Daniel 2-6

Truth in Love and Speaking the Truth in Love

Evening, this is truth and love. Thank you for joining in and watching and spending some time with us. I'm thankful for Dan as he continues to join me and go through the word walk through the word. Explaining God's Word.

Learning with me and sharing with you God's Word. I'm thankful for this time that we have together. I praise God for it. I'm humbled by it and I hope that you're encouraged. This is truth and love and we get that from Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15 Paul tells us but speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head even Christ.

So that's what we want to do. That's our goal. That's our aim is to speak truth in love and to grow up in all aspects. What we've been focusing on a lot with Dan and I because we have this in common. Is this look at eschatology?

Eschatology seems to come in in waves. Because of circumstances in in our world in our culture. So when when things start looking grim and bad. Eschatology comes back up in conversation comes back up in social media, but when everything's going smooth.

You don't hear so much about eschatology. And I think the same is true probably for most of our Prayer life the time that we spend in God's Word. When we're in need we go to our knees when things are going smooth.

We we don't see God as much and and hopefully God will be working in us to change that in Us that we'll spend more time in his words for more time in prayer. Talk about eschatology. Talk about the gospel.

Talk about everything that God has for us in his word. And so What we're doing now is looking through the book of Daniel and Daniel is one of those books where where you can go to learn about Eschatology and an eschatology is just a big theological word.

That means.

In.

Things in in times the last things. And so we we go to Daniel. That's one of one of our go-to books to check out to see what God has to say about In times eschatology and there are certain chapters that people focus on.

We looked at one last time Daniel chapter 2 and then you have Daniel Chapter 7 Daniel chapter 9 and some others that will really focus on will really zero in on. Because those those really have a lot to do with with eschatology and they speak Pretty deeply to the the subject of eschatology, but Dan and I didn't want to to Breeze over or skip over the other chapters in Daniel because they have an importance to of course.

All God's Word is important. We need to study it. We need to learn from it. But in in a in times eschatological point of view They have significance as well. You have you have these Larger not more important, but but chapters that speak more to eschatology and then you have these in the middle that Kind of help explain and and give us a picture.

Of.

How God is working those things out what his kingdom looks like and so that's why we wanted to take a look at those chapters. We're gonna look at chapters 3 through 6 and I know that sounds like a lot.

But hopefully we'll just do a more of a summary of these chapters. And give us an overview of what what God is doing.

In.

In his in his plan in his plan of eschatology in his planet with with Israel and and the church. So let let's get down to it. What I'm gonna do is I'm gonna start With the first chapter of this evening Daniel chapter 3 just give a Very broad summary one or two sentences and I'm going to turn it over to Dan to help us understand.

A.

Few more details about what's going on and how God is working show us where God is working. How it fits in with eschatology in God's kingdom. So if you're watching we really appreciate it. Help us to share God's Word partner with us.

We want we want God to be glorified. We want people to hear God's Word. We want people to hear the gospel. And so we appreciate it when you when you like it when you give it a heart when you comment when you ask questions.

We really appreciate your part. Participation if you have any questions as we're doing these videos, we would love to try to answer those questions as well. So you're just as much a part of this as we are.

We're community and we want to work together getting God's Word out. So let's get down to it. Let's look at Daniel chapter 3 and many of you are probably familiar with these accounts. Nowadays, we don't like to use the word story because they're not make-believe.

They're not myths. This is historical fact. These are historical accounts and in Daniel chapter 3 We move from the The interpretation you remember in chapter 2 where we talked about how the King wanted someone to tell him what his dream vision was and its interpretation.

Daniel was the only one that could do it, but he gave credit to God, of course and King Nebuchadnezzar when he heard that He was represented by what the the head of that statue and there was some gold involved here in here in Daniel chapter 3.

It seems like Nebuchadnezzar takes that and I think it's something a phrase maybe Dan that you've used before. Or similar to it. You you said that Nebuchadnezzar took that information and maybe ran with it and here makes this golden golden image.

And.

Then we have you know that the decree from Nebuchadnezzar that that people are to worship this golden image.

And.

