Nebuchadnezzar was considered the most powerful King of the Babylonian Empire.  Shrewd, intelligent, and ruthless; he marched the Babylonian empire into a successful reign of the region.  Babylon was felt to be a great seat of learning and culture.  The Assyrian Empire essentially fell when a Babylonian-Medea coalition overtook Nineveh.  The last Persian King tried to restore his power by making an alliance with Egypt (as did also Judah, despite Assyria overtaking Northern Israel).  Nebuchadnezzar conquered Egypt as well as Judah, making himself a great war hero.  Soon after he became King in his father’s place. But he was about to meet God.  Hence one all pursuing powerful God can transform the most wicked, if only their eyes open to the truth.  It may begin slowly, but step by step God presents His case even to King Nebuchadnezzar.

It is said that in his inaugural speech, Nebuchadnezzar gave tribute to Marduk (one of the false gods of their day.  He is quoted as saying, “O merciful Marduk, may the house that I have built endure forever, may I be satiated with its splendor, attain old age therein, with abundant offspring, and receive therein tribute of the kings of all regions, from all mankind.” (Kerrigan, 39)[1]  King Nebuchadnezzar was unaware that he was about to meet The All Pursuing, Powerful God-the great I AM, creator of the universe who allowed and orchestrated even King Nebuchadnezzar ability to rise to power.  Nothing can happen on earth, but God permissive will allows it and God will even use that which is evil to accomplish what He loves—the redemption of His own.

A First Glimpse of One ALL Pursuing Powerful God

In chapter 2 of Daniel, we find King Nebuchadnezzar very disturbed by a dream.  Yet, the details of the dream escape him, only the essence of its terror.  He calls in all his wisemen and magicians, asking them to tell him the dream and the interpretation.  When they said they could not do it, even on threat of death, they make a very important statement. 

“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.”  Daniel 2:11

But they did not know the real God who does dwell with man.

Therefore, it appeared that all would be put to death.  Well, but God had another plan.  Daniel asked the King to give him one day to ask God for the answer.  So, that night Daniel and his three friends (Hananiah, Mishel and Azariah) prayed all night and in the morning, Daniel knew the dream and the interpretation. That is what he presented to the King but not before having thanked God.

Daniel 2:20-23

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
    to whom belong wisdom and might.
²¹ He changes times and seasons;
    he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to those who have understanding;
²² he reveals deep and hidden things;
    he knows what is in the darkness,
    and the light dwells with him.
²³ To you, O God of my fathers,
    I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and might,
    and have now made known to me what we asked of you,
    for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

A Dream Revealed and Interpreted

But notice this, God had revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar the future of this world we live in.  Notice the detail and the accuracy to this point. 

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.  Daniel 2: 27-30

I encourage you to read the remainder of Chapter 2.

One All Powerful God who Reveals

If you look at the dates and times, remember God revealed this to King Nebuchadnezzar nearly 600 years before Christ.  There are many scriptures in the New Testament and later in Daniel that clarifies and gives even more detail regarding each of these periods.

But note the stone, not made by hand which will destroy all human empires. 

I PETER 2: 4-11

 ⁴ As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, ⁵ you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

⁷ So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”^[a]

⁸ and

“A stone of stumbling,
    and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

⁹ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 

We the church are that Kingdom who soon will be raptured and then we will return with Him to set up His Kingdom as shown in Daniel 2. 

Daniel 2: 44-45

⁴⁴ And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, ⁴⁵ just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

To this Nebuchadnezzar’s eyes saw the first glimpse of one all pursuing, all powerful God and he said.

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.”

But that was not enough to fully transform his heart, but it was a start.

HOW QUICKLY ONE FORGETS

Well, after all, Daniel did say that the head of gold was King Nebuchadnezzar.  He then made a statue of gold and put it on display, telling everyone to bow down and worship the statue.  Forgetting that it was God who allowed him the dream and the power, he wanted himself to be worshipped.  How quickly do people forget what God has done for them in answering even the prayers of unredeemed sinners.  He tries to draw them to Him, but they walk away. 

