Lessons from the life of Daniel
Please first read Daniel 4 (Nebuchadnezzar's dream about a tree")
"Strike one!"
"Strike two!"
"Strike three! You're out!"
That familiar umpire's chant could well describe God's dealing with King Nebuchadnezzar.
Three times God gave King Nebuchadnezzar clear proof that He is supreme, and that Nebuchadnezzar only served because God chose him.
"Strike one!" Daniel chapter 1. When the King interviewed Daniel and his three friends, the King found that the wisdom of these four Jews far exceeded mere human wisdom that the Babylonian teachers had to offer. Nebuchadnezzar was impressed. But he was not impressed enough to surrender his pride and learn to know this God of Daniel and his friends.
"Strike two!" Daniel chapter 2. When God tried to teach Nebuchadnezzar through a dream that it was God who had placed Nebuchadnezzar on the throne, and it was God who made Babylon the great world power that Nebuchadnezzar commanded, Nebuchadnezzar seemed more impressed with Daniel's ability to know and interpret the dream than with message of that dream. To his credit, Nebuchadnezzar did acknowledge Daniel's God as "the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries." But Nebuchadnezzar still was not willing to humble himself and acknowledge the True God as his God. He was not willing to recognize the fact that Someone other than himself was responsible for making him emperor.
"Strike three!" Daniel chapter 3. When Daniel's three friends survived the King's burning rage, he finally recognized that the God of Israel is "the Most High God." He ordered all his subjects, under the pain of death, to treat "the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego" with great respect. But was Nebuchadnezzar ready to surrender his kingship to the Lord of kings and God of gods? No.
It was the Grace of God that made Nebuchadnezzar a king -- an emperor. Nebuchadnezzar didn't deserve his lofty position. He was mean and cruel. You may remember a more recent ruler of "Babylon," a cruel man named Sadaam Hussein. At the height of Hussein's vanity, he announced that Nebuchadnezzar was his hero, and that intended to restore the glory of Babylon for himself. Cruelty and vanity are two qualities that Nebuchadnezzar and Sadaam Hussein had in common.
Yet, after three strikes, God was willing to give Nebuchadnezzar another chance. But this time that chance came with a very direct warning. And lest he miss the point of his dream, Daniel stated it directly:
"Strike one!"
"Strike two!"
"Strike three! You're out!"
That familiar umpire's chant could well describe God's dealing with King Nebuchadnezzar.
Three times God gave King Nebuchadnezzar clear proof that He is supreme, and that Nebuchadnezzar only served because God chose him.
"Strike one!" Daniel chapter 1. When the King interviewed Daniel and his three friends, the King found that the wisdom of these four Jews far exceeded mere human wisdom that the Babylonian teachers had to offer. Nebuchadnezzar was impressed. But he was not impressed enough to surrender his pride and learn to know this God of Daniel and his friends.
"Strike two!" Daniel chapter 2. When God tried to teach Nebuchadnezzar through a dream that it was God who had placed Nebuchadnezzar on the throne, and it was God who made Babylon the great world power that Nebuchadnezzar commanded, Nebuchadnezzar seemed more impressed with Daniel's ability to know and interpret the dream than with message of that dream. To his credit, Nebuchadnezzar did acknowledge Daniel's God as "the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries." But Nebuchadnezzar still was not willing to humble himself and acknowledge the True God as his God. He was not willing to recognize the fact that Someone other than himself was responsible for making him emperor.
"Strike three!" Daniel chapter 3. When Daniel's three friends survived the King's burning rage, he finally recognized that the God of Israel is "the Most High God." He ordered all his subjects, under the pain of death, to treat "the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego" with great respect. But was Nebuchadnezzar ready to surrender his kingship to the Lord of kings and God of gods? No.
It was the Grace of God that made Nebuchadnezzar a king -- an emperor. Nebuchadnezzar didn't deserve his lofty position. He was mean and cruel. You may remember a more recent ruler of "Babylon," a cruel man named Sadaam Hussein. At the height of Hussein's vanity, he announced that Nebuchadnezzar was his hero, and that intended to restore the glory of Babylon for himself. Cruelty and vanity are two qualities that Nebuchadnezzar and Sadaam Hussein had in common.
Yet, after three strikes, God was willing to give Nebuchadnezzar another chance. But this time that chance came with a very direct warning. And lest he miss the point of his dream, Daniel stated it directly:
"O king, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Stop doing wicked things and be kind to the poor. Then you might continue to be successful." (v.27 NCV)
Then God waited. For one whole year God waited for Nebuchadnezzar's repentance and reformation. But the change God desired in Nebuchadnezzar never came.
Twelve months later as he was walking on the roof of his palace in Babylon, he said, "I have built this great Babylon as my royal home. I built it by my power to show my glory and my majesty." (vv.26,27)
That was enough! God's patience finally ran out.
The words were still in his mouth when a voice from heaven said, "King Nebuchadnezzar, these things will happen to you: Your royal power has been taken away from you. You will be forced away from people. You will live with the wild animals and will be fed grass like an ox. Seven years will pass before you learn this lesson: The Most High God rules over every kingdom on earth and gives those kingdoms to anyone he chooses."
