Wednesday April 1. 2009

WEDNESDAY APRIL 1, 2009 of the fifth week in Lent
Readings: Daniel 3: 14-20, 91-92, 95 Psalm: Daniel 3: 52-56 John 8: 31-42
Psalm Response: “Glory and Praise forever.”

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, thought he could force the children of Israel to do whatever he commanded. It wasn’t unusual for rulers to believe in themselves and their subjects usually adhered to whatever he said.
Daniel, Hanniniah, Mishael and Azariah were the captives exiled to Babylon. Daniel had been given, by God, special powers enabling him to read and interpret dreams and visions.
The king decided to take some of the exiles and bring them into his official court to serve him in any way he thought would be advantageous to him. They were to be treated as members of his entourage and be fed from the royal table the same as citizens of his realm. However, the royal table included foods which were deemed unclean to them. So, they convinced the head chef to feed them only vegetables. During their training period, in spite of their vegetarian diet, they fared better than those who ate from the king’s table both in bodily health and in wisdom.The king then decided to give the four boys, Babylonian names.Daniel he called Belthezzar after a Babylonian diety. The three other boys were named Mishak, Shaddrak and Abednigo.
He king had a golden statue cast and proclaimed throughout the land, everyone would bow down and worship the statue whenever the royal musical instruments called for it.
The boys refused to bow down to the statue and were tossed, fully clothed, into a raging fire prepared for by the king for anyone who defied his order.. The boys were therefore tossed into the fire. However, the God of Israel sent one of His messengers into the flames with the boys and they and their clothes remained intact and unharmed while the King’s attendants, who were nearby, stoking the fire were singed and burnt by the searing heat.
When Nebuchadnezzar saw them dancing and praising their God, he declared the God of Israel to be the only true God. He knew it was their God’s doing when he saw four figures dancing within the flames when he knew he had only three tossed therein.
The angel may be symbolic of the Spirit Who clings to us and protects us against the onslaught from outside sources as long as we maintain our Faith I God, the harm we may endure may take our bodies but what awaits us is more awesome than our imaginations allow.

Note: in the opening verses, “Jews, who believed in Him?”
Seems incongruent whet her following verses are antagonistic to Him.
Had the Israelites known their own history or read the available Bible, after David, one oppressor after another enslaved them; either in exile (Babylon) or in fear ( Parthenon) or occupation ( Greek and now Rome) dynasties.
Christ was discussing the freedom from spiritual death, if they defied Him. They were really unbelievers. The signs He performed should have convinced them; they had never heard anyone else preach with such conviction and divine authority.
The result was to our benefit. He took our sins upon Himself. He even forgave those who were killing Him.
How can we repay such an enormous debt?
LOVE HIM! ADORE HIM! BELIEVE HIM!