Daniel 5:13-16 – Don't be condescending.

Daniel has been summoned for the third time to perform a task, as described in Daniel 2 and 4. At the recommendation of the queen mother, he now appears before King Belshazzar. 

The king condescendingly speaks to Daniel. His first question betrays his attitude toward the only person who could answer the mystery. Belshazzar still treats Daniel like a prisoner in Babylon. His question borders on a sneer. "Are you not one of the exiles my father brought from Judah? This question is like saying, "You are only an exile taken from Judah; are you sure you can unravel the mystery for me?" 

 

It is unlikely that Belshazzar was unaware of how Daniel had greatly helped his predecessors. Yet, his expression showed that he did not quite believe what had been said of Daniel. Twice, he prefaced what he knew of the prophet with this phrase, "I have heard." 

 

The first is in verse 14, where he says, “Now I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you and that illumination, insight, and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you.” The second is in verse 16, where he says, “But I have heard about you, that you can give interpretations and solve complex problems.”

 

Both times, he reveals his doubts about Daniel's capability. Following verse 14, he makes it known that Daniel is only his last resort. All the hapless sages who came before Daniel could not tell him the meaning of the writings on the wall. Again, his doubt is displayed with the four words "if you are able" in verse 16, just before he dangles the reward before Daniel. 

 

We cannot miss Belshazzar's condescension. Pride is behind his arrogant attitude. Despite his fear and desperation, his pride is on full display. He could not even treat Daniel, the source of his help, with proper decorum. So obnoxious was he that despite his impending doom, he could not practice humility. This is the very reason why God had to deal with him. It shows us how necessary it is to stay humble, especially when seeking a solution to our problem.  

Daniel 5:5-12 – Be sure to build an impactful life and ministry.

When King Belshazzar saw the mysterious writing on the wall, he nervously yelled for his wise men—the magicians, conjurors, Chaldeans, and diviners—to interpret its meaning. However, when they were brought before him, they could not explain the meaning of the handwriting on the wall, leaving the king and his guests confused and anxious.

Fortunately, one person knew of someone who could do it. Verse 10 refers to her as the queen. Who is this queen? It is believed that she was not Belshazzar's wife. If she were, she would have been present at the banquet. Many thought that she was the wife of Nebuchadnezzar II. She quickly pointed out Daniel's expertise and recommended him to the king.

She knew of Daniel's abilities, as her husband had previously appointed him to lead the group of wise men. Daniel was known for his extraordinary spirit, knowledge, insight, and ability to interpret dreams, solve complex problems, and explain enigmas. Daniel, she said, was known by his Babylonian name, Belteshazzar. So, the ground has been prepared for Daniel's grand entrance. Confidently, the queen recommended that he be brought to unravel what Belshazzar sought to know.

What do we learn from these verses? They tell us we will always maintain usefulness when we remain faithful in our ministry. People always remember a ministry that they have been impacted by. We will be remembered for our effectiveness. Seek to be effective for God. In a poem, C.T. Studd eloquently points to what we must do with our lives.  

Two little lines I heard one day,

Traveling along life's busy way;

Bringing conviction to my heart,

And from my mind would not depart;

Only one life 'twill soon pass,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

Only one life, yes, only one,

Soon will its fleeting hours be done;

Then, in 'that day' my Lord to meet,

And stand before His Judgement seat;

Only one life 'twill soon pass,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

Only one life, the still small voice,

Gently pleads for a better choice

Bidding me selfish aims to leave,

And to God's holy will to cleave;

Only one life 'twill soon pass,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

Only one life, a few brief years,

Each with its burdens hopes, and fears;

Each with its clays I must fulfil,

living for self or in His will;

Only one life 'twill soon pass,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

When this bright world would tempt me sore,

When Satan would a victory score,

When the self would seek to have its way,

Then help me, Lord, with joy to say,

Only one life 'twill soon pass,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

Give me, Father, a purpose deep,

In joy or sorrow, Thy word to keep;

Faithful and true what e'er the strife,

Pleasing Thee in my daily life;

Only one life 'twill soon pass,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

Oh, let my love with fervor burn,

And from the world now let me turn;

Living for Thee and Thee alone,

Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;

Only one life 'twill soon pass,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

Only one life, yes, only one,

Now let me say," Thy will be done";

And when at last I'll hear the call,

I know I'll say "twas worth it all";

Only one life 'twill soon pass,

Only what's done for Christ will last."

Daniel 5:5-9 – Do not disrespect God.

Daniel 5 begins by describing Belshazzar's grave offense of drinking from the holy articles seized from Jerusalem's temple by his predecessors. This act of contempt towards God did not go unnoticed by the Sovereign. Amid the king's extravagant banquet, verse 5 says a mysterious hand appears and writes on the wall of the palace, terrifying the king. It is obvious who is writing those words. 

