Daniel 4 - Learning the Lesson...the Hard Way

Daniel 4

God helps a pagan king to see the light…by cutting him down a notch

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”  Daniel 4:37

OUTLINE OF THE CHAPTER

1. Introduction: King Nebuchadnezzar’s Testimony (v. 1-3)
2. The King’s Dream (v. 4-18)
3. Daniel’s Fearful Interpretation (v. 19-27)
4. The Nightmare Becomes Real (v. 28-34a)
5. God’s Goal is Accomplished in the King’s Restoration (v. 34b-37)

THE MESSAGE – Reinforced by Repetition (beginning, end, and three times in between!)

The Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of the earth;

All are called to acknowledge this and humble themselves before Him.

As in chapter 3, the message for God’s people is repeated throughout the narrative.  This time, however, the message is not only for God’s people, but also for the people of the world, especially the powerful and prideful (such as political/military leaders like Nebuchadnezzar).  In fact, this episode extends the prophetic judgment experienced by Israelite kings to a pagan/gentile/secular king.  All kings are under the Most High God’s authority, period.

King Neb’s Testimony

2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. 3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders!  His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.

King Neb’s Dream

17 “‘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 all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’

Daniel’s Interpretation

25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.

King Neb’s Real-life Nightmare

30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”  31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you…Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

King Neb’s Conclusion

34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.  His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation…37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

LEARNING THE LESSON THE HARD WAY

1. God’s goal: that we acknowledge His sovereignty
2. The obstacle: The persistent pride of the powerful
3. The intervention: God cares enough to cut us down
4. The result: A hard-won testimony of praise

Question: Have you ever found yourself in this cycle?  Have you seen someone else experience it?  Share.

READING WITH CHRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD – suggestions gathered from Christopher J.H. Wright

Builders Beware!

Builders are tempted by pride, taking credit for what is produced.  And the truth is that we’re all building something: career, project, business, ministry, etc.  King Neb. said “I have built by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty” (4:29-30).  He built an empire, a culture, one of the world’s all-time great cities – Babylon.  He turned the gift of God to his own glory. 

WHAT TO DO?  Develop the “habit of the upward look,” offering flattery and credit up to God.  “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High…” (Daniel 4:34). 

QUESTIONS: 

• Might there be something of a Nebuchadnezzar in us?   
• Do you think there’s a universal tendency to take credit for the good, but blame others for bad?  
•  When might be a good time for you to exercise the habit of the upward look?

Confronting Power with Pastoral Concern and Prophetic Courage

Daniel responded to King Nebuchadnezzar with

• Pastoral concern: loving his enemy, Daniel was grieved by the prediction of Nebuchadnezzar’s suffering.  The instinct for revenge is strong, but Daniel didn’t go there.
• Prophetic courage: Daniel gives uninvited advice to a powerful person, calling a political leader to change: turn from sin, do what is right, be kind to the oppressed (and wherever there is prideful power, there are those oppressed by it).  “…Be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed…” (Daniel 4:27)

QUESTION: When have you or your church spoken to the powerful about the oppressed?

Daniel 3 - Remaining Faithful When the Heat is On

Daniel 3

Showing loyalty to God while under threat

 “The God we serve is able to deliver us…we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”  Daniel 3:17-18

THE PLOT OF THE STORY 

• The king of Babylon makes an image of gold
• A comprehensive requirement: all must worship
• An accusation: some aren’t joining the bandwagon
• A stand is taken: we will not worship other gods
• A punishment is given: burned to death in a fiery furnace
• God (El) preserves his faithful servants: not so fast – not burned…and who is in there with them?
• The king of Babylon praises God (El) and promotes God’s servants

SCRUTINIZE YOUR SERVING, WATCH YOUR WORSHIPPING

The message for God’s people is repeated three times, by three different spokespeople:

The astrologers/accusers > Daniel 3:12  ^“They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego > Daniel 3:18

we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

King Nebuchadnezzar > Daniel 3:28

“were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

KEY WORDS: “SERVE” & “WORSHIP” 

1. What do these words have in common?
2. How are they distinct in meaning? 
3. How do you use these words in relation to God and other “greater” entities (family, nation, company, society, common good, etc.)?

READING WITH CHRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD – Christopher J.H. Wright, considering the cases of USA, China, & Egypt.

The Limits of Patriotism for All God’s People

o   How is it possible to be a proper citizen in the country God has placed you while remaining faithful to God’s command to worship Him alone?

o   How might it be more difficult if you work in a government position, as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did?

The Demanding State & Requirements of Conformity

o   According to Wright, “Christians in many parts of the world live under regimes that demand loyalty to other gods or totalitarian ideologies.” (p. 69) What examples of this are you aware of? 

o   Is this ever an issue in the United States?  Explain.

The Case of Uninvited Persecution

o   Did the three servants of God seek out a confrontation with the King? (Did they publicly challenge the decree or quietly choose not to honor it?)

o   Have you ever been the target of people unwilling to tolerate your religious beliefs or belief-inspired stances and practices?  Share.

Cultural Connection...

Movie: Silence. 2016.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the 1966 historical novel by Shusaku Endo (a Roman Catholic Japanese man who personally experienced religious discrimination).

MAKING SENSE OF FIERY-FURNACE RESCUE

1.       God is able to save his people from persecution.

2.       God does not always choose to save his people from persecution.

3.       God’s people have taken inspiring stands of loyalty, and many have paid the ultimate price.

¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

CHALLENGING QUOTE from Christopher J. H. Wright's book The Message of Daniel:

“We need to remember that we live in a world which, as a whole, is in rebellion against God.  So even if we in the West live under substantially benevolent and tolerant political and social arrangements, it may well turn out to be a transient interlude in the great sweep of human history, induced by the relative acceptance of Christianity’s worldview and associated values for a few centuries, rather than a permanent state of affairs. 

For most of history and for most Christians in most of the world, the lives of believers have been lived against the background of threats, intolerance, and varying degrees of persecution.  Perhaps we in the West need to recognize our need to be prepared to face such things and to have the humility to learn from sisters and brothers in other parts of the world who have never known any other kind of life.”  (p. 73)

Daniel 2 - God's Kingdom Rocks the World

Daniel 2

“But there is a God… who reveals mysteries…” Daniel 2:28

49 Verses in this epic story!

I. Nebuchadnezzar and His Dream (2:1-13)

An unreasonable demand - how can the dream be interpreted if the King doesn't share it?

II. Daniel and His God (2:14-23)

Notice the references to God and practices of devotion to God

• Daniel’s Fellowship of Prayer 
• Daniel’s Hymn of Praise 
• Daniel’s Ability … and Its Source

 “Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.” Daniel 2:19

III. The Dream is Interpreted to Reveal God's Kingdom (2:24-45)

• The Power of the Fourth Kingdom 
• The Fall of the Statue 
• The Arrival of the Rock

Daniel is a human reminder of God's presence and power in relation to human kingdoms: his Aramaic name means “God is my judge.”  God judges all of creation.

Learning the Lesson:

Earthly kingdoms come and go, but God's kingdom endures forever.

God’s In-breaking Kingdom "Rocks" the World

Suggestions from Christopher J.H. Wright...

• It comes from the outside
• It is established in the earth
• It is the work of God
• It will grow and spread 

Reflection:

1.       What story (or whose story) are we living in?  Give examples of the tension between God's story and the world's story as you experience it.

2.       What “companion practices” of seeking God’s mercy do you engage in?

3.       What hymns, songs, or prayers remind you of God’s greater story?