A Kingly Conversion
Labels:
Daniel
The Book of the
Prophet Daniel
“… some stopped the
mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire!” Hebrews 11:33, 34
Chapter 4:19-37 A Kingly Conversion
19. Then
Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts
alarmed him. The king answered and said, "Belteshazzar, let not the dream
or the interpretation alarm you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My
lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your
enemies!
20. The tree you saw, which grew and became
strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the
whole earth,
21.
whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for
all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the
birds of the heavens lived—
22. it
is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and
reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.
23. And
because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying,
'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the
earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field,
and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the
beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,'
24. this
is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come
upon my lord the king,
25.
that you shall be driven from among men,
and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to
eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven
periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the
kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.
26.
And as it was commanded to leave the
stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from
the time that you know that Heaven rules.
27. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be
acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your
iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a
lengthening of your prosperity."
God’s providential ways are unique and not
according to the patterns of men. He sent Daniel as His ambassador to Babylon
and to King Nebuchadnezzar, as a captive, supernaturally equipped with wisdom
and a gift for interpreting spiritual messages. The enemy tried desperately to
thwart the Lord’s purpose and neutralize His elected vessel in this godless
society.
Samples of Dave's photography
I wanted to give a few examples of our son, Dave's, photography this past year or so. Some of his work has been placed in a 2018 calendar, but don't you think they should find their place in a magazine? If any of you have connections with some kind of publication, please put in a good word. Contact me at loelmarga@telefonica.net and I will pass it on to him. Dave is also hired to do weddings. (For larger view, click on any photo)
The Tree Dream
Labels:
Daniel
The Book of the
Prophet Daniel
“… some stopped the
mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire!” Hebrews 11:33, 34
Chapter 4:1-18 The Tree Dream
1. King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples,
nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to
you!
2. It has seemed good to me to show the
signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.
3. How great are his signs, how mighty
his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures
from generation to generation.
4. I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my
house and prospering in my palace.
5. I saw a dream that made me afraid.
As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me.
6. So I made a decree that all the wise
men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me
the interpretation of the dream.
7. Then the magicians, the enchanters,
the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they
could not make known to me its interpretation.
This chapter tells one of the most amazing testimonies
in all of Scripture and there are few that surpass it, in all the centuries of church history. It is the first person account of a world
emperor, which he sent to his kingdom throughout the earth. In it, he praises
God and relates his experience of conversion in the common Aramaic language. The
writing is worthy of the quotes of a couple commentators:
Adam Clarke: “This is a regular decree, and one of the most ancient extant (voc. note: still in existence); and no doubt contains the exact words of Nebuchadnezzar, copied out
by Daniel from the state papers of Babylon, and preserved in the original
language.”
Matthew
Henry: The royal style which Nebuchadnezzar
makes use of has nothing in it of pomp or fancy, but is plain, short, and
unaffected. If at other times
he made use of great swelling words of vanity in his title, now he laid them
all aside; for he was old, he had lately recovered from a distraction which had
humbled and mortified him, and was now in the actual contemplation of God's
greatness and sovereignty. The declaration is directed not only to his own
subjects, but to all to whom this present writing shall come - to all people, nations, and languages, that
dwell in all the earth. He is not only willing that they should all hear
of it, though it carry the account of his own infamy (which perhaps none durst
have published if he had not done it himself, and therefore Daniel published
the original paper), but he strictly charges and commands all manner of persons
to take notice of it; for all are concerned, and it may be profitable to all.
The God Who Overrules
Labels:
Daniel
The Book of the
Prophet Daniel
“… some stopped the
mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire!” Hebrews 11:33, 34
Chapter 3:13-30 The
God Who Overrules
13. Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage
commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought
these men before the king.
14. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to
them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not
serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?
15. Now if you are ready when you hear
the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of
music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But
if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery
furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?"
16. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to
answer you in this matter.
17. If this be so, our God whom we serve
is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us
out of your hand, O king.
18. But if not, be it known to you, O
king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you
have set up."
19. Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with
fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually
heated.
20. And he ordered some of the mighty
men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into
the burning fiery furnace.
21. Then these men were bound in their
cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were
thrown into the burning fiery furnace.
22. Because the king's order was urgent
and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23.
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar
has constructed a costly and impressive idol and, from his high position over
the population, he expects immediate and total consecration to it. This is not
just an imaginative invention construed in the mind of the emperor; its
construction was inspired by a religious experience that shook him to the core
of his being. He is serious about this.
The Golden Superman Image
Labels:
Daniel
“some stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire!” Hebrews 11:33, 34
Chapter 3:1-12
1. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold,
whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the
plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2. Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to
gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the
treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the
provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had
set up.
3. Then the satraps, the prefects, and the
governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and
all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image
that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that
Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4. And the herald proclaimed aloud,
"You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,
5. that when you hear the sound of the
horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to
fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set
up.
6. And whoever does not fall down and
worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace."
7. Therefore, as soon as all the
peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and
every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and
worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
The Fourfold Image
Labels:
Daniel
The Book of the
Prophet Daniel
“… some stopped the
mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire!”
Hebrews 11:33, 34
Chapter 2:24-49 The Fourfold Image
24. Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch,
whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said
thus to him: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before
the king, and I will show the king the interpretation."
25. Then Arioch brought in Daniel before
the king in haste and said thus to him: "I have found among the exiles
from Judah a man who will make known to the king the
interpretation."
26. The king declared to Daniel, whose
name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream that I
have seen and its interpretation?"
27. Daniel answered the king and said,
"No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king
the mystery that the king has asked,
28. but there is a God in heaven who
reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in
the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are
these:
29. To you, O king, as you lay in bed
came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made
known to you what is to be.
30. But as for me, this mystery has been
revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living,
but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that
you may know the thoughts of your mind.
Who,
but God himself, could single out exceptional prayer warriors, among all the
great men of the Old Testament, who particularly had power before His throne in
prayer? Through Ezekiel, He mentioned only three… Noah, Job and Daniel
(Ezek.14:14,20). We have already learned of some of the amazing spiritual
qualities of this young man, Daniel. In the last lesson, we read of his
prudence and discretion.
The God Who Dwells with Flesh
Labels:
Daniel
The Book of the
Prophet Daniel
“… some stopped the
mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire!” Hebrews
11:33, 34
Chapter 2:1-23 The God Who Dwells with Flesh
1. In the second year of the reign of
Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his
sleep left him.
2. Then the king commanded that the magicians,
the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king
his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.
3. And the king said to them, "I had a
dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream."
4. Then the Chaldeans said to the king in
Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will
show the interpretation."
5. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans,
"The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and
its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be
laid in ruins.
6. But if you show the dream and its
interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor.
Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation."
7. They answered a second time and said,
"Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its
interpretation."
8. The king answered and said, "I know with
certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from
me is firm—
9.
if you do not make the dream
known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying
and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream,
and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation."
10. The Chaldeans answered the king and
said, "There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no
great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or
Chaldean.
11. The thing that the king asks is
difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling
is not with flesh."
12. Because of this the king was angry
and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be
destroyed.
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