Belshazzar became so petrified by what he saw that he was a nervous wreck. His face turned ashen and pale, his hip joints gave way, and his knees knocked at each other. He was trembling with great fear.

In desperation, the king called out loudly to bring in his wise men to interpret the message. He offered a rich reward to whoever could explain it. Despite promising royalty to anyone who could decipher the writing and tell its meaning, none could do it with their best effort. The wise man's inability to interpret and provide meaning to the writings on the wall further enhanced his fear and terror. All these left his attending nobles totally perplexed.  

This account serves as a powerful call not to disrespect God. No one can show contempt for God and despise the holy things without consequences. God will not tolerate anyone profaning what's sacred. We must learn to distinguish between what's holy and what's not. Seek to honor God and not treat what is sacred carelessly or nonchalantly.   

 

Daniel 5:1-4 – Consecrated living

Daniel 5 describes what happened to Belshazzar. Who is Belshazzar? He is the son of Nabonidus, aka Nebuchadnezzar III, featured in Daniel 4. History shows that Nabonidus was not a direct descendant of Nebuchadnezzar but took on that name to lend weight to his reign. In the previous chapter, God taught him the danger of the sin of pride. For his arrogance, God made him live like a beast in the field for seven years till he realized that the sovereign God is the one who controls the world and not him. Only after this truth dawned on him did sanity return.  

The scene in Daniel 5 shifted to Belshazzar, Nabonidus’ son. For us readers, this is a déjà vu moment. Like the theme of Daniel 4, this chapter also focuses on the danger of the sin of pride. Only this time, the main character is Belshazzar. 

 

The chapter opens with Belshazzar having a great feast and drinking wine with a thousand of his nobles. At this point, he was co-reigning with his largely absent father. Though not disclosed in the text, Babylon was on the verge of being conquered by the Medo-Persian. Belshazzar, who would have known of the impending attacks by the Persian army, showed careless disregard. So nonchalant was he that he would rather live a self-indulgent life than be concerned with the looming dangers. 

 

What is more disconcerting was his contempt for the holy vessels of God seized from the temple of Jerusalem by his predecessors. These gold and silver vessels were consecrated unto God. Belshazzar had no regard for God when he profaned them for his extravagant banquet and idolatry. They drank wine with those vessels as they “praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.”

 

Every believer must live life responsibly. We must see life as a God-given sacred trust. Do not squander it by riotous and careless living. Never treat consecration lightly. Do not treat God or holy things with contempt. Be sure to live dedicatedly for Him.

Daniel 4:28-37 – Have the right perspective of God

Twelve months after Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream to him, everything happened as he had told the King. This duration of a year demonstrated God's grace to the King. H accorded him that duration to heed Daniel's counsel and repent. Obviously, he did not. 

One day, the King was on the rooftop of his royal palace and saw the grandeur of Babylon. Arrogantly, he took credit for its grandness and forgot all Daniel had told him. Despite knowing that God had granted him everything, he boasted. Musing to himself, he said, "Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my

majesty?" 

 

Almost immediately, he received a divine response. Hardly had his words trilled off, a voice from heaven spoke. Everything Daniel had foretold the King came to pass. He lost his position and "was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws."

 

True to Daniel's interpretation, the King's restoration began after seven years. It dawns on him that He is not in control; God is. His sanity returns as soon as he realizes that, and he looks toward God in heaven. Returning the glory to God, Nebuchadnezzar blesses and gives praise and honor to God Most High. Acknowledging God, he exclaimed:   

 

For His dominion is an

everlasting dominion,

And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.

All the inhabitants of the

earth are accounted as nothing,

But He does according to His

will in the host of heaven

And among the inhabitants of the earth; 

And no one can ward off His hand 

Or say to Him, 'What have You done?'

 

Nebuchadnezzar's perspective changed, and his kingdom and splendor were restored. When his official returned to serve him, his kingship was reestablished with surpassing greatness. He realized who deserved all the credit. So, he gave testimony saying, "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He can humble those who walk in pride."

 

Never allow our God-granted privileges in life to lead us into pride and arrogance. We need to maintain a proper perspective of God and His sovereignty. Don't try to usurp what belongs to Him. We need to know that we cannot do without God. Apart from Him, we are nothing and can do nothing. All that we are and can potentially become comes from God. So, be wise stewards of God; this is our duty.  

 

 

Daniel 4:19-27 – Our humility matters to God.

