Chapter Four
Victory Through True Humility And Worship
Now we come to chapter 4 of the Book of Daniel, and we shall study it with the one object of understanding the secret of an overcoming life. It seems to be God’s plane to call a few, prepare them and make them overcomers, and then use them to frustrate and defeat all the enemy’s devices.
God is not depending upon the multitudes to fulfill His great purposes. It is true that eternal life is a free gift offered by God ton all men, of whatever class they might be. If they are willing to repent of their sins and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as they’re as their own Sa vior, they will be forgiven and justified in His sigh. But if you want to be an over comer, you must be willing to be brought fully into His possession, and kept under His Lordship and Kingship in every small detail of your life and ministry.
Actually, in our hearts we rebel again and again against God and we do not allow Him to take full possession of our lives. As a result we often commit mistakes and suffer much loss. Yet we remain stubborn and rebellious and continue to resist the work of the Holy Spirit.
All this is illustrated by the life of King Nebuchadnezzar. It took him many years to understand the power and greatness of God. We read in verse 37 of this chapter, how he praises, extols and honors of heaven, but it took seven years of chastisement to learn this lesson.
Nebuchadnezzar knew that he was chosen by God to be an instrument of judgment upon the Jewish nation, and that this was the reason why he had been able to conquer Palestine and take all the Jews as captives to Babylon. He also knew that by himself he would not have been able to do it, yet, rather than give thanks to God for the honor He had given him, he became haughty and boastful. It may be the same with us. Perhaps God is using us in His service for the preaching of the Gospel and for the wining of souls. We know that we cannot do anything of ourselves, yet, rather than give glory to God; we become proud and begin to glory in ourselves.
Thus King Nebuchadnezzar said proudly: “I have accomplished all these things by my might” (v.30). How great was his blindness.
Even though God had spoken to him through signs and wonders, he remained totally blind.
On the first occasion Daniel had told the interpretation of the king’s forgotten dream, the latter had declared: “your God is a God of god’s (chap.2: 47). Yet after a few years we find him making a huge image of gold and commanding the people to worship it. At the root of all this is the desire for self-glorification. This is the cause of all the downfall of many men, including believers and God’s servants.
This self-glorification sometimes comes unknowingly and we begin to glory in the things we have done, and wish that people would praise us and honor us. We find even Christian Evangelists and magnified and glorified through photographs and exaggerated descriptions of their words and deeds. Many schemes are adopted to increase their reputation. Rather than glorify God they glorify man. Preachers themselves take pleasure in describing what they have done here and there and love to see their names mentioned in magazines and newspapers. This desire of men to seek their own glory seems to be a great danger, which comes from the world into the Church.
On the second occasion, when the three young men emerged unharmed from the fiery furnace, the King had said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who hath sent His angel, and delivered His servants that trusted Him… because there is no other God who can deliver after this sort” (Dan. 3:28,29). Only for the time being he glorified God, but soon after, began to glorify himself again. He was still blind.
Now in chapter4, for the third time God was speaking to King Nebuchadnezzar and warning him through a dream. He saw in his dream a huge tree reaching almost to the sky. Its branches were spread out, its foliage was beautiful and its fruit was abundant. All kinds beasts and birds were resting under it and on it. All this meant that he was a prosperous King. It is very hard to understand God’s patience with men. They fail Him and grieve Him so often, yet He is long-suffering towards them. Although the King would not acknowledge the living God as his God, yet God allowed him to be prosperous.
In many cases, the same prosperity becomes the cause of pride. More prosperity brings more pride. Men become slaves to prosperity, and with a desire to continue in it, they are ready to please and honor men rather than God. This increases their blindness. Even believers fall into this snare of pleasing men, and then they are not willing to obey the full counsel of God. We read of such people in John 12.42,43; “ Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess Him. Lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Now in his dreams Nebuchadnezzar heard these words: “ hew down the tree, and cut off its branches” (v. 14). When a tree is cut down, the leaves will fade away and its branches will become dry. God was saying to him,” O king, your kingdom which you see now so glorious will one day fade away like this tree”.
One would think that hearing all this Nebuchadnezzar would have repented, but he did not. We read: “ at the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The King spoke, and said: “ is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?” (Vs.29, 30). Rather than glory in God, he glorified in himself. The warning given to him was in vain, he had become utterly blind.
When we fail to honor God, we also become spiritually blind. Times of worship are helpful in preventing this condition. When we cut short this time of worship and fail to thank Him sufficiently for all that He has done for us, we will not be able to enjoy His fellowship filly any more. We may read the bible and attend meetings, but we will not be able to enjoy God’s presence. Some people, who realize the spiritual dryness in their lives, blame the preachers. Sometimes they are indeed to blame, but do not blame them alone. It may be you have failed in sufficiently giving thanks and worship to God, and that is why you are unable to enjoy His presence.
May the Lord help us to honor God, and glory in Him alone.
Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar in plain language that if he did not repent he would be cut off like the tree, which he had seen in his dream. Even though he was such a mighty King he would be driven from men, his dwelling would be with beasts of the field, and he would have to eat grass like the oxen (Vs. 24 25). Daniel advised the King to break off his sin and iniquities, and then there might be some hope for him.