Then, he threw the three young men who refused to bow before the statue into a burning pit. 

Daniel 3:  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.^[c] 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.^[d] 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.”

One All Pursuing, all-powerful God gives the King a glimpse of Christ 

Daniel 3 ²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” ²⁵ He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”  The Son of GOD-Jesus was there with them.

Then one step nearer to believing, the King declares:

“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside^[f] the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.”

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

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DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[1] https://www.worldhistory.org/Nebuchadnezzar_II/  accessed 1/29/2022

            It was 1857. No embers from earlier church revivals .  The churches in the United States were dying and the USA was declining rapidly with them.  Conflicts over slavery saw a nation was violently divided. Spiritually, the people had walked away from God and as the time passed, all appeared to be heading for disaster. Furthermore, a huge influx of immigrants arrived while the United States was already heading toward financial hard times.  Financial Panic set in and financial devastation was just around the corner. There was one church in New York, that as a last stitch effort hired a lay man to begin visiting people door to door.  Having a compassion for people and a heart for Christ, Jeremy Lamphier was that one man.  But how can one man, stand strong transforming a nation defying all odds?

            His diligent attempts to grow the church failed. Then, he thought, prayer was needed.   He posted fliers throughout the city announcing a prayer meeting during the lunch hour for all who wished to stop by, beginning September 23, 1857.  When the day arrived, he placed 20 chairs in the 3^rd floor room and waited.  At first it appeared no one would come.  So, he sat and prayed alone.  Then, gradually one by one six men arrived. 

The following week there were 20 and then forty.  On October 10, 1857 the stock market crashed, banks closed, railroads went bankrupt, factories closed, and unemployment rose.  However, the numbers in the prayer meetings climbed to over 10,000 and spread throughout the nation and later around the world.  Revival came from one man who had the idea to simply meet to pray.   The civil war still came, life was hard.  Meanwhile, millions around the world came to know Christ as Savior, defying all odds.

One Man Standing Strong, Defying All Odds

In 605 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar made his first invasion into Jerusalem and took captive the “brightest and the smartest of the royal line” to train them, indoctrinate them and use them for his advantage.  Among these were Daniel.  To ascertain their willingness to bow down, he had them castrated, placed them among the eunuchs, and ordered their names be changed.  The new names were ones attached to pagan worship and pagan Gods, removing their own names which signified their faith in God.  Additionally, he commanded their food be that from his own table; knowing this would defy their religious practices.  In everything, he wanted them to become his puppets for political gain. 

Despite his youth, Daniel stood strong defying all odds and ultimately transforming a nation.  But part of that we will see later.  But what were the characteristics of this young man that we can learn from?  How are we to stand strong defying all odds so that we too can transform our nation?

Daniel 1:

³ Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family^[a] and of the nobility, ⁴ youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. ⁵ The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 

⁶ Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. ⁷ And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

Daniel’s Faithfulness

⁸ But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. ⁹ And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, ¹⁰ and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 

¹¹ Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ¹² “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” ¹⁴ So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. ¹⁵ At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. ¹⁶ So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

Defying All Odds by God’s Strength

¹⁷ As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom. Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. ¹⁸ At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ And the king spoke with them. And among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore, they stood before the king. ²⁰ And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.

How to Stand Strong, Defying All Odds, Transforming a Nation

1.  Trust God.  It begins with an unwavering faith; but that kind of faith comes as we ask for it.  Sometimes that means we go through trials.  As we see God work through our trials, our faith grows.
2. Prayer
3. Study to know more of Him
4. Determine to Follow God, regardless of how hard it may look at times.
5. Never forget, the victory already is ours

There have been no great revivals that were not started with at least one man praying fervently for this.  As we continue the study in Daniel, we will find that his secret was spending time with God in prayer.  He and his friends joined together in prayer as well and this was what gave them strength, faith, and hope. 