When Daniel heard the king's dream, he was shocked. The interpretation of the dream he had heard would be unpleasant to the king, and it terrifies him. Nebuchadnezzar was a fearful and dreaded ruler known to do things at his whim. 

 

Daniel must have wondered how the king would handle the unpleasantness of the dream. So, he paused with perplexities written all over his face. And the king noticed it. He then addressed Daniel by his Babylonian name, saying, 'Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.'

 

With that assurance, Daniel diplomatically told the king the interpretation of his dream. He prefaced it by saying he wished that what the king saw in the dream applied to someone the king hates and not to the king himself before he proceeded to share its meaning. 

 

The king saw a luxuriant tree towering over the earth, providing food, shade, and shelter for men, beasts, and birds. An angel was ordered to chop it down. However, the stump would remain in the field where animals made their habitation and be drenched by dew for seven years.

  

Daniel told the king that his dream was God's Most High decree. The tree refers to the king, who has all his power granted by God. He would be driven away from mankind to dwell among the beasts of the field, to eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. He would only recover and return to sanity after seven years when he realizes that God, Most High, is ruler over the realm of mankind and gives power to whomever He wishes. The stump that was not uprooted was an assurance to Nebuchadnezzar that his kingdom would be returned to him by God. This would show that God gives the power to rule whoever He wills.   

 

Daniel ended with gentle counsel to the king. He admonished, "Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: Break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity." 

 

What's the key lesson? God detests pride. He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Our position in life is God granted. We will always be there with His design and approval. We must always maintain sight of this and become proud to think we are making of our capability. Pride always comes before fall and a haughty spirit before destruction. We must heed the admonition of 1 Peter 5:6, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you in due time."  

 

Daniel 4:10-18 – Serving God wholeheartedly and willingly.

Nebuchadnezzar then related to his dream in Daniel 4:10-18. As the king lay in bed what appeared before him in that dream saw was a tall tree in the middle of the earth. It grew and became a gigantic luxuriant towering tree throughout the earth. It provided food for all living creatures, shade for beasts, and bird shelter. 

What he saw next was a heavenly messenger, an angel announced for the tree to be cut down stripped of its branches and leaves, and left bear. It would no longer provide food for the creatures, shade for beasts, and bird shelter. 

 

This tree was also a person, who would be living like a beast in the field. The angelic being then announced the purpose of the whole episode in verses 17-18. It is to show that God controls the worldly kingdom. God is the one who designed who to reign. The precise decree of the angel recorded in verse 17 says, “that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.”

 

As the king ended his narration, he waited in anticipation for Daniel’s interpretation which we will see in the next reflection. These verses show the sovereignty of God. Rulers and leaders are in their respective positions by His design. He puts one up and He also pulls one down. No one can be where he is without His approval. Everyone does His will. His believers serve Him as His willing servants. Unbelievers will also serve Him and His purpose as His unwilling servants. Which category are we? Let us be the former to serve God with our hearts, souls, minds, and strength!     

Daniel 4:4-9 – Only with God can we be effective.

Like his experience recorded in Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar had another dream. Many years, approximately 30 years, had passed since that dream. The time-lapse led some to believe he could not be the same Nebuchadnezzar. Because, in history, there were two other kings with the same name. Through deduction, some think that he was Nabonidus, Nebuchadnezzar III. For our intent and purpose, speculating about Nebuchadnezzar is not as important as God's message through this account.

 

In Daniel 4:4-9, Nebuchadnezzar shared about his phenomenal personal experience. It happened at a time when his kingdom was stable and flourishing. During this peaceful and uneventful time, he had this dream. This passage describes him as more reasonable than his first dream. 

 

Previously, he had refused to reveal the content of his dream and yet expected his sages to interpret it. He threatened them with death if his demands were not met. Thankfully, Daniel saved the day. Through the wisdom provided by God, he gave the dream and its interpretation to the king. 

 

This time, Nebuchadnezzar shares the content of his dream. What is similar to his previous experience is that "all the magicians, the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners" whom he summoned could not interpret the meaning of his dream for him. Finally, Daniel, with the Babylonian name Belteshazzar, came before him. The delay in calling for him was to differentiate him from the others. It emphasizes Daniel's superiority and that his wisdom is a gift from the true God. With that godly wisdom, Daniel interpreted the king's dream.

 

These verses highlight the difference between Daniel and the other sages. They tell us that, like Daniel, we can make a difference in life and be effective only with God's backing. Indeed, apart from God, we can do nothing. Hence, we must abide in Him, and as we do, we shall bear fruit for His glory.    

 

Daniel 4:1-3 – Praising God every moment of life

Daniel 4 begins with Nebuchadnezzar praising God. This is truly a breath of fresh air. It is one thing for believers to glorify God but quite another for unbelievers. Remember that Babylon was the number one power in the world at the time, and Nebuchadnezzar was the supreme ruler of this world power.

