Daniel is the author of the book, but Nebuchadnezzar is the one telling the story of chapter 4. It is his testimony – his personal account of how the Lord changed his life. Daniel knew the story well and was probably very excited to add it to his book. The story is an incredible picture of God’s sovereignty. He knows exactly what He is doing even in the midst of what we would see as a horrible tragedy.
The great tragedy was not the outcast of Nebuchadnezzar from his throne and kingdom. That was tragic for Nebuchadnezzar, but it was extremely small compared to the overall picture. Remember who Nebuchadnezzar was. He was the king of Babylon who overthrew Jerusalem and all of Judah. Judah was the last of the two kingdoms of Israel to fall. Israel (the northern kingdom) fell about 150 years earlier to the Assyrians. Judah was the only kingdom to have kings who feared the Lord, although they were few. The conquering of Judah was the final blow to God’s chosen people. Israel as a nation has never really recovered. But the Lord was still at work. That’s what is so amazing about Him.
He warned His people over and over, but in the end, they did not listen. Read Deuteronomy 8 and see the warnings of becoming too content in your own power. So tragedy struck at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. He slaughtered many of God’s chosen people and took many as captives (see 2 Kings 25 and 2 Chron. 36). He selected the best of the captives and made them eunuchs within his palace walls. This most certainly included Daniel and his friends. Daniel 1:3 and Isaiah 39:7 use the Hebrew term for eunuchs. The term “official” is used in some translations. Here is Wikipedia’s definition of a eunuch: “A eunuch is a castrated man, in particular one castrated early enough to have major hormonal consequences; the term usually refers to those castrated in order to perform a specific social function, as was common in many societies of the past. Servants or slaves were usually castrated in order to make them safer servants of a royal court where physical access to the ruler could wield great influence.” This was the strict practice of any king of that day, and especially Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar was a very evil king who had no mercy upon God’s people. He kept some alive only for his own benefit. But the Lord had a different benefit in mind for Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom.
Nebuchadnezzar’s first acknowledgement of the one true God was at the end of chapter 3. "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way." He acknowledged the Lord in a very serious and reverent manner, but he did not seek after Him. The Lord was not done. Respectable reverence was not what the Lord was looking for – even though the king would tear any opposition limb from limb and turn their house into a rubbish heap!
Chapter 4 is about the continuation of successfully bringing a VERY proud man to his knees in true desperation – so that in response he would give his entire life over to the Lord. It was God’s plan. He took the sin of man and brought glory to Himself. God’s chosen people rebelled and they experienced a time of great tragedy – brutal death, loss of freedom, destruction of home and family, castration, and slavery. Daniel was right in the middle of it. All by the hand of an evil king who is now praising the name of the Lord. "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride."
Can you imagine the tears of joy running down Daniel’s face as he wrote this story? Through such great loss came such tremendous victory. One day we will be able to sit in person and listen to the full version of this story told by these two men – side by side.
What will it take for the Lord to humble us before Him?
--David Jones, CEO
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Daniel 3
We have come to a chapter that is probably fairly familiar. It is one of those Bible stories that we are taught as kids to remind us of God’s presence and protection. As I have been studying the book of Daniel through Beth Moore’s Bible Study, I am learning that there is so much more for me to learn from this chapter. I hope you will take the time to read it as I know God has much to say to you.
Before we start talking about Daniel 3, let’s think back to the previous chapter. In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that Daniel was able to both describe and interpret. In the dream, there was a statue that was made out of different metals- gold, silver, bronze, and iron. The statue represented different kingdoms with the ultimate reign of God’s kingdom. Because Daniel was able to describe and interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he was made ruler over the province of Babylon, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were made administrators.
