How should Christians respond to an unjust, tyrannical government? In our increasingly polarized political climate, this is the question that all too many Americans believe will face us, regardless of who wins the Presidency in November. But a casual glance at history should put all of this breathless panic into perspective. For if you want to see a truly wicked, oppressive government in action, you need look no farther than today’s reading.

Think about it. As a Babylonian, Nebuchadnezzar was a worshipper of all sorts of false gods. He had invaded the Promised Land, killed many of God’s people and carried the rest off into exile. He forced some of them to serve him as bureaucrats (1:3-5), and threatened to kill others who refused to worship an image of himself (3:6). No matter who wins the Presidency in November, American Christians will face nothing even close to this kind of persecution.

So, how did God’s ancient people respond to true religious oppression? In the first place, the most faithful of them maintained their commitment to personal purity. Now, we don’t know why Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah objected to the kind of food served in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. But they refused to compromise their faith in order to fit into a godless society (1:8). They asked to be served a different diet, and God rewarded their faithfulness with greater health than all their peers (1:12-15).

But we also see the four friends being willing to use their God-given gifts to improve the world around them, regardless of the injustice of their situation. They entered the service of an obviously wicked king, and demonstrated time after time that their advice was better than any of the godless heathen around them could offer (1:19-20). Daniel was even willing to use his miraculous ability to interpret dreams to save the lives not only of his godly friends, but of the king’s godless counsellors as well (2:16-18).

And yet, there was a line none of them was willing to cross. When Nebuchadnezzar insisted that everyone in his kingdom bow down before a golden statue of himself, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah refused. But they did not try to lead a rebellion. They didn’t even make an ostentatious display of their defiance. In fact, they were willing to suffer the legal consequences of their disobedience, allowing themselves to be thrown into a fiery furnace without putting up a struggle. But at the same time, they insisted that the One True God was able to save them and they were confident that He would in fact come to their aid (3:13-18).

And what was the result of such steadfast service of man and faithful devotion to God? Even wicked King Nebuchadnezzar realized that the God Who allowed Daniel to reveal and interpret dreams, “is a God of gods and a Lord of kings” (2:47). And when God displayed His sovereign power by delivering Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah from the fiery furnace without even the smell of smoke on their clothes (3:27), even wicked King Nebuchadnezzar made this proclamation:

“That any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way” (3:29).

So, no matter what we may think of whoever sits in the White House next year, will we seek to maintain our purity of heart and mind in an increasingly godless world? Will we use our God-given gifts to bless the wicked world around us? Will we pursue obedience to God, regardless of the social or legal consequences that may come our way? Will we in all these ways shine the light of Christ into the darkness? Or will we keep looking to merely political solutions to solve all our moral problems?

Daniel 2:20-23 (NASB)

20 Daniel answered and said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him.
21 “And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to men of understanding.
22 “It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him.
23 “To Thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For Thou hast given me wisdom and power; Even now Thou hast made known to me what we requested of Thee, For Thou hast made known to us the king’s matter.”