So yesterday, we learned that Nebuchadnezzar made a 90-foot-tall gold image of himself and demanded that everyone worship him. And then here's what happened next:

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." — Daniel 3:8-12

So basically, you have a group of jealous people policing the king's mandate here. And I think we get what's happening here because, over the last couple of years, we have all been victimized by mandates. Or we have victimized others by them.

But this tends to happen under leadership that demands compliance. And the people most prone to be on the attack are those behind the mandate. And those most inclined to be attacked are those who appear not. So in this situation, a small group of Chaldeans kept a watchful eye on three men — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And they've been watching them because Daniel promoted them after he was promoted. The envy of their advancement to higher positions and status motivated them to bust them in non-compliance. They desire to exert control over others when they feel out of control.

But while this might get you all worked up, this doesn't just happen within politics and the government. It occurs in the church too. Throughout the Gospels and Paul's letters, we repeatedly hear how religious leaders attempted to leverage laws and rules to mandate obedience. And guess what, it didn't work. And it never works. Do you know why? Because we are wild at heart. We are born into this world with a spirit of non-compliance. No dictator, monarch, business leader, manager, authority, or parent can mandate enough laws to command the rule of the human heart. The heart, by nature, is non-compliant.

But here's the game-changer. Once we learn this principle and have been impacted or affected by it enough, we can choose to submit our wayward hearts to God willingly. And God can rule over it. Ezekiel 36:26 reads:

And I [the Lord] will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.

Fellas, if you have a rebellious spirit, then there may be part of this that is right and righteous. As we discover, these four men will resist this mandate for right and righteous reasons. On the other hand, sometimes, this spirit comes from a desire to control or not be controlled for selfish reasons. And sometimes, deep down, we have trouble admitting to ourselves that this rebellious spirit wants freedom from everything, even the Law of God. So, in the end, ensure when you resist, you are not resisting for selfish reasons because you'll only end up resisting The Law of God's Grace.

ASK THIS: Where do you have a rebellious spirit presently?

DO THIS: Resist! But do it the right way.

PRAY THIS: God, may I resist the world but never you.

PLAY THIS: Spirit of the Living God.

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