If they didn't Then the consequences were this this fiery furnace where they they probably Used as a kiln or whatever, but they increased the heat and There were some tattletales involved That that didn't like the the Hebrews there and Daniel's friends were involved in this tattletaling.

But they were on the receiving end of it and they got told on that they didn't worship this golden image. And they were the ones who were thrown in the fiery furnace and if you're familiar with the story, you know, they said you our God can do it he can protect us, but Even if he doesn't if he sees fit for us to you know, perish in this in this fiery furnace you know.

To God be the glory. Well, you know, we'll be with him we're gonna honor him obey him no matter what but he is able to save and then Nebuchadnezzar saw this this fourth man who had the image of the Son of God there and We believe that was probably a theophany.

Maybe Jesus there in the in the midst of the fiery furnace with them. They come out without even a smell of smoke on their clothes or bodies. They come out unscathed and Nebuchadnezzar then honors Their God so that's kind of a brief overview of Daniel chapter 3.

Dan won't you take over and give us some more information about what's going on? Yeah.

God Preserves His People in Exile

We really kind of want to look at the book as a whole. There's a lot of benefit in looking through scripture. In in small chunks you get to dive down dig deep and find out. You know exactly what is this passage were these paragraphs in these sentences?

What are they actually saying to me? There's a lot of benefit as well in taking larger portions because you get to see the overarching theme of something. You know. A lot of these books were written or especially in the New Testament the letters were written to be read all in one sitting so they would expect you to be able to follow the argumentation all the way through something because To them is basically it's one piece.

You don't subdivide it. So there's benefit in both. So when we look at Daniel we look at Daniel chapter 1 and we see a people who are taken from their homeland. The land they were promised to live in that they were in covenant with God for Obviously they had broken that covenant.

They were in exile now. They're taken away. So so what now what has God, you know given up on these people is his promise to be there God. And they be there's his people. Is it gone now and the answer is no.

They take the opportunity. No, we're not gonna eat the King's food not gonna defile ourselves we're still gonna live the way that God wants us to live and So they they eat the food that they were supposed to eat.

They end up being stronger. And they end up being given positions of authority or influence in the kingdom they ended up being smarter and More fit than the rest of them. That were there at that time.

Chapter one shows us that no matter what happens wherever you are. Even if things look grim, even if it looks like there is no way I'm gonna be able to serve God in the circumstance. If you're faithful to God.

Things will go well going well doesn't always look like that. Sometimes going well means you get to go and be with your God. But it will go well because God is faithful. So even in the toughest of circumstances you have the opportunity to serve God in chapter 2.

We see the big promise we see that the the statue. You know the head of gold and silver and bronze and iron and clay. He tells us this the kingdoms so this is what God's doing. God is going to destroy those kingdoms in the days of those Kings.

The stone that's cut without hands is going to come and hit the statue in the feet. It's gonna crush those kingdoms and Then the stone is going to grow and it's gonna grow until it gets into a Becomes a huge mountain fills the entire earth.

The kingdom of God is going to crush all of the other kingdoms. That that have come before it and it's going to begin in the days of the Roman Empire. Talking about Christ his he is that stone cut without hands He comes and he crushes the the feet of those so that so what does it look like?

Now.

That Christ his kingdom Is crushing the kingdoms around it now. Jesus himself said my kingdoms not of this world. He says, uh, you know, they try to seize me and make him king. He runs away. It says I don't want any problem of that or any part of that.

Speaking with somebody else says if my kingdom were of this world, we would have we would have fought you about it. Simple enough. So what does that mean here? No, what does it look like when this one?

Statue this head of gold when it starts to crumble. What does that look like? And this is exactly what it looks like Nebuchadnezzar gets no big for his britches takes, you know, you're the head of gold.

Oh, I'm the head. All right. Yeah, I'm gonna be the chest and the thighs and the feet too. He makes a huge statue Gold of himself and says hey everybody when I play all the musical instruments. It's time to party.

No, you're gonna come and you're gonna worship me because I'm somebody. The God of the Hebrews told me, you know, he told me he told me, you know, you're somebody you're the head of gold and What are these what are these Hebrews do.

