To finish Daniel by the end of August, we have readings for both Saturday and Sunday this weekend!
Daniel 4-6
These are three of my favorite chapters in the Bible. Three chapters, three pagan sovereign rulers, three startling examples of God’s sovereignty over these “sovereigns!”
King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 4 is impressive and unique in Scripture; it was written by Nebuchadnezzar himself. He had another troubling dream, only this time, the interpretation was even more troubling. Daniel had to tell the king that he would lose his mind for a time, and that his only hope was to repent of his sins. Amazingly, he does! Nebuchadnezzar, the king that destroyed the temple, concludes this chapter by praising the Lord!
King Belshazzar, the worthless son of Nebuchadnezzar, drank from the sacred golden goblets of the temple in Jerusalem during an idolatrous feast. While they were desecrating these holy things, a hand appeared and wrote on the wall of the banquet hall: MENE MENE (numbered) TEKEL (weighed) PARSIN (divided). Belshazzar was so frightened, he called for Daniel, who interpreted the judgment of the “handwriting on the wall: ‘Your days are numbered; your reign has been weighed and found wanting; your kingdom will be divided’.” That very night, the Medes took over!
King Darius actually liked Daniel, and kept him on as an administrator of the kingdom. Some of the others, however, did not like Daniel and laid a trap for him. They approached Darius to make a law decreeing that no one could pray to any god—except King Darius—for 30 days. Daniel, of course, could not obey such a law. He was caught and sentenced to the lion’s den. Darius realized he’d been hoodwinked, but his decrees were irreversible, so into the lion’s den Daniel had to go. As everyone knows, God shut the mouths of the lions, until Daniel was released, then opened them up for those who had conspired against him!
Don’t you still love Daniel?
Your fellow pilgrim through the Prophets,
Pastor Gary
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