Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another;yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty,and glory, and honor: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom hewould he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and hisdwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven;
till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. (Daniel 5:17-21)
Recently I pointed out that:
The Book of Daniel is necessary to understanding the time line of human existence on Planet Earth. If God is in charge of Planet Earth then the evolutionists and the planners for a one-world government know about as much as the Babylonian wizards. The Book of Daniel is a square pill for the intelligentsia! Also, if you believe the book of Daniel, you are in the way of the clowns who want a productive and peaceful world full of love and cooperation—without God.
Daniel was not ugly or profane in addressing foolish king, Belshazzar. He just got to the point in giving him a brief rundown of the facts before he gave him the really bad news. There are still some people around today who are as committed as the prophet Daniel in knowing the truth and telling the truth where it may cost them everything. What people may never understand is the difficult place the man is in who stands for God.
A few times in my life I have heard a man preach like he really enjoyed telling people they were going to hell. That's not good. Not good at all. Sometimes I suppose a preacher may become so frustrated and fed up with the stubborn people he is forced to deal with that he likes to have the upper hand on "these rebels." Moses experienced that.
And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
(11) And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. (Numbers 20:9-12)
We know that Moses didn't lose his salvation, because he shows up with Elijah on the mountain where Jesus went to pray: And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elijah: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:30-31).
We must assume that God didn't get people out of hell to appear with Jesus and Elijah on this special occasion on the Mount of Transfiguration.
As for Elijah, you remember that he was not quite like your average parson. From some kind of holy motive he hacked up 450 of Queen Jezebel's Prophets of Baal and put them in the dry bed of the brook Kishon so their bodies would wash out to sea during the heavy rain that was about to come upon them. And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there (1Kings 18:40).
Different time—different place.
Today we are instructed: And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; (2Timothy 2:24-25).
A few times I have wished some of the people I have dealt with would join the prophets of Baal in the Kishon brook to be washed out to sea. Terrible! And then I remember the above verse and remember that I was so evil that it took the blood and death of the Jewish Christ to cleanse my miserable soul, and then I can forget the striving and get back to being gentle and patient.
I believe the reason why God put this story in the Book of Daniel is so that it could be told all over the world for many centuries. The man who truly believes he has God's backing doesn't have to lose his temper. It is enough that God Almighty has spoken of what He is going to do when men spurn His love and offer of forgiveness. The book of Hebrews says It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).
Truly, God knew what was about to happen to this arrogant rebel, Belshazzar, so there was no hope of his falling to the floor in a flood of tears and begging God's forgiveness. It wasn't going to happen. No, we are able to read what Old Daniel the Prophet said to him for the benefit of some who may not have tried God's patience that far and who have not used up all of the grace of God toward them in saving their soul.
There does come that last day when the Holy Spirit will never draw again. The last day. Time to die. … it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27).
If it is not your time, my time—to die today, you may talk to someone for whom this is the last day. I've done this several times and it is sobering. It's too bad when Christians are so selfish and self-centered that the only thing they want from others is to be well thought of. Because of this they never risk their peaceful relationship to mention that there's an eternity out there and that their friends are going to Heaven or to Hell.
Old Daniel laid it out for Belshazzar who was about to die and laid it out for anyone who hears or reads his words for this doomed monarch.
…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2Corinthians 6:2)
Memory Verse for this week:
(1Th 4:13)But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (1Th 4:13) (See 1Th 4:13-18).
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