Well, there's three of them I'm gonna call them by their Hebrew names because. That's what they started off as they were given other names. Their names are Hananiah Azariah and Misha those three were faithful.

They did not bow when somebody made the claim that they were God that they should be worshiped in the place of God. They said no. We're not doing it. We're not gonna have any of it. And so They went to the fiery furnace.

Now. This is absolutely amazing when you think about it just the symbolism behind this. Who is it that we know from from Scripture that goes to a place of fire. When they transgress against a God. It's sinners, we know from Scripture Nebuchadnezzar who set himself up as God even had his own little version of hell.

I will destroy you in the fire. Because you're not worthy of being around me because I am somebody. He was not so what ended up happening they would play the The drums and the horn and the harp and the lyre and they wouldn't bow down and so they went in and got Thrown into this fiery furnace.

It was so hot that it killed his guards. Yeah, but number one. Whoa. Should have been a red flag right there, but then there's a fourth one walking around in there and It's quite possible. Probably even I'd say that it was it was a theophany in other words the pre-incarnate Jesus walking around.

But even if not it was a messenger straight from God sent to protect them and they went into that furnace knowing that they were going to be protected by God either that their bodies would be protected or that their souls would be protected by the Eternal love of their God who would if their bodies did burn.

He would raise them up on the last day because they trusted in they had faith in their God they trusted in him. So at the end of all this Nebuchadnezzar know somehow his guards burned up the people didn't but he runs up to the entrance of the furnace like He wasn't gonna get burned up or something and somehow he didn't know the whole bunch of supernatural stuff going on here and He says this at the end of.

In.

Chapter 3 verse 28. Nebuchadnezzar said blessed be the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego those are the names that he gave him. Who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him? They disobeyed the king's commands and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any God except their own God.

Therefore I make a decree this is Nebuchadnezzar making the decree.

Any.

People nation or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Shall be torn limb from limb and their houses laid in ruins for there was no other God who was able to deliver in this way.

Then can't the king promoted Shadrach Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon. He showed him. God showed Nebuchadnezzar That he wasn't the only king in town. Then Nebuchadnezzar didn't get the full picture as we'll see later on but he realized hey this God.

I At the very least need to say don't talk bad about him. He's got some real power. Yeah, I almost think he thought of him as a as an equal. I Don't have any real proof of that, but it seems that way when you when you look at Chapter 4 when I see what happens to him in chapter 4 but what you see is There are lessons Being played out warnings so to speak for the nation of Babylon.

That God will not be messed with that God's people will be protected in one form or fashion or another and that as We go through this life We should be as bold as Hanani Azariah Mishael. Knowing that our God is larger better stronger and more righteous more powerful to save Than anyone that we come up against is powerful to destroy us.

So.

What does it look like? When the nations of the earth are crushed. When the statue is crumbled when The little stone starts to grow and fill the earth. It looks like God's Word being proclaimed sometimes miraculously.

But usually just through the everyday obedience of his people. In whatever situation they come up against they. This was a a Religious political sort of situation. When they stood up somebody said Um, you must do this by order of the king.

Now people are going to scream Romans 13 all day long. Maybe they should have just done it. He was put over them. You should listen, but the fact of the matter is that God is still God and God trumps any other authority.

So while we do need to listen to our rulers. Listen to those who are over us and we need to respect the authority given to them by God when they contradict God. We do exactly what the hand and I Azariah Mishael did.

We stand up because the kingdom of our God Is crushing the nations around us?

Yeah.

Somehow some way. And we need to be obedient through it. So that's what I take from chapter 3 and wanting to. So I threw those in.

What. And you know, sometimes it's not as it doesn't seem to be as clear as other times when it's that time to stand up.

Like.

You know, here is one of those examples where? The king is Commanding everyone to bow down to a false God or or even bow down to the king himself. Well, that's that's just blatantly we disobey the king we honor God, you know, that's clear clear as day.

But you know we've gone through circumstances and we don't have to go time to go through all of them now and just kind of make in the general point that it's you know, there's some sometimes it's it's not as clear and sometimes it's a it's a conscience issue of.

