WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:05.379 Well, amen to that. And good morning. I just had my welcome to each and every one of you. 00:00:05.600 --> 00:00:10.300 It's brilliant to see you. It's brilliant to be here this morning and to be able to open up Daniel 00:00:10.300 --> 00:00:15.200 again. And we're in chapter four. And thank you, Hannah, for reading that. It was a long passage. 00:00:16.820 --> 00:00:21.240 But hopefully this morning we'll unpack it a little bit. There's lots to learn from this 00:00:21.240 --> 00:00:25.780 section that we have read. And really this morning, we're going to see that the proud 00:00:25.780 --> 00:00:33.780 are brought low and that conversely the humble are raised up. I've got a clicker in my pocket, 00:00:34.060 --> 00:00:41.359 so I'll be better getting that out. So just to get our minds thinking, I used to play rugby at school. 00:00:42.040 --> 00:00:45.840 Now you might think, ah, you're six foot. You must have been okay. But when I was at school, 00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:52.159 we lined up in fourth year and I was fourth from the end in height. And I don't mean tallest. I 00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:57.899 mean smallest. I was four foot nothing. And when I played rugby at fourth year, we started playing 00:00:57.899 --> 00:01:02.719 against fourth, fifth and sixth years. So there was a big range of ages. And I felt like this guy. 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:08.219 Not the guy on the right, but the guy on the left. And that's what I felt like. You know, 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:14.239 I was tiny and I was terrified of tackling. And so we were going through this and my dad, 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:20.359 he quite wisely told me, he said, you know what? Don't worry about it. Because the bigger they are, 00:01:20.359 --> 00:01:26.939 the harder they fall. I know he had a point, didn't he? He had a point. Because big guys like that, 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:32.420 if you can get them down, they do fall hard because they've got all that weight and momentum and height 00:01:32.420 --> 00:01:38.420 to fall. It didn't help my tackling or anything, but there we are. It's true. And you know, maybe 00:01:38.420 --> 00:01:45.120 sport's not your thing, right? But in the economic world and economists, they talk about a phrase, 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:51.420 it's too big to fail. Sometimes banks or businesses that are just so rooted in our economy, 00:01:52.020 --> 00:01:58.460 oh, they're too big to fail. Well, we know that's not the case, don't we? The 2008 banking crisis 00:01:58.460 --> 00:02:06.040 caused by big companies really being complacent and making poor decisions. And it caused terrible 00:02:06.040 --> 00:02:14.060 turmoil to the world economy. Well, this morning, we will see that the king of the world at the time, 00:02:14.060 --> 00:02:19.960 the most powerful, the biggest, he was brought low and he was brought low by God. 00:02:22.340 --> 00:02:25.920 So let's just have a recap. You might not have been here the last few weeks. Also, 00:02:26.020 --> 00:02:30.400 our minds are weak, so we forget, don't we? So we're in Daniel. This is what the world looks like. 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:39.259 The pink section is what Babylon is in control of. So it's the Babylonian empire. It's about 600 BC, 00:02:39.259 --> 00:02:47.219 so about 2,600 years ago. And the Babylonians, they are the rulers of the world. They are in charge. 00:02:48.719 --> 00:02:53.159 And Daniel has been a really interesting read. You know, in chapters one to six, we kind of have 00:02:53.159 --> 00:02:58.120 these stories. I think Archie described them as the sort of, you know, the kids club stories, 00:02:58.180 --> 00:03:03.219 aren't they? They're the ones that we can remember from our youth. And then in seven to 12, you have 00:03:03.219 --> 00:03:11.759 these visions. And these visions happen during these stories in chapters one to six. And so far 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:17.680 in chapter one, the Babylonians, they invaded from their capital across the map there to Jerusalem. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:25.979 And they took these exiles out and they forced them to conform into their society. But Daniel and his 00:03:25.979 --> 00:03:31.020 friends, they resisted and they were, they were honored by God. They were exalted because of their 00:03:31.020 --> 00:03:36.560 faithfulness. In chapter two, Daniel, he interprets Nebuchadnezzar's first dream. 00:03:38.760 --> 00:03:44.300 He was given wisdom by God. And basically that episode pointed to the fact that there was a king 00:03:44.300 --> 00:03:50.020 of kings coming in the future, a king of kings who wasn't like the powerless nations, the powerless 00:03:50.020 --> 00:03:57.260 king who was in charge at the time. But because of what Daniel did, he again was promoted. And 00:03:57.259 --> 00:04:04.859 Nebuchadnezzar actually praises Daniel's God. And then in chapter three last week, Archie, he took us 00:04:04.859 --> 00:04:11.459 through Daniel's friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. That was names given by the Babylonians 00:04:11.459 --> 00:04:17.379 to them. And once again, they were delivered by God out of that fiery furnace because of their 00:04:17.379 --> 00:04:26.180 faithfulness. God stepped in. And once again, Nebuchadnezzar, he promotes them and he praises 00:04:26.180 --> 00:04:32.659 their God. And then we have a bit of a time gap before chapter four, where we end up this morning. 