; 3:1–30
Our text for this morning’s meditation comes from Daniel 1, verse 8, and Daniel 3, verses 1 through 30, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I was going to title this sermon “I am Daniel,” but as I wrote it out, I realized it’s really not about Daniel. It’s about you. And how you are like Daniel. And it might be, as I thought more about it, that Daniel’s your hero. But you know, your God is really a hero, and Daniel’s God is a hero. And that’s how you want to be like Daniel, isn’t it? Trusting your God. But I gave it the title “God Above Caesar,” and I think you’ll see why as we get into the sermon.
Do you know what Daniel means? It’s interesting — Daniel’s name means “God is my judge.” Huh. That’s kind of interesting when you think about what’s going on here, isn’t it? Because God is Daniel’s judge, not Nebuchadnezzar, and not Darius. God is Daniel’s judge. And by the way, God is your judge, not the government, not Caesar. God is your judge.
How do you think Daniel got to Babylon? Well, his country was conquered by Babylon. He was taken as a captive. Daniel chapter 1 tells us they were taken into captivity, into exile, along with some of the vessels of the house of God. And what happened? Well, they were taken to Babylon, and they were to be trained in the ways of the Chaldeans. They were given new names — Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah — and they got the names Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
But here’s the thing about Daniel. He didn’t let the culture define him. He was in Babylon, but Babylon wasn’t in him. He served in the king’s court, but his heart belonged to God. He was a young man, probably a teenager, when he was taken. And he purposed in his heart — that’s Daniel 1:8 — that he would not defile himself with the king’s meat nor with the wine which he drank.
Now, why would the king’s food defile him? Because it was likely offered to idols, or it violated the dietary laws God had given Israel. Daniel drew a line. He said, “I will serve the king, I will be the best administrator I can be, but I will not compromise my faith.” And God honored that. God gave Daniel favor.
Then comes Daniel chapter 3. Nebuchadnezzar sets up this golden image — ninety feet tall, nine feet wide — and commands everyone to bow down and worship it when the music plays. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse. They’re Daniel’s friends, and they share his faith. They say, in effect, “Our God is able to deliver us, but if not, we will not serve your gods.”
Think about that faith. “But if not.” They didn’t know God would deliver them from the fiery furnace. They hoped, they believed, but they said even if He doesn’t, we’re still not bowing. That’s the kind of faith God wants from you.
And you know the story — they’re thrown into the furnace, heated seven times hotter, and there’s a fourth man in the fire, “like the Son of God.” They come out without even the smell of smoke on them. And Nebuchadnezzar, this pagan king, ends up praising God.
So what does this mean for you? You live in a kind of Babylon too. Our culture tells you to bow to its idols — success, pleasure, self. It tells you that Caesar, the government, the culture, gets to define right and wrong. But Daniel reminds you: God is your judge. You can serve your neighbor, be a good citizen, work hard — Daniel was the best administrator in Babylon — but when the culture says “bow,” you say, “I can’t. God is above Caesar.”
Jesus said it too: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Daniel lived that. He served the king faithfully, but his ultimate allegiance was to God.
And here’s the beautiful thing: when you stand firm like Daniel, God is with you in the fire. Whatever furnace you’re facing — illness, conflict, temptation — you’re not alone. The fourth man is in the fire with you.
Now, I want to tell you about Queen Elizabeth II today — wait, no, that’s not quite the illustration I want. Let me think about what Daniel would do… Actually, here’s what I mean: Daniel didn’t make a big show of his faith. He just quietly, firmly refused to compromise. He proposed a test — give us vegetables and water for ten days — and God made them look better than all the others. Sometimes faithfulness is quiet. Sometimes it’s just doing the right thing when nobody’s watching, trusting God with the outcome.
So be like Daniel. Purpose in your heart that you will not defile yourself with what Babylon offers. Trust God as your judge. And know that God is above every Caesar — every king, every president, every cultural pressure. He is your God, and He will never leave you nor forsake you.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.