Truth Project: Enduring The Fiery Furnace

Welcome to Truth Matters Saturday with Dr. Cheryl Davis. On today's edition, Dr. Davis ends her teaching on Daniel chapter 4 and begins chapter 5 next week. Here's Dr. Davis Enduring the Fiery Furnace. Daniel's second experience with God as the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had that Daniel could only interpret and that his magicians could not. And Nebuchadnezzar makes a shallow commitment in chapter 2 to God. And the third chapter is his third experience with God, seeing the fourth like the Son of God in the fiery furnace and witnessing a Christophany.

But again, that was a shallow commitment. And we know that by virtue of the definition because he needed a fourth warning, but this is his fourth experience with God, but his final warning before judgment. So we'll get into what this dream means as Daniel interprets it in 19 through 27.

So let's read verses 19 through 27. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. So the king spoke and said, Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you.

Belteshazzar answered and said, My Lord, may the dream concern those who hate you and its interpretation concern your enemies. And here we see where Daniel is compassionate on behalf of Nebuchadnezzar, because when he hears the dream from Nebuchadnezzar, his thoughts troubled him. I believe that Daniel respected Nebuchadnezzar, but also he cared for him. But I believe he had a compassion for his lost heart and tried to help him numerous times. But by seeing this fourth dream and knowing its interpretation, it troubled Daniel. But King Nebuchadnezzar told him, Do not let it trouble you.

Just go ahead and give it to me straight. So this is what he does in verse 20 through 27. The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens, and which could be seen by all the earth, whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, and which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home. It is you, O king, who have grown and become strong, for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens and your dominion to the end of the earth. And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field, let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field till seven times pass over him. It has often been noted that God is not always called the most equipped for a mission, but equips the called to accomplish his purpose. This was the case for Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, as they were taken from their homeland, placed in exile in Babylon, and used by God to accomplish a great purpose.

Here's Dr. Davis, Nebuchadnezzar, falling from power like a falling star. And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field, let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field till seven times pass over him. This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my Lord the king. They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he chooses. And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you after you come to know that heaven rules. Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you. Break off your sins by being righteous and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.

So interestingly, this is a warning. As you see, Nebuchadnezzar is that great vast trees. He was known as the modern ruler, the known world at that time. He has dominion over all of the earth at that time.

Basil's heart was not in the place that it needed to be. And God needed him to know him and needed to get his heart where he wanted it. And where he wanted his heart was this. He wanted him to know, in order that the living may know, that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men. So he wanted Nebuchadnezzar to realize that God's rule was higher than his and that God is sovereign over whom he gives it to because he gives it to whomever he will. And sets over it the lowest of men. So it's not that he has to have a certain status to be a ruler or to be a king. That it could be even the lowest of men.

Even though it's the lowest of men physically, but in the spiritual heart, it's really the condition or the requirements for being a ruler. Let's move on to verses 28 through 33 as we see this warning come to pass. As we see in verses 26 through 28, we see Daniel's compassion for Nebuchadnezzar because he says, King, let my advice be acceptable to you. He says, really break off your sins by being righteous.

So he's telling him, you can change your ways. Seek the Lord. Show mercy to the poor. Perhaps this may lengthen your prosperity.

He wanted to try to help him as much as possible. But as we see in verses 28 through 33, it doesn't appear that Nebuchadnezzar changed his ways. All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of the 12 months, he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke saying, is not this great Babylon that I have built for a royal dwelling for my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?

And notice here, we see a lot of my's. Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal dwelling for my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty? Basically, he's taking credit for building Babylon, saying that he did it on his own and it's to honor him.

Very dangerous words. While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven. King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken, the kingdom has departed from you and they shall drive you from men and your dwelling shall be with the beast of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen and seven times shall pass over you until you know that the most high rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he chooses. That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from men and ate grass like oxen.

His body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagle's feathers and his nails like birds' claws. Whenever you look at this group of verses, really, what is the root of Nebuchadnezzar's sin? Obviously, it's pride. And as we know, pride is number one on God's hate list. So, I'd like to really look in what the Bible says about pride. Obviously, we find a lot of verses in Proverbs. So, I'm just going to turn to Proverbs just to share some of those verses with you. In Proverbs 6, 16-17, these six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are abomination to him.

A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deceives wicked plans, feet that are swift and running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among the brethren. Proverbs 8, 13, the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride and arrogance in the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate. Proverbs 11, 2, when pride comes, then comes shame, but with the humble is wisdom. Proverbs 16, 5, everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord.

