To make things right?

 

READ Daniel 1–4

A few days ago, I described the gift of prophecy. In the OT, a prophet heard directly from God concerning His will both in that present time and for the future. In the NT, a prophet does the same, but less about the future and more about spiritual insights into what God desires and the spiritual condition of people. Daniel is an example of the way God uses people to whom He has given this ability.

This young man and others were taken to Babylon because of their qualities. The Babylonian king wanted to train them for his purposes. Soon Danial refused to eat the king’s food, asking for only vegetables for himself and his three companions. Nothing is said why he refused but research shows Daniel understood that eating the king’s food represents accepting the king’s ideals and patronage and that sharing food shows a commitment to a relationship. For example, King Jehoiachin accepted the king’s food implying his loyalty to Babylon. For Daniel, eating the king’s food was a public declaration of dependency on the king rather than the Lord. For this reason, he “set his heart” showing his determination to follow and obey God. This is not a pro-vegetarian passage but about the attitude of a true prophet of God.

Daniel’s commitment shows up again when the king had a dream and wanted it interpreted without disclosing the nature of the dream. Daniel 1:17 says God gave him “learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.” He was the one person able to do as the king demanded, but only because he asked God and was answered:

Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. (Daniel 2:17–19)

His request for mercy reveals humility rather than exalting himself for being able to ‘get it’ when God spoke. He was concerned to rescue himself and his companions, but more concerned that God be blessed and glorified. When he told the king his dream and interpreted it, he said: “ . . . God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.” And this planted a seed in the king’s heart.

The next event concerned Daniel’s three companions who were also loyal to God even as that loyalty got them into a fiery furnace. Nebuchadnezzar asked, “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? 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. 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?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king,

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 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. 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.” (3:14–18)

They also demonstrated the heart of true prophets by being willing to die rather than worship an idol. Daniel did the same when the king had another dream, this time not good news for him. Daniel was troubled but loyal to his gift and to God; He interpreted the dream that predicted Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation and ended his explanation with:

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.” (4:27)

The king did not do this. Instead, he glorified himself. As he did: “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.’ ” (Daniel 4:31–33)

My thoughts: first, be aware of false prophets who may sound good but they are not speaking the will of God. Second, listen to others with that gift, trusting the Lord who speaks. Third, don’t be afraid to use the gifts and discernment God gives me because He can use them to convert kings, even like He did with Daniel’s prophecies that transformed King Nebuchadnezzar.