Category: Daniel

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Daniel

Numbered and weighed

Belshazzar

We now come to the end of the Babylonian empire in this chapter as Daniel had prophesied in chapters 2, 7, and 8.

Belshazzar, the co-regent of Nabonidus, was reigning in Babylon at the time, and was holding a party while his city was under siege by the Medes and Persians.

Why were the Babylonians partying? Basically they were so confident in their defenses that they thought they were invincible.

Little did they know that the Medo-Persian army had diverted the Euphrates River that flowed through the city and had thus created a path for themselves through the river gates.

Belshazzar, totally ignorant of this, was partying with the rest of his court. In his arrogance, he took the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem and used them to worship his own gods.

At that point, he suddenly saw a hand writing on the wall of the banquet room. (Yes, this is where we get the phrase, “see the handwriting on the wall.”)

Upon seeing this, Belshazzar was terrified and called for his wise men to interpret it, but none could. At this point, Belshazzar’s mother heard the commotion and suggested that they call in Daniel.

When Daniel came in, Belshazzar asked him to interpret it, offering him the third highest position in the empire (after Nabonidus and himself) if he could do so.

Daniel rejected the offer, but did say he would interpret the writing.

He recounted to Belshazzar the history of Nebuchadnezzar and how God had raised him up, but also humbled him until he recognized God as sovereign over all.

“You knew all this, Belshazzar,” accused Daniel.

“And yet, you did not humble yourself before God. Rather you set yourself up against him by using the goblets from his temple to worship your own gods. You failed to honor him, though he holds your life and all your ways in his hand.

So now he says this:

Mene (meaning numbered) — Your days as king are numbered and have now come to an end.

Tekel (meaning weighed) — You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

Peres (meaning divided) — Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. (Daniel 5:26–28)

Belshazzar’s reign did come to an end that night, and though he gave Daniel what he had promised, Daniel’s new position lasted all but a few hours.

What can we learn from this?

As with Belshazzar, our days are numbered. We will only be on this earth for a short time. And at the end of this time, our life will be weighed.

God will hold us accountable for what we have done on this earth. And if we are found wanting, we will lose everything.

If you’re not a Christian, this means that if, as with Belshazzar, you refuse to humble yourself before God and honor him in your life—namely, if you reject Jesus as Lord of your life, refusing to believe in his work on the cross—you will be condemned for all eternity.

As John wrote,

Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:10–12)

For the Christian, it would be well to remember that God will hold us accountable for how we live as well. Paul wrote,

But each one should be careful how he builds [upon the life God has given us].

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.

It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.

If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Corinthians 3:10–15)

So let us pray each day as Moses did,

The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away…

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:10, 12)

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Daniel

The God who is sovereign

Nebuchadnezzar

We now return to the book of Daniel, and close up the story of Nebuchadnezzar.

This is the famous story of how Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity, acting basically like a cow for seven years before finally acknowledging that God alone is sovereign.

The story opens up with Nebuchadnezzar praising God, saying,

How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation. (Daniel 4:3)

This indeed is the theme of the whole chapter.

Nebuchadnezzar then talks about how he had been in his palace, content, prosperous, and as a result, quite full of himself.

But then he had a dream that terrified him. He saw a huge, beautiful, and fruitful tree that provided shelter and food to all. But then a messenger from heaven called out,

“Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches.

But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.

Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth.

Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.

The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.” (Daniel 4:14–17)

I find Daniel’s response to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream very interesting. It was filled with compassion. Here was a man who took Jeremiah’s words to heart when he said,

Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. (Jeremiah 29:7)

Though Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the nation he loved, still Daniel desired Nebuchadnezzar’s good.

He told Nebuchadnezzar that this dream was directed at him and that judgment was about to fall on him until the day came when he recognized God’s sovereignty over all, including his own self.

He then urged the king to repent so that God’s judgment would not have to fall.

As is God’s pattern throughout history, he gave Nebuchadnezzar time to do so before passing judgment. For one year, God waited for Nebuchadnezzar to repent. But after one year, nothing changed.

