In the book of Daniel, we see three crucial matters: God’s heavenly rule (the heavens rule!), the preeminence of Christ, and the destiny apportioned by God for His people (especially Israel).
God has an economy, a plan, and in His economy, He administrates the universe to fulfill His purpose, which is to make Christ preeminent in all things (Col. 1:18). God administrates the kingdoms and the kings so that He may gain a people who cooperate with Him and coordinate with Him for His purpose.
As those who have been chosen by God to be His people for Christ’s preeminence, we are under God’s heavenly rule for the purpose of making Christ preeminent.
Today we have the privilege to be one with the Lord and allow Him to operate in us and around us so that everything may work together for good as we love God (Rom. 8:28-29) – to the end that Christ would be preeminent in us. What a privilege, what an honor, and what an uplifted view of our human life on earth today!
But as we read in Daniel 4 and 5, even though king Nebuchadnezzar saw a vision of the great human image and realized that God is in control, he didn’t humble himself but rather became proud of his achievements, and God came in to judge him and reduce him to nothing. Also, his descendant Belshazzar didn’t learn the lessons from his father Nebuchadnezzar to not offend God but rather honor Him, and he was terminated in one night.
Among the mess in the highest levels of the kingdom of Babylon, we see that Daniel and his companions lived an overcoming life, being victorious and standing for God in the midst of a degraded and perverted generation. Today we want to take a closer look at Daniel 4 and 5 and learn some spiritual lessons together.
Being Victorious over the Covering that Hinders People from Seeing the Ruling of the Heavens by the God of the Heavens
In Daniel 4 we see that God warned Nebuchadnezzar to repent and be humbled before God, because the heavens rule. But the king ignored this warning and was rather filled with pride, and came thus under God’s judgement (see Dan. 4:26, 30, 37; Prov. 16:18; 1 Pet. 5:5).
One day he was walking on the roof of his palace and he looked at all his achievements and accomplishments, and pride filled him; as soon as he uttered his proud words, judgement was pronounced on him and he became like a beast.
Unlike the king, Daniel and his companions were clear about this, being victorious over the covering that hinders people from seeing the ruling of the heavens by the God of the heavens.
No matter what the Lord did for us or what we have achieved, both physically or spiritually, we should humble ourselves before God and never be proud. Pride leads to a great fall, and pride makes us the top fool! Pride ushers in God’s judgement, and He will reduce us to nothing if we become proud.
Nebuchadnezzar was judged by God for a period of time, until he could say, “All the inhabitants of earth are considered as nothing, but He does according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants on earth; and there is no one who can resist His hand or say to Him, what are You doing?” (Dan. 4:35)
We as God’s people need to see that we have been chosen by God to be His people for Christ’s preeminence, and we are under God’s heavenly rule for the purpose of making Christ preeminent in all things (Dan. 4:18, 23-26, 30-32; Rom. 8:28-29; Col. 1:18b; 2 Cor. 10:13, 18; Jer. 9:23-24).
We should be very careful about boasting in any success we had (especially spiritual success) – as soon as we boast, we may be abased. If we had any spiritual success, it is the Lord’s mercy – it’s nothing of us.
If we boast in our spiritual success, this will result in abasement. We need to humble ourselves before God and give Christ the preeminence in all things.
Being Victorious over the Ignorance Concerning the Result of the Debauchery before God and the Insult to His Holiness
In Daniel 5 we see Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s descendant and king of Babylon, who did not take heed to nor learn from his father’s mistake and experience.
He was more proud than his father, even taking the vessels that were for God’s worship in His holy temple at Jerusalem and using them to drink and eat before his idols at his party (Dan. 5:4).
He had a party for 1000 of his lords, and he brought out the vessels his father took from the temple of God, and he worshiped his idols. Belshazzar did this without any fear of God and in complete debauchery, insulting His holiness. He should have learned from his father’s experience to be serious with God.
We need to not disregard any inherited spiritual lesson and be serious with God. We need to be careful not to consider what we have achieved so as to become proud. We don’t rest in our victories and successes, but we pursue Christ to gain Him more, and we forget the things behind, stretching forward to gain more Christ.
If we have received some lesson from God, we need to regard it very seriously, or else we will suffer. Belshazzar did not regard the lesson learned by his father, and in that very night he was killed (according to the prophecy made by Daniel, who interpreted the writing of the hand that appeared and wrote on the wall).
Because Belshazzar disregarded his forerunner’s experience and lessons learned, that very night the head of gold of the great human image (the Babylonian Empire) was over, and the Medo-Persian empire began.
In contrast with Belshazzar, Daniel had an excellent spirit and knowledge and insight, and he had the interpretation of dreams, the declaring of riddles, and the solving of problems (see Dan. 5:12).
