FBC Morning Light – October 25, 2022

Well, a good Tuesday morning to you. Here we are in the book of Daniel today in our Scripture reading, getting into these last laddered books of the

Old Testament, these prophetical books. In Daniel chapter 4, there's this record of the terrible, frustrating, humiliating experience that King Nebuchadnezzar went through, king of Babylon.

It's interesting that God was gracious to give him a vision of what was going to happen to him.

He had this dream, this vision, and it was very troubling to him.

He went to Daniel, or Belteshazzar as he called him, and asked Daniel, would you please give the interpretation of this dream?

And Daniel then became very troubled because he understood what the dream meant, what it was going to mean for Nebuchadnezzar, and then he told him the interpretation.

He said, here's the deal, here's what's going to happen. Your kingdom is going to be taken away from you for a while.

You're going to become a madman. You're going to be sent out to pasture and treated like an animal.

It's going to be incredibly brutal and humiliating for you. This actually came to pass, and it happened exactly as the dream showed, and we read about that in the latter part of the chapter.

He says, in verse 28, all this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.

It says, they drove Nebuchadnezzar from men, and his dwelling was with the beasts of the field, and so forth.

It happened exactly as the vision communicated. But what was the purpose of all this?

See, that's the question. In the vision, the Watcher told Nebuchadnezzar the purpose for it all.

He clarifies it in verse 17. This decision is by the decree of the

Watchers, and the sentence by the word of the Holy Ones, in order that, here's the purpose statement, the living may know that the

Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever he will, and sets over it even the lowest of men.

Nebuchadnezzar needed to learn that, and I would suggest every ruler, every leader on the national scene and on the international scene, needs to learn this same lesson.

They are not God. There is a God who is the ruler of the kingdom of men, and that is the

Most High God. He gives those positions of power and authority to whomever he will.

Whether it's Joe Biden, or Trudeau in Canada, or Putin in Russia, or whoever it is, what these individuals won't accept, don't know, and wouldn't listen to if they were told, is that they're in their position not because of their political prowess, not because they're so good or great as individuals.

They're there because, for some reason or another, God saw fit to put them in that position.

They, therefore, need to bow before him in humility and in honor and respect of God.

Of course, they don't do that. When you get to the end of the chapter, Nebuchadnezzar, after he experiences all this, that has happened to him, he comes to his senses, and he says this in verses 36 and 37, and don't you wish that even a handful of the leaders of this world, the handful of leaders that make up the

G7, or whatever the different groups are of powerful nations, don't you wish that those leaders would all come to the same unified agreement that Nebuchadnezzar came to understand?

It says this, he says this, he says, At the same time my reason returned to me, 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.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the

King of heaven, all of whose works are truth and his ways justice, and those who walk in pride he is able to put down.

Don't you wish that the leaders of our world, the leaders of our nation, even of our individual states, our governors, and so forth, would come to praise and extol and honor the

King of heaven, and all of whose works are truth and his ways are justice?

Don't you wish they would also come to the conclusion that Nebuchadnezzar came to earlier, in verses 34 and 35, where he praises

God? He says, At the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the

Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever. And here's what I said,

For 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.

No one can restrain his hand or say to him, What have you done?

Frankly, I wish that not only the leaders of our state, of our nation, leaders in this world would come to those conclusions,

I would love to see more and more people in everyday walk of life, everyday walks of life, say the very same thing.

He does according to his will, no one can restrain his hand or say to him, What have you done?

I hope that you recognize these truths about the God of heaven, and that he is your

God, and that you praise and honor him, the Most High.

Our Father and our God, we thank you for who you are. We thank you that you are the

Most High, and that you do rule in the kingdoms of men. You put into positions of power those whom you will, for whatever your purposes might happen to be.

And we do thank you, Father, that you do according to all of your will, that no one can restrain your hand, no one can question you, legitimately question you, and put you in your place.

You are indeed sovereign over all and above all. You are the

Most High. We thank you and praise you today, in Jesus' name, and for his sake. Amen.

right, well have a great Tuesday, and praise the King of heaven. Have a good day.