NEW HERE?
PLAN YOUR VISIT!
Close
The Fragile Throne: Understanding the Two Kingdoms We Live In
Have you ever wondered why we're so easily seduced by the idea of becoming something greater than ourselves? Not necessarily by pleasures or lusts, but by the desire to transcend our current state, to gain wisdom, to build something permanent?
Just like Odysseus in the ancient myth who had to resist the Sirens' song promising wisdom beyond human understanding, we too face temptations that appeal to our deepest desires for significance and permanence.
The Sirens in mythology didn't seduce with beauty or lust - they seduced with the promise of wisdom. They sang to Odysseus: "Come here, know what no other man has known, understand why the gods do what they do."
Isn't this similar to what our culture sings to us? We're not just drawn by desires for an easy life. At our core, we work hard, practice diligently, and pursue pleasure because we want:
This desire for transcendence isn't wrong - it's actually built into us. As humans created in God's image, we are eternal beings. But we often pursue this transcendence through the wrong channels.
As Christians, we live in the tension between two kingdoms:
We're constantly pulled in both directions, often feeling like we're on the losing end of this tug-of-war. The world's song calls to us: "Give more of your life to money, career, status - build yourself up so you won't be dragged down."
We see this tension play out in various ways:
The Statue in Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar has a disturbing dream that none of his wise men can interpret. Only Daniel, who serves God above the king, can reveal its meaning.
The dream featured a massive statue with:
As Nebuchadnezzar watched, a rock "cut without human hands" struck the statue's feet, causing the entire structure to crumble. The wind blew away the fragments, and the rock became a mountain that filled the earth.
This statue represents human ambition, wealth, power, and progress. It's everything we build in our lives - education, career, family, possessions. While these things aren't inherently bad, they become problematic when we put all our security and identity in them.
The truth is: our kingdoms look strong, but they stand on clay. Everything we build can be gone in a heartbeat.
Daniel interprets the statue as representing successive world empires:
But the rock that destroys the statue? That represents God's eternal kingdom - a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered.
For Nebuchadnezzar, this was his worst nightmare. To lose everything he built, including his loyal subjects. This must have had Nebuchadnezar wondering what he could do to remedy the problem. Or why God would allow this to happen.
When our carefully constructed "statues" crumble - when we lose a job, face a health crisis, or experience the death of a loved one - we often ask, "God, where were you?"
This is the same question Job asked when he lost everything. It's the theodicy question: why do bad things happen to good people?
The answer lies in understanding the difference between what we build and what God builds:
When we lose something we believe we have built up, whether that be wealth, influence, or even family. We believe when time takes it away from us, we should blame God for it.
But Job, a man named Job who lost everything as read in the book of Job, found out a valuable truth.
At the end of the book of Job, it records his children as being those who are newly born to him, but also those that died to tragedy; showing that nothing is lost eternally.
Because of this, what Job learned was: Sometimes God allows our statues to collapse so He can build something stronger. Your dream may need to shatter so you can discover the dream He's had for you all along.
Everything in this world degrades over time. Kingdoms rise and fall. Wealth can disappear overnight. Even our physical bodies will eventually fail us.
But God's kingdom endures forever. The rock in Nebuchadnezzar's dream - Jesus Christ - is the foundation that cannot be shaken.
When we build our lives on this rock:
Life Application
Every breath we take can either be used for something that will fade away instantly or for something that matters for eternity. Here are some questions to consider:
Remember: Sometimes what falls apart in ways you didn't want is the only way you'll see what cannot fall. God is not tearing down what you build to leave you empty - He's making room for a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
.png)
.png)