Immediately the words came true. Nebuchadnezzar was forced to go away from people, and he began eating grass like an ox. He became wet from dew. His hair grew long like the feathers of an eagle, and his nails grew like the claws of a bird. (vv.31-33)
Nebuchadnezzar remained in this condition for seven years -- seven years during which, according to some historians, the official Babylonian record of Nebuchadnezzar's reign is noticeably silent. Then God restored Nebuchadnezzar's sanity, and he returned to power as a wiser and humble ruler.
I gave praise to the Most High God;
I gave honor and glory to Him who lives forever.
God’s rule is forever,
and His kingdom continues for all time.
People on earth
are not truly important.
God does what He wants
with the powers of heaven
and the people on earth.
No one can stop His powerful hand
or question what He does...
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, give praise and honor and glory to the King of heaven.
Everything He does is right and fair,
and He is able to make proud people humble. (vv.34-37)
Mercy means that God doesn't give us what we deserve.
Grace means that God gives us what we don't deserve.
Nebuchadnezzar got both!
Grace means that God often chooses the most improbable people to be His servants.
Examples:
And most surprising of all -- God chose you!
That's grace!
As long as we are breathing, there is opportunity to finally admit to ourselves what God all along knows to be true [repent] and experience his restoration. But we dare not be casual about God's grace or presume on his mercy. Because we all can be certain that our end will come - and may come much soon than we expect.
God is waiting!!! But He won't wait forever.
God is patient. But He warns us that one day His patience will end. (See 2 Peter 3.)
The Bible says, "God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)
Does that describe Nebuchadnezzar's very hard lesson?
Jesus said,
Grace means that God gives us what we don't deserve.
Nebuchadnezzar got both!
Grace means that God often chooses the most improbable people to be His servants.
Examples:
- Abraham -- His family worshipped idols, living 1500 years earlier in that same area of Iraq/Babylon. But God chose him anyway.
- Israel -- God chose that motly crew out of slavery, and made them into a nation. God often told them, "Don't think that I chose you was because you were better or more righteous than others." (Deuteronomy 9:4) No, it was God's grace, and it was His commitment to a promise that He made to Abraham. And it was His commitment to His plan to bring the Savior to the world through Israel.
- David, the shepherd -- the least probable candidate to become king!
- Nebuchadnezzar
- Cyrus -- God used this Persian emperor to return Israel back to their land. (Isaiah 45:1; Ezra 1:1-3)
- Saul of Tarsus -- that notorious Christ-hater! Yet God chose him to become the Apostle to the Gentiles, we now know as Paul (Acts 9)
And most surprising of all -- God chose you!
That's grace!
As long as we are breathing, there is opportunity to finally admit to ourselves what God all along knows to be true [repent] and experience his restoration. But we dare not be casual about God's grace or presume on his mercy. Because we all can be certain that our end will come - and may come much soon than we expect.
God is waiting!!! But He won't wait forever.
God is patient. But He warns us that one day His patience will end. (See 2 Peter 3.)
The Bible says, "God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)
Does that describe Nebuchadnezzar's very hard lesson?
Jesus said,
"Whoever makes himself great
will be made humble.
Whoever makes himself humble
will be made great." (Matthew 23:12 NCV)
Jesus Himself, who is the King of Kings, and God of gods, voluntarily did what Nebuchadnezzar was forced to do.
He [Christ] gave up His place with God [the Father]
and made himself nothing.
He was born to be a man
and became like a servant.
And when He was living as a man,
he humbled Himself and was fully obedient [to the Father]
even when that caused His death—death on a cross. (Philippians 2:7,8 NCV)
Jesus walked the path of humiliation. What He did was much more than a mere example for us to follow. Because the Holy and Righteous One humbled Himself - indeed, He shamed Himself - through is suffering and death on the cross, it is now possible for us, who are filled with sinful pride, deceit, and selfishness, to be raised up in true glory and power with Him forever. That's Grace!
Here is how Mary, the soon-to-be mother of Jesus, responded to this amazing grace:
Here is how Mary, the soon-to-be mother of Jesus, responded to this amazing grace:
My soul praises the Lord;
my heart rejoices in God my Savior,
because he has shown his concern for his humble servant girl.
From now on, all people will say that I am blessed,
because the Powerful One has done great things for me.
His name is holy.
God will show his mercy forever and ever
to those who worship and serve him.
He has done mighty deeds by his power.
He has scattered the people who are proud
and think great things about themselves.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
and raised up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with nothing.
He has helped his servant, the people of Israel,
remembering to show them mercy
as he promised to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his children forever. (Luke 1:46-55 NCV)
Supplemental notes:
Other examples of kings who
did terrible things,
then God warned about His punishment,
and the king repented in sincere humility:
Other examples of kings who
did terrible things,
then God warned about His punishment,
and the king repented in sincere humility:
- King David - after his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband (2 Samuel 12, Psalm 51)
- King Ahab - after his wife, Jezebel, arranged the murder of a farmer whose land that Ahab wanted. (1 Kings 21)
- King Menasseh - who set up pagan idols and altars in the Lord's temple, offered his own sons in burnt sacrifices to demons in occult worship. (2 Chronicles 33)
- The king of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria (Jonah 3)