Music...
00:00:01.33\00:00:25.62
Hello and welcome once
again to Daniel All Access.
00:00:25.65\00:00:30.09
Our chapter-by-chapter
walk through the book of Daniel
00:00:30.13\00:00:34.40
and the
prophecies that are therein
00:00:34.46\00:00:37.53
but more than just looking
at the prophetic landscape,
00:00:37.57\00:00:41.20
asking and
answering the question, "What"
00:00:41.27\00:00:43.74
we want to seek to
ask and answer "Why"
00:00:43.77\00:00:46.17
why these things happened...
00:00:46.21\00:00:47.84
we want to take a look at the
people, the places, the times
00:00:47.88\00:00:50.88
and then try to
mine as best we can
00:00:50.91\00:00:54.15
what these
prophecies have to say to us
00:00:54.18\00:00:57.55
here in the latter stages
of the history of this earth
00:00:57.62\00:01:01.02
so, I thank you for joining us.
00:01:01.06\00:01:02.92
Tonight we want to
look at Daniel chapter 4.
00:01:02.96\00:01:07.73
The title of the message is,
00:01:07.76\00:01:10.23
"Thoughts On My
Bed Visions in My Head"
00:01:10.27\00:01:13.07
and we're getting ready to
bid adieu to Nebuchadnezzar
00:01:13.10\00:01:16.81
but before we
say "goodbye" to him,
00:01:16.87\00:01:19.57
he has much to say to us
00:01:19.61\00:01:21.18
as we take a look
at Daniel chapter 4
00:01:21.21\00:01:25.11
and try to see what God
has to say to our hearts
00:01:25.15\00:01:29.25
this very night.
00:01:29.28\00:01:30.65
I ask you to
join with me in prayer
00:01:30.69\00:01:34.66
as we prepare for
our sitting together.
00:01:34.69\00:01:38.26
"Dear Father, we do thank
you for the privilege we have
00:01:38.29\00:01:42.13
of studying the... your Word...
00:01:42.16\00:01:43.80
we know that your Word
is a lamp unto our feet
00:01:43.83\00:01:47.77
and a light unto our path.
00:01:47.80\00:01:49.17
We know that there is
much truth in your Word
00:01:49.20\00:01:52.71
and we ask for clarity of mind
00:01:52.74\00:01:56.11
and for the presence
and power of the Holy Spirit
00:01:56.14\00:02:01.05
that we may know
and understand and do
00:02:01.08\00:02:04.52
because we know
that it is in the doing
00:02:04.55\00:02:07.96
that we are made
like Christ Jesus
00:02:07.99\00:02:10.23
and we thank you, dear Father,
00:02:10.26\00:02:12.36
in Jesus' name, amen. "
00:02:12.43\00:02:14.46
Pause.
00:02:14.50\00:02:16.46
Most Biblical scholarship agrees
00:02:16.50\00:02:18.60
that Daniel chapter
4 is autobiographical.
00:02:18.63\00:02:23.41
Nebuchadnezzar is
writing for himself
00:02:23.47\00:02:27.44
about himself
00:02:27.48\00:02:28.91
and he structures
his "self-revelation"
00:02:28.94\00:02:33.38
I guess, we can call it
00:02:33.48\00:02:34.82
almost in real time
and... and... flashback...
00:02:34.85\00:02:40.22
it's almost as
though he's... he's...
00:02:40.26\00:02:43.69
he's writing one of
those air socks fill neurs
00:02:43.73\00:02:46.96
from the '40s and '50s
here in the United States.
00:02:47.00\00:02:52.10
Chapter 4 opens as
00:02:52.13\00:02:54.10
an enraptured Nebuchadnezzar
00:02:54.17\00:02:57.17
and I guess, that's
the way we could call it.
00:02:57.24\00:02:58.74
He... he's... he's...
00:02:58.77\00:03:00.18
he is gushing over
the goodness of the Lord,
00:03:00.21\00:03:04.31
he... he opines on the goodness
and greatness of Israel's God,
00:03:04.35\00:03:08.68
let's hear his words.
00:03:08.72\00:03:11.05
The Bible says, "Nebuchadnezzar
the king, to all peoples,
00:03:11.09\00:03:17.56
nations, and languages
that dwell in all the earth:
00:03:17.63\00:03:22.50
Peace be multiplied to you.
00:03:22.56\00:03:25.23
I thought it good to
declare the signs and wonders
00:03:25.27\00:03:29.40
that the high God
has wrought towards me,
00:03:29.44\00:03:32.54
How great are His signs,
And how mighty are His wonders!
00:03:32.61\00:03:37.61
His kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom,
00:03:37.65\00:03:41.02
And His dominion is from
generation to generation. "
00:03:41.05\00:03:46.72
These are the words of
someone who is under conviction.