Is this is this the time to stand up? Or is this the time to to honor the government, you know, where's where's that gray line? Where's that black and white? Sometimes it's difficult and I think too sometimes We get to the point Where it's black and white because we we didn't stand up so much when it was more gray.

Yeah, and the thing is it's not really gray. It's. It's still black and white it's just that. We can get away with it by just ignoring the problem for a while. But but the thing is. Yeah, who have to remember what Jesus said.

Jesus said that Anyone in the kingdom of God who teaches someone to Ignore the least of his commandments. It will be called least in the kingdom of God. So, yeah, where do we stand? When do we stand? When do we take this him?

Anytime our government comes against the Word of God. We make a stand. Your stand may not have to be big. You may just have to act and they listen. But something has to be said. Something has to be done.

Anytime that the government steps against the Word of God because as we've seen especially this last year and a half The government takes a step that it shouldn't if nobody stands up. It will keep on step.

Oh, yeah yeah, keep on taking it will not give the power back because Well, the governments of this world are in opposition to the kingdom of our God. That's right what it is. Those nations are being crushed because if they if they weren't they would they would be part of the kingdom of God, right?

And.

You know, we we don't stand up. We don't say anything. That snowball just keeps rolling. Snowballs get bigger as they roll and eventually that Frosty's gonna get pretty hard to manage.

Yeah, come straight to town right to the traffic cop and run him over. That's right. Exactly.

We need to be on our toes we need to be aware and not not complacent as Christians. I'll be aware of our circumstances and what's going on you know, we. We are called and commanded to to go and make disciples of all the nations.

You know, we've got a mandate to go out to the nations not to be complacent not to just enjoy a worship service every now and then but to To be involved in the nation's in the in the discipling of the nation's.

So this is it's a big task and it's not one that we should take lightly. It's not one we should sit back and let somebody else do. Right. He's called all of us to do that. And and like you said Some of our roles are not big roles, they're they're small roles, but they have key important places in God's kingdom.

Just like you were saying, so let's move on to Daniel chapter 4. Nebuchadnezzar like you said he begins to he sees what God has done and he can't ignore it. So he he gives some honor he gives some credit to the Lord.

And like you said, he may even just see him as a as an equal. But he does give some honor give some credit to God and it looks like in chapter 4 he has another vision about a tree and.

And.

He needs someone to interpret this dream again. He comes. Daniel comes back around and interprets this dream for him and and Daniel says. He says you're this tree right to Nebuchadnezzar and. And this tree is gonna be chopped down is gonna be cut down and destroyed and Nebuchadnezzar.

He tells him you're gonna eat grass.

You.

You're gonna basically lose your lose your senses lose your reasoning you're gonna. You know be cast out and eat the grass of the field like the wild beast.

So.

It's it's a pretty disheartening message. You know you hope when you have a dream or vision and and you want an interpretation for it. You hope it's something gonna be something, you know encouraging that you know, God's gonna bless my kingdom Expand my territory, but He says you're you're gonna be cut down and you're gonna start eating grass like the cattle.

That's a pretty lowly state. For anybody especially somebody who was a king who was building a golden statue. So that's kind of where we are in chapter 4. Give us some more information.

God Humbles Kings and Exalts His Dominion

Yeah chapters 1 3 if those show us that God works in in in his dealings through the simple obedience of his people. Chapters 4 5 tell us how God deals with the rulers of nations. Very different in chapter 4.

In chapter 5 but God has two ways of destroying his enemies. He can either destroy the enemy himself.

Or.

He can destroy the fact that he had an enemy. Here's what I mean by that. He can either take the one who is his enemy and destroy them. This is what we think of when we say he destroys his enemies. He puts his footstool for his feet.

He puts them down. He is conquering no nations. That's what we think of people who fall in a ball of fire and Run over buried salt the fields and everything else. Another way that Jesus conquers his enemies is through the blood of the Lamb and the word of his testimony.