Naturally, this begs the question, why? For a megalomaniac like him, plus the fact that he was accustomed to serving pagan gods all his life, this praise was remarkable. However, we note that this God has impacted his life in a way that none of his gods had. Daniel and his three friends also eloquently witnessed to God by their unfeigned and authentic faith.

In Daniel 4, we see that the king’s praise for God is precipitated by another reason. It will become more apparent as we progress into the chapter. Suffice it to say that he had personally experienced the signs and wonders that God had done for him. And for one who has personally experienced God’s power working in one’s life, it is difficult not to be convinced of His reality.

So unabashedly, he declared:
How great are His signs
And how mighty are His wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
And His dominion is from generation to generation.

It is refreshing to see how Nebuchadnezzar gave praise. His praise highlighted God and showed Him as the true sovereign of heaven and earth. Nebuchadnezzar’s experience with God left him humbled and convinced that this God was the true sovereign. He wanted all his subjects to experience the true peace this God alone could offer.

Are we praising God daily? If we are not, we should do it. Praising God gives us the moment to connect with Him intimately. It allows us to truly express what we feel and think about Him from our hearts. It is also an occasion to declare His wonders and speak, sing, declare, and proclaim His power. Be sure to praise Him daily. Praise Him in the morning, in the evening, and every moment in between.

Daniel 3:28-30 – True faith always triumphs.

Daniel 3:28-30 affirms what the Apostle Paul so fervently asserted in Romans 8:28. He said, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." God used what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego went through, worked out something extraordinary for them, and brought glory to Himself. True faith in God always triumphs.  

 

No matter how hot the furnace of the trials of life may be, when God shows up, the deliverance is sure. These three verses emphasize not that God can deliver but how marvelous He truly is. He never leaves His committed people to fend for themselves in a trial. "He is faithful," says Paul, "with every trial, He will provide a way out."          

 

Nebuchadnezzar's response to the three friends' fantastic deliverance attests to God's unfailing faithfulness. From fury and anger, the king graduated to praise the God of the three faithful Jews. 

 

In verse 25, he referred to the fourth man in the furnace as "a son of the gods." In verse 28, he advanced to call him "His angel," meaning this is God's angel. Does it really matter? Whether he is a son of the gods or an angel of God, we know that God has engineered the deliverance. This is the pre-appearance of Christ before He came to earth as a man. We call it Theophany or Christophany.

 

From wanting their death, Nebuchadnezzar turns to defend the three from being further maligned and attacked. He decrees that "any people, nation or the tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap." He even promoted the three faithful Jews to higher positions in his government.   

 

Here we end where we begin, "In all adversities, we know, we don't just guess, suppose or think. We know with certainty that God works together for good to those who love Him and are called to His purpose. When we remain faithful to God in adversities, two things will result. God is praised and glorified, and we are delivered and satisfied.    

Daniel 3:24-27 – God is with us.

God rewards audacious faith. He often does it in a way that surpasses one's ability to think or imagine. So, Daniel, in 3:24-27, records how this God amazingly rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He was walking with the three amid the blazing fire. Nebuchadnezzar had only cast three persons into the furnace but saw four amid the flaming fire.

Couldn't believe his eyes, he turned to his high officials and asked alarmingly, "Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" "We certainly did, O King," they responded. "But look! There's a fourth man among them. They are all freely walking unbound and unharmed in the fire. And the fourth man looks like a son of gods," said the king. 

 

He then came to the furnace's door. Though the text is silent, Nebuchadnezzar must have asked for the furnace fire to be tampered with, or else he could not come near it without being slain by the searing heat. 

He could have recalled the last gallant words of the three friends and realized that their God had indeed shielded and saved them from being consumed by the fire. He then calls out to them, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!" 

 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego had no hesitation in obliging. They came out amid the fire to the whole host of the king's officials watching. Everyone from the "satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's high officials gathered around and saw regarding these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men…." Not a single blade of the hair on their heads was singed by the fire. 

 

Remember, they were tied together in their trousers, coats, caps, and other clothes. Yet the fire did not damage their pants, and no burnt smell could be detected. This is to say that they were protected from the fire, and none of it came near any of them.  

 

Daniel 3:24-27 demonstrates in a personal way the promise of God to be with us. Emmanuel, God with us, is one of Christ Jesus' names. He began His earthly ministry with Emmanuel and ended it with, "Lo, I am with you to the end of the ages!" Today, He is with us; nothing can separate us from God's love. Because God is with us, He will help us to accomplish His will. And God is with us to protect and help us overcome every Crisis. He may not take our crisis away from us or us away from the crisis, but he will be with us and walk with us through our crisis victoriously.   