Now, at the beginning of Daniel 3, we find Nebuchadnezzar building his own statue. His image was made entirely of gold, and it was 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. Try to imagine this- it would be like two of the Tejas climbing walls put together and made of gold. If we look back at Daniel 2, we can see where Nebuchadnezzar is getting his idea. However, he wants his image to be bigger and better than the one in his dream. He wants to make sure that his kingdom is superior. So much so, that he calls all the officials of Babylon to bow down to the statue. Nebuchadnezzar obviously struggled with some of the same things we do today. The world around us is always telling us to make a name for ourselves. It is easy for us to fall into the trap of thinking we have worth if we do something that seems important, know someone that seems to be admired, or are a part of something that seems popular. Think about how this is even prevalent in the realm of other believers. Who do you idolize? Why are you a part of a certain organization or group? Why do you go to the church you are going to? Why do you serve in a certain position? Are any of the reasons because you are trying to impress someone or you feel like someone impressive is there? We need to remember what God’s Word says. Our value is found in Christ alone. According to Colossians 2:9-10, we have been given fullness is Christ. Also, those who are really great are those who are the least and have been willing to die to themselves. Think about the example Christ set for us. We need to be lifting up the name of Christ and not our own. When we know that we are complete in Him, then this will be much easier to do.
As we move along in Daniel 3, we find that everyone bows down to Nebuchadnezzar’s image expect three people- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men were true followers of God and they would not bow to another even when the consequences were great. Nebuchadnezzar gave these men two chances to bow down with the fiery furnace in their sight. If they did not bow, they would be thrown into the hot blaze. These three men believed that God would take care of them no matter what. They believed that they would either be taken home to be with their God, or their God would be with them through the fire. You can tell they were sure of this by the way they answered Nebuchadnezzar. They were right; God did walk with them through the fire. It is amazing to see all the details of what God did in this miracle. Take some time to note these.
I want us to think about this fire in light of circumstances we have been in ourselves that have been very difficult. You may even be walking through a challenging time right now. I want you to remember that God is with you. He can deliver you from the fire at any point that He wants, but He knows that it is best for you right now to walk through the fire as your faith will be increased. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” God uses trials to change our lives, and He is also faithful to use them in the lives of others. In Philippians 1:12, Paul talks about difficult circumstances that have happened to him. He says that they have happened to advance the gospel. Beth Moore says that circumstances will bow down to be a servant of the gospel. This can be true in our lives if we recognize that God is with us through the fire. Others will see a peace and joy in our lives as we walk through difficulties that can be so contagious. They will want to know where it comes from, and we are able to testify to God’s presence. What a wonderful opportunity we have. There can be so much good to come out of suffering. We know that fires are coming our way if we are not already in one. Hold tightly to God’s hand as He will accomplish much through the fire.
As we close out Daniel 3, we find the last mention of these three incredible men- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Listen to what Nebuchadnezzar says, Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." As Beth Moore says, “may the last mention of our name be in the context of God’s fame.” Hallelujah! Our time on this earth is so short. May God be glorified in our lives.
Keep your eyes on Christ!
--Jennifer Jones, Discipleship Manager
Before we start talking about Daniel 3, let’s think back to the previous chapter. In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that Daniel was able to both describe and interpret. In the dream, there was a statue that was made out of different metals- gold, silver, bronze, and iron. The statue represented different kingdoms with the ultimate reign of God’s kingdom. Because Daniel was able to describe and interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he was made ruler over the province of Babylon, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were made administrators.
Now, at the beginning of Daniel 3, we find Nebuchadnezzar building his own statue. His image was made entirely of gold, and it was 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. Try to imagine this- it would be like two of the Tejas climbing walls put together and made of gold. If we look back at Daniel 2, we can see where Nebuchadnezzar is getting his idea. However, he wants his image to be bigger and better than the one in his dream. He wants to make sure that his kingdom is superior. So much so, that he calls all the officials of Babylon to bow down to the statue. Nebuchadnezzar obviously struggled with some of the same things we do today. The world around us is always telling us to make a name for ourselves. It is easy for us to fall into the trap of thinking we have worth if we do something that seems important, know someone that seems to be admired, or are a part of something that seems popular. Think about how this is even prevalent in the realm of other believers. Who do you idolize? Why are you a part of a certain organization or group? Why do you go to the church you are going to? Why do you serve in a certain position? Are any of the reasons because you are trying to impress someone or you feel like someone impressive is there? We need to remember what God’s Word says. Our value is found in Christ alone. According to Colossians 2:9-10, we have been given fullness is Christ. Also, those who are really great are those who are the least and have been willing to die to themselves. Think about the example Christ set for us. We need to be lifting up the name of Christ and not our own. When we know that we are complete in Him, then this will be much easier to do.
