Daniel (Greek) 14:23-27: a reflection

23In that same place there was a great dragon which the people of Babylon worshiped. 24The king said to Daniel, “Will you also say that this is of brass? Behold, he lives, eats and drinks. You can’t say that he is no living god. Therefore worship him.” 25Then Daniel said, “I will worship the Lord my God; for he is a living God. 26But allow me, O king, and I will kill this dragon without sword or staff.” The king said, “I allow you.” 27Then Daniel took pitch, fat, and hair, and melted them together, and made lumps of them. He put these in the dragon’s mouth, so the dragon ate and burst apart. Daniel said, “Behold, these are the gods you all worship.”

In Babylon, the people worshiped a great dragon as a living god, and the king challenges Daniel: this one, at least, is no mere image of brass; he lives, he eats and drinks; surely you must worship him. But Daniel is unimpressed. He asks leave to deal with the dragon, and destroys it easily, showing that this supposed living god was no god at all. Behold, he says, these are the gods you all worship. What had seemed an impressive, living god was exposed as nothing, unable even to preserve itself.

Notice how Daniel exposed the idol as nothing, however impressive it seemed. The dragon seemed a living god, more convincing than an image of brass; the people were sure it was real. But Daniel showed it to be nothing, destroying it with ease; what had seemed a living god could not even preserve itself. However impressive the idol had appeared, it was empty, powerless, no god at all. Its seeming life and greatness were an illusion; exposed, it was shown to be nothing.

That is worth taking to heart, for the idols that draw our worship can seem impressive, even alive, yet are nothing. We can be drawn to worship things that seem impressive, compelling, as though they held real power over our lives, our happiness, our security; but such idols, however impressive they seem, are empty, unable finally to save or satisfy. Do not be impressed by the idols that would draw your worship, however alive and compelling they seem; like the dragon Daniel exposed, they are nothing, unable finally to help you. See through the impressive appearance of the idols that draw you, whatever they are, to their emptiness, as Daniel exposed the seeming living god as nothing; and give your worship not to the impressive-seeming idol that is empty, but to the living God alone, who is real, and who alone can save and satisfy, unlike the idols that seem impressive but are nothing.

Lord, in Babylon, the people worshiped a great dragon as a living god, and the king challenged Daniel: this one, at least, is no mere image of brass; he lives, he eats and drinks; surely you must worship him. But Daniel was unimpressed. He asked leave to deal with the dragon, and destroyed it easily, showing that this supposed living god was no god at all. Behold, he said, these are the gods you all worship. What had seemed an impressive, living god was exposed as nothing. Show me how Daniel exposed the idol as nothing, however impressive it seemed. The dragon seemed a living god, more convincing than an image; the people were sure it was real. But Daniel showed it to be nothing; what had seemed a living god could not even preserve itself. However impressive the idol had appeared, it was empty, no god at all. Take that to my heart, for the idols that draw my worship can seem impressive, even alive, yet are nothing. I can be drawn to worship things that seem impressive, compelling, as though they held real power over my life, my happiness, my security; but such idols, however impressive, are empty, unable finally to save or satisfy. Keep me from being impressed by the idols that would draw my worship; like the dragon Daniel exposed, they are nothing. Help me see through the impressive appearance of the idols that draw me, whatever they are, to their emptiness, Lord; and help me give my worship to the living God alone, who alone can save and satisfy.