 

Daniel 3:19-23 – Don't be found without God.

The defiance but daring words of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego aggravated the king's fury. His heightened rage could be seen by the grimace on his face. His anger must be as hot as the heat from the fiery furnace nearby. In an uncontrollable rage, he must have yelled out for more wood to be put into the furnace to raise the already intensified heat from the fire. Stunned and offended by the three's audacious faith, he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual.

 

Then he commanded the nobler of his men to have the three bound up to be cast into the blazing inferno. His command was strictly carried out without hesitation. Daniel's three friends were "tied up in their trousers, coats, caps and other clothes" to ensure nothing was unconsumed by the fire. 

 

The furnace had to be huge to accommodate the three friends. Heated seven times more than its usual degree, the heat could be felt from a distance. Those men tasked with casting the three friends into the fiery incinerator were much closer. Hence, they were slain by the searing heat. 

 

Here are two scenarios: those executioners on the fringe were slew by the fire, while the three friends, amid a raging intensified fire, survived unscathed. What a marvelous testament to faith life. Here is a clear answer to the king's last question in verse 15, "…what God is there who can deliver you out of my hands?" The God of Heaven, the Sovereign God, of course. 

 

When we live for Him, we can expect to face opposition because not everyone shares our convictions. But these verses encourage us to stand firm in God amid every opposition. Though challenging, we will be safer when we stand committed to Him in hard times and adversities. With a commitment to God, our life is safer amid a fiery trial than standing on the fringe without trial and uncommitted to Him.    

 

Daniel 3:16-18 – Making a difference with solid faith.

Daniel 3:16-18 shows us what solid and genuine faith looks like. It is composed of two critical elements. First, there is an unwavering confidence in God to deliver, and second, trust in His faithfulness even when the desired result doesn’t seem forthcoming.

Threatened to be thrown into the fiery furnace by the furious king if they still refused to bow down to the golden image, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego responded to the king this way:

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If so, the God we serve can deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)

What do they mean? Here’s how Eugene Peterson paraphrased their words. “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if He doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18 – The Message).

What audacity! In their response to the king, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego displayed great courage and boldness. They showed both elements of solid and genuine faith. They were prepared to go through anything, even the worst possible consequence. Such a faith stays confident in and faithful to God. It guarantees that He will deliver; if He doesn’t, which is unlikely, we will remain loyal and faithfully trust Him.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God; we who come to Him must believe that He is able and willing and that He rewards those who seek Him diligently.

God wants us to draw near to Him with such faith—the kind that is full of confidence in Him and fully assured that He can deliver. And even if the outcome we hope to see is not immediately apparent, commitment and trust in Him remain strong and faithful, regardless!

When we approach God, we must have faith. This will help us to make a difference in our lives and experiences.

 

Daniel 3:13-15 – Handling ego.

In Nebuchadnezzar's life, we learn something about ego. While ego is difficult to define, it can be easily spotted when a life filled with it is closely scrutinized. It demonstrates a person's unusually oversized sense of self-importance, unapologetic indulgence of self-absorption, and towering conviction of superiority. 

Nebuchadnezzar's actions show that he has an enormous ego. In Daniel 2, we see how he demands that his dream be interpreted without having to describe it. He wanted to put to death his council of sages just because they could not meet his impossible demands. Then, in Daniel 3, he demonstrated it by building the gigantic golden idol of enormous size and demanded it be reverenced. It was either obeyed or faced execution.

 

Nebuchadnezzar learned that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego would not bow down to the golden statue he had built. Some jealous Chaldeans snitched on the three friends and reported it to the king. 

 

It is easy to conclude that in the king's wildest imagination, these three would be the least likely to defy his order. Why? First, he promoted them and placed them in their privileged administrative positions in his province. And they would undoubtedly be beholden to him, so he thought. Second, because of his decree, anyone who refused to bow to that gigantic idol of gold would be thrown into the fiery furnace. Unreasonable as this decree was, he could not have anyone not obey it. 

 

It is easy to imagine that the three friends' refusal to comply with the king's decree severely bruised his pride and ego. After all that he had done for them, the least they could do was show gratitude and comply. So, he ordered that the three devout Jews be brought before him. 

 

With the fiery furnace nearby and the extreme heat emitting from the fire, Nebuchadnezzar offered them a second chance to redeem themselves. His manner of providing this second chance exudes ego. He thought he was more significant than any god, even the faithful God Daniel and his three friends devotedly worshipped and served. 

