Articles
Called To Bow
In ancient Babylon, when Daniel and his friends were captive to the nation that had invaded and plundered their own, the King of the Babylonians set up a 90-foot-high image of gold in the plain of Dura. Nebuchadnezzar gathered all his political leaders together for the dedication of this image, and the heralds cried out to everyone, “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace” (Dan. 3:1-6). All the people in the land — regardless of whether or not they were Babylonians — when they heard the music, “fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up” (Dan. 3:7).
All, that is, except three men.
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah — more well known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego — were those three men. As faithful Jews, they could not bow down to any image, for God had prohibited such (cf. Exod. 20:4, 5), and doing so was what had led their people into the very position they now found themselves: captive to Babylon. They simply refused to bow.
When “certain Chaldeans” came forward and reported these three men for their refusal to bow to the image, the three were brought before the furious King to answer for themselves. He asked them if the report was true, and even generously offered them another opportunity to bow, if the report was true (Dan. 3:8-15).
The three men, respectfully, refused to bow, regardless of the potential — or should we say certain — consequences. In a powerful response, the three men answered, “…let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Dan. 3:16-18). Of course, this only enraged Nebuchadnezzar all the more, and he followed through on the threat, making great efforts to make his displeasure clear by making the fire as hot as his rage for the refusal to bow (Dan. 3:19ff). We also know that his efforts were all in vain, for the Lord protected the three men, and demonstrated His power over the most powerful kings of this earth. Nebuchadnezzar, in the end, praised God because of their stand (Dan. 3:28).
While this story is a favorite of many young folks, it should be a favorite of mature Christians, too, for there are some powerful lessons for us, too, especially in light of the calls to bow we hear almost every day. A look at their example will give us a pattern for how we should face those calls to bow. What calls, you say? Consider…
The Call to Bow to Secularism. Secularism is a 'secular spirit or tendency, especially a system of political or social philosophy that rejects all forms of religious faith and worship,' or, 'the view that public education and other matters of civil policy should be conducted without the introduction of a religious element.' In short, it is a description of our current society, where religion is more and more often marginalized and pushed out of the public arena, or — in all honestly — forced out of the public arena by legislative and judicial means.
In this society, it is not enough that those involved reject religion for themselves; they don't even want to hear about it anywhere they go, and they want no one else to hear about it, either. Society is calling you and me to bow to secularism as the new god of our society, and they brook no dissension from their call to bow to their golden image of secularism. Sadly, with threats of fines and ruination, many religious individuals are bowing the knee.
What will you and I do when the call to bow comes to us? Some bow because they don't want others to know they are followers of Jesus Christ, but our Lord has plainly said, “…whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). Some bow the knee because they are afraid of the earthly consequences. Again, Jesus told His followers, “…do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). We can cower in the shadows or we can stand openly in defiance of the call to bow, but there is no middle ground here, brethren.
The Call to Bow to ‘Science.’ In an ideal world, ‘science’ would be apolitical and scientists could observe facts and draw conclusions without having to fear being ostracized and ridiculed for their conclusions. We don't live in an ideal world, however. Far from it. We live in a world where, in scientific circles, men such as Guillermo Gonzalez, Ph.D., was denied tenure at Iowa State University, despite his unquestioned qualification, and where Richard M. Sternberg, Ph.D., was vilified in public and scientific circles for daring to publish the writings that questioned the theory of evolution based on legitimate inconsistencies and problems. The call to bow to ‘science’ [where ‘science’ demands an a priori rejection of God prior to the beginning of any scientific discussion or studies] is strong, with these examples just one of many where the opposition is silenced — either implicitly or by legal means, if necessary.
Despite the fact that “since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead” (Rom. 1:20), and the fact “He did not leave Himself without witness” (Acts 14:17), men still acquiesce and bow to the accepted ‘science’ of the day without resistance.
But it is not just scientists who bow; many religious people, in an effort to not stand out in the crowd like those three men in Daniel's day, and noticed because they stand alone, likewise bow to ‘science.’ Many religious leaders, scholars, and ordinary men and women fear being ostracized and marginalized and seek the acceptance of the scientific circles more than the acceptance of God and, in so doing, deny Him as Creator, or try very hard to re-interpret the Bible so as to fit modern scientific theories and dogma.
As hard as it may be to believe, we even have brethren within the Lord's church who hold to, and teach, scientific positions that are simply incompatible with the Bible. Some hold to the 'day-age' theory of Creation, arguing that the 'day' of Genesis 1 is not really a 24-hour day, but a very long period of time [billions of years], and others hold to the 'gap theory' that says the days were really 24-hour periods, but that there were billions of years in between the days. How that is found in Genesis 1 is simply a matter of reading into the text what is not actually in the text — not a matter of honest interpretation.
When the call to bow to this so-called ‘science’ comes to us, will we bow, or will we stand firmly in our belief “that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Heb. 11:3)? It would be easier to simply blend in with everyone else, but let us not forget where ‘everyone else’ will end up if they continue down the same path (cf. Matt. 7:13). —— Steven Harper
