John Lennox: Witness of Daniel in a Pluralistic World (Part 2)
<This video has been removed. If I find it again I'll put it back up.>
@0:20: The value of the temple vessels is the main reason for the judgment in Daniel 5. We have often been taught this and recognized it without reading it back into Daniel 1:2. The reducing of the absolute value and absolute Lordship of God is clearly seen as the main theme of the subsequent chapter. Almost all of the interaction between the faithful and unfaithful stem from the extent of their worship to God.
@3:00: The obvious comparison is hardly
lost on the general Bible reader. But the idea that Daniel is showing the denigrating value of the kingdoms is key. I'm jumping the gun, but what Daniel and God are communicating is that the lower you place God on the relative value the weaker, inferior and value-less your kingdom becomes. But we'll have to hear Lennox out to see if I'm right.
@4:40: But what about the golden head? What about its value? Well its clear from the story that God rises above this in the heart of the faithful. Do we bow down to inferior idols for security, wealth and the "good" of our families? Can we truly say to the world around us "the God we serve is able to deliver us, and he will deliver us. But even if he does not, we want you to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
@9:00: Yet again the story remains over the confusion of power and authority. I think it is plain to see that our world is full of Nebuchadnezzars. And they have to be cut down to behave as an animal. Are we the Daniels of our world?
@12:45: For all the simple foolishness of old Neb, he didn't have the pure disdain for God of Belshazzar. Now God's absolute value is forced to be common and mundane. God's judgment came and the value of the king in God's eyes was none. Likewise our society becomes valueless in God's eyes when we reject Him.
@22:30: Babylon was in the game of changing names. Dang that's some good stuff. But God one ups the attempts at the world through Abraham and also through Jesus who has been called Christ and bestowed the title of Lord. But what is your name?
Tough cut off point. The individual who split this was not efficient or kind. More to come soon.