 

He sternly asks in verse 14, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image I have set up?" Then, followed up with a warning that if they did not bow down to the golden image at the sound from the designated repertoire of instruments, they would be cast into the fiery furnace immediately. His haughtiness radiates from the rhetorical question he asks, rounding up his warning, "…what god can deliver you out of my hands?" What arrogance!

One clear reminder to help us temper our pride and ego: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Keep that in mind.

 

Daniel 3:8-12 – Focus on what we have and not what we lack.

Proverbs 27:4 says, "Wrath is fierce, and anger is a flood, but who can stand before jealousy?" There is no telling what a person can do when he or she is jealous. The Chaldeans in Daniel 3:8 proved this proverb to be accurate by being envious of Daniel's three friends.

The reason for their jealousy of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego is not explicitly revealed, but we can make a sanctified guess. Nebuchadnezzar had placed Daniel's three friends in administrative positions, which the Chaldeans felt they were more entitled to. After all, the three devoted Jews were foreigners and not Babylonians like them.

Green with envy, they saw the Jews' refusal to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image as a golden opportunity to do them in. Daniel 3:8-12 then tells us that they brought to Nebuchadnezzar's attention the three devoted Jews' non-compliance with his decree. They make it look like their decision not to bow to the image as taking personal issue with the king. To drill it in, they said, "These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up."

Notice how they frame their presentation. They left no room for the king not to act. They were insinuating that if he didn't take the three friends to task, his decree would have no value and would not be taken seriously. It was calculated to goad the king into action. How sinister!

Here are the lessons we can glean from these verses. Jealousy is a propensity of fallen people. Know that promotion comes from God. To overcome this harmful attitude of jealousy, we must cultivate godly mindsets. Be glad about what we have because godliness with contentment is a significant gain. Consider others better than ourselves. Rejoice with what others have rather than bemoan what we lack. Appreciate what we have rather than envy what others have. Some will always be better off than us, and some less fortunate than us.

We must appraise life rightly, for if we do not, discontentment can set in, leading us to think that others have robbed us of our entitlement. When that happens, jealousy gains a foothold in our lives, causing us to scheme to harm them. Seek to improve by all means, but learn to be content with what we have.

Daniel 3:1-7 – Expect to be tested

The lesson we cannot ignore in Daniel 3 is that believers in the Sovereign God must exercise faith and stand firm unwaveringly as His witness in the face of a fiery trial. This chapter describes the testing of Daniel's three friends, Hananiah, Misheal, and Azariah. They are addressed by their Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.

In Daniel 3:1-7, Nebuchadnezzar, the monarch who dreamed of the colossal statue with a head of gold, decided to build a golden statue himself. We are not told whether it was built with pure gold or just one plated with gold, but we are told it was sixty cubits or the equivalent of ninety feet tall and six cubits or about nine feet wide.

We are also not told how he was inspired to build it, but he probably wanted to be worshiped like the figure he had built. How far apart the building of this golden image from his dream described in Daniel 2 is unknown. However, his desire could have come from the interpretation that he is the head of the gold of the image of his dream.

With the massive golden statue set in Dura, a plain in Babylon, the king invited all his officials to its dedication. So, all "the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces assembled" came for the dedication service.

As the thong of people stood before the golden image, the herald proclaimed loudly. It was the king's decree saying, "…O peoples, nations, and men of every language, …at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up." It further decreed that whoever would not comply with the order would be immediately cast into a fiery furnace.

As if it was a trial run, verse 7 says that all the musical instruments sounded according to what was decreed. Every citizen under Nebuchadnezzar's domain complied. They all fell to their knees and worshipped the golden image. The three friends of Daniel are not mentioned here, but we can anticipate what is coming and guess how they would respond.

Testing of our faith and trust in God will undoubtedly happen. The issue is, "How will we respond when a fiery trial comes upon us?" Some people ask for trials to be removed and miss the golden opportunity to build their character. We should not dodge trials but instead ask God's grace to face them. When we come through a trial with God, we will go forth pure as gold. Know that His grace is sufficient for us, and His strength is perfected through testing. Trust God to see us through! Their stand.

Daniel 2:46-49 – The benefits of trusting God unreservedly.

Overjoyed by Daniel's precise revelation, Nebuchadnezzar responded dramatically. In unrestrained joy and gratitude, the king fell prostrate before Daniel and paid homage to him. He even ordered an offering and sweet incense to be presented to him.

Why did the king do what he did? He equated Daniel with one of the gods because his sages had told him earlier that they couldn't do what he expected and that only a divine could. Since Daniel could do them precisely, the king concluded that he must be a god.