Though they join forces, none will go unpunished. Proverbs 16, 18, pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. James 4 and 6, but he gives more grace, therefore, he says, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. But really, when you think about it, pride was the sin that began all sin when Satan said, I will be like the most high God.

Pride is the root of sin. In this case, Nebuchadnezzar was extremely prideful and it took him losing his mind to gain it all back. It really took him losing it all to gain it all back.

So when he was at the peak of his most prideful point is in verse 28. And then still when the words were in his mouth, the Lord spoke and really delivered his judgment that he turned into a wild beast. He had the mind of a beast or heart of a beast. He was cast out of the palace. He ate grass like oxen.

The dew would hit him in the morning. And it took seven years. He walked through this for seven years and his hair grew like eagle's feathers and his nails like bird's claws. Let's move on to verses 34 through 36 to see what that did for Nebuchadnezzar. And 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.

For his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom is from generation to generation. Interestingly, it took all this for Nebuchadnezzar to praise God and to know God within his heart on the level that God desired. The problem is, is that oftentimes this is true in our lives, is that it takes trial or it takes tragedy for us really to see God for who he really is.

It takes removing the distractions. It takes removing, sometimes even ripping our heart out through pain or through sorrow or through loss so that we can see God for who he really is and that we can be used for his purpose. 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? So I think at this point, we know that Nebuchadnezzar is seeing his place. He's not above God.

He is beneath God. And he is giving honor where honor is due and glory where glory is due and worship where worship is due. 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 reported to me I was restored to my kingdom and excellent majesty was added to me. And the dream said that he would not lose his kingdom because it would be cut to the stump, but the stump did not die. And this prophetically came true as he was restored back to Babylon. And this shows God's grace even in trial.

It is easy that Nebuchadnezzar could have been murdered or that Babylon could have been carried on by someone else. But God's grace was here to restore back to Nebuchadnezzar, his previous glory. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the kingdom of heaven. All of his works are truth and his ways justice and those who walk in pride be able to put down. He says a very profound statement here that the rule of the known world. He finally praises and extols and honors the king of heaven.

All of his works are truth. Knowing that having gone through what he just went through, the condition of his heart now is able to say all of his works are truth and his ways are justice. He sees that God is a just God knowing the condition of his heart, knowing how prideful he was, knowing that he had to go through what he just went through. His heart is now tender and malleable and can be used and led by God.

Where before he was too prideful to acknowledge and he kept slipping. He kept making shallow commitments all throughout these four chapters that we've seen in Daniel. But in this final time, look what it took for him to really make a deep commitment. I pray for us that we make deep commitments early. But what I see oftentimes is that we make shallow commitments because the trial doesn't push us deep enough or more on our knees to God as we need to be. I pray that we see God for whom he is and we see that all his works are truth and all his ways are higher than ours. His thoughts are higher than ours. And that we make deep commitments early on in this journey so that we can be obedient and we can glorify God with our lives. Lord, I pray that we not make shallow commitments because in shallow commitments, we don't take root.

We're not rooted. We're not sanctified in your word and in your spirit, God, and we're able to slip and stumble. When I woke up this morning, there was a song in my heart about God being our rock. And when we go to the rock for our salvation, we are able to stand and we're able to stay and we're able to endure.

So, Jesus Christ died on the cross, made it possible for us. And I just thank God for sending his Son and I thank God that Jesus Christ is our rock. As he will not fall, he will not stumble. He is that cornerstone that sets every standard in the world that is subject to him. And one day, Christ is going to return and we're all going to be judged according to the Word of God. I pray that today that you make God your rock, that you make Jesus Christ your rock. And if there's any doubt in your mind as to where you are or whether you're dwelling in the rock of the salvation of Jesus Christ, I pray that today be the day that you make a firm commitment to faith in Jesus Christ. There are times in life when God must bring us to our knees in humility and desperation to accomplish his purpose in our life. This was the case with Nebuchadnezzar, filled with pride and arrogance and not realizing that his success came from God and not from himself.

The Lord had to humble him before he could use him. Today, if God is working in your life and you don't know what he is doing, perhaps Dr. Davis can help. You can reach her by email at CherylDavis at ProjectTruthMatters.com or connect with her on Facebook at Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis. Or you can write to her at The Truth Project, PO Box 159, St. Paul's, North Carolina 28384. Please join us again next Saturday at the same time for Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis, where biblical truth truly matters. This has been Truth Matters, a production of The Truth Project.