Who Are You | Worship His Majesty - Daniel 5 | October 13

INTRO

Hey family!

It’s good to see you again today.

Listen, we’ve been making our way through the book of Daniel, trudging through life in exile. Why don’t we fast forward about 30 to 50 years? Why don’t we see what happens on the other side as the Israelites begin to return to Jerusalem and rebuild?

This is Ezra chapter 3 if you’d like to follow along in your Bibles. If you have a physical Bible, or if you don’t there are some at the ends of the rows. There is a familiarity that comes as we flip through these pages.

So, Nebuchadnezzar attacks the kingdom of Judah. Daniel and his friends are taken into exile to Babylon. About 20 years pass before the full destruction of Jerusalem and the first temple. The temple is completely destroyed. Then, 50 more years pass, during which we see the death of Nebuchadnezzar. Several others try to take his place ultimately only lasting for a few years or less each. Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, Belshazzar, ends up in power for a number of years before the Medes and the Persians finally take over – they are the silver chest in the statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams. These 70 years pass. And it’s during this second kingdom that Ezra and Nehamiah are granted the favor to return and rebuild.

Ezra is a bit like Daniel. It’s not really a book about the man for which the book bears its name. Ezra doesn’t even show up in his own account until the second half. But he is there and he is recording history.

He writes in chapter 3, “1 In early autumn, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled in Jerusalem with a unified purpose… 8 The construction of the Temple of God began in midspring, during the second year after they arrived in Jerusalem…

10 When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the Lord, just as King David had prescribed. 11 With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord: “He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!”

Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid. 12 But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy. 13 The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud noise that could be heard far in the distance.”

The temple was destroyed. It lay in utter ruin. There is nothing there but rubble. It is a site not too dissimilar to the mountains of debris we see piled in nearly every neighborhood of Boone as people hurry to remove the old to make way for rebuilding to commence. It is a sight full of mixed emotions, of a past that cannot be returned to and the way for an uncertain future. There is certainly much to weep for.

But what exactly is the reason the old men in Ezra were weeping?

Some say it is because there was finally a second temple. They were finally rebuilding the temple. There was to be a temple again. Were they weeping with gratitude to see the second temple, expressing deep feelings alongside those who were likewise rejoicing with shouts and cheers?

Some say it is because they saw and remembered the beauty of the first temple and were distressed by the fact that this second one was far inferior – it failed to measure up. Were they weeping because the first was so much better than the second?

Saying to each other through the tears, “you should have seen the temple Solomon built. I saw it! I saw that temple destroyed. I saw the destruction. I witnessed the fire. I still remember Solomon’s temple. That temple was so magnificent. You wouldn't believe the majesty of it. Look at the rubble still left behind.”

Haggai was a prophet during this time and wrote to Zerubbabel the word of the Lord saying, “3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?”

Solomon would have spent the modern equivalent of $5 to $8 Billion dollars on the construction of that first Temple. It was designed to convey the awe of the holiness of God in all His glory. It was built to communicate something about His majesty.

Why were the old men weeping? It is ambiguous. They wept for a lot of reasons. They wept and shouted for joy that it was being rebuilt. And they wept for the majesty unrealized. It is for both reasons. They knew it would not have the same splendor as the first once completed and they wept that they finally got a temple again.

Ezra is describing the mixed feelings that people were experiencing concerning the glory – the majesty of the past, present, and future of the temple. Whatever it would become. And it would become great again, but this time for a different reason, as God, Himself would become a man and Jesus would walk through its gates and teach in its courtyards. Whatever it would become, there was a majesty that was now lost as its new foundations rose from the rubble of the past.

More than two thousand years later, and Israel is still crying. That’s what the time of Tisha B’Av is about. Mourning the destruction of the temple, both temples. The Talmud (Ta’anit 30b) teaches “Whoever mourns for Jerusalem will merit seeing its joy”. It is the loss of majesty.

WORSHIP HIS MAJESTY

That’s a funny word isn’t it? Majesty.

People say, especially in monarchies of times past; your grace, your greatness, your highness, your majesty. Your majesty. Because it is their majesty and not ours.

Majesty indicates greatness in sight or sound that is also wonderful. Bigness that is beautiful. Imposing size that is viewed with delight, imposing power received as attractive.

In an article on majesty, David Mathis writes, “Dominion and lordship are more technical and prosaic; majesty rings more poetic, with the awe of worship.”

The word captures not only greatness but also goodness, both bigness and beauty, awesome power together with pleasant admiration. It is a fitting and appropriate term for a God, who is, above all, “the Majestic One”.

“God is not only great but good — good in his greatness and great in his goodness. He is not only big, strong, imposing, indomitable, omnipotent; he is beautiful, attractive, stunning, compelling, glorious. He is the Majestic One, who delivered Israel at the Sea, and his church at the cross. And so, we say with the psalmist, “On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate” (Psalm 145:5).”