00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:38.920 Then here we are. And how we're going to look at it, we're going to see the proud brought low, 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:42.579 first of all. That's going to be our main section, the proud brought low. 00:04:42.579 --> 00:04:49.300 And then we're going to see at the end, the humble raised up and the fact that through all this, 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:54.599 God is glorified. So let's look at the proud brought low. 00:04:56.639 --> 00:05:02.399 So in here, verse one, King Nebuchadnezzar, he is speaking to the world. Now he is doing so in the 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:08.579 language of the world. It was Aramaic. Someone else mentioned that chapter one is actually written 00:05:08.579 --> 00:05:14.399 in Hebrew and so is eight to 12, but these middle chapters are written in Aramaic. It was accessible. 00:05:14.579 --> 00:05:21.919 It was what the world spoke. And what we see there is that King Nebuchadnezzar, he actually wants the 00:05:21.919 --> 00:05:28.139 world to hear this story. Now that might be surprising considering the content, but we'll look at that a 00:05:28.139 --> 00:05:34.779 little bit later. So in verse four, Nebuchadnezzar, he is speaking and he is admitting, he says, I am 00:05:34.779 --> 00:05:42.079 comfortable. He is rich. He's lazing around in his palace. He's the king of great nation of Babylon. 00:05:43.039 --> 00:05:51.179 He is on top of the world and he has a dream. So what, right? We all have dreams, don't we? 00:05:51.899 --> 00:05:58.839 Who's had a nightmare recently or a dream? Don't be shy. Hands up. Yeah. Who consulted a magician? 00:05:58.839 --> 00:06:08.339 Nobody? An astrologer? What about an exile from Jerusalem? Nobody? No, I didn't think so. This is 00:06:08.339 --> 00:06:13.719 weird for us, isn't it? But you know, in the context, dreams, they were so important in that culture, 00:06:14.219 --> 00:06:21.659 especially for the king. The king's dreams were seen as shadows of events to come. And this is why all 00:06:21.659 --> 00:06:26.739 these people that they were employed to try and interpret these dreams, to find out what they meant. 00:06:26.740 --> 00:06:34.019 And the purpose of that was that so the king could act. He could save his kingdom or he could save himself. 00:06:35.319 --> 00:06:40.340 So that was why this was so important. And this was why it left him so worried. 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:47.400 We see once again, like chapter two, that all the other people here are hopeless. 00:06:47.399 --> 00:06:55.560 God isn't with them. And so they can't, or maybe they won't, interpret the dream. 00:06:57.399 --> 00:07:01.819 Now, just to this point, I want to define what I, you know, what I mean in God, I mean the God of Israel, 00:07:01.959 --> 00:07:07.179 God of the Bible, the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I just want to make that clear, 00:07:07.239 --> 00:07:13.539 because in this, I'm very conscious that in this chapter in the book, there is God mentioned here, 00:07:13.540 --> 00:07:22.300 the holy gods, various terms like that. But when I say God, I mean God of Israel, the almighty God 00:07:22.300 --> 00:07:28.700 in heaven that we read about in the Bible. So God is not with them, but he is with Daniel. 00:07:29.640 --> 00:07:34.360 Daniel, he is told the dream. Why Nebuchadnezzar didn't go straight to him in the first place, 00:07:34.400 --> 00:07:41.240 I have no idea. Because Nebuchadnezzar knows, in verse 18 and 19, that Nebuchadnezzar, 00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:49.740 that Daniel can interpret. And we see in those verses in 18 and 19, that Daniel is terrified. 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:54.180 He's terrified of the consequences of the dream, because he knows exactly what it means. 00:07:55.120 --> 00:08:00.480 But Nebuchadnezzar says, Belteshazzar, that was Daniel's name that he'd been given. He says, come on, 00:08:01.180 --> 00:08:09.960 tell me. You know, he was given that wisdom by God. You know, I also think he was just braver. 00:08:09.959 --> 00:08:15.539 He was looking out for the king. Potentially, the other magicians and all of those people, 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:21.620 potentially they knew the interpretation. If you read it, it's actually not particularly veiled. 00:08:21.879 --> 00:08:27.039 It's kind of obvious. But maybe they were scared to say what was going to happen to the king. 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:31.899 But Daniel, he wasn't. He was willing to speak the truth, even though it hurt. 00:08:31.899 --> 00:08:37.059 And even though he might, the king might not have liked what he was saying. 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:43.679 So let's go through the dream a little bit. I'm going to do it from the second half of the book, 00:08:43.740 --> 00:08:44.759 where it's the interpretation. 00:08:46.019 --> 00:08:50.860 So in verse 20, we have this great tree. This is an artist's impression of what it might look like. 00:08:50.860 --> 00:08:57.360 A great massive tree. Now in the Bible, trees are often used as a picture of a kingdom. 00:08:58.039 --> 00:09:03.759 The Lord Jesus himself, he talks about his kingdom being like the tree which starts from a mustard seed. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:07.759 And this tree is massive. It is beautiful. 00:09:08.800 --> 00:09:11.580 It expands. It reaches to the top of the sky. 00:09:12.600 --> 00:09:15.740 All the living things live under it and are sustained by it. 00:09:15.740 --> 00:09:19.000 We have a bit of Tower of Babel imagery here, don't we? 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:22.899 Reaching for the sky. That man-made tower that the people tried to build. 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:25.960 And yet we know what happened to that. 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:30.019 In verse 22, Daniel is explicit. 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:33.340 You are that tree, King Nebuchadnezzar. 00:09:34.740 --> 00:09:36.039 So far, so good, right? 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:37.580 Nebuchadnezzar is probably sitting there. 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:39.799 This is going well. This is all true. 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:45.659 But in verse 23, the messenger comes and tells of the felling of that tree. 00:09:46.500 --> 00:09:50.320 And once again, it might look a little bit like this. 00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:54.460 Nebuchadnezzar will be brought low. 00:09:56.360 --> 00:10:02.139 He will become like an animal, we read, until he finally submits to God. 00:10:04.539 --> 00:10:08.759 In verse 27, Daniel, having interpreted, he urges Nebuchadnezzar. 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:15.000 He says, King, renounce your sins by doing what is right, 00:10:15.700 --> 00:10:18.340 and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:22.179 It may be that then your prosperity will continue. 00:10:24.899 --> 00:10:27.120 Nebuchadnezzar, he is the ruler of the world at the time. 00:10:27.220 --> 00:10:28.340 He is on top. 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:30.740 King over nations and lands. 00:10:31.139 --> 00:10:32.659 He has the power and the wealth. 00:10:32.659 --> 00:10:34.899 He lives in the biggest palace. 00:10:36.039 --> 00:10:38.459 He has all of the nations under him. 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:42.299 But he is a cruel and a harsh ruler. 00:10:43.659 --> 00:10:44.639 And Daniel knows that. 00:10:45.860 --> 00:10:49.360 Nebuchadnezzar has killed many, invaded lands, taken their people, 00:10:49.740 --> 00:10:54.699 killed many, ruthless to his enemies in how he lives. 00:10:54.700 --> 00:11:01.400 And Daniel calls him out and says, you need to renounce your sins. 00:11:03.860 --> 00:11:08.180 But we see in verse 28 and 29 that 12 months pass. 00:11:09.320 --> 00:11:10.560 A whole year passes. 00:11:11.800 --> 00:11:14.240 Now Daniel's advice, it's either just ignored, 00:11:15.379 --> 00:11:19.860 or maybe Nebuchadnezzar forgets about this whole dream in this episode. 00:11:19.860 --> 00:11:24.840 You know, I think that he just thinks in his heart that I am too big to fail. 00:11:25.960 --> 00:11:27.159 I'm too big to fail. 00:11:27.240 --> 00:11:27.720 Look at me. 00:11:29.659 --> 00:11:32.220 I won't be felled like the tree. 00:11:33.620 --> 00:11:35.600 And so we can picture the scene, can't we? 00:11:36.659 --> 00:11:39.120 That we see in verse 30. 00:11:40.980 --> 00:11:42.039 Nebuchadnezzar, you can picture it. 00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:45.580 This is an impression of what Babylon would have looked like at the time. 00:11:46.500 --> 00:11:49.500 The gardens were actually one of the ancient wonders of the world. 00:11:49.500 --> 00:11:51.080 This would have been a beautiful place. 00:11:51.480 --> 00:11:52.519 And you can imagine, can't you? 00:11:52.860 --> 00:11:56.360 Nebuchadnezzar strolling out, maybe in a nice morning, looking around. 00:11:56.879 --> 00:11:57.720 All that's his. 00:11:59.259 --> 00:12:02.039 And you can imagine these words coming out of his mouth, can't you? 00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:02.659 Let's read them. 00:12:03.580 --> 00:12:08.320 Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, 00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:11.600 by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty? 00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:18.399 You know, I don't think I've heard such a prideful sentence as that. 00:12:19.820 --> 00:12:21.539 His heart is so full of pride. 00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:22.240 It's look at me. 00:12:22.340 --> 00:12:23.279 Look what I have done. 00:12:25.639 --> 00:12:28.200 And there's a famous phrase, isn't there? 00:12:28.259 --> 00:12:29.879 Pride comes before a fall. 00:12:29.879 --> 00:12:34.980 And these things are common language for us for a reason. 00:12:36.139 --> 00:12:39.879 I don't know if you've ever said something and it's instantly come back to bite you. 00:12:40.840 --> 00:12:43.179 Once again, apologies for the sporting illustration, 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:45.080 but that's just where my mind goes with these things. 00:12:45.240 --> 00:12:47.259 It's sometimes called the commentator's curse. 00:12:47.259 --> 00:12:51.419 So there'll be a player of a sport and they'll be playing really well, 00:12:51.500 --> 00:12:52.600 having the game of their life. 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:56.600 And the commentator will go, oh, this player, he's just so good. 00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:00.659 He's going on to great things just as he smashes the ball into his own net. 00:13:01.480 --> 00:13:03.039 It's called the commentator's curse. 