And that is what we see here in Daniel. Daniel 4 Nebuchadnezzar is brought low. I mean he went from from worship me to Hey, there's probably another God out there, too. I'm gonna go over here and eat grass like Will the beast for a while and then and then.

He's just completely humble like he doesn't even have control over his own Bodily functions or where he eats. He's got the dew of the grass coming over him and he's just disgusting. What happens when he receives his mind back.

When he receives his mind back, it's not the same Nebuchadnezzar That you saw Beforehand, it's a different one. Listen to what he says because Nebuchadnezzar actually writes part of the Bible here, which is really cool to me.

The book of Daniel is written by Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar. So here here the words of Nebuchadnezzar know under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which is Really cool to think about right. Nebuchadnezzar says this.

At that time my reason returned to me he got his mind back. What am I doing out in this field? You know, why am I covered in dew? Why do I look like a wildebeest? In my majesty and my splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom.

In other words, he was out in the field for a while. He looked a hot mess his counselors and his lords and everything. They sought him out. They brought him back. They reestablished him over his kingdom, which We don't know if that means that somebody else took over for a while if there's a little coup while he was it We don't know but Whatever happened he received his place back on the throne.

He was brought low To even the point of losing his own mind. He lost Function of his own body everything that he thought he was in control of. No, he thought he's in control of his kingdom and he wasn't thought he's in control of his world.

He wasn't he thought he's in control of his body in his mind. He wasn't When he finally got some control back He was changed.

I.

Was reestablished over my kingdom and still more greatness was added to me. He was better than he was before. Now I nebuchadnezzar praise. So what does he do now? He went in the field. He got stuff back.

And how does he act is he? Build a golden statue to me knows nebuchadnezzar. No, he is I. Praise and extol and honor the king of heaven heaven nebuchadnezzar. He is for all his works or truth nebuchadnezzar.

He's the all his ways are justice nebuchadnezzar. He is the and he is able to bring low those who walk in pride nebuchadnezzar. I believe he was saved Regenerated he was calling out to God saying God is the God of all he's in control.

He took over my mind I I now know that this God is God and in that moment Something that was Babylon's Became something that was Christ. The the the golden statue the head Said that's you nebuchadnezzar.

You're the head of gold the head of gold. Became Christ we see in Revelation it says there's somebody shouting out in heaven. It says behold the kingdoms of the world of the earth have become the kingdoms of our God.

Nebuchadnezzar was once the world's it was not it was Babylon's King. He was now under the service of Christ he was a ruler over a country as a part of God's kingdom. That is one way that God Crushes his enemies.

He takes his enemies. He makes them friends. He redeems them. He saves sinners, which is an incredibly wonderful thing to think about because God will. He will restore nations through revival from time to time.

And that is that's what we hope for like we don't want to see America, you know. We don't want to see America chapter 5 it Must be America chapter for it. Yeah America to find revival to find Christ to maybe even if we lose our minds for a while to come back and say our Lord.

And our God we want you and we don't want anything else we don't want to come to the place where we're blaspheming him so hard that he sends a miracle of handwriting on the wall and then. That's it. So yeah, so if we'll get there in a second.

Yeah, so so when we look at you know, what does this have to do with the the little stone? Little bit of Christ's kingdom that Hits those kingdoms and crushes them. It crushes them here in one of two ways.

Here this revival among them among a leader. You can imagine what he would do as king of Babylon for a while we know from beforehand in the days of Jonah Nineveh. Nineveh was it was a city of large city.

They repented believed and saw prosperity. I Imagine it was a much the same During the time of Nebuchadnezzar. It was short-lived. But yeah, probably about the same. Yeah, so chapter 4.

Well.

The verses right before what you read. It's it's interesting to see his perspective. As he comes out of his his madness into to reason. Verse 34, but that big at the end of that period. I never can has raised my eyes toward heaven and.

And my reason returned to me and I blessed the Most High and praised and honor honored him. Who's Leah who lives forever? I mean his his mindset his perspective his knowledge of who God is. He gains that and then that leads to praise.

At least to worship. He says for his dominion is an everlasting dominion. I mean, he's just he's just Spouting theology and and and knowledge and understanding of who God is and and then praising him.