Nebuchadnezzar uses the word majesty. Only he gets it a bit wrong as we know from the last chapter and are reminded of here in this chapter of Daniel.

Necuchadnezzar said as he looked out across the city, “30 Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.”

“Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power… for the glory of my majesty?”

Right word. Wrong focus.

Something that we’ve learned over the weeks and chapters of Daniel. Something we have seen demonstrated. Something Daniel, Shadrach, Meshac, and Abednego knew to be of absolute value.

God, His name, and His reputation are sacred. He alone is the Most High God. He alone is the Majestic One, worthy of all honor, and glory, and praise. Worship His majesty!

RELATIVIZING THE ABSOLUTE

Belshazzar’s sin is pride, of course, just as his grandfather’s was. The apple doesn’t rot far from the tree. Yes, it's pride like his forebear.

We just read the recount of Nebuchadnezzar’s story here. He retells Nebuchadnezzar’s story because there was a generational sin but the “son” does not humble himself and so faces destruction. These are the two sides of the same coin. Two kings presented with an opportunity for humility. One looks up and is restored. The other is condemned to destruction.

Verse 18 reminds us, “18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar. 19 He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear… 20 But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them.

22 “You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. 23 For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you.”

Yes pride was his sin, but not only pride. In his pride, he devalued the God of Heaven by drinking from the cups of the temple that bore his name and which was designed to communicate His majesty. “4 They drank from them they praised (created things) their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.”

Sin is the desire to satisfy the eternal craving for God that has been stamped onto us with material things.

Let me say that again. Sin is the desire to satisfy the eternal craving for God. This eternal craving that has been stamped onto us. Sin is the desire to satisfy that craving with material things rather than God Himself.

Sin is taking something that is of some importance, of relative value, and elevating it to a place of absolute value. It’s exalting the relative. At the same time, it’s taking what is of absolute value – God Himself – and it’s casting Him among the rest. It’s relativizing the absolute. It’s not treasuring God above all else but simply casting Him among the other things you may or may not treasure.

We have already been introduced to these cups in Daniel chapter 1. A foreshadowing, a foretaste if you will.

It says, “1 During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave him victory… and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.”

The cups of the temple are placed in the king’s treasury showing that they are of some value, but only as a demonstration of the superiority of Nebuchadnezzar and his gods. They were not the treasure. They were simply tossed among the other treasures. So they only had relative value.

ABSOLUTE GOD

God is absolute!

Absolute means the highest, the most, the final degree.

Absolute truth. Absolute value. Absolutely good. Absolute . . . everything!

Does God hold absolute value in your life?

Honestly?

I’m not playing around here. I’m not asking this question for dramatic effect. I want you to search the depths of your life and answer that question. Is God of absolute value, or do you treat Him as just one of the treasures in your life?

I hate to tell you, but if you are someone who treats God as just one of the treasures, I’m willing to bet that you are also the kind of person who worries about what you are going to do for eternity.

He’s not a prize. He’s the prize. He is the treasure. He is the absolute God – absolutely!

Because, here’s the thing. Culture loves to take what is of absolute value and demote it to a relative value. Our culture can’t stand when something is presented as an absolute. Absolutes are seen as dangerous.

Relativism - many believe is the safest place to stand. There is no absolute truth. All paths lead to God. Everything is sacred. You do you. Don’t take a stance.

Like Belshazzar. Like Nebuchadnezzar. Human beings have always been prone to self-centeredness. We want what we want when we want it and are willing to justify it by any means necessary.

That’s a danger of relativism. It is a convenient posture that helps us justify doing whatever we want to do. It offers us escape from serious self-reflection.

Don’t resist. Compromise. That’s the battle raging around Daniel and the boys at all times. Don’t stand for what you believe in. Compromise and do good in the world.

It’s especially attractive when we see it as being tolerant and open to people who believe differently than we do.

People are willing to tolerate someone else’s truth until it affects them. Then it becomes unacceptable or unfair.

That is a danger of relativism. But it’s not the danger of relativism.

That’s not the largest danger of relativism. The worst part about relativism is that it's the same thing we do with God. We bring that heart posture to bear in our understanding of the absolute. We conveniently build our preferences, even our theology around whatever happens to align with what we already wanted to do.

Your heart and my heart will find a way to justify our sin — whatever we believe or say we believe about the truth. And that’s absolutely true.

We try to remake God in our own image, and what’s worse – we don’t even know that we’re doing it.

WHO DO YOU BELONG TO

There’s an interesting encounter that Jesus has in the book of Matthew.

It’s in chapter 22. Let me just read it,

“15 Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 16 They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. 17 Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

18 But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? 19 Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin, 20 he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.

“Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

22 His reply amazed them, and they went away.”

There’s several things going on here. Most obviously, for Jesus to support the unlawful taxes of Rome would be to heap coals on the suffering of the oppressed people of Israel. Even more insidious is that on this Roman coin was more than Caesar's image stamped into the silver coin. There was also an inscription that lays some amount of claim to the divinity of the Caesar and confirmed his religious authority. In fact, the denarii were referred to as the “tribute penny”.

