Daniel 5:24-31 - “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
Proverbs 24:12 - If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?
Daniel 6:1-3 - It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
Application:
· Belshazzar was measured in the light of God’s standards
· God knows even my thoughts and motives
All Scripture verses taken from ESV
Monday, June 11, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Pride
Daniel 4:37 - Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Daniel 5:1-2 - King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.
Psalm 119:21 - You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments.
Daniel 1:2 - And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.
Application:
· The Lord is able to humble the proud and to exalt the humble
· The insolent are those who are law to themselves
· Judah was exiled to Babylonia because she disobeyed God’s Word
All Scripture verses taken from ESV
Daniel 5:1-2 - King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.
Psalm 119:21 - You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments.
Daniel 1:2 - And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.
Application:
· The Lord is able to humble the proud and to exalt the humble
· The insolent are those who are law to themselves
· Judah was exiled to Babylonia because she disobeyed God’s Word
All Scripture verses taken from ESV
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Pleases
Daniel 4:34-36 - At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me.
Psalm 115:3 - Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
Psalm 135:6 - Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
Job 42:10 - And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
Application:
· Do I confess that God does all that He pleases? Do I realize that the Lord is the true God?
· Do I fear and honor the gods worshiped by the nations?
· Do I pray for those who abuse me? Do I seek reconciliation no matter what my state?
All Scripture verses taken from ESV
Psalm 115:3 - Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
Psalm 135:6 - Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
Job 42:10 - And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
Application:
· Do I confess that God does all that He pleases? Do I realize that the Lord is the true God?
· Do I fear and honor the gods worshiped by the nations?
· Do I pray for those who abuse me? Do I seek reconciliation no matter what my state?
All Scripture verses taken from ESV
Majesty
Daniel 4:29-34 - At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws.
Habakkuk 2:4 - “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Daniel 2:44-45 - 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, 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.”
Luke 1:32-33 - He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Application:
· Do I rely on myself or God? Do I wait patiently for God’s plan to unfold? Do I believe that God will accomplish it? Do I trust in God and cling to His promises, even in the darkest days?
· The eternal kingdom of God will be built on the ruins of the sinful empires of man
· Although Christ’s role as Mediator will one day be finished, the kingdom of the Father and Son, as one, will never end
All Scripture verses taken from ESV
Habakkuk 2:4 - “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Daniel 2:44-45 - 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, 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.”
Luke 1:32-33 - He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Application:
· Do I rely on myself or God? Do I wait patiently for God’s plan to unfold? Do I believe that God will accomplish it? Do I trust in God and cling to His promises, even in the darkest days?
· The eternal kingdom of God will be built on the ruins of the sinful empires of man
· Although Christ’s role as Mediator will one day be finished, the kingdom of the Father and Son, as one, will never end
All Scripture verses taken from ESV
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Lengthening
Daniel 4:26-28 - And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.” All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
Proverbs 28:13 – Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Numbers 23:19 - God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
Application:
· Concealing my sin results in physical and psychological pain. Confessing and renouncing my sin results in joy
· All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar because he did not renounce his sins and wickedness, do what is right and be kind to the oppressed
· God’s faithfulness in general implies that His promises will also come to pass
All Scripture verses taken from ESV
Proverbs 28:13 – Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Numbers 23:19 - God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
Application:
· Concealing my sin results in physical and psychological pain. Confessing and renouncing my sin results in joy
· All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar because he did not renounce his sins and wickedness, do what is right and be kind to the oppressed
· God’s faithfulness in general implies that His promises will also come to pass
All Scripture verses taken from ESV
Monday, June 4, 2012
Acknowledge That The Most High Is Sovereign
Daniel 4:23-25,37 - And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will… Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Psalm 107:39-41 - When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks.
Application:
· Have I been allowed to prosper? Have I grown proud? I need to guard against turning my back on the God who has blessed me.
· The Most High rules the universe and human kingdoms and gives them to whom He wills
· Why should I praise, exalt and glorify God? Because EVERYTHING HE does is right and HIS ways are just
All Scripture verses taken from ESV
Psalm 107:39-41 - When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks.
Application:
· Have I been allowed to prosper? Have I grown proud? I need to guard against turning my back on the God who has blessed me.
· The Most High rules the universe and human kingdoms and gives them to whom He wills
· Why should I praise, exalt and glorify God? Because EVERYTHING HE does is right and HIS ways are just
All Scripture verses taken from ESV
Friday, June 1, 2012
Acknowledge That The Most High Is Sovereign
Daniel 3:29-30 – 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.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Daniel 4:1,23-25,28,37 - King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you!... And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will…All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar… Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Application:
· Do I acknowledge that God controls the universe and human kingdoms—and I do not?
· Nebuchadnezzar was punished because he did not renounce his sins and wickedness, do what was right, and be kind to the oppressed.
· The Lord is able to humble the proud and exalt the humble. Am I humbled by God’s grace? Do I confess God’s mercy?
All Scripture verses taken from ESV
Daniel 4:1,23-25,28,37 - King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you!... And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will…All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar… Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Application:
· Do I acknowledge that God controls the universe and human kingdoms—and I do not?
· Nebuchadnezzar was punished because he did not renounce his sins and wickedness, do what was right, and be kind to the oppressed.
· The Lord is able to humble the proud and exalt the humble. Am I humbled by God’s grace? Do I confess God’s mercy?
All Scripture verses taken from ESV
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