His his ever his dominion is an everlasting to me his kingdom endures from generation to generation. Unlike he is I mean he saw how quickly his kingdom could be taken away from him. But then he realizes okay this this God has a kingdom that's going to endure from generation generation.

It's not like mine. And and all the heavens of the earth are accounted as nothing. What a viewpoint what? What a way to look at you're not just yourself. But the entire inherents of the earth now in light of who God is.

But he does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. So he realizes that God can do whatever he wants to he can he can keep me off this throne and make me eat grass.

And no one can ward off his hand or say to him. What has thou done? Just just what a change in perspective and in a time of worship that. That part that you were referring to earlier. That never when Nebuchadnezzar comes out of his is Madness and into reason so just a beautiful time of worship there you even for us as we read it.

Mmm, so, you know reflect on who God is. All right, moving on to Daniel chapter 5. We have what this this new regime.

And.

Maybe it was maybe it's never gonna as her son or grandson maybe.

Somewhere in there, it's a little fuzzy the Succession of the people through there. But yeah, it's something like that. Yeah, and.

Bill Belshazzar is the king now and and just briefly I'll let Daniel take it over or Dan take it over again, but uh Belshazzar Belshazzar. See some handwriting on a wall and again just like is his father grandfather needs an interpreter and Daniel comes along and gives an interpretation which again.

It is not probably not the one he was he was looking for. Um God has numbered your kingdom and put it into it. You have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. Your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians and.

It wasn't long after that it happened. It was like was it within the hour or.

It was that night. Yeah that night. They were in process of breaking in when he was getting the interpretation. Yeah.

So it happened quickly. So go ahead and take it on over there. Yeah.

God Judges Proud Rulers and Delivers Through Faithful Obedience

This one is uh. It's uh, it's kind of the same story to be honest. The people of God in this case Daniel Simply obeys God is faithful to execute his duties, you know. Somebody calls on him. He says God.

What would you have me to do? He says go read it. Tell him what it says. Okay, it's through the simple obedience of God or to God Daniel pronounces that his kingdom is fallen you know this uh. This Belshazzar was was not Good he went and took the the old temple stuff the the drink cups and the different things and Decided he was gonna have a party.

They were gonna get drunk and after it says after they were well drunk so he was he was lit and. Yeah, I couldn't imagine you know. Hey that God's nothing. Let me grab his cup and get drunk and you sit in there.

You know swirling a little bit you got your dancers and the music playing and everybody's having a good time. And a big old hand just shows up and starts writing on your wall. What is going on. Yeah, and at that moment it was too late.

Yeah.

There.

There aren't there are two there are two ways one. God can cause a revival to come like we saw with Nebuchadnezzar. At the same time a country blasphemes God enough. They murder infants enough. They get drunk they sleep around.

They Desecrate marriage. They say it's not what you say it is. It's not between a man and a woman. You know you can choose whatever gender you feel like you. What God created in the beginning was wrong?

I'm able to determine what truth is. There's no God who determines what truth is for me. Now I look at the world and determine what truth is and live it out. That is what that's what people say. That's what Belshazzar was saying.

He was saying I'm in charge. I get to do what I want. I'm gonna be the one that determines truth. Which if you think back about it. Who are the ones who reached their hand out to grab the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil I?

Want to choose what's right and wrong for me? Yeah in the same thing happened the people fell.

Now.

Some people may ask you know why did Nebuchadnezzar? Why was he given grace?

And.

Why was Belshazzar not?

No idea.

It says in the book of Romans that God has mercy on whom he wills, and he he hardens whom he wills. But what we do know is that in the very next chapter we have the same Daniel Who hasn't moved? He's still there.

Talking with the king and it's a king of a completely different Empire. Daniel was there faithfully serving and He was serving during the head of gold in the next chapter. He's serving over the arms chest of silver.

Why is that? Because the little stone That hit the feet Was growing to fill the whole earth. It was in process of crumbling the kingdoms of the earth. But the kingdom of God was never gonna fail. The kingdom of God was gonna keep on going forever and ever.