This was more than a question about taxes.

It was a question of allegiance.

Who do you belong to?

Jesus masterfully flips the question back on his would-be entrappers.

Whose image is stamped onto this coin? Give it to him who owns it?

Now, whose image is stamped on you?

God has stamped His image on every one of us.(Genesis 1:27). Therefore, “give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.” (Romans 6:13).

It is a question of allegiance. Who do you belong to?

Is God absolute in your life? Or is He just one among many?

When Jesus is arrested for what can only be described as anti-state political activism. He’s brought before Pilate and asked if He is a king. To which Jesus responds, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” (John 18:36)

Where does your allegiance lie? Is it to this world and its institutions? Or is it to God, who alone is sovereign?

If you know who God is. You will know who you are. And you will know what to do. You will know your purpose.

Will you give God ultimate value in your life and honor Him as such? Will you submit to His absolutes? Or will you relative Him to justify your life?

The world sees absolutes as dangerous.

Will you live a radically dangerous life?

RETURN TO THE ROOT

That word radical means something different than it used to. I am a person who wants to believe that words have meanings and those meanings shouldn’t change. But I’m beginning to believe that Stultus was right when he said, “words don't have meaning, people have meaning.”

Words are empty containers, and people choose what to put in them. So we have to listen carefully to what meaning a person is putting into their words.

Radical used to mean pertaining to the root. Going back to the root. As was said by Vince Lombardi in 1961, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” And now every preacher since then has put it into a sermon. It's fundamental. Building on the foundation – the root.

Jesus is referred to the root of David and the root of Jesse (Revelation 22:16; Revelation 5:5; Isaiah 11:10; Romans 15:12).

Colossians 2 says, “6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. 7 Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him.”

The only way to fight relativism in your life is by letting all present and future growth be determined by the root of Jesus. Any other way of life is arbitrary and inconsistent. Return to the root. Worship His majesty.

God, His name, and His reputation are sacred. He alone is the Most High God. He alone is the Majestic One, worthy of all honor, and glory, and praise. Worship His majesty!

Will you dare live a radically dangerous life?

CHRISTIANS ARE DANGEROUS

Christians are Dangerous.

Christianity says you have no power over me for I belong to another kingdom and I give my allegiance only to the King. That’s what made Nebuchadezzar so angry about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. That is why so many rulers of this age see Christianity as a threat.

“Christians are ambassadors of another King, and another Kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:20). Not another country, but a Kingdom not of this world. So whenever ideologues demand the same loyalty that only belongs to the King of Kings, then Christians will not obey.”

Christians are Dangerous.

Christianity says that in God is found absolute truth. That Jesus is right. And if Jesus is right, that must mean humanity apart from him is wrong. What a dangerous idea to believe that we as humans could be wrong. To suggest that what anyone believes is wrong. But truth is not relative.

“A day is coming when God will judge the world. Not according to some human ideology, but according to His eternal righteousness. Everyone will be held accountable for how they used the breath that God gave them. Everyone will fall on their knees and indeed their faces before Jesus.”

Christians are Dangerous.

“Christianity says that our ultimate identity doesn’t come from within ourselves, but is given to us by our Creator.” That if you know who God is. You will know who you are. And you will know what to do. You’ll know your purpose.

“25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for the sake of God, you will save it.” (Matthew 16:25)

That’s a dangerous idea.

The question, “which dangerous idea has the greatest potential to change the world for the better?” Was put to the panelist at the “Festival of Dangerous Ideas” in 2013, which is apparently a thing.

British Journalist Peter Hitchens, who is the brother of famed atheist Christopher Hitchens, answered, “The most dangerous idea in human history and philosophy remains the belief that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and rose from the dead and that is the most dangerous idea you will ever encounter. It alters the whole of human behavior and all our responsibilities…

It turns the universe from a meaningless chaos into a designed place in which there is justice and there is hope, and, therefore, we all have a duty to discover the nature of that justice and work towards that hope. It alters us all. If we reject it, it alters us all as well…

It is incredibly dangerous. It's why so many people turn against it.”

THE WRITING’S ON THE WALL

Daniel says to Belshazzar, “You have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! 24 So God has sent this hand to write this message…”

You have been weighed.

You have been measured.

And you have been found wanting.

Everyone loves a good quote from “A Knight’s Tale”.

You have been weighed.

You have been measured.

And you have been found wanting.

How will you be found? Tossing God among some set of treasures that have some value in your life? Or placing Him on the throne of your heart? As absolute. Absolute truth. Absolute value. Absolute good. Absolutely!

Does God hold absolute value in your life?

John tells us, “19 This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows all things. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commands and do what is pleasing in his sight. 23 Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps his commands remains in him, and he in him. And the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he has given us.”

Set apart the name of God as holy. God is of supreme value. Worship His majesty!

Do not let God lose His glory/majesty in our eyes.