Then one day, Nebuchadnezzar was on the roof of his palace bathing in his own glory, saying,

Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty? (Daniel 4:30)

At which point, God’s judgment fell on him, and he became like a beast for seven years. When this happened, no one knows, although it has been noted that there is no record of Nebuchadnezzar’s activities between 582 and 575 B.C.

Finally, at the end of this time, Nebuchadnezzar looked up to heaven and his sanity was restored. As it was, he praised God saying,

His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.

No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”…

Everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. (Daniel 4:34–35, 37)

What can we get from all of this? Very simply: Remember that God is sovereign. You are not.

What does this mean for us practically?

For one thing, are you in a position of authority? Whether as a husband, or a mother, or a boss, or whatever position you may be in?

Remember that though you may have a position of authority, you yourself are subject to the ultimate Authority. And he will hold you accountable for how you use the authority you’ve been granted.

God did not give you this authority to trample on those in your care. He has given you that authority to serve.

Jesus himself is our example. As God, he had ultimate authority. But he didn’t come to reign. He came to serve.

And so should you. Serve your wife. Serve your children. Serve the people in your care. That’s what it means to be a leader.

Second, when you are worried about who’s leading you, whether on a government level, or in your job, or in your family, remember that God is sovereign.

God has allowed them to take these positions of leadership over you, though we may not see why.

And as Daniel did with Nebuchadnezzar, we are to seek their good and pray for them even when they aren’t good leaders.

We are not to rejoice when they fail or fall. We are to pray for their repentance and restoration. For when our leaders are truly submitting themselves to God, not only will they prosper, but so will we.

How about you? Are you submitting to God’s sovereignty in your life?

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Daniel

Even if…

Nebuchadnezzars idol

You have to admire the faith and commitment Daniel and his friends had toward God. To stand against the tide is no easy thing, especially when it threatens to crash down on you.

I’m not sure, but I kind of guess Nebuchadnezzar got some inspiration from the dream that God had given him. Unfortunately, he took it in the wrong direction. Instead of humbling himself before God, he tried to exalt himself.

Unlike the dream, the statue he made wasn’t made up of many kinds of metal. Rather, it was made of only gold.

Perhaps he was throwing the gauntlet down in front of God saying, “I don’t care what you said. My kingdom will last forever. There will be no kingdom of silver, bronze, or iron.”

His egotism showed in the command he gave to all the people: that when they heard the sound of Nebuchadnezzar’s musicians, they were to bow down and worship the idol.

Everyone obeyed.

Well, almost everyone.

For in the midst of all the people prostrating themselves on the ground, three people stood tall: Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

(Where Daniel was, we don’t know. It’s possible he was away on official business at the time.)

The astrologers, perhaps jealous of the elite position these three men had obtained, told Nebuchadnezzar about this, and he flew into a rage. He called the three men before him and threatened them with their lives, saying,

If you do not worship [my statue], you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand? (Daniel 3:15)

Talk about throwing down a gauntlet. But Daniel’s friends didn’t back down. They said,

O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. (Daniel 3:16–17)

And then they told him,

But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. (Daniel 3:18)

In other words, “God can deliver us from you, Nebuchadnezzar. But even if he doesn’t, we will continue to follow him.”

Even if. Talk about unconditional commitment. These men refused to flinch from their devotion to God, even if it meant their lives.

How about you? How committed are you to God?

Are you committed to him even if your family turns against you?

Will you remain devoted to him even if you have to give up your job in order to do things his way?

Will you continue to follow him even if he doesn’t do all that you ask him to do?

That’s the kind of heart God wants from us.

God doesn’t always promise a life of roses if we follow him. Sometimes there’s a price to pay.

But as I mentioned in my last blog, he is a God that walks among us. He walked with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire, to the astonishment of Nebuchadnezzar and his officials.

And whatever fiery trial you may go through, he will be with you through every moment of it.

Let us be people who follow God no matter what. Even if…

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Daniel

The God who walks among men

Daniel

Here we have one of the most famous prophetic passages in the Bible. In this passage, God reveals to Nebuchadnezzar the future of his empire, as well as of the Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman empires.