00:13:03.319 --> 00:13:06.120 As soon as it's out of your mouth, it just something happens. 00:13:06.439 --> 00:13:07.539 Straight back to bite. 00:13:09.100 --> 00:13:10.340 Well, that's what happens here. 00:13:10.340 --> 00:13:13.379 We have this immediate response from God. 00:13:13.560 --> 00:13:15.980 A voice came from heaven in verse 31. 00:13:19.200 --> 00:13:21.620 Nebuchadnezzar, he has called out for his pride. 00:13:22.700 --> 00:13:24.340 What a shock he would have got. 00:13:24.680 --> 00:13:26.080 That rhetorical question. 00:13:26.800 --> 00:13:28.019 And he actually got an answer. 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:31.780 God has had enough. 00:13:32.540 --> 00:13:33.700 He has waited a year. 00:13:35.800 --> 00:13:37.800 Patiently, in great mercy, 00:13:37.799 --> 00:13:40.799 God has waited for Nebuchadnezzar to repent, 00:13:41.099 --> 00:13:43.639 to heed the call of Daniel, 00:13:44.819 --> 00:13:46.620 to renounce his sins, 00:13:46.759 --> 00:13:47.919 but it never came. 00:13:48.059 --> 00:13:48.819 It never happened. 00:13:50.899 --> 00:13:53.179 Likewise, God is merciful to us. 00:13:55.079 --> 00:13:57.359 He is patient and he gives us time. 00:13:58.179 --> 00:13:59.759 So please heed the warning. 00:14:01.059 --> 00:14:03.039 For here, Nebuchadnezzar, it was too late. 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:08.059 So we end with this bizarre situation 00:14:08.059 --> 00:14:10.539 and William Blake drew this. 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:13.919 I'm sure there's artistic license in there, 00:14:14.019 --> 00:14:15.319 but it gives us an idea, doesn't it? 00:14:15.899 --> 00:14:18.339 King Nebuchadnezzar, king of that great palace, 00:14:18.459 --> 00:14:20.620 that great nation, the map that we saw, 00:14:21.339 --> 00:14:23.019 he ends up living like an ox. 00:14:23.879 --> 00:14:25.339 You know, there's actually a medical term 00:14:25.339 --> 00:14:26.519 called Boanthropy, 00:14:26.599 --> 00:14:28.379 which I've learned about in these last couple of weeks. 00:14:28.379 --> 00:14:32.980 And it is where someone believes that they are an ox 00:14:32.980 --> 00:14:34.379 and so lives like it. 00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:39.460 Nebuchadnezzar, he was brought from such heights. 00:14:39.620 --> 00:14:40.500 Picture the palace. 00:14:42.259 --> 00:14:44.820 In such worldly terms, such heights 00:14:44.820 --> 00:14:46.600 and yet to such lows. 00:14:46.759 --> 00:14:47.240 Look at that. 00:14:48.659 --> 00:14:51.700 The bigger they are, the harder they fall. 00:14:53.539 --> 00:14:55.820 And this went on for seven years. 00:14:55.820 --> 00:14:59.340 We get that from verse 32, where it says seven times. 00:15:00.620 --> 00:15:03.100 That's not, some people wouldn't think that would be the case, 00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:05.120 but he reigned for 43 years, 00:15:05.220 --> 00:15:07.300 so it's very plausible that it was seven years. 00:15:07.900 --> 00:15:11.160 And what we do know is that his hair grows to a great length 00:15:11.160 --> 00:15:13.080 and his nails become like talons. 00:15:13.180 --> 00:15:14.320 You might be able to see them there. 00:15:15.020 --> 00:15:17.100 So it's definitely a great length of time 00:15:17.100 --> 00:15:19.200 Nebuchadnezzar lived like this. 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:23.860 Once again in Daniel here, 00:15:23.940 --> 00:15:26.100 we see that God is actually in control. 00:15:26.900 --> 00:15:28.100 God is the main character. 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:30.280 Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel, 00:15:30.500 --> 00:15:32.640 they might seem as the main characters, 00:15:32.820 --> 00:15:35.460 but God is pulling the strings behind the scenes. 00:15:36.780 --> 00:15:39.660 The most powerful is brought down to this embarrassing, 00:15:39.900 --> 00:15:43.740 the shameful state due to his selfish ambition and his pride. 00:15:43.740 --> 00:15:47.440 The God of justice, he gave fair warning, 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:52.200 but it wasn't heeded, so fulfillment came, judgment came. 00:15:53.779 --> 00:15:55.720 Nebuchadnezzar, he can have no excuses, can he? 00:15:59.659 --> 00:16:03.080 You know, Nebuchadnezzar's pride, it was plain for everyone to see. 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:05.000 I think if you knew him, it would have been obvious. 00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:07.019 He was a prideful man. 00:16:07.820 --> 00:16:09.460 You know, maybe ours is less so. 00:16:09.460 --> 00:16:12.000 We're not world leaders or public figures. 00:16:13.400 --> 00:16:16.820 I think a lot of it is based to what Archie was talking about last week, 00:16:17.180 --> 00:16:19.160 about conforming to society. 00:16:22.200 --> 00:16:25.259 Our pride is often linked with what other people think about us, 00:16:25.680 --> 00:16:28.360 trying to be someone or something that we're not. 00:16:29.160 --> 00:16:31.700 And we're trying to do that for the sake of what others think. 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:35.600 It's tied up with our identity, our self-reliance. 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:39.100 You know, in the modern world, 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:41.940 it's often the celebrities that come crashing down, isn't it? 00:16:42.100 --> 00:16:42.680 We know that. 00:16:42.820 --> 00:16:45.860 We could think of many examples that have happened 00:16:45.860 --> 00:16:47.100 in just the last few years. 