DANIEL DID NOT COMPROMISE. HE REMAINED TRUE TO HIS LORD.
King Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of the Gentile world. He besieged Jerusalem, the city of the great King. The master of the eunuchs went to the equivalent Oxford/Cambridge or Yale/Harvard to select the most brilliant of the undergraduates. He preferred students with general knowledge, who were language-gifted. He captured some of the finest young nobles, preferring those with royal blood, capable of adapting to the stupendous demands of a heathen, though royal background.
The king was selective, inasmuch as ‘He chose, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all knowledge, and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language (Aramaic) and literature of the Chaldeans. 1;4
This pagan ruler wisely devoted three years undergraduate training, prescribing the gourmet food, accessing the royal cellar of daily wine. His long-term investment would enrich his employment of them, enriching his own ministry as world leader. How would Daniel and his associates respond? God changed everything following a prayer meeting in a heathen nation over night. How long since we prayed like that!
A generation passed. Four young men grew in the Lord. The King corrupted himself after his searching statement of the all-wise God. Nebuchadnezzar built a gold-encased image 60 cubits ( 30 meters ) high and six cubits wide, like a skinny person whose height is ten times his width. Gold. He was the head of gold in the original dream, which Daniel resolved. He summoned his deputies from every branch of Babylonian life. National, family, civil, municipal, academic, banking, A herald cried, ‘To you, It is commanded, Oh peoples, nations, languages, that at the time you hear the symphony orchestra, with all instruments, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that a conceited, self-glorifying King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Then the solemn test for those worshipping the one true God, ‘whosoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Under satanic pressure, the vast assembly complied. I recall a similar consecration in East java, when my staff informed me that half a million were present. I stood alone as a believer in the Lord, whispering His powerful name. The eyes of the participants reflected satanic fury. Three young men stood upright, despite the devilish gravitational pull.
Disgruntled, opponents of godly young men reported them, ‘Certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego, their recognition acknowledged, and envious of their promotion. ‘These men did not regard you. They do not ‘serve or worship the gold image which I have set up. Strong and unchallenged, they replied, ‘O, Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.’ 3;16 They continued, ‘if that is the case our God whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace, and HE will deliver us from your hand, O King. But if not, let it be known to you, O King, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. ‘Defiant, heels dug in; mind fixed; they will not compromise nor prejudice their faith in the living God. God give us young men like that today. And no compromising preachers!
The 3 young men saw their king’s face diabolically distorted as his fury (idol rage) exploded.’ He commanded that they heat the furnace 7 times more than it was usually heated. Then he summoned his SAS troops, ‘To bind these three young men and cast them into the burning, fiery furnace. All hope of escape had left them, ‘bound in their coats, trousers, their turbans and other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning, fiery furnace. The flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego, who fell down bound into the midst of the burning, fiery furnace. The eternal one intervened.
‘The king was astonished, and he rose in haste and spoke to his counselors, ’Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?’ They answered , ’True O King. Then heaven reached out to protect three courageous men and shake an egotistical emperor. He screamed, ’Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not burnt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.' 3:25
The king approached the mouth of the furnace, Addressing the 3 men by name. 'You servants of the most high God (Who had repudiated this devilish pride), come out and come here. Then they came from the m midst of the fire.’ Then the privileged officials ‘gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed, nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. Then the king witnessed . ‘Blessed be the God of ( these young men )who sent his Angel (common term for Lord in the Old Testament ); and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, they have frustrated the king’s word (he was not omnipotent)and yielded their bodies, that they should not worship any god except their own God. The king decreed mutilation for blaspheming the God of these young men, their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, because there is no other God who can deliver like this. Then he promoted these freed men in the province of Babylon. 3:30 God was ultra-patient.
Daniel was designed to reach men and women of all nations. Chapter 4 launched such an appeal, Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all peoples nations ands languages that dwell in all the earth: peace be multiplied to you. I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me. He eulogized the Lord: ‘How great are His signs, and how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation. Then the story unfolded: ‘I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts of my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. No secrets withheld.
Therefore, I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. They could not make known to me the interpretation. Then he called on God’s man, Daniel. We learn from this heathen king the source of Daniel’s unique gifts. ‘In him is the Spirit of the holy God. I told him the dream, enlarging ‘I know that the Spirit of the holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen and its interpretation. A heathen ruler spoke freely of the blessed Holy Spirit. Why are God’s people reluctant to recognise Him?
