There were these three Hebrew boys - young men.
They saw what was happening, when no one else did.
They warned their people of impending tyranny. Even among those who might have seen the signs, nobody dared to speak up.
The king would go around having these grand ceremonies, where in every precinct, every citizen would have to bow down to a statue of His Highness.
“It’s just bending the knee, you fools. It doesn’t mean anything. Just stop causing trouble, or you’re just going to make life miserable for all of us!” they were told by their friends, family, and religious leaders.
That would’ve been easy. They would fit right into the rest of the crowd. Obey the law. Follow the orders. They’re for your safety and security.
So, when the trumpets sounded, and upon the king’s orders that every knee should bow, they broke with the ranks, broke the law, stood their ground, and said “Not us!”
A young German woman. She had a good life; after all, times were good. The great war was beginning to fade from memory.
Behind the façade of relative peace, there were troubling signs on the horizon. Few saw it, few talked about it. Everybody loved the new leader. He was uniting the nation, had a commanding presence, strong leadership, promised a great future, all accompanied by media images of a cultured gentleman beloved by children and animals.
It happens slowly at first. A new law here, a new restriction there. The change of name from the German Workers' Party to the National Socialist German Workers' Party, or Nazi Party for short. The attempted overthrow of the government of Bavaria should have been a red flag, but instead, buoyed by a compliant media, there was widespread sympathy for Hitler's aims.
While the attempt failed, it became the impetus for a pretty popular biography at the time. Politicians love writing a good biography. The young woman saw right through it, and began warning her contemporaries. “Nah,” they said. “Look at how free Germany is!”
Things weren’t happening fast enough for Hitler. What could he do? Ah -- an emergency. Well, what a timely coincidence. The Reichstag Fire, and in its aftermath, new emergency legislation, decreed without parliamentary consent. It abolished freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and association, freedom of the press, suspended the autonomy of federated states, legalized phone-tapping, the interception of correspondence and other intrusions. Travel restrictions. “Your papers, please.”
She figured that by this time, everyone could see what was glaringly obvious. “Conspiracy theorist!”, they shouted. By the time the order was given for the Nazi salute to be used in all greetings in Germany, everyone was happy to “Heil Hitler”.
It was an easy thing to learn to live with. “Just raise your damned arm,” they told her. “It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just some stupid symbol.” She resisted, even pleaded. “It’s not just a symbol”, she said. “It gives credence and power to the absurd notion that everything is fine.” The salute was a galvanizing social element. She became more vocal, and organized a resistance.
“You’re just causing trouble for the rest of us”, they accused. “It’s hard enough making a living in this town.” Even her pastor pleaded with her to stop causing dissension among the congregation and community.
“We have to obey the authorities”, he told her. “It’s Biblical. Some even think you’re just trying to make a name for yourself, like some grandstanding fool.” And they continued to raise their arms in salute. But not she. All but a few close friends abandoned her. She stood her ground.Terry Neudorf
A pathetic argument that I hear many self-professing Christians use is, "You have a wife and kids..." So . . . because someone has a wife and kids, they should just knuckle under and bow to Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue? Seriously?!?!? What kind of "Christian" are you??? What kind of godless advice are you giving them? You obviously do not have a back bone, nor do you have any ounce of integrity or faithfulness to God. Knuckling under because "You have a wife and kids" is equivalent to loving your life more than the Lord Jesus and trying to save your life. You remember what Jesus said about that? Apparently not.
"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. If he loves his own life more than Me, he CANNOT be My disciple." (Matt. 10:37 and Luke 14:26)
What kind of lessons are you teaching your children by knuckling under to the demands of others? It's amazing to see the difference in attitudes between Christians from the 1st century through the 1800s and those who call themselves "Christians" today. Their ungodly argument is that it is more important for you to look after your family than to stand your ground and stand by God and His Word. "It's only a statue, after all. It doesn't mean anything."
Lord God, surround me with godly Christians who have principles and integrity and stand on your Word, valuing the truth over their own lives; Christians who have a real relationship with you and place you above everything else in their lives, including their own families. Amen!