Some thoughts from sermon prep on Daniel 3.
TWO CONTRASTING POWERS
Nebuchadnezzar was the most powerful king in the world, but he used his power for selfish, vain, and evil purposes, especially in trying force people into sinful worship of an idol. He was powerful, but limited in his power—his power could not thwart God (He couldn’t destroy Shad/Mesh/Abed if God chose to save them) and his actions were ALWAYS tainted with SIN (He could never act out of an ABSOLUTELY pure heart)
God on the other is the most powerful king in all of existence, and He uses His power for that which is pure, glorious, beautiful, and good. He worked His power to create the universe and He works his power to help His people in their time of need. God is only limited by His own goodness and righteous character—the things he cannot do, as Berkhof notes, are lie, sin, change, or deny himself. AND, what is so WONDERFUL to note about God is that He uses His power in LOVE toward us. We see this especially in the gospel.
