Taking the Credit

Twelve months later, as [King Nebuchadnezzar] was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

Daniel 4:29-30

Nebuchadnezzar took credit for what God had done. He was walking on the roof of his palace in Babylon looking out over the majesty of his kingdom and in his pride, he took credit for all of it.

From a human perspective we can understand how Nebuchadnezzar made this mistake. History tells us that Nebuchadnezzar was a great builder. He built temples and shrines to his gods. He built the very palace whose roof he was walking on when he made this statement. He built walls and moats and gates for his city. He dug deep canals and built impressive dams.* He rebuilt nearly every city and every temple in his kingdom. And we know that Nebuchadnezzar did all this because nearly all the ancient bricks archeologists have found in this region from that time are stamped with Nebuchadnezzar’s name! How’s that for humble?**

Most notably, Nebuchadnezzar is credited with creating the hanging gardens of Babylon which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.*** 

So, you can understand why Nebuchadnezzar took the credit. The problem was that he actually believed he had done all this by himself. In his arrogance, he believed he had done it by his own mighty power. And, of course, in his pride, Nebuchadnezzar undertook it all for his own glory.

Aren’t we sometimes guilty of the same? Don’t we sometimes look around at all that God has done through us and for us and think “I did this!”

Don’t take credit for what God has done. Even the things that God has done through you, were done in His power, not your own. And God deserves the credit for doing such mighty works through such a weak instrument. And don't forget how great a danger pride is. It’s easy for us to start living a life that is all about ourselves and start building monuments to our own glory. But ultimately, that way of life is empty. It is less than what we are called to as humans and as Christians. So, humble yourself before the Lord. Give him the glory. And spend your life building His kingdom, not your own.

* Wilson, Dick R. “Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar.” In The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, edited by James Orr, John L. Nuelsen, Edgar Y. Mullins, and Morris O. Evans. Vol. 1–5. Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915.

** Easton, M. G. Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893. 

*** Ritzema, Elliot. “Nebuchadnezzar.” In The Lexham Bible Dictionary, edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.

**** Easton, M. G. Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893.

Daniel Prayed All the More

In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom—in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

Daniel 9:1–3

‌

D‌aniel had been carried into exile in babylon from Judah as a young man. He had spent his whole life living in a strange land among a strange people. And perhaps more than anything what Daniel wanted was to see was for his people to return from exile to their own land. 

In the verses aboive Daniel has apparently been ‌reading part of the book of Jeremiah. And he has found where God promised Jeremiah that the Babylonian exile would only last 70 years and that after that He will restore His people to their land. (Daniel might have read this in Jeremiah 29:10). Upon reading this Daniel realizes that the 70 years of exile  are almost up. And that prompts him to pray. 

Think about that for a moment. Daniel prays for God to do what God has already promised He will do. ‌‌As the fulfillment of God’s promise approached, Daniel didn't fall silent and wait for it to come. No! He’s like a spectator at a race who has seen his runner top the hill and start down the home stretch. Daniel cheers all the louder and prays all the more as God’s fulfillment approaches.

Here’s a lesson on prayer for us. God’s promises don’t make prayer a pointless endeavor. They encourage us to pray all the more. They give us the confidence to pray. And you don’t quit praying when God begins to answer your prayer. You pray all the harder until you have what you ask for!*

* I'm indebted to the great Puritan Pastor Matthew Henry for this insight. Matthew Henry and Thomas Scott, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), Da 9:1.

A Formula for Repentance

Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.

Daniel 9:13

There is great power in the simple formula of turning from your sin and giving attention to God's truth. In this passage, Daniel is repenting on behalf of his people. God has allowed them to be conquered and sent into captivity in Babylon because of their sin. God is punishing His people, yet they don't respond how they should. The right response would be for them to repent or turn from their sin and turn back to God's teachings to see what He would have them do. But Israel doesn't do that.

We are often no better. Although we think God may be punishing us for our sin and we readily admit that we do things we should not, we do nothing about it! We never quite get around to following Daniel's simple but powerful formula for life change. You want to get right with God? Turn from your sin and give attention to His truth. You want to avoid judgment? Turn from your sin and give attention to His truth. You want to grow closer to God, live a life more pleasing to Him, and be more like Jesus? You can accomplish all of these things by turning from your sin and giving attention to His truth. 

Put this into practice today. Don't plan on it. Don't think on it. Don't strategize how you are going to do it. Simply do it. Turn from the sin in your life and give attention to God's truth as revealed in His Word and see if He won't bless you. 

Look Up!

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

Daniel 4:34

The great King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon stood atop the world in the sixth century B.C. But when he became too full of thoughts of himself and his own glory, God disgraced him. He took his mind from him and He humbled him and caused Nebuchadnezzar to live like an animal in the field. How fitting it is that his sanity should return the moment he lifted his eyes up off the grass, beyond himself, and up toward heaven. 

There are many times in my life when casting my gaze on heaven seems like the only sane act in this crazy world. Like Nebuchadnezzar, I sometimes find myself with my head down eating the grass of daily existence. Caught up in the mundane and never-ending routines that take up so much of our time and that the great teacher of Ecclesiastes called "meaningless." It is only as I lift my eyes toward heaven that sanity and meaning are given to the things that drive me crazy. 

Sometimes I look up to laugh at the insanity of our world. Sometimes to cry. At other times I look up in worship and at others to plead for help. But always the Lord lifts my gaze up toward Himself. As long as my eyes rest on heaven, my troubles don't seem big enough to crush me, nor do my successes shine bright enough to distract me. 