He explained the dream, ‘These were the visions of my head while on my bed: I was looking and behold there was a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong; its height reached to the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.’ God had detailed the extent and impact of this world-wide domination. Its leaves were lovely, its fruit abundant, and it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, the birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy ONE coming down from heaven. He cried aloud and said thus: Chop down the tree, and cut off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it, and the birds from its branches. There was an exception. ‘Nevertheless, leave the stump and roots in the earth, bound with a banner of iron and bronze; in the tender grass of the fields, let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth. Then the solemn defamation: Let his heart be changed from that of a man, let him be given the heart of an animal, and let seven times pass over him.’ Daniel 4:10-16 Daniel’s heart trembled as he would show the personal dishonor, disgrace, humiliation and rebuff that would flow from this!
The bible tells why the Lord ruled so vigorously, 'In order that the living may know that the most High rules in the secret of men, gives it to whomsoever He will and sets over it the lowest of men. He was confident Daniel had the interpretation, ‘You Belshazzar declare its interpretation, for you are able , for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you. ’’ You O king, have become great and become strong, for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth. Daniel recounted the details of the vision, 'Till you know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever He will.'
God gave a breathing space of 12 months for the king to repent. In expanding pride, as he gloated on the excellence of the great Babylon and the royal palace and claiming the glory for this extension, God spoke from heaven. God is sovereign with men and rulers. 'Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken, the kingdom has departed from you. They shall drive you from man, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen, and seven times ( years ) shall pass over you, until you know that the moat High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he chooses. THAT VERY HOUR the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar : he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and had nails like bird’s claws.’
Scripture records the conclusion of seven years’ barbaric savagery. A miracle of restoration restored the King. ’ At the end of the time I Nebuchadnezzar, ( no hiding of himself ) lifted my eyes to heaven ( animals do not usually gaze heavenwards ) and my understanding returned to me: and I blessed the most high and praised and honored him who lives for ever. He enlarged on this; ’ His dominion is an everlasting dominion. And His kingdom is from generation to generation’ All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven. And among the inhabitants of the earth, none can restrain His hand or say to Him, ’What have you done?’ Then a startling admission, ’ At the same time, my reason returned to e, and for the glory of my kingdom my honor and splendor returned to me. My
counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom and excellent majesty was added to me. ’
His musical psalm continued, ’ Now, I Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the KING OF HEAVEN , all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. Deep personal guilty verdict provoked the following,
My own rehabilitation in WW11 after losing my memory and awareness in Papua New Guinea allows me a glimpse of the King’s heart when restored. ‘Those who walk in pride He is able to abase. ’
Twenty years- that is, an entire generation, passed when his son, Belshazzar, proposed a great feast for a thousand of His lords, and drank wine in the presence of a thousand. God keeps uninterrupted view from glory. The king flippantly used the golden and silver containers from the house of the Lord God in Jerusalem for such an alcoholic debacle. They all participated when ; the king, his lords, his wives, and his concubines drunk from them. Heathen, irreligious, they drank wine and praised the gods of gold ad silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. These vessels had been dedicated to the glory of the holy God and His royal service. Pagans tauntingly mocked their value. Heaven supervened: ’in the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote, opposite the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote.’ Did he wonder if he were intoxicated? His body was distorted and all movements unmanageable: the king’s countenance changed and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.’ Holy Ghost conviction of sin may surrender control of all physical activity? We long to see evidence of this!
The king was so distressed, he called for the wise men of his realm promising the one who read the writing and gave the interpretation to be clothed with purple ( royal color) have a chain of geld around his neck, and be promoted to the third ruler in the vast empire. They failed miserably to decipher the writing.
Surprisingly, the queen offered her counsel, compelled by the distress of her husband. 'O King, live for ever. Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change.’ Then the wise counsel.
‘There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him: and then a reminder from a good woman- your father the king, made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans and soothsayers. Inasmuch as an excellent spirit , knowledge, understanding interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas, were found in this Daniel. Now let Daniel be called and he will give the interpretation. Daniel was summoned to appear. The frightened king confirmed that he was formerly a captive from Jerusalem, brought by his father, the former king. 'I have heard of you’ the King uttered repeatedly. Then recognition was repeated to Daniel, who brushed off the king’s offer. ’Let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another.‘ 5:17
‘O King, the most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. And because of the majesty he gave him, all peoples, nations and languages trembled and feared before him. But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever he chooses. Then the warning before a thousand of his subordinates, 'You his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. You have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and brought the vessels of the house before you and your lords, your wives, and concubines, have drunk wine from them, and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand, and owns all your ways you have not glorified. No compromising, cooling off because of this distinguished audience: truly a faithful reminder of God’s dealing with a former generation.’
Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him and this writing was written. This is the inscription that was written.: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSEN. Then the bold, undaunted interpretation of the writing, ’GOD HAS NUM BERED YOUR KINGDOM AND FINISHED IT.
MENE - God has numbered your kingdom and finished it.
TEKEL you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.
PERES. Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Med s and Persians.
The king then invests Daniel with the status of the third ruler of the kingdom: a remarkable elevation for a migrant captive from Judah. Indeed, the hand of the Lord was on him. This gospel invitation was the final offer of the living God for this ruler to accept or reject: for the Scripture records just this, ‘That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans was slain. I am listening to Dr Billy Graham over the 60 years of his evangelism; EACH TIME HE PLEADS THIS COULD BE YOUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE THE LORD JESUS. That compulsive urgency has slipped out of preaching, despite the desperate outcome of being eternally lost. I preached in a small Methodist church, appealed for decision for Christ, when a football champion discovered the Lord as personal Savior. He is 80, having served his Lord as a missionary.
God’s Word records that 'Darius, the Mede, received the kingdom being about 62 years old‘.
Daniel faced a dreadful snare immediately after the Medo-Persian emperor assumed office. ‘It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps over the entire kingdom, and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one. Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent Spirit was in him. And the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. Those envious of his promotion were jealous of his eminence, seeking to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no charge or fault because he was faithful, nor was there any error or fault found in him.’ Frustrated, they sought fault with Daniel in ‘the law of his God.’ (6:5) A majority of the governors and satraps united to overthrow God’s servant. Presuming on the personal pride of the King, they requested he draft legislation 'that if anyone asks any petition of any god or man for 30 days except you, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.’ They reminded him of the inviolable law of Medes and Persians. Watch Daniel’s response, ‘He went home’, where his wife and children would lovingly support him. Our greatest human resource- certainly mine. He retired to his upper room, opened the windows of his house to Jerusalem (thus exposing himself and his intentions regardless) ; and prayed and gave thanks before his God as was his custom since early days. Field Marshal Montgomery in his tent in the Western Desert hoisted a white flag, each morning indicating he had an interview with heaven’s royalty.
Setting aside my time to be alone with the Lord has been the most effective means of maintaining a close walk with the Lord now over seventy years: army, study of medicine, Indonesia, family practice, retirement.
This jealous group reported to the king that one of his citizens had flouted the law, savagely declaiming that Daniel ‘does not show regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times daily', where behind Daniel’s back, they spied on him . King Darius highly esteemed his leadership and ’set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored until the going down of the sun to deliver him.’ What a fool to be sucked in by those men,’the king surely thought. They pressured the king to enforce the law. So the king gave the command and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. In a remarkable display of godly trust, the king said, 'Daniel, Your God Whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.’ No stone sealed with royal signet and of his lords could frustrate the mighty power of the Lord. This was repeated in the life of our dear crucified Lord when His sacred body was laid in the tomb and sealed with the royal seal and the high priestly authorization. He burst the bands that bound HIM. Remarkable likeness. Comforting truth. My grand mother took a wee child in her arms, with the old family bible showing Daniel in the lions’ den, when the little one wept. ‘Why, my child?’ ‘Daniel is with the hungry lions‘. ’Your Jesus told the lions not to eat Daniel, because he was God’s special helper.’ She dried the wee child’s tears. A faithful, godly grandmother lit a fire in that wee child’s life. I cherish her memory.
No sedative from the royal pharmacopeia could offer sleep to a convicted , flabby ruler, who had been seduced by his leaders to depose and dispose of God’s man. That night he had no food nor music nor sleep. "Then the king rose early in the morning and went in haste to the lions’ den." He cried out with a lamentable voice, ’Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve regularly been able to deliver you from the lions? ’ He showed real trust in his Prime Minister’s God. Daniel is an excellent model for God’s children. His response was musical to the king’s ears, ’O King, live for ever.’ My God sent His Angel ( our Lord Jesus Christ ) and shut the lions’ mouths, ( pleural and ravenously hungry ) so they have not hurt me. Because I was found innocent before Him and also O King I have done no wrong.’ I love the preceding comment, The king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den., and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.’ May God give us Prime Ministerial faith like Daniel’s. Following his merciful release, God’s awesome inescapable judgment fell on the perpetrators. The wrath of God followed the mercy of the Lord.
‘The king gave the command; they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and thrust them into the den of lions - them, their children and their wives; and the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.’ 6:24 The same lions- contrasting His judgment with His grace. Every bone was broken, contrasting with our Lord’s Calvary suffering, when not a bone of his body was broken. Satan as a roaring lion was totally upstaged by the transcendent Son. The Lion of Judah.