T. D. Jakes preaches on Daniel 3:19 at the Inaugural Prayer Service

Here is the text that T._D._Jakes preached on this morning at President-elect Barack Obama’s Inaugural Prayer Service (go here and here for history and background), in Aramaic and English translation, and the four talking points the bishop developed on the basis of it:

בֵּאדַיִן נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר הִתְמְלִי חֱמָא

וּצְלֵם אַנְפּוֹהִי אֶשְׁתַּנִּי

עַל־שַׁדְרַךְ מֵישַׁךְ וַעֲבֵד נְגוֹ

עָנֵה וְאָמַר לְמֵזֵא לְאַתּוּנָא

חַד־שִׁבְעָה עַל דִּי חֲזֵה לְמֵזְיֵהּ

At this Nebuchadnezzar became filled with rage.
The expression of his face changed
vis-à-vis Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He gave orders to heat up the furnace
seven times more than it was customary to heat it.

A compelling trope of African American preaching concentrates on the refusal of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to abandon their faith in the face of intense tribulation. The best African American preaching I have ever heard has been on passages from the book of Daniel. The run-up to 3:19 remains the soul-cry of an entire community in the face of opposition and incomprehension (3:16-18):

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king. “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to give you an answer on this matter. If our God, whom we worship, is able to save us, he will save us from the blazing fire and from your hand, O king. And even if he does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your god and we will not worship the golden statue you have set up.

History now takes the measure of Barack Obama. The fiery furnace is stoked to a temperature seven times beyond what anyone might have expected.  

As reported here, Jakes made the following points:

1 – "In time of crisis, good men must stand up. God always sends the best men into the worst times."

2 – "You cannot change what you will not confront. This is a moment of confrontation in this country. There's no way around it. ... This is not a time for politeness or correctness, this is a time for people to confront issues and bring about change."

3 – "You cannot enjoy the light without enduring the heat. The reality is the more brilliant, the more glorious, the more essential the light, the more intense the heat. We cannot separate one from the other."

4 – "Extraordinary times require extraordinary methods. This is a historical moment for us and our nation and our country, and we enjoy it and are inspired by it and motivated by it."

 

Comments

[Peter Kirk]

At least your prediction about him "not quoting Scripture" proved pessimistic.

[JohnFH]

It wasn't my prediction, of course.

It was Art's, but really, Art was just making a comment about Jakes' preaching style, which is not exactly expository in the classical sense.

[Servant Seer]

T.D. Jakes, Rick Warren ~ Where is Jesus Christ the ONLY Lord and Savior in all of this?
Why hasn't HIS name been RIGHTLY PROCLAIMED? EVERY Knee WILL Bow and EVERY Tonque will confess that
JESUS CHRIST is LORD and Always WILL BE...

[Johh Hobbins]

Servant Seer,

Peter and Paul preached in season and out of season and in synagogues in which their belief that Jesus was the Messiah was shared by no one.

The fact that someone before them and after them in that same place, among those who invited them and among those who were listening, agreed not with their confession of faith, did not stop them from proclaiming the Word as they understood it.

Your criticism of Warren and Jakes on this point is perfectly unfounded.

[Servant Seer]

John Hobbins,

Not a Criticism ~ I judge not!
However Something to consider, Rick Warren Prayer names Jeshua (Jesus)Isa (The Muslim Name for Jesus. Isa (Jesus in the Hadith, the Destroyer of Christianity) and not in the name of Yeshua Ha-Mashiah (The name Jesus Christ, the Greek form of his Hebrew name)
I need not say any more...

On T.D. Jakes,
Peter nor Paul Never compromised when proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ. Regardless of who the audience was. Search the scriptures for yourself...

[JohnFH]

Servant Seer,

I've never really read anything of Jakes, so I can't say. But I've read and heard enough of Warren speaking in public to think that he has nothing against saying "Jesus Christ" regardless of who the audience is.

Maybe he was just trying to start a conversation, as Paul did with "an unknown God" in Athens. Note that in that speech Paul is even more indirect: Jesus Christ appears only as the "man whom [God] has appointed."

You would have to give several examples of Warren speaking to mixed audiences in which he fails to call Jesus "Christ" where it would have been natural for him to do so, before I would consider your suggestion to be well-founded.

[Servant Seer]

John,

Again this is noted as an observation as previously stated. Not seeking to prove any point. Observation only of this Historical Monumental Event, which was and still is(via internet) visible to the whole WORLD. Not suggesting that this is a refelection of Pastor Rick Warren's view, nor questioning his Christianity (beliefs). However, what an opportunity it would be to stand before a watching world a RIGHTLY PROCLAIM HUMANKIND'S CREATOR, LORD AND SAVIOR ~ JESUS CHRIST!