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Battle Creek Tabernacle SDA Church

Chris Holland

A Nation Divided

Heavenly Father, as we study your word, we want to be sanctified by your truth, and we know that your word is truth.

So through the power of the Holy Spirit, may there be a great sanctifying work that goes on amongst us today.

On July the 13th, 2024, just 1 week ago, At some point of time prior to 6.05 p.m.

In Butler, Pennsylvania, Thomas Matthew Crooks climbed up a building just outside of the Butler Farm showgrounds.

His motives, according to the media, are still unknown, But his intentions seem to be clear.

His intention was to assassinate the former president of the United States and the current Republican nominee for the 2024 election, Donald Trump.

Shots began to ring out and Donald Trump Trump took cover not before being hit by 1 of the bullets in the ear, narrowly missing a lethal headshot.

As Sir, As Secret Service agents covered Donald Trump, the would-be assassin was killed by a counter sniper.

And then there was an announcement of all clear.

Donald Trump stood up, bloodied ear in the midst of the Secret Service agents with a fist in the air, mouthing the words, fight 3 times.

It is an iconic photo that many say will be 1 of the most iconic photos in history, in the history of the United States.

In the aftermath of the assassination attempt, we saw the deep divide that currently exists in our country.

Colorado State Democratic Representative Stephen Woodrow from Denver tweeted this, the last thing America needed was sympathy for the devil but here we are.

But it went outside of the United States.

Karen Pinder, a professor of teaching at the University of British Columbia in Canada, tweeted this, so close, too bad.

And then later tweeted, what a glorious day this could have been.

Don't misunderstand any of my statements or the things that I have just read.

This is not intended to be a political commentary, but rather to help demonstrate to us where we are at in a where we are at in our world today, a divided world.

Congressional staffer Jack, Jacqueline Marsau tweeted this.

I don't condone violence, but please get you some shooting lessons so you don't miss next time.

Now, of course, there were much kinder reactions to this, but all of this is demonstrating several things going on in our world today.

First, it demonstrates the deep divide that we see in our nation and around the world.

Secondly, it demonstrates the fulfillment of the words of Jesus in Matthew 24 12.

Lawlessness will abound and the love of many will grow cold.

Now there are a litany of proposed conspiracy theories over the matter.

All the while in the backdrop there are calls for the current president to pull out of the race.

But in the midst of all the division, in the midst of all the name-calling, there seemed to be 1 thing coming from every corner of the political landscape.

Now don't get me wrong, I have no objection to unity and civility in the political and public discourse.

However, I am reminded of a story in the Bible, a story where there was a call for unity, a call for political unity, but that call for political unity had religious overtones.

If you have your Bibles I'd invite you to open to Daniel, the third chapter.

In Daniel, the third chapter in verses 1 to 3, it tells us about this call for unity.

And in this story, we are provided a backdrop for a future crisis, which I believe is soon to come upon us.

Daniel chapter 3, beginning in verse 1, Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was 60 cubits and its width 6 cubits.

He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

Just to give you a picture, this is a statue that was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Then the set traps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

They stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

What is fascinating about this record in Daniel chapter 3 is that it remarkably lines up with historical events that are found outside of the Bible and found in the archeological record.

Thanks to the work of Adventist scholar, William Shea, who passed away in February of 2020, We have a historical background of Daniel chapter 3.

Sometime in December of 595 BC to January of 594 BC, according to the Nebuchadnezzar Chronicle, a piece of archeological evidence, it is recorded, these words are recorded.

In the 10th year, the king of Akkad was in his own land.

From the month of Kislev to the month of Tebit, there was a rebellion in Akkad.

This is a record of Nebuchadnezzar's handling of a revolt that happened in the 10th year of his reign.

There is no historical record for how long the revolt took place, but what is clear is there was a military revolt against his leadership in Babylon.

The fact that it says many were slain demonstrates that this was not a localized insignificant event, but something major in Babylon, a rebellion against the kingship of Nebuchadnezzar.

There are other historical and biblical evidences that there was trouble in Babylon.

And Daniel chapter 3 seems to indicate that Nebuchadnezzar was attempting to quench the revolt and the rebellion.

In fact, the events of Daniel chapter 3 are believed to have occurred sometime in 594 BC.

But even more fascinating than that historical and archaeological record is that there is an undated text written on a clay prism from the time of Nebuchadnezzar that records invitees and attendees to an event.

The text of the prison outlines in the first columns, Nebuchadnezzar's relation to the gods of Babylon and how he served the gods of Babylon and how he rebuilt the temples of the gods of Babylon.

And then in the third column of that prism it recounts with joy the fact that the gods of Babylon were pleased with Nebuchadnezzar and gave him the victories in the many battles he was fighting.

But then it transitions from that to a list of names.

A list of names of the leadership of Babylon.

Some of the names are in fact mentioned in the Bible.

Nergal Serezer of Jeremiah 39 3 and Jeremiah 39 13 is mentioned in this prism.

Nebuzardin, who burned down Jerusalem and is mentioned 16 times in the Bible, his name is recorded on that clay prism.

But there are 3 names mentioned on that prism that are of particular interest to those who have an interest in the biblical record.

It is the names of Hananu, Ardinabu, and Muzzile Marduk.

Now some of you are saying, why are those names important?

Hananu seems to be the Babylonian form of a name connected to this very story.

It seems to be a shortened or abbreviated form of the name Hananiah.

Because Hananiah's name refers to Yahweh.

And so it seems that the Babylonian scribes, when they were inscribing this clay prism on the invitees and attendees to this event, shortened the name by dropping the reverence to Yahweh and then utilized the Akkadian version of Hanani and thus we have Hananu But even more But even more significant is the name of Ardi-Nabu.

It has been long accepted by commentators that the name Abednego is actually the corruption of the Babylonian name Abednebo or Abed-Nabu, literally the servant of Nabu, Nabu being 1 of the gods of Babylon.

Well, why is this all significant and why do I seem to be getting excited about this?

The scribes on this clay tablet were Babylonian.

They would have inscribed it in Akkadian.

However, the word in Akkadian is the word ardu or ardi.

This is undoubtedly a reference to Azariah who was renamed Abednego according to the scriptures.

The third name, although not as concrete, also seems to be connected to Mishael.

Some of you are very interested in archeology and history.

I'm happy to share that with you if you'd like more information on that.

But what is clear about Daniel chapter 3 is that while Daniel chapter 3 is a reaction to the dream of Daniel 2, there is something even deeper going on and that is that Nebuchadnezzar was facing a revolt and a rebellion in the land and he only had 1 option and that option was, how do I bring about unity in the Empire?

And so Nebuchadnezzar now was facing, think about this, historically facing a revolt, a revolt and a rebellion.

And then he had just been given a dream from God that said, but after you shall come another, that in fact the prophecy says is inferior to you.

So here is Nebuchadnezzar with a prophecy from a Hebrew slave who now serves in the kingdom that has said, the God of heaven, the God of the Bible, is saying that your kingdom is going to come to an end.

At the same time, Nebuchadnezzar is facing a revolt, a rebellion, an attempt at a coup.

And so to unify his people, to consolidate and demonstrate his power, according to verse 2 of Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar sent word to the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, and the magistrates, and all the rulers of the province to come to the dedication of an image.

An image that he had set up, a call for unity, but at what cost?

Verse 4 of Daniel 3 tells us what the cost is.

Then the herald loudly proclaimed, to you the command is given O people's nations and men of every language that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.

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A Nation Divided

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