Daniel 2 (Pt 4)

Daniel 2:46 -47 (ESV)

[46] Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. [47] The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”

 

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had a dream that disturbed him. It so disturbed him that to make sure he had the correct interpretation, on threat of death he required the wise men to tell him the dream first and then the interpretation. God revealed the dream and its interpretation to Daniel, who then went to the king. Daniel’s prayer, before revealing the interpretation, included these words, God “changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Dan 2:21). The king’s response after hearing the interpretation was, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery” (Dan 2:47).

 

In the dream God revealed that after Nebuchadnezzar there would be three more kingdoms. Each kingdom would be lesser in value. The final kingdom would be destroyed by the Kingdom of God. Historically that proved true. The Persians followed Nebuchadnezzar. The Greeks eventually conquered Persia. The Romans came next. During their reign Jesus came to say, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Mt 4:17). Thirty-one times Jesus refers to the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew. Where Jesus is, there is the Kingdom.

 

Why did God reveal this to Nebuchadnezzar? There may be many reasons. Only God knows the mind of God. There is, at the very least, one primary reason for the revelation. God was demonstrating to Babylon, and to the Jews in captivity, that the world was not out of control. God sets up kings and he brings down kings. He set Babylon in power. He would replace Babylon with Persia. That happens at the end of chapter 5. He would replace Persia with Greece, who would be replaced by Rome, who would be destroyed by the Kingdom of God. Even though the People of God were in exile, their temple destroyed, and their capital city in ruins, God was in control.

 

It seems that we are so fickle that when anything bad happens we say, “Where is God?” God never stops being God. He has gone nowhere. We are so me centered that we lose the big picture. When President George W. Bush on in the White House, God was in charge. When President Obama was in the White House, God was in charge. With President Trump in the White House, God is in charge. Whoever the next president will be cannot change the fact that God is in charge. As Daniel said, “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings” (Dan 2:21). As Nebuchadnezzar said, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings” (Dan 2:47). As Paul wrote in Romans 13:1, “There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” That was written when Nero was Emperor. As a friend recently pointed out, Nero’s wickedness and immorality makes our politicians look like Sunday School children. Despite Nero’s depravity, Paul still wrote, “There is no authority except from God.”

 

I have been disturbed recently by the attitude of some Christians. The disrespectful, angry, violent, vile things they have to say about some of our politicians makes me wonder if they really believe Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, and Paul. I have not approved of all that our presidents and governors have done, but I am called to respect them and to recognize that they are there by the hand of God. I can trust him to accomplish his purpose. It may not be comfortable. It may not be a future I would choose. It may not be a president or governor I like. But God never stops being God. It is time we started living as though that is true.