00:16:47.680 --> 00:16:49.340 Their image is completely shattered 00:16:49.340 --> 00:16:52.180 due to something that they have done, 00:16:52.300 --> 00:16:53.320 something that they have said, 00:16:53.379 --> 00:16:55.940 or just something that they are associated with. 00:16:57.680 --> 00:17:00.980 And if our life is built upon what others think of us, 00:17:01.980 --> 00:17:04.220 then it can just be taken away in an instant. 00:17:04.220 --> 00:17:08.460 You know, in the world of TikTok, Instagram, 00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:12.299 this perfection that people put out there for everyone to see. 00:17:15.299 --> 00:17:17.319 Well, this is all a problem of pride, 00:17:17.860 --> 00:17:19.940 and it is something that can go like that. 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:24.140 Our pride, it might be in our work. 00:17:24.839 --> 00:17:26.460 It might be in our body image. 00:17:27.019 --> 00:17:28.220 It might be in our film knowledge. 00:17:29.019 --> 00:17:29.660 It could be anything. 00:17:29.779 --> 00:17:31.120 It'll be different for each one of us, 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:34.559 but we all, to some degree, have a problem with pride. 00:17:36.699 --> 00:17:37.839 You know, why does it matter? 00:17:38.359 --> 00:17:38.939 Why does it matter? 00:17:39.059 --> 00:17:40.219 Why does pride matter? 00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:43.739 Well, it inhibits our relationship with God. 00:17:44.759 --> 00:17:47.379 It's putting something else first. 00:17:47.380 --> 00:17:51.980 Okay, last week we had the fiery furnace, 00:17:52.380 --> 00:17:54.240 and Nebuchadnezzar, he's sitting in front of it, 00:17:54.620 --> 00:17:56.660 watching these three men get chucked in. 00:17:57.440 --> 00:17:59.580 And next minute he sees a fourth man, 00:18:00.280 --> 00:18:03.540 and then they walk out, and they are untouched. 00:18:04.600 --> 00:18:07.760 Can you imagine seeing the miracle of the fiery furnace, 00:18:08.320 --> 00:18:12.180 and not throwing yourself 100% towards that God that saved them? 00:18:12.820 --> 00:18:13.660 Can you imagine that? 00:18:14.519 --> 00:18:14.980 I can. 00:18:15.019 --> 00:18:15.759 It seems crazy. 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:18.300 But as Archie pointed out, 00:18:18.800 --> 00:18:21.660 Nebuchadnezzar, he has conviction that God is powerful, 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:25.900 that Daniel and his friends, God, is worthy of praise. 00:18:27.019 --> 00:18:30.040 But he hasn't put everything aside to praise and worship him. 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:33.560 The problem with Nebuchadnezzar was his heart. 00:18:33.640 --> 00:18:34.960 It was so full of pride. 00:18:35.600 --> 00:18:37.640 If he did that, then he would have to admit 00:18:37.640 --> 00:18:40.200 that he, in fact, was not the one that was in control. 00:18:41.820 --> 00:18:42.500 Is that you? 00:18:42.500 --> 00:18:44.579 Is that you? 00:18:44.660 --> 00:18:46.259 Do you say, I'm okay, I don't need God. 00:18:46.440 --> 00:18:47.460 I'm okay on my own. 00:18:50.220 --> 00:18:53.420 Our relationship with God, it needs to be personal for each one of us. 00:18:54.359 --> 00:18:56.559 Nebuchadnezzar, he knew about God. 00:18:56.680 --> 00:18:58.799 He knew people who believed in God. 00:18:58.920 --> 00:18:59.779 He promoted them. 00:18:59.900 --> 00:19:00.619 He liked them. 00:19:01.339 --> 00:19:02.180 That wasn't enough. 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:06.539 God requires that commitment, a personal relationship. 00:19:06.539 --> 00:19:12.420 So if you're sitting there today thinking, I'm okay on my own, 00:19:12.980 --> 00:19:15.180 let me just assure you that that's not true. 00:19:17.639 --> 00:19:19.960 Now just before we move on to the second section, 00:19:20.159 --> 00:19:22.279 just a side note, I think it's really important to see 00:19:22.279 --> 00:19:26.039 because in verse 17, the messenger explicitly says 00:19:26.039 --> 00:19:30.079 that the point of these events is to see that God is sovereign in everything. 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:32.960 And so we're not to miss that point. 00:19:33.859 --> 00:19:35.839 And there's this pattern throughout the Old Testament 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:40.079 of kingdoms coming into place, kings getting put in place, 00:19:40.179 --> 00:19:42.559 having power, and then that getting taken away again, 00:19:42.639 --> 00:19:43.859 and then someone else coming in. 00:19:44.339 --> 00:19:46.839 And we see that throughout the Old Testament. 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:50.139 That's why it's great to study these Old Testament books. 00:19:50.140 --> 00:19:54.700 It made me think of the old chorus, 00:19:54.860 --> 00:19:57.259 kingdoms may rise, kingdoms may fall. 00:19:58.840 --> 00:19:59.820 And the line in that says, 00:19:59.960 --> 00:20:02.100 nations refuse to hear God's call, 00:20:02.700 --> 00:20:05.259 but the word of the Lord endureth forevermore. 00:20:07.420 --> 00:20:09.020 You know, the truth to these things, 00:20:09.080 --> 00:20:10.920 it gives us peace in today's world. 00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:16.140 We see the SNP leadership going to pot to a degree. 