November, 4 2020
FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
NEBUCHADNEZZAR MADE READY TO MEET DANIEL’S GOD
Having met Daniel who excelled socially, physically and intellectually by his own determination, Nebuchadnezzar was now ready to realize Daniel’s spiritual superiority by being introduced to Daniel’s God!
“These events prepared Nebuchadnezzar to meet Daniel’s God. [Here’s how]. A series of dramatic experiences—the dream of chapter 2, the striking deliverance from the fiery furnace (ch. 3), and the dream of chapter 4—demonstrated to the king’s satisfaction the knowledge, power, and authority of Daniel’s God.
“The INFERIORITY of human knowledge, exhibited in the experience of ch. 2, led Nebuchadnezzar to admit to Daniel, ‘Of a TRUTH it is, that your God is a God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a Revealer of secrets’ (ch. 2:47).
“He freely acknowledged that the wisdom of God was superior, not only to human wisdom, but even to the SUPPOSED wisdom of his own gods. The incident of the Golden Image and fiery furnace led Nebuchadnezzar to admit that the God of heaven ‘delivered His servants’ (ch.3:28). His conclusion was that no one in all his realm ‘should speak anything amiss against the God’ of the Hebrews in view of the fact that ‘no other God’ can ‘deliver after this sort’ (v. 29).
“Nebuchadnezzar now realized that the God of heaven was not only wise but powerful, that He was not only omniscient but omnipotent. The third experience—the SEVEN YEARS during which his own vaunted wisdom and power were temporarily removed—taught the king that only that the ‘Most High’ is wise and powerful but that He exercises that THAT wisdom and power to rule in HUMAN affairs. (ch. 4:32). He has wisdom, power and authority.
“It is significant that the FIRST ACT Nebuchadnezzar performed AFTER his reason returned to him was to ‘praise and extol and honor the King of heaven’ and to acknowledge that ‘those that walk in pride’ as he had done for so many years, God ‘is able to abase’ (v. 37).”- Ibid, pp. 751, 752.
(More follows tomorrow). Bless all, NMF.