The Statue: Daniel 2:31-35

What God builds is truly incredible.  As a teacher, I see this in my students and is why I love teaching ninth and tenth grade.  I meet young people at an impressionable age and watch God shape them and mold them.  What He builds within us lasts the test of time.  What God builds within us cannot be taken away by anyone else.

Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar the dream.  The statue had a gold head, a silver chest and arms, a bronze abdomen and thighs, and lower legs and feet of the statue made from a mixture of iron and clay.  A stone – not made by any human work – struck the legs and feet of statue, breaking the statue apart and scattering it.  Nothing remained except the stone, which grew into an entire mountain and filled the earth.

The head represents the Babylonian Empire.  Babylon is the tool that God uses to bring His people back to Him.  The exile imposed by Babylon brings God’s people back to life centered on Him.

The chest and arms represent the Medes, who become the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great.  God uses the Persians to return His people to their land.  They expand their influence to large parts of western and central Asia.

The abdomen and thighs represent the Greeks.  Under Alexander the Great, the Grecian Empire became one of the largest empires of the ancient world.  It was not particularly friendly to the Hebrew people.

The legs and feet represent the Romans.  They had strong leadership and a strong legal code.  They also had a diverse culture, which may be what the mixture of iron and clay alludes to.  The Roman Empire was one of the longest lasting empires in human history.

The great stone that smashes everything can be none other than Jesus.  The mountain that grows is the multitude of people who follow Him.

Notice the value of materials diminishes as we descend the statue.  The Babylonians served a great role in God’s work.  The Persians served a lesser – but still significant – role.  The Greeks served little role in God’s plan.  The Romans were at times openly antagonistic to the Hebrew people, especially as the Roman Imperial Cult grew.

Consider the material from another perspective.  Gold is natural, but it must be mined and smelted.  The same is true with silver.  Bronze is an alloy composed of copper and tin and is a human invention.  Iron is an element, but its true strength is steel, which is an alloy composed of iron and carbon.  Each of these items require human effort to produce.  On the other hand, the stone that supplants them all is not touched by human hands.

Human beings create some beautiful and impressive objects.  Yet, nothing we create can compare to God.  Human effort only takes us so far.  If we want to experience something truly great, we should turn to God and let Him work in us.  What God builds is truly incredible.