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:18.520 We see the UK government as a mess 00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:20.740 with many different prime ministers coming in and out, 00:20:20.839 --> 00:20:22.539 and then potentially, you know, 00:20:22.579 --> 00:20:24.339 maybe labor are going to come in next time. 00:20:24.379 --> 00:20:25.700 And we see all this turmoil. 00:20:26.579 --> 00:20:27.819 We look out of the world, 00:20:27.859 --> 00:20:31.339 and we see oppressive leaders doing horrible things to people. 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:36.059 You know, these things, quite rightly, they shock us. 00:20:37.660 --> 00:20:39.299 And we are quite right to pray for them. 00:20:39.980 --> 00:20:43.039 You know, we can also have a peace that God is sovereign over all. 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:46.139 And with the hindsight of history, 00:20:46.139 --> 00:20:47.279 we can see these things. 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:49.359 At the time, Daniel would have been thinking, 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:51.460 God, what is going on here? 00:20:52.059 --> 00:20:53.480 Why is these things happening? 00:20:54.920 --> 00:20:57.660 But us looking back with that perspective, 00:20:57.799 --> 00:21:00.539 we can see that God was in fact in control the whole time. 00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:04.980 So our second section, 00:21:05.139 --> 00:21:06.440 and as I say, you'll be glad to know, 00:21:06.680 --> 00:21:08.339 the next two are much shorter. 00:21:09.579 --> 00:21:11.240 The humble raised up. 00:21:11.240 --> 00:21:13.620 So Nebuchadnezzar, 00:21:13.620 --> 00:21:15.740 he is raised up as promised. 00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:18.460 I, Nebuchadnezzar, 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:20.339 raised my eyes toward heaven, 00:21:20.500 --> 00:21:22.519 and my sanity was restored. 00:21:24.599 --> 00:21:25.700 Maggie must have known, 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:26.839 she's joined us this morning, 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:28.299 in the pews. 00:21:28.759 --> 00:21:30.339 She must have known I was going to talk about it, 00:21:30.359 --> 00:21:30.920 because at the moment, 00:21:31.019 --> 00:21:33.480 she's trying to pull herself up onto the sofa, 00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:34.339 or whatever it is, 00:21:34.380 --> 00:21:36.839 and she tries to shuffle along and walk. 00:21:36.839 --> 00:21:37.579 And you know, 00:21:37.639 --> 00:21:39.819 she's just that age where she'll fall down a lot, 00:21:40.500 --> 00:21:42.039 but she gets back up again, 00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:42.519 doesn't she? 00:21:43.899 --> 00:21:44.919 I get knocked down, 00:21:45.159 --> 00:21:46.019 but I get up again. 00:21:46.179 --> 00:21:47.099 I'll not sing it for you. 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:49.799 But that's what happens here. 00:21:50.699 --> 00:21:51.899 Nebuchadnezzar is down, 00:21:52.099 --> 00:21:54.000 literally crawling on his haunches. 00:21:55.439 --> 00:21:56.659 By the end of the time, 00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:58.079 his sanity was restored. 00:21:59.259 --> 00:22:00.859 He looks up to heaven. 00:22:01.319 --> 00:22:02.679 He humbles himself. 00:22:02.680 --> 00:22:03.940 My mind, 00:22:04.019 --> 00:22:04.880 it went to the Israelites, 00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:06.940 who look up at that serpent on a pole, 00:22:07.860 --> 00:22:08.660 to be saved. 00:22:09.799 --> 00:22:11.460 Nebuchadnezzar looks towards God. 00:22:12.120 --> 00:22:13.539 He was humbled by God, 00:22:13.580 --> 00:22:15.039 and then he humbled himself. 00:22:17.220 --> 00:22:18.880 And we see in verse 36, 00:22:18.980 --> 00:22:22.600 that he actually is raised to a greater position than before. 00:22:24.420 --> 00:22:25.400 God judged, 00:22:26.060 --> 00:22:28.900 but he also fulfilled that promise of restoration. 00:22:30.779 --> 00:22:30.960 You know, 00:22:31.019 --> 00:22:31.340 Daniel, 00:22:31.500 --> 00:22:32.500 it means his name, 00:22:32.500 --> 00:22:34.380 it means God is my judge. 00:22:36.779 --> 00:22:38.079 But God kept his promises, 00:22:38.940 --> 00:22:42.460 and he'll keep his promises to us. 00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:45.099 But we need to do our part. 00:22:46.259 --> 00:22:48.900 The whole point of Daniel is to look forward, 00:22:49.240 --> 00:22:50.779 is to look forward to a time when 00:22:50.779 --> 00:22:53.579 God's kingdom would be established forever. 00:22:55.160 --> 00:22:56.220 Not a weak, 00:22:56.559 --> 00:22:57.039 temporary, 00:22:57.299 --> 00:22:58.079 earthly kingdom 00:22:58.079 --> 00:22:58.579 kingdom, 00:22:58.579 --> 00:23:00.980 with someone in charge, 00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:02.480 who is corrupt. 00:23:06.679 --> 00:23:08.339 The original readers of this, 00:23:08.419 --> 00:23:10.179 they would be looking forward to that kingdom, 00:23:10.740 --> 00:23:12.519 that perfect kingdom that was coming. 00:23:13.559 --> 00:23:14.059 And Jesus, 00:23:14.179 --> 00:23:16.240 he fulfilled these things through his earthly coming. 00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:18.440 His life, 00:23:18.519 --> 00:23:19.279 his death, 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:20.220 his resurrection, 00:23:20.440 --> 00:23:21.980 and his ascension back to heaven. 00:23:23.779 --> 00:23:27.039 He established a kingdom unlike anyone had ever seen before, 00:23:27.160 --> 00:23:29.319 that anyone had even thought of could be possible. 