Ultimately, God makes clear to Nebuchadnezzar that as great as these human empires might be, they would only be temporary, and could not compare to the kingdom that would come, God’s kingdom.

God’s kingdom would sweep away all other kingdoms and would stand forever.

But as interesting as this prophecy was, I find the words of Nebuchadnezzar’s astrologers in verse 11 even more interesting.

Nebuchadnezzar demanded that they not only interpret the dream he had, but that they tell him the dream itself. In that way, he could tell that their interpretation was true. The astrologers complained that they could not do it, saying,

There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer.

What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men. (Daniel 2:10–11)

The Babylonians had many gods, but to the astrologers, they were inaccessible, at least to do what Nebuchadnezzar commanded them to do. “Our gods do not live among men,” they said.

But Daniel served a God who does walk among men. And when he heard of the king’s edict to kill all the wise men of Babylon, he asked for more time to seek God.

When God revealed the mystery and the dream to him, he worshiped God saying,

Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them.

He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.

I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king. (Daniel 2:20–23)

The same God who walked with Daniel, walks with us as well. Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us.”

So let us never think of God as one who is far away or inaccessible. But when we face problems and troubles in our lives, let us do as Daniel did: humble ourselves before him and seek his face.

And just as he was with Daniel, he will also be with us.

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Daniel

Resolved

Daniel

I have to admit that trying to keep the chronology of Israel’s history is a bit like juggling balls. There were so many books being written at about the same time, it’s difficult to keep everything straight.

At the same time, I must say that all of this has been quite illuminating. I’m sure I’ve read or heard before of the timing of the book of Daniel, but it still came as a surprise to me to realize that the early events of Daniel came before Judah’s ultimate fall during the reign of Zedekiah.

Even knowing it happened before then, I somehow had it in mind that his exile came in the time of Jehoiachin, the second to last king of Israel.

But according to Daniel, Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem started in the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign (he lasted a total of 11 years as king), and Daniel was probably taken in the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign.

Anyway, Daniel and a number of Jews from the royal family and nobility were taken to Babylon. Basically Nebuchadnezzar wanted the best of the best from the land of Judah, as well as from the other lands he had conquered.

The idea was two-fold: strip the conquered areas of any potential threats, while strengthening his own kingdom. And so Daniel and his friends were taken and indoctrinated with the Babylonian culture.

To try to get these captives immersed in their new surroundings, they were also given new names. Daniel and his friends all had names which honored God, but each were given new names that honored the Babylonian gods.

It’s interesting that today, most people remember Daniel’s friends’ names by their Babylonian names, while somehow, Daniel’s name has stuck with us.

I suppose it’s because Daniel used his own name throughout the entire book, while using the Babylonian names to refer to his friends.

But early on, Daniel and his friends were faced with a choice. And it was seemingly a very minor one, whether to eat the food that they were being served. It was food that came from the king’s table, and it was supposedly a way to honor those being trained for the king’s service.

But there were two problems. First, they probably violated the dietary laws God had given to the Israelites. And second, the food had probably been offered to idols first.

It would’ve been easy for Daniel and his friends to say, “Well, we’re far from home. God seems to have abandoned us. He let us get captured by these people. When in Rome… (or more accurately, ‘When in Babylon….’).”

But it says in verse 8,

Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. (Daniel 1:8)

He talked to the official in charge of him and his friends, showing some God-given wisdom and tact in doing so (something we all need, but don’t always have), and as a result, was given a ten-day test period to do things God’s way.

When they passed the test, the official let them eat as they wished. The result?

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds…

The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service.

In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. (Daniel 1:17, 19–20)

What can we take from this?

How resolved are you to do what is pleasing in God’s sight?

Think of the pressure that Daniel and his friends were under. Pressure from the Babylonians. Pressure from their friends who had compromised their beliefs. Pressure from the lusts of their own flesh, and the pride of life.

Yet these things did not shake them. They committed themselves to serving God no matter what. And God blessed them for it.

Are you resolved to follow God in the face of peer pressure? In the face of temptation?

Let us be like Daniel and his friends, resolved to follow God no matter the cost. And know that if we do so, we will ultimately find his blessing in our lives.