Tag: Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
The wine of pride!
Scripture reading for August 31st: Daniel 4-6
Alcohol has been around for many years and impairs judgment and often brings delusional thinking. (Proverbs 23:29-35) The effects of alcohol are also a picture of the effect of sin on the body, soul, and mind of a person made in God’s image for His glory!
King Belshazzar of Babylon had a party for a thousand of his nobles. After drinking for a while, the king ordered that the golden goblets that his grandfather had taken from the Temple of God in Israel be brought out. They were filled with wine and toasts were offered to the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. As they were toasting, boasting and celebrating, there appeared what looked like human fingers that wrote upon the wall. (Daniel 5:1-6) This sight was deeply sobering to the king and all present!
The king called all his wise men to read the writing but no one could tell him what it said. Then the queen, very possibly his own mother or grandmother, told him about Daniel. Daniel was now an old man, probably in his 80’s. He was not among those drinking in the palace because of his godly character and life of prayer and consecration to the one true God. (Daniel 5:10-12)
Daniel spoke plainly to Belshazzar about God’s dealings with his father Nebuchadnezzar. He then told Belshazzar that he had failed to honor the God who held his life in His hands. (Daniel 5:22-24) Belshazzar had mocked God and angered Him by his refusal to humble himself and by drinking wine from the sacred goblets. Now the decree on the wall stated that God was sending judgment and Belshazzar’s kingdom would fall and be given to the Medes and Persians. (Daniel 5:25-28) That very night it came to pass! (Daniel 5:30-31)
What can we learn from this incident? It is easy to become drunk on the wine of this world and put what is profane in our holy goblets (our bodies and souls). Pride makes us drunk and delusional about who we are and the real source of our life. Those who are consecrated to God have insight and ability to read the handwriting on the wall because they truly know God and His Word! Daniel had read God’s Word in Jeremiah 51:39 and could understand what was happening. Fill your vessel with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit!
Nebuchadnezzar’s Big Dream
Scripture reading for September 1st: Daniel 1-3
Daniel was a young and promising Israelite from Judah who was taken captive to Babylon. He and his friends resolved not to defile themselves and to live for the Lord in Babylon. God gave Daniel great wisdom and favor and the ability to interpret dreams and visions. Daniel’s life shines as an example for believers today who live in a wicked culture. Daniel’s insight into the dreams of the king of Babylon take us into prophesy and God’s plans for the world!
When King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him, he called all the royal advisers and asked them to tell him the dream along with it’s interpretation. (Daniel 2:1-6) He threatened them all with death if they could not do this, and promised reward if they could. The royal advisers all told the king that he was being unreasonable, that only the gods could reveal such a thing. The king ordered their execution.
Daniel discretely approached the commander of the king’s guard who was set to execute the wise men. Daniel appealed to the king for more time to seek an answer and interpret the dream. He and his friends sought the God of heaven for mercy for the wise men of Babylon and for themselves. God was gracious and gave Daniel a vision in the night that brought the answer. (Daniel 2:14-23)
Daniel shared the vision and answered the king’s request. The king had seen a large statue with a head of pure gold, a chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, and legs and feet of iron and baked clay. While he watched, a rock, not cut by human hands, struck the statue on the feet and it crumbled and blew away in the wind. The rock became a huge mountain that filled the earth. (Daniel 2:31-35)
Daniel went on to share the meaning. These parts of the statue were great kingdoms of the earth. The rock that struck the statue was God’s power setting up an eternal kingdom who would overthrow all the powerful kingdoms of the earth. This would take place in the future! Nebuchadnezzar fell down and worshiped! “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” (Daniel 2:47) God alone can reveal mysteries to his humble people!