He overcame the ignorance concerning the result of the debauchery before God and the insult to His holiness, and he honored the God of the heavens, being fully submitted to Him and one with Him.
Our Breath is in God’s Hands – Honor Him!
Daniel’s interpretation of the writing of the hand on the wall in front of king Belshazzar really touched me, especially the sentence, “But the God in whose hand is your breath and to whom all your ways belong, you have not honored.” (Dan. 5:23)
We think that if we achieve something or have some spiritual experiences it is good, and we’re OK. But our breath is in God’s hand, and all our ways belong to Him.
We need to not regard and consider our successes or experiences in a haughty way which leads to pride and judgement from God, but honor God as the source by enjoying Him and by being filled with Him.
The best way to honor God is by opening to Him and enjoying Him day by day, so that He may fill us and become our content. In this way what we express to others is not ourselves, not our accomplishments or successes, but Christ in us, the hope of glory.
Lord, You hold our breath into Your hands. You are in control, and all our ways belong to You. We want to honor You today, Lord, by enjoying You and by being filled with You so that You may be our content and we may express You to others! Save us from looking at ourselves or our achievements. Lord, You are the source. You are the content. You are the goal. We honor You, we give all the glory to You, and we humble ourselves. We really are nothing. The heavens rule. God is in control. Praise the Lord!
References and Further Reading
- Sharing inspired from brother Ed Marks’ speaking in this message and portions in, Life-study of Daniel (msgs. 6-7), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on Crystallization-Study of Daniel and Zechariah, week 6 (entitled, The Victory of the Overcomers).
- Hymns on this topic:
# Not I, but Christ be honored, loved, exalted, / Not I, but Christ be seen, be known and heard; / Not I, but Christ in every look and action, / Not I, but Christ in every thought and word.
# Lord, increase Thyself within us / That we might be built by Thee / Into that great corporate vessel / Filled with God exclusively.
# Lord, grant us such a heart as this, / Forever fixed on Thee, / That of Thyself we may partake / And Thy true fulness be. - Pictures credit: both via, Inspiration Unlimited Facebook page, HWMR Daniel and Zechariah Quotes album.
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The book of Daniel covers three crucial matters: God’s heavenly rule, the preeminence of Christ, and the destiny apportioned by God for His people. In His economy God administrates the universe, including all the kings and kingdoms on the earth, in order to fulfill His purpose, which is that Christ should be preeminent in all things (Col. 1:18). For Christ to be preeminent, God needs a chosen people to coordinate and cooperate with Him. Under the rule of the heavens, everything is working together for the good of God’s elect for the purpose of making Christ preeminent (Rom. 8:28-29). (Dan. 4:26, footnote 1)
Lord Jesus,you are verything controls in the word through in our spiritual prayer we achieve it,by enjoying You,being filled with You.You are the only one.Praise the Lord
Lord save us from all pride,may we be those who humble ourselves,honor you and give you all the glory and praise.Lord remind us all the time that heavens rule.
I’m touched by the matter of regarding the spiritual lessons from God, even learn something from others’ experience. And that we should ASPIRE/INSPIRE to be OVERCOMERS in this age with other Loving-seekers of Christ. .
Nebuchadnezzar: Had no heart for God’s interest, he was blinded by worldly glory and power, and was filled with pride. He did not take heed to God’s messenger’s interpretation to his own dreams. He was VOID of capacity to KNOW God inwardly, outwardly was helped by Daniel but nothing within him was TOUCHED. God was merciful to give him 12 months, but he said, “Is this not Babylon the great, which I have built up…by my power and for the glory of my majesty?” While the word was still in his mouth, the kingdom has passed on from him (Dan 4:30-31). Whatever God says, He will fulfill (4:33), let us with fear and trembling work out our own salvation.
Belshazzar: Indulged in debauchery before God, did not learn from Nebuchadnezzar and he went further to insult God’s holiness by using the holy vessels from Jerusalem that were used for God’s worship. He was slain as a result of judgment by God.
Daniel (and his companions): A VITAL GROUP in Babylon who lived an overcoming life. God’s elect as a whole was defeated, but these 4 were for God and His interest. They were attached to God, they cleaved to God and were one with God because they took God in. They set their heart not to be defiled by idols food. (In our eating, in our shopping, in where we go, and in what we do, we might take in something related to idols, something demonic. We are what we eat: if God is our food, we will be one with God). As a result, they had God’s presence, wisdom and insight and because of them, God was able to boast to Satan. Their victory was God’s victory. They had a spirit of martyrdom and were unharmed by the furnace of fire. God is the unique consuming FIRE (Heb 12:29). “O Lord, judge our inward being, all natural and unholy things, all idols, the big SELF: self-love, self-interests, self-exaltation… Lord, keep our heart soft toward You and be quick to repent… and be a drinker of the Spirit and give us the morning star in our reading of the Word….”