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

God’s Glory Revealed in Poetry

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DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

            God had been extremely long-suffering and patient with His people.  He displayed His Goodness to all of humanity.  Each time, they reached a point of no return in their depravity and their sin, He had no choice but to pour forth judgement.  Why?  Because humans tend to progress down paths of self-destruction, whether individually or nationally.  I cannot say that I am any different, were it not for God’s intervening hand of wrath and judgement in my life.  That has always been the loving merciful thing to do. Otherwise, I would not have come to realize just how wonderful it is to know Him.  He is the answer to every question that we have.  The climatic fulfillment of all my desires.  Furthermore, He is the Joy that nothing else can give.

            Because some of this is a very sensitive subject, let me begin by saying we do live in a broken world.  Desires, dreams, and hopes become so miscued, misdirected so easily.  Always feeling some gap of emptiness that we need to fill.  Our very Being and Existence depend on it.  Yet, every search for something new leads to a place of quiet desperation.  As Henry David Thoreau wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.”[1]

To quote C S. Lewis, “
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”

Most of my life, although a Christian, I kept searching for love and fulfillment; never realizing I already had it.  Much like God’s people whom He gave everything; yet they chased after other God’s and other pleasures.

So how is a Loving Merciful God provoked to display Wrath and Judgement?

Ezekiel through many parables, pictures and words tells us God was just and He had a wonderful reason.  So, as I often say in this day and time; God sometimes allows what He hates to accomplish what He loves.  His goal is to have a people upon whom He can lavish His love, fill with His joy, and share His glory. 

But for us to fully understand His Mercy, His Grace, His Justice and His Righteousness; it was necessary to allow us to see what the world would be without those things.  Hence evil is the absence of God.  Just as darkness is the absence of light.  Dark does not exist of its own.  It is the absence of light.  Evil is much the same it is the absence of God’s restraining hand.  Therefore, for us to understand righteousness, we must see what the lack of righteousness looks like in our own hearts.

So, what were the things God had to cleanse from the land before it destroyed them?

1.  Idolatry  –which God likened to their playing a harlot toward Him after He gave them everything

• They sacrificed their children–Ezekiel 16 ²⁰ Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter,²¹ That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?²² And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.²³ And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord God;) 

Ezekiel 23 further expounded on Why God’s Wrath and Judgement must come

³⁷ That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them. ³⁸ Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths. ³⁹ For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.

  They had forsaken the sanctity of life itself—God is the author of life for every person.  Yet have we not done the same in this nation? 

David wrote in Psalms 139

¹³ For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.^[a]
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.

¹⁹ Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
    O men of blood, depart from me!
²⁰ They speak against you with malicious intent;
    your enemies take your name in vain.^[b]
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
²² I hate them with complete hatred;
    I count them my enemies.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!^[c]
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting!^[d]

God’s Wrath and Judgement must come to cleanse

God allowed many trials in my life.  Perhaps I was a slow learner.  But each trial taught me more of Him.  Now I see how those were the things that transformed me so that I can live in His abiding steadfast Joy.  I do believe that this nation will face God’s Wrath and Judgement soon.  It must come before we destroy everything good that He has given us.  We like Israel and Judah are sacrificing our children on the altar of sexual desire, eroticism, and worldly pleasure. 

We have a duty to protect the children of this country who have now been under attack.  In the worship of sensuality and erotic nature, their innocence is under attack.  Trust me, I do remember the struggles for acceptance as a young girl.  Feelings as though I did not fit in; but that is part of transforming from a child dependent on one’s parents for everything as a baby to developing into maturity.  It is scary enough without people pressuring them or making them believe they were just made wrong.  WE must pray for and find ways to protect our children. 

[1] Thoreau, Henry David; Civil Disobedience and Other Essays

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

God’s Glory Revealed in Poetry

Previous

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.