So, cast your eyes on the Lord today! Look to Him and plead, pray, mourn, laugh, or worship. Look to Him in whatever way is fitting for you and your circumstances, only be careful to never lower your gaze. 

Persevere in Obedience

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way...but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king... The king would then have my head because of you.”

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

Daniel 1:8, 10 (selections), 11-14

In today's passage Daniel is put forward as a biblical model of persevering in obedience. Obeying God in a world that pressures you constantly to disobey Him isn’t easy. There are always people ready to stand in your way, so you must persevere like Daniel did. Daniel had purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king's food. (For more on this decision read this blog post.) You would think that God would make it easy for Daniel to obey him, but He doesn't. Daniel hits an obstacle. The chief eunuch isn't willing to risk his head for Daniel to obey. So what does Daniel do? He perseveres and tries another tactic. He goes to another official (one who is under the chief eunuch but still over him and his friends) and asks for a ten day trial. "Give this a chance," Daniel says in essence and the steward relents.

When I think of persevering in obedience, I think of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand who lived in Romania during the rise of Russian communism. As the anti-Christian communist government took hold in Romania, Wurmbrand boldly and publicly proclaimed the gospel. When Christians were forced into hiding, Pastor Wurmbrand worked in the underground church sharing Jesus secretly not only with people on the street but even with communist officers. Inevitably Pastor Wurmbrand was imprisoned. In 1948 he was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison. During this time he was brutally tortured, even spending three full years in solitary confinement! Afterward he was released and warned not to preach the gospel any more.

Knowing exactly what tortures awaited him if he were arrested again, Pastor Wurmbrand persevered in obedience to God and resumed his work with the underground church. Within a few years he was arrested and imprisoned a second time. This time he was sentenced to 25 years. By God’s grace Richard was released after serving only five years of his second sentence. He was ransomed out of Romania by foreign believers and Pastor Wurmbrand spent the rest of his life traveling the world, raising awareness and support for the underground church. He wrote a book about his ordeal entitled Tortured for Christ and began a ministry that continues to this day named The Voice of the Martyrs.

Christians like this are an example for us. We must not cave to the pressures of this world or to the obstacles we face. We can persevere and trust that God will make a way when our road is blocked. How often do we just give up on obedience because it’s too hard? What have you given up on? Perhaps you have given up on sharing the gospel with your friend because he gets a little touchy when you talk about Jesus. Or maybe you have given up on prayer because it just isn't "your thing." Most of us have given up on fasting. Jesus clearly expects us to do it (Matthew 6:16-18 & 9:14-15), but it just seems too hard. We have too few Christians like Wurmbrand or Daniel today. Resolve to be different. Persevere in obedience.

For further reading...

• Genesis 37-50- Consider the life of Joseph and how he persevered in obedience even as things did not go his way.
• Matthew 6:16-18 & 9:14-15- Jesus expects us to fast. When was the last time you did?
• Mark 14:32-42 & Luke 22:39-46- Jesus is the premier example of persevering in obedience.

A Little at a Time

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

Daniel 1:8

A dripping faucet may not seem like a major problem, but given enough time it will fill an entire bucket one little drop of water at a time. Think of the choices we make every day. Most of them seem as insignificant as these little drops of water. But they add up over time, especially as they relate to a believer's relationship with the Lord. 

Do you obey God in the little things? Or do you think He only cares about the big stuff? I guarantee you He does not. There is no small act of disobedience against the one and only God. When we're tricked into believing that the little things don't matter, when we chose to disobey God day after day, then we are moving away from the Lord a little at a time.

The Old Testament character Daniel understood this. He was taken captive by the Babylonians when he was only a youth and placed in the royal court of King Nebuchadnezzar. They tried to force him to assimilate to Babylonian culture. They changed his name and made him learn their language and literature. They even tried to make him eat the king's food. Daniel had very little choice in all of this, but he resolved not to cave to the great pressure being put on him.  He wasn't in control of his own destiny but He served the God who was and he decided to do his best to obey that God. Daniel knew that God had commanded the Israelites not to eat certain kinds of meat, and that any meat they were allowed to eat had to have its blood drained in a certain way (Leviticus 17:10-14). None of the food given to him by King Nebuchadnezzar would meet God's standards for His people so Daniel purposed in his heart not to eat the king's food. He endangered his life in order to obey God in what seems like an insignificant command to us. This small act of obedience meant much to the Lord and He blessed Daniel for his obedience. He became the wisest man in the kingdom. Over the next seventy years kings and empires came and went in Babylon but one thing stayed the same: Daniel was a servant in the royal court who was renowned and respected for his wisdom and his dedication to his God.

God still blesses obedience. Sometimes a small act of obedience is just the thing we need to get us back on the right track. Making the right choices in the small things can really add up over time. Don't cave to the tremendous pressure our world puts on you to rebel against God and disobey His commands. Make up your mind like Daniel to obey God even in the little things. Over time, little-by-little, your small acts of obedience can help you become more like Jesus.

In what small ways do you need to obey God today? Do you need to flee from sexual immorality? Do you need to stop foul language from coming out of your mouth? Maybe you need to stop watching TV shows and movies that are not in line with your Christian confession? Whatever the Lord lays on your heart, resolve in your heart not to defile yourself with disobedience today.

For further reading...

• I Peter 2:11- Did you know the New Testament asks us to live as exiles in this world?
• James 1:27- Somehow we always seem to forget the latter half of this verse.
• Romans 12:2- Be a non-conformist!