Sárospataki Füzetek 20. (2016)
2016 / 2. szám - MISCELLANEOUS / SONSTIGES - Imre Tokics: Daniel's Worship int he City of Babylon
Daniel's Worship in the City of Babylon including himself, is able to solve the king’s problem. Only the Hebrew God, is the only One capable of doing things that are humanly impossible. The situation in the second chapter was the final exam for Daniel, who exalted and worshipped God. Daniel pointed to God - the only Source of wisdom — whose messenger he was. “There is a God” who lives among people, and he is none other than Daniel’s God. “There is a God in heaven”, this is the cardinal principle of the Bible.28 It is important to notice that Daniel begins and ends his speech before Nebuchadnezzar by referring to his God. Daniel begins his interpretation, he addresses the king directly and links his power and his right to rule with God’s sovereignty. The Hebrew prophet uses several superlatives to describe Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, one of which is the title the king of kings, which elsewhere in the Bible is applied to God himself. The prophet Ezekiel, who was Daniel’s contemporary, also refers to King Nebuchadnezzar as “king of kings”, Ezek. 26:7. In both of these references, the most probable meaning is “worldwide emperor”.29 The emphasis here is not on Nebuchadnezzar’s power but on God who gave that power to the king. To Daniel’s words: you are the head of gold, Nebuchadnezzar must have responded inwardly with a resounding “Yes”. The second chapter began with the king’s fear that became great anger. It ends with a report of immediate of effect of the revelation upon the king, a highly positive impact that resulted in great appreciation. Nebuchadnezzar has just witnessed a veritable miracle, so he bows in Daniel’s presence. World rulers are under God’s control,30 when he chooses he can make them acknowledge it. • Summary of the teaching Worship is recognizing who we are in response to who God is, it is giving God His due. However, it is not sustainable unless we continually keep God before us. So, for the children of Israel to learn how to worship, Yahweh gifted them with the weekly practice in the wilderness. At the heart of liberty - of being let go - is worship. But at the heart of worship is rest and silence - stopping from all work, all worry, all scheming, and all fleeing - to stand amazed and thankful before God and his work.31 The true understanding of worship makes the practice of Sabbath day a foregone conclusion, an inescapable necessity always easy to do. What, then, are principles we can follow to help us.32 28 LONGMAN, Tremper III.: Daniel, NIV Application Commentary, Grand Rapids, Ml: Zondervan 1999, 78. p. and MONTGOMERY, A. James: Ibid, 162. 29 SEOW, C. L.: Daniel, Louisville, KY, Westminster John Knox Press 2003,41. 30 GOLDINGAY, John E.: Ibid, 59. 31 BUCHANAN, Mark: The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson 2006, 94. 32 CARTER, C. Erik: Sabbath: A School for Worship, in: Ministry International Journal for Pastors, April 2016, 24. 2016-2 Sárospataki Füzetek 20. évfolyam 93