As we move along in Daniel 3, we find that everyone bows down to Nebuchadnezzar’s image expect three people- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men were true followers of God and they would not bow to another even when the consequences were great. Nebuchadnezzar gave these men two chances to bow down with the fiery furnace in their sight. If they did not bow, they would be thrown into the hot blaze. These three men believed that God would take care of them no matter what. They believed that they would either be taken home to be with their God, or their God would be with them through the fire. You can tell they were sure of this by the way they answered Nebuchadnezzar. They were right; God did walk with them through the fire. It is amazing to see all the details of what God did in this miracle. Take some time to note these.
I want us to think about this fire in light of circumstances we have been in ourselves that have been very difficult. You may even be walking through a challenging time right now. I want you to remember that God is with you. He can deliver you from the fire at any point that He wants, but He knows that it is best for you right now to walk through the fire as your faith will be increased. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” God uses trials to change our lives, and He is also faithful to use them in the lives of others. In Philippians 1:12, Paul talks about difficult circumstances that have happened to him. He says that they have happened to advance the gospel. Beth Moore says that circumstances will bow down to be a servant of the gospel. This can be true in our lives if we recognize that God is with us through the fire. Others will see a peace and joy in our lives as we walk through difficulties that can be so contagious. They will want to know where it comes from, and we are able to testify to God’s presence. What a wonderful opportunity we have. There can be so much good to come out of suffering. We know that fires are coming our way if we are not already in one. Hold tightly to God’s hand as He will accomplish much through the fire.
As we close out Daniel 3, we find the last mention of these three incredible men- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Listen to what Nebuchadnezzar says, Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." As Beth Moore says, “may the last mention of our name be in the context of God’s fame.” Hallelujah! Our time on this earth is so short. May God be glorified in our lives.
Keep your eyes on Christ!
--Jennifer Jones, Discipleship Manager
Monday, February 2, 2009
Daniel 2
Sometimes I have a dream that leaves me in a certain kind of mood when I wake up. For example, those really sad dreams where someone real close to you dies or a best friend is taken away from you for some unknown reason. These are dreams where I cry harder than I have ever cried in real life. I usually wake up from those feeling overwhelmingly sad. It is worse though because nothing in reality actually happened, it was all in my head. I strongly dislike those feelings that I get and cannot shake. I am assuming that each of you have experienced some kind of emotion because of a dream you had. It is not always sad though, some can leave you happy but disappointed it was not real, while others can make you think and even help you learn something. Well, we know that in Daniel’s time, God often used dreams to speak to people. Nebuchadnezzar was not a follower of the one true God. Why would a dream leave him feeling urgent to discover the meaning of it? How did he even know it had importance? The interpretation of the dream could be a whole different lesson, I encourage you to study it on your own if you have the chance. For today though, I am going to talk about the happenings around the dream. I hope none of you mind but I am going to give you some of the same points that Beth Moore uses in her study on Daniel. In the first verse we can read that the dreams left his spirit troubled and his sleep left him. Most likely he woke up in a sweat and rapid, deep breathes. These are the dreams we desperately wish to forget but usually cannot. Which leads us to the next reason why the king wanted to know the interpretation; his sleep left him. He could not go back to sleep after waking up. Good ol' Nebuchadnezzar used every means he knew how to figure this out. In his desperation he threatens the lives of all the wise men of Babylon. Magicians, conjurers, sorcerers and Chaldeans were all brought before him to tell the dream and the interpretation. These wise guys even admitted that only the gods could do such a thing. Little did they know that only The God was capable of such a task. He ordered the wise men to be cut to pieces. Because of Daniel's tact, faith and fervent prayers, the wise men were saved. God revealed the dream and the meaning to Daniel, who in turn was able to tell the king. Daniel is sure to give the credit to God, so that the king may see His power. I would have never thought of this until I read it from Beth Moore: had a prophet simply just told the king what was to come, he would not have believed it and would have not seen God's power. We all know that God could have used any means to get to Nebuchadnezzar, but this was such a cool way. Since Daniel was able to tell him what the dream was and the meaning, the king really listened and was able to see a glimpse of how mighty our God is. He wanted the King to be involved in this story for him to see. After Daniel tells him these things the King even confesses that Daniel's God is a God of God's and the master revealer.
-- Kristi Smith, Summer Camp Manager
-- Kristi Smith, Summer Camp Manager
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