Daniel, however, redirected the honor to God. How do we know? Because of the phrase "The king answered Daniel and said..." in verse 47. The phrase implies that Daniel has related something to him to trigger an answer. It is not unreasonable to believe that Daniel vehemently reemphasized that everything he knew came from His God, the God of Heaven.

 Knowing that God had revealed everything to Daniel, the king exclaimed, "Surely your God is a God of gods, a Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries since you have been able to reveal this mystery." From the king's response, we surmise that he was triggered to say what he said by what Daniel had related to him. However, the king remained an unbeliever.

Daniel was then richly rewarded with many gifts for what he had done and was even given an exalted position in Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom. Verse 48 says the king "…made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon." And Daniel remained in the city to serve in the king's court.

Verse 49 shows Daniel to be a valued pal. When he was promoted, he did not forget his friends. He requested the king to promote his three friends as well. And they, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, were given administrative positions in the province of Babylon.

When we stay faithful to God, we will be His true witness. We can trust Him to help us in difficult moments and bring us victoriously through life's challenging circumstances. The more we trust Him, the more we will experience His goodness. And we will experience His hand undergirding and working on our behalf. We can never out-do God, and neither can we out-give Him. As Daniel had experienced, there is no telling of the returns we will have when we give ourselves entirely to God and trust Him unreservedly.

Daniel 2:36-45 - God’s invincible Kingdom

Having revealed to Nebuchadnezzar his dream, Daniel proceeded to interpret it for him in Daniel 2:31-45. What the king saw in the colossal statue concerns future world empires. Each empire after Babylon would be decreasing in power and influence. Finally, during the last of the world empire, a supernatural stone, not cut with human hands, would hit it at the toes and end the influence of all worldly empires. This stone would grow significantly until it became a massive mountain covering the whole earth.

The head of gold, Daniel 2:38 says, is Nebuchadnezzar. He is the greatest of all earthly kings. To him, the God of Heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory. With all that God has given him, he would have dominion over all men, all beasts of the land, and birds of the sky.

After Babylon would come another empire. History affirms that the empire after Babylon was none other than the Medo-Persian empire. This is represented by the chest and arms of silver. After the Medo-Persian would come the Greek empire, the belly and thighs of bronze.

The Roman Empire would come after the Greek Empire. It was, at first, a strong empire. Therefore, iron would be an appropriate representation. The feet with toes of a mixture of clay and iron tell of its mixture of strength and brittleness later in her history. The Roman Empire, at the start, was strong. Due to internal squabbles and clashes between her aristocratic class and the peasants, she was severely weakened in her later stage. Hence, the feet of mixed clay and iron appropriately depict the Roman's combination of strength and fragility.

The emphasis, however, is on the stone of mysterious origin—a stone from an uncut hand. It came out of nowhere, hitting the toes and crushing and crumbling the statue. The expression of the uncut hand seems to indicate the stone's supernatural origin. And from just a stone, it grew and became a mountain so massive that it covered the whole earth. This refers to the invincible Messiah's Kingdom, which Christ inaugurated at His first coming. How else could it be so strong and assertive? It is this God's Kingdom that would eliminate the influence of all earthly kingdoms seen in the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold.

How did Christ Jesus first declare when He started His ministry on earth? In Mark 1:15, He boldly and assertively proclaim, "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel." This Kingdom has since expanded, and its message of righteousness has rung throughout the earth. We, the citizens of this massive Kingdom, are the salt of the earth and the world's light. Centuries after its inauguration, this Kingdom is still strong and invincibly exerting its power and influence.

The chorus of the song "This Kingdom" so aptly sums up her influence:

And this Kingdom will know no end
And its glory shall know no bounds
For the majesty and power
Of this Kingdom's King has come
And this Kingdom reign
And this Kingdom rule
And this Kingdom's power and authority
Jesus, God's righteousness revealed

Daniel 2:31-35 – God sees our heart and knows our thoughts

In Daniel 2:31-35, Daniel describes Nebuchadnezzar's dream to him. In the dream, the king saw a vast, gigantic, and extraordinary statue of various substances standing before him. It was a massive, colossal, and awesome image with a head made of gold. Its chest and arms are silver, and its belly and thighs are bronze. Its legs were made of iron, and its feet were composed of iron and clay.

As the king continued staring at the humongous statue, a stone not made by hand struck it at its feet of iron and clay, crumbling it. The iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed all at once. Becoming like chaff and dust, they were blown away by wind until no trace could be found. Meanwhile, the stone that struck it grew into a massive mountain that covered the whole earth. The enormous statue of different elements was only a subplot. This God-given dream emphasized the mysterious stone of unidentified origin, which has become the origin of a worldwide indomitable kingdom. 

