The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 5:1-31 (day seven)  

“That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.” vs 30

This was not a Seal Team 6 type of operation where a small band of militants swoop in unannounced and eliminate their target. This was a full out war to take over the kingdom. In order for this to have happened that same night, the Persians would have been camped just outside the walls of Babylon preparing for battle while the “king” was throwing a party inside his palace. Whether it be a false sense of security in the strength of Babylon or an attempt at pleasure prior to destruction, Belshazzar was not leading his people well.

God has entrusted each of us with leadership. You may not think of yourself as a leader, but you lead families, coworkers, businesses, classrooms, etc.  In a day where an enemy of fear and uncertainty are camped outside our walls, how are you leading your people? How are you instilling hope and courage?

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 5:1-31 (day six)

Though sorrow may last for the night, joy comes in the morning! -King David, Psalm 30:5

On the eve of Babylon’s destruction (the Persians just walked into Babylon without a fight) the king had a drunken party with his rich and powerful friends; debaucherous worship of the gods of gold, silver, iron, and wood. Adding fuel to fire they willfully drank and ate from vessels normally used for special offerings in God’s temple in Jerusalem. It was the proverbial fist to heaven, the height of wickedness.

They were partying as if everything was just fine. It wasn’t fine. Nothing was fine. God’s hand of judgment was literally knocking on the front gate.

I certainly don’t think any of us are acting as if everything is “just fine;” we are not oblivious to the suffering existing in our world, especially now in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we can forget that human suffering comes at the hands of our own sin, wickedness (personal, national, and global) and brokenness.

As we approach Easter, let us lament our sin and brokenness. Look what it has done.

And then let us rejoice! For we have a God not content to leave us where we are but forgives us and redeems us from our pit!

“What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”– Paul, Romans 7:24-25

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 5:1-31 (day five)

“Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.”

Belshazzar commits a sin that is not uncommon these days- idolatry. There was the obvious idolatry (misusing holy vessels) and there was subtle idolatry too. Belshazzar doesn’t deny the existence of Yahweh, but in using the gold vessels to drink to the Babylonian gods, he declares Yahweh subservient to the Babylonian gods.

We have the same tendency in 2020. We acknowledge/worship God on Sunday’s, yet the rest of the week we exalt the gods of sports, money, family, and pleasure- placing God alongside these other things. God has harsh words for those that do this… ““I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” Isaiah‬ ‭42:8

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 5:1-31 (day four) 

It is easy to see why Belshazzar might have thought it was a good idea to mock the God of the Hebrews.  When one nation was conquered by another (Israel conquered by Babylon), it was commonly believed that the conquering nation’s god was more powerful than the other nation’s god.  The concept that a powerful god would allow his people to lose was foreign to them.  That a sovereign God would use another nation (pagan) to discipline His people and turn them back to Him just did not compute.

Have you ever heard the phrase or question, “Why would a loving God allow bad things to happen to good people?”  Wrong question…it should be a ‘what’ question.  “What is God doing or teaching me through His activity?”  The Sovereign God uses the events of our lives to draw us close to Him.  A relationship with the personal, sovereign God is a prerequisite to understanding the truth of our circumstances.  Are we asking the right questions?

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 5:1-31 (day three)

“Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin”

When God sees that a person can still hear him, he’s going to speak. And he spoke to Belshazzar. Actually, he sent the king an engraved invitation to pay attention to God, something Belshazzar had decidedly not done during his reign. As Aaron pointed out in yesterday’s post, Belshazzar had been keenly aware of God’s past activity, and of the particular necessity to wield power by God’s wise counsel. But Belshazzar didn’t steward power, he drank it. The kind of sophisticated and elegant communication such as dreams by which God spoke to Nebuchadnezzar apparently didn’t give Belshazzar pause, so finally God spelled it out plainly for him: Your kingdom is now at an end. Even when the news is bad, even when one has willfully rejected God, God will pursue until the last lamp goes out.

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 5:1-31 (day two)

Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. vs. 3

Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them…vs. 22-23

We know little of Belshazzar as he grew up under his father Nebuchadnezzar, but we do know from Daniel that we has aware of his father’s rise and fall. His story should serve as a cautionary tale for all of us then in light of how we behave when given authority. It is one thing to witness someone abuse privilege and swear that we would never behave in a manner like that, only to be placed in power and fall into the same traps. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Will power is not enough to stave off the demons of our past or those we inherit. It is only complete reliance on Christ for strength and hope that we are able to put those tendencies to the side.

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 4:1-37 (day seven)

“Therefore […] break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor.” vs 27

He had the advice. He knew what to do. All King Nebuchadnezzar had to do was repent and humble himself before the Lord. Instead, he attempted to raise himself up to the level of God and boast in his own accomplishments. He did not realize his errors until he had hit rock bottom. Once he finally realized his insignificance, he was able to humble himself and acknowledge that God was in control.

We know the advice. We know what to do. Even more than Nebuchadnezzar, we have all the tools and information to know that it is God who is in control, but we still seek our own power and our own accomplishments for selfish gain. We often wait until it is too late to set our pride aside. Repentance is freeing. Don’t wait until you hit rock bottom. We need to be a repentant people.

Repent. Witness. Disciple. Even in quarantine!

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 4:1-37 (day six)

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Psalm 67:4

Why bother telling Nebuchadnezzar’s story at all? I believe God is painting two pictures in these first four chapters, detailing a complex relationship between a king and four faithful Hebrew men. The first is of God’s providence in all of human history; there is no earthly kingdom or king greater than Daniel’s God. The second is of God guiding every nation, tribe and tongue into eternal gladness.

That’s what we begin to see in Nebuchadnezzar’s story, a glimmer of hope for every nation. His story will be their story.

In Babylon God used four Hebrew men, today He uses His church. What they did for Nebuchadnezzar, we now do for the whole world.

“All authority, in heaven and earth, has been given to me. Now go make disciples of every nation…” -Jesus

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 4:1-37 (day five) 

“Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him.”

We have seen (in previous chapters) Daniel’s devotion to God bear the fruit of courage, trust, discipline, and perseverance. In chapter 4 we see another evidence of a vibrant relationship with God- love. It is Daniel’s love for Nebuchadnezzar that caused the emotions of being perplexed and terrified. I don’t think he was terrified of the king. I think he was terrified for the king. It was love for the king that motivated Daniel to tell him the truth about his dream- hoping the king would repent and avoid consequences. It was Daniel’s love for God that fostered a genuine love and concern for the  king (the king even recognizes it).

We would do well to have that same kind of love and regard for those who don’t have a relationship with God through Christ, even if they mistreat us or others.  This goes for our leaders (no matter how good or bad we think they are). We should pray for them. We should care about their souls and their circumstances.

Loving God empowers us to love others.