Abusers can recognize God, but that doesn’t mean they are converted

God gave Nebuchadnezzar two powerful teaching experiences. Each experience resulted in Nebuchadnezzar acknowledging and blessing God. Yet despite having experienced all that, Nebuchadnezzar did not reform his character in the long term: he did not return to the Jews the holy vessels he had stolen from their temple.
[Note from Barb : I added ^this paragraph to the post on 1st April 2021]

The first experience

(Daniel chapter 3, ESV)  King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace and saw the three Jews unharmed and a fourth man ‘like a son of the gods’ with them. Whenever I read that verse my heart misses a beat and then swells in adoration and worship of our Lord. I resonate with the revelation that gripped Nebuchadnezzar; it reminds me very much of my own conversion when Jesus revealed Himself to me as real and alive and unspeakably understanding and compassionate in His love for me, though I was a scuffed, shabby and shameful sinner.

But as I read this passage this morning, a thought struck me. Nebuchadnezzar recognized the supremacy of the God of Israel:

Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.”  (Daniel 3:28)

Nebuchadnezzar blessed the true God. He saw and honored His power. But what was the fruit of Nebuchadnezzar’s change of mind? What did this ‘converted’ man do? This man had been a tyrannical despot who flew into furious rages to make people do his bidding. He had ruled his people by threatening them with torture and death — “I’ll throw you in the furnace if you don’t worship my image!” What did this man do when he found the true God? He issued another threat of violence against his people:

“Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” (Daniel 3:29)

Power and control were entrenched right to the deepest furrows of this man’s prideful heart; he breathed, ate and slept power and control. He knew no other form of influencing people. He knew no other way of getting his supply. He knew no other way of life. He recognized the power of God and saw it was greater than his own power, but he did not give up his lifelong habit of power and control. Unlike Zacchaeus, the thieving tax collector who as soon as he was converted to the living God made generous and immediate reparation for all he had stolen from the people, Nebuchadnezzar showed no fruit of repentance. He merely exchanged one method of power and control for another.

I don’t think I need to make a lot more application here. I’m sure our readers can chime in and tell us how they have seen this dynamic apply in cases where abusers ‘converted’ to Christianity.

The second experience

Old King Neb had another lesson coming. This indicates that his pride and power and control still needed to be dealt with after the fiery furnace episode. He got sent out to graze in the pasture like a cow —

(Daniel 4:33-37)  Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Addition to this post added 2nd Sept 2018:

Why would a satanist want to pose as a Christian evangelist?

A satanist would pose as a Christian evangelist because the satanist wanted the visible church to be dominated by people who think they’re following Jesus but they’re not actually born again / regenerated. The more weeds there are among the wheat, the more the visible church is an abuser-friendly environment.

The false form of salvation is epidemic.

I thought I was saved for years & was not.
God made me know something was off.
I was humbled in awe when He revealed it to me.
God is exposing cheap grace & pagan ways.
(—said by an anonymous follower of A Cry For Justice)

[June 11, 2022: Editors’ notes:

—For some comments made prior to June 11, 2022 that quoted from the post, the text in the comment that was quoted from the post might no longer be an exact match.
—For some comments made prior to June 11, 2022 that quoted from the post, the text in the comment that was quoted from the post might no longer be found in the post.
If you would like to compare the text in the comments made prior to June 11, 2022 that quoted from the post to the post as it is now (June 11, 2022), click here [Internet Archive link] for the most recent Internet Archive copy of the post.]