Let us activate our sanctified imagination and try to envisage what the awestruck Nebuchadnezzar must have felt as Daniel narrated the secret thoughts of his mind to him. What baffled him must have been, "How could this man possibly know what was in my mind? How could he tell me exactly what was in my dream?" However, we know Daniel was just the instrument. The true revealer of the dream was God.

God sees our hearts and reads our minds like an open book. Not a single thing we do or a single thought we think escapes his notice, whether sleeping or waking. What do we think of most of the time? Hebrews 4:13 tells us, "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." And as 2 Corinthians 10:5 urges us, let us take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.   

Daniel 2:24-30 – Make God your priority in life

Daniel obviously knew his priority in life. God always came first. His primary objective in every challenge was to keep his relationship with God intact. Hence, his first thought when he faced every challenge was God. We saw how he purposed not to indulge in the king's rich food to live a consecrated life to God. 

When faced with the potential of losing his life, he again made God central in his approach to the challenge. When Arioch came with the death sentence for him, the first thing he did was to gather his friends and seek God together.

His first thought was to praise and thank God when he was given the mystery in a night vision. He praised, blessed, and thanked God for His revelation instead of dashing out to save his life. He only approached Arioch to ensure that the latter stayed the execution.

Daniel's sense of priority was again displayed in how he made the revelation known to the king. He did not think of taking advantage of the situation to highlight himself. Instead, he emphasized what the Babylonian sages had already told the king. He wanted the king to know that no human, "neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners," could make known the king's demand. He was setting up the stage in his approach to talk about the God of Heaven.

He always downplayed his importance and seized every moment to direct the king's attention toward God. He wanted Nebuchadnezzar to know that it was not him but God who alone could reveal the mystery of his dream and its interpretation.

Daniel implied to Nebuchadnezzar that God had designed his whole experience to let him know what would happen in the future. Verse 28 indicates that the king was thinking about his future while turning to bed. The future was something neither he nor anyone could possibly know. But God, the revealer of mysteries, the One who controls history, chose to make it known to him.

In verse 30, he once again downplayed his importance and demonstrated humility. He saw himself chosen not because he was wiser than any living human being. But he was God's chosen instrument to help the king understand the mystery God had shown him.

Our priority always determines our actions in life. When God is first in our lives, we will make decisions around our relationship with Him. We do everything to please Him and honor His name. He will be the first we consider in our lives and the first we will approach when we meet with an obstacle. To Him, we will offer ceaseless praise. We will praise Him for Who He is and thank Him for His actions. God must come first in life!

 

Daniel 2:19-23 – God answers sincere and earnest prayers.

By definition, a mystery is a hidden, incomprehensible secret, something that human minds cannot fully grasp and understand. This definition perfectly describes Nebuchadnezzar's dream. It was a mystery that only the true God could reveal.

What those Babylonian sages told Nebuchadnezzar was only partially right. When they told him only gods could make the king know about the mystery, they were referring to their pagan gods. But they failed to realize that only the true God, whom Daniel and his friends worshipped and served, could reveal the mystery.

If Daniel and his friends hope to escape the “guillotine,” the only person who could help is their God. Daniel was sure that only their God could reveal the mystery, so he went to Him at this critical hour. It could well be that he sought Him urgently deep into the night. And God responded and gave him what he sought through a night vision.

A night vision was different from a dream. And what he saw was likely a vivid technicolor re-run of what the king saw in his dream. Notice what Daniel did immediately. He gave praise and blessed God. Any lesser person would have rushed off to make the vision known to save his skin. But not Daniel; his first impulse was to pause, praise, bless, and offer thanks to God.

 Daniel was given two important truths about the Almighty in his thanksgiving to God. Firstly, verse 21 tells us power rests in Him. He controls seasons and eras. Through Him, kings are set up or removed. Nebuchadnezzar might be reigning, but God had put him there. Many of us are in our position because He places us there.

Secondly, verse 22 tells us that wisdom rests in Him. He is the revealer of profound mystery. Daniel could only comprehend mystery because God chose to make it known. So, in verse 23, Daniel burst forth in praise and thanksgiving for answering their prayers and granting him wisdom, revealing the mystery to him.

Our powerful God has the answers to all the critical issues in life. Prayers make those answers accessible to us. Our prayers must be sincerely and earnestly offered if we are to move God's heart.

Without God, we cannot, but without us, God will not. Prayer is a collaborative effort between us and God. We must learn to talk with God and not just talk to God. And when God has answered our prayers, be sure that our first impulse is to pause, bless, praise, and give thanks to Him. Don’t be like the prodigal son who only wants the father’s goods but not the father himself.