In spite of all this Nebuchadnezzar did not repent. After twelve months had passed, it happened to him exactly as Daniel had said. What a severe chastisement it was! This is the third time it is recorded that God spoke to him. God must have spoken to him in many other ways too. Somehow he would not accept God’s message. When he heard it he said: “This is God’s message. There is nothing like it”. But soon after, in his heart he again became foolish, stubborn and blind. This third time God waited for twelve months after warning him. Since he would not heed the warning, God had to drive him out like a beast into the jungle and he wandered there like a mad man. Has nails began to grow and he ate grass like an ox. Thus God’s word was literally fulfilled and this mighty king wandered in the jungle for seven years until he himself realized that he had become like a beast.
He had said proudly, “ see my kingdom, my buildings and my works”, but he had not realized that before God he was like an animal, and had no wisdom. Animals might be very strong, but they have no wisdom. Sinful men are just like that before God, because they cannot understand eternal values. Strength or education is nothing before God and men are only like beasts before him.
By the King eating grass his true nature was being expressed and exposed. It showed that he had no taste for heavenly food, and was longing for things of fading glory like grass. As long as you have the old sinful nature, you too are like a beast.
Even after we have been born again the Devil will try to carry us away from the position in which God has placed us. The lord wanted this King to be His partner in punishing the children of Israel, but the King misused his privilege and dealt with the Israelites cruelty.
The Lord wants all who are born again to be coworkers and partners with Him. If we are overcomers this will be fulfilled in us and we will become God’s instruments to execute His judgments. We will be given authority to judge even angels (I Cor. 6:3). When God begins to judge kings and other powers, He will make us partners in that judgment also.
Sometime when a judge has to try a difficult case he will appoint a jury. This jury will consist of men of position and experience. They will sit near the judge in the court, and before the judge brings his verdict, He will invite their opinion. Now God knows full well how to punish the angels and other powers. God knows all that they have done and all that they deserve. On the other hand we know practically nothing. We ourselves have disobeyed and displeased God many times. Yet God wants us to be His Co-workers in judging these angels and other powers. Eventually, we are going to reign with Him. We read in rev 20:4, “ I saw thrones and they sat upon them”. There was not one throne only, but many. These are reserved for the overcomers will first become partners with God in his judgment, and then they will reign with Him.
A great privilege was given to King Nebuchadnezzar, but he misused it and incurred the displeasure of God. The devil also tried to carry us away from the position of privilege and responsibility in which God has placed us.
After Nebuchadnezzar had learnt that lesson, and had his kingdom returned to him, he said, “ I was established in my kingdom and an excellent majesty was added unto me”. Before this he had taken pride in earthly glories, which will pass away, not considering that they can abide only for a short time, but after he had received it back from the Lord, he began to honor and glorify Him.
We think, naturally, that by exalting ourselves we will get more glory. But the simple divine law is this, “ Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matt.23: 12). Although we know this and have read it in the bible many times, yet we love to exalt ourselves.
Whenever we go, when we are not given honor and praise we fell hurt. When people praise us and say nice things about us, we fell happy over it for many days, and fell very proud, this is the natural way. But the divine law is that only by humbling ourselves will we be exalted, if we are overcomers, we will know how to humble ourselves.
Nebuchadnezzar had to become like a beast before he could learn that lesson of humbling himself. From the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream (Chap.2), till the time when he learnt to extol and honor the ling of heaven (Chap 4:37), it is reckoned to e about forty-seven years. So many years it took for him to learn to extol the true God. Do not be like Nebuchadnezzar. Do not wait till you are chastised. Do not wait till you become like a beast. It is better to give all the glory to the Lord and extol Him at every opportunity. This is the secret of an overcoming life. You must be able to extol God by your words, by the testimony of your life, and by your ministry. Refuse to be honored by men. Run away from people, which flatter you and magnify you.
There seems to be a real danger in this matter especially in European countries. When they arrange campaigns or special meetings, they display large posters extolling the speaker. They put his picture on handbills, which are full of his praise. They prepare calendars and bookmarks with his photographs; I have heard even good people glorifying men unknowingly. They think this is the best way to dray crowds to the meetings. But they forget that our God is a jealous God. He will not allow His glory to be given to another.
Now let us note these words spoken by Nebuchadnezzar to Daniel “ no secret troubleth” (4:8,9). Daniel is a type of the over comer. They will not be anxious, or troubled, or worried about any new thing, even if it is something they cannot understand at the moment.
We may perhaps find some things around us during these days, which are beyond our understanding. In the end days especially, we will see many signs and wonders happening, which are not if the Lord, and which we are not able to explain adequately. But if we are overcomers we will not be afraid, because we will have full confidence that in his own way, in His own time, God will tell us the meaning and the interpretation of it all (Amos 3:7).
The lord Jesus has promised us that we are His friends (John 15:15); we can really become His friends when we trust Him and talk to Him freely. Then He will surely reveal every secret to us at the right time, there is no need for us to worry before that time, and this is the secret. You should remain humble and at every opportunity extol, magnify and glorify our Lord, knowing how great He is. Go not depend upon your own human wisdom, which is beast-like wisdom. Believe from your heart that human glory will soon pass away. In all humility thank God for the honor He has given to you to serve Him and for the joy to see the fruit of your labor. It is by His grace alone you are what you are. (I Cor. 15:9,10). There is one more lesson before we close our meditation on this chapter. Nebuchadnezzar should have been severely punished for behaving so proudly in spite of repeated warnings. But the Lord was very patient towards him because at one time he had yielded himself to be an instrument in his hand to punish the Jews. God never forgets what we do for Him. All our labor will be amply rewarded. It is only when a man refuses to humble himself, even after every chance, which the Lord gives him, that he will be cast away. May the Lord save us from all these pitfalls and lake us true overcomers.