00:23:29.859 --> 00:23:31.940 And that was why the Jewish leaders rejected him. 00:23:32.500 --> 00:23:35.180 This was not the kingdom or the king that they thought they were getting. 00:23:35.180 --> 00:23:37.920 It was the upside down kingdom. 00:23:39.600 --> 00:23:43.080 Christ was in fact the opposite type of king to Nebuchadnezzar. 00:23:44.620 --> 00:23:45.500 Jesus Christ, 00:23:45.600 --> 00:23:49.340 he did the work that allows that personal relationship that is required, 00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:51.759 so that our sin problem, 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:53.539 not just our pride problem, 00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:55.140 but our whole sin problem, 00:23:56.140 --> 00:23:57.920 could be dealt with once and for all. 00:23:59.460 --> 00:24:00.680 So like Nebuchadnezzar, 00:24:00.740 --> 00:24:02.299 we've got to put ourselves to the side. 00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:05.140 Admit that we are in fact, 00:24:05.620 --> 00:24:06.140 impotent, 00:24:06.700 --> 00:24:09.279 and throw ourselves fully to the God who can save. 00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:16.539 We see throughout Daniel that those who humble themselves in faithfulness to God, 00:24:16.700 --> 00:24:17.039 Daniel, 00:24:17.220 --> 00:24:17.820 his friends, 00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:18.620 Nebuchadnezzar, 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:21.100 are actually raised up and honored. 00:24:22.759 --> 00:24:23.880 Daniel in verse nine, 00:24:23.980 --> 00:24:25.900 it says that he is chief of the magicians. 00:24:27.340 --> 00:24:28.880 Don't actually know what that means, 00:24:28.980 --> 00:24:30.960 but he is in a powerful position. 00:24:31.120 --> 00:24:34.400 That would have been a big honor to hold. 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:38.100 And his friends have been promoted and are raised up as well. 00:24:38.099 --> 00:24:46.399 God has raised them up in earthly terms because of their faithfulness, 00:24:46.619 --> 00:24:48.740 because of what they did for him. 00:24:49.859 --> 00:24:52.139 But he did so for his own purposes. 00:24:52.519 --> 00:24:54.839 They were used in the position that they were in. 00:24:54.839 --> 00:24:57.559 You know, 00:24:57.599 --> 00:25:00.539 this isn't a promise that God is going to raise us up in this life. 00:25:00.699 --> 00:25:01.159 That is no, 00:25:01.220 --> 00:25:02.279 there's no promise there. 00:25:03.099 --> 00:25:05.659 But God will certainly raise us up in the life to come. 00:25:05.740 --> 00:25:06.559 That is a promise. 00:25:06.559 --> 00:25:07.559 Jesus. 00:25:07.559 --> 00:25:08.559 Jesus. 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:09.559 Jesus. 00:25:09.559 --> 00:25:12.179 He was the ultimate example of humility. 00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:14.879 He washed the disciples feet. 00:25:15.559 --> 00:25:19.379 He talked with those who society just wanted nothing to do with, 00:25:19.879 --> 00:25:23.159 but he had the ultimate humility of going to the cross, 00:25:23.700 --> 00:25:24.519 bearing the shame. 00:25:26.299 --> 00:25:27.779 He did so for us. 00:25:27.779 --> 00:25:29.740 Likewise, 00:25:30.039 --> 00:25:30.579 he was honored. 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:34.579 He was raised up again to life and sits at the right hand of the father on high 00:25:34.579 --> 00:25:36.879 for glory and for praise. 00:25:38.599 --> 00:25:42.099 So if we are Christians and let's follow Daniel's example, 00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:44.220 Daniel's friend's example, 00:25:44.779 --> 00:25:48.220 but ultimately Jesus's example of humility, 00:25:49.099 --> 00:25:51.039 remembering God's promises are kept. 00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:53.839 And finally, 00:25:53.940 --> 00:25:57.539 we see through all these events that God is glorified. 00:25:58.519 --> 00:25:59.000 Nebuchadnezzar, 00:25:59.079 --> 00:26:00.639 he is a changed man. 00:26:02.220 --> 00:26:04.759 He praised the most high in verse 34. 00:26:05.019 --> 00:26:07.720 I honored and glorified him who lives forever. 00:26:08.639 --> 00:26:10.599 This is Nebuchadnezzar saying these words. 00:26:11.819 --> 00:26:12.119 You often, 00:26:12.379 --> 00:26:18.639 the passages sort of 34 to 35 and the passage at the start as well, 00:26:19.259 --> 00:26:19.379 you know, 00:26:19.380 --> 00:26:21.700 these actually read to me like a Psalm, 00:26:22.060 --> 00:26:23.220 like a Psalm of David, 00:26:23.520 --> 00:26:25.120 but these were Nebuchadnezzar's words. 00:26:26.920 --> 00:26:28.300 We had the transformer, 00:26:28.500 --> 00:26:28.800 didn't we? 00:26:29.540 --> 00:26:34.220 Pete always seems to put things in that are so helpful when I'm speaking to refer back to later. 00:26:35.500 --> 00:26:38.180 Nebuchadnezzar can be transformed by God and so can anyone. 00:26:39.860 --> 00:26:40.300 Saul, 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:41.240 as mentioned, 00:26:41.400 --> 00:26:43.800 he was converted on that road. 00:26:44.860 --> 00:26:47.540 If Saul can be transformed by God, 00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:48.480 then so can anyone. 00:26:49.380 --> 00:26:53.480 Nebuchadnezzar, 00:26:53.520 --> 00:26:56.780 he now knows his place in comparison to God. 00:26:57.460 --> 00:26:58.860 I praise the most high. 00:26:58.980 --> 00:27:01.120 I honored and glorified him who lives forever. 00:27:01.940 --> 00:27:03.840 His dominion is an eternal dominion. 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:06.580 His kingdom endures from generation to generation. 00:27:06.579 --> 00:27:10.079 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. 00:27:10.779 --> 00:27:14.919 He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. 00:27:15.559 --> 00:27:17.980 No one can hold back his hand or say to him, 00:27:18.059 --> 00:27:18.919 what have you done? 00:27:22.439 --> 00:27:22.839 Nebuchadnezzar, 00:27:22.899 --> 00:27:24.419 he is still the ruler of the world. 00:27:24.500 --> 00:27:26.000 He's being put back in that place, 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:30.500 but he is glorifying God in that position that he is in. 00:27:31.299 --> 00:27:32.200 And that is the key. 00:27:32.279 --> 00:27:34.220 No matter where we find ourselves in life, 00:27:34.680 --> 00:27:35.700 we might be at the top, 00:27:36.220 --> 00:27:37.420 we might be at the bottom, 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:39.599 or we might be somewhere in between. 00:27:39.599 --> 00:27:44.980 But we are to bring praise to God for who he is and what he has done, 00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:46.959 no matter where we find ourselves. 00:27:47.459 --> 00:27:47.919 Daniel, 00:27:48.019 --> 00:27:49.679 he started in the kingdom down here, 00:27:50.439 --> 00:27:51.059 an exile. 00:27:52.059 --> 00:27:57.299 He might not have been chosen to carry on in that event that happened, 00:27:57.819 --> 00:28:00.139 but he ends up somewhere near the top. 00:28:00.140 --> 00:28:01.980 Nebuchadnezzar, 00:28:01.980 --> 00:28:03.020 Nebuchadnezzar, 00:28:03.080 --> 00:28:06.200 he has understood God and who he truly is. 00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:08.620 He says these words in verse 37, 00:28:10.560 --> 00:28:15.080 everything he does is right and all his ways are just. 00:28:17.100 --> 00:28:19.920 That's the man who just spent seven years as an ox. 00:28:22.380 --> 00:28:25.960 Everything he does is right and all his ways are just. 00:28:26.820 --> 00:28:26.960 Now, 00:28:27.020 --> 00:28:28.720 if Nebuchadnezzar can say that about God, 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:31.039 then what a challenge to us in times of difficulty. 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:36.200 All his ways are just. 00:28:38.819 --> 00:28:39.259 Finally, 00:28:40.140 --> 00:28:42.160 he says this, 00:28:42.259 --> 00:28:43.900 start at the beginning in verse 3, 00:28:44.339 --> 00:28:47.059 in his call for the nations to hear these words, 00:28:47.160 --> 00:28:48.819 to hear the story and to respond. 00:28:49.900 --> 00:28:53.440 He says that his kingdom is an eternal kingdom. 00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:56.740 His dominion endures from generation to generation. 00:28:56.740 --> 00:29:00.500 Nebuchadnezzar here is proclaiming this news, 00:29:00.620 --> 00:29:01.720 despite the content, 00:29:02.120 --> 00:29:05.059 despite the fact that this story shows him living like an ox 00:29:05.059 --> 00:29:06.099 in that embarrassing, 00:29:07.240 --> 00:29:08.120 shameful state. 00:29:09.620 --> 00:29:11.599 He is proclaiming to the nations 00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:14.059 that this is God. 00:29:15.420 --> 00:29:16.420 This is God. 00:29:16.420 --> 00:29:18.640 And that is our call too. 00:29:18.900 --> 00:29:19.080 You know, 00:29:19.100 --> 00:29:21.420 we have the best news to share as Christians. 00:29:22.860 --> 00:29:24.440 We have got the best news ever. 00:29:24.740 --> 00:29:28.240 And it is our call to proclaim that to anyone who will listen. 00:29:30.740 --> 00:29:32.060 Let's finish with the words of this, 00:29:32.200 --> 00:29:34.980 the chorus that kingdoms may rise, 00:29:35.080 --> 00:29:35.880 kingdoms may fall. 00:29:35.880 --> 00:29:37.660 It carries on like this. 00:29:38.280 --> 00:29:40.200 Things that we love last for a day, 00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:42.520 but in the morning fade away. 00:29:43.740 --> 00:29:45.380 Take God at his promise. 00:29:46.220 --> 00:29:47.840 Put your faith in Christ. 00:29:48.440 --> 00:29:51.700 Trust him for salvation and eternal life. 00:29:51.700 --> 00:29:55.460 Let me just pray. 00:29:55.840 --> 00:29:58.019 And then we're going to look at some questions on the screen. 00:29:58.700 --> 00:29:59.960 We can just think about them. 00:30:00.120 --> 00:30:02.140 Or if you want to scan it, 00:30:02.200 --> 00:30:03.840 you can put your answers in as well. 00:30:04.420 --> 00:30:06.180 Let me just pray about these things. 00:30:07.620 --> 00:30:07.759 God, 00:30:07.799 --> 00:30:07.980 Father, 00:30:08.059 --> 00:30:09.080 just thank you for your goodness. 00:30:09.600 --> 00:30:10.700 Thank you for your word. 00:30:12.600 --> 00:30:15.200 Thank you that you have established a kingdom through Jesus 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:17.100 that is forever and ever. 00:30:20.580 --> 00:30:21.819 That is untainted. 00:30:22.779 --> 00:30:25.480 And that all your ways are just. 00:30:26.440 --> 00:30:27.460 We thank you for these things. 00:30:27.559 --> 00:30:31.000 We pray that the truth of these things will sink into our hearts 00:30:31.000 --> 00:30:32.559 over the course of today and this week. 00:30:33.080 --> 00:30:35.799 And that we will be encouraged and challenged by what we have heard. 00:30:36.740 --> 00:30:38.059 We pray these things in Jesus' name. 00:30:38.940 --> 00:30:39.240 Amen.