00:03:46.76\00:03:52.33
This is a
person who is impressed
00:03:52.36\00:03:55.13
with what he sees of
the power of Israel's God.
00:03:55.16\00:04:00.77
Verses 1 through 3
are praise in real time.
00:04:00.84\00:04:06.24
He is repeating now a
pattern that we've seen before
00:04:06.27\00:04:10.75
and we will see
it again and again,
00:04:10.78\00:04:13.45
so, he is praising God.
00:04:13.52\00:04:14.98
Then in verse 4,
Nebuchadnezzar begins a... a...
00:04:15.02\00:04:20.56
dare I say... a soliloquy
00:04:20.59\00:04:22.29
in a flashback.
00:04:22.32\00:04:24.49
It is sometimes
stark... it is sometimes dark...
00:04:24.53\00:04:28.13
it is stylized
many times, it is earthy
00:04:28.16\00:04:31.13
but it consumes
verses 4 through 10.
00:04:31.17\00:04:35.00
He is telling us
somewhat after the fact
00:04:35.04\00:04:38.81
why he is praising God
00:04:38.84\00:04:42.04
and why his heart is so
filled with elegant praise.
00:04:42.08\00:04:47.08
Pause.
00:04:47.12\00:04:49.12
Verses 1 through
3... he is saying,
00:04:49.15\00:04:52.62
"I am praising Him
and here is why... "
00:04:52.65\00:04:56.02
Now, Nebuchadnezzar
begins to talk about his life
00:04:56.06\00:04:58.89
and his time,
00:04:58.93\00:05:00.33
he says, "You
know, I was doing good,
00:05:00.36\00:05:02.10
things were going
good in my kingdom,
00:05:02.13\00:05:03.97
I was doing good personally,
things were moving along smartly
00:05:04.00\00:05:09.20
the empire was in order
00:05:09.24\00:05:10.71
all were safe...
all were settled...
00:05:10.74\00:05:13.68
everybody was sound...
everybody was sanguine,
00:05:13.71\00:05:16.78
we were doing very, very well
00:05:16.85\00:05:19.35
and in Daniel chapter 4
verse 5, something happens
00:05:19.38\00:05:24.79
Nebuchadnezzar says,
00:05:24.82\00:05:26.86
"I saw a dream
which made me afraid,
00:05:26.89\00:05:31.36
and the thoughts on my
bed and the visions of my head
00:05:31.39\00:05:37.60
troubled me. "
00:05:37.63\00:05:39.70
So now, here
comes another dream,
00:05:39.73\00:05:43.07
everything is going along
well but here is a second dream
00:05:43.10\00:05:49.61
that is sent by
God to Nebuchadnezzar.
00:05:49.64\00:05:53.38
Now this is...
this is important.
00:05:53.42\00:05:54.85
God is sending
Nebuchadnezzar a second dream.
00:05:54.88\00:05:59.89
This alludes to the fact
that maybe that first dream
00:05:59.92\00:06:06.33
didn't have its
full desired effect,
00:06:06.36\00:06:09.53
so, God is sending
him now a second dream.
00:06:09.56\00:06:12.90
Israel had 42
kings, you remember that?
00:06:12.93\00:06:16.20
And of the 42, if you take
out Saul and David and Solomon,
00:06:16.24\00:06:21.01
you've got 19 in Israel
and you've got 20 in Judah
00:06:21.08\00:06:25.11
one woman in Judah...
00:06:25.15\00:06:28.12
and of that 39, only
eight were good kings.
00:06:28.15\00:06:34.92
The rest, the Bible says,
00:06:34.96\00:06:36.36
did evil in the
sight of the Lord.
00:06:36.39\00:06:38.19
That's... that's a
pretty sorry number
00:06:38.23\00:06:40.00
pause
00:06:40.03\00:06:42.43
so, God now is
spending, what may seem to be
00:06:42.46\00:06:46.80
an inordinate amount of time
working with Nebuchadnezzar.
00:06:46.84\00:06:51.84
Now, this is very, very
important for several reasons
00:06:51.87\00:06:56.91
but the one that
comes to mind immediately
00:06:56.95\00:06:59.28
is this fact,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
00:06:59.35\00:07:00.95
God does not waste time, amen.
00:07:00.98\00:07:04.72
God is en efficient God
00:07:04.75\00:07:06.45
if God puts in work
on somebody or something,
00:07:06.49\00:07:09.12
it's going to turn out well
00:07:09.16\00:07:10.49
and you'll notice, God
is spending a lot of time
00:07:10.56\00:07:12.63
on Nebuchadnezzar.
00:07:12.66\00:07:14.00
This is two
dreams to a heathen king.
00:07:14.03\00:07:17.17
God took the time
to send him two dreams
00:07:17.20\00:07:20.27
and both dreams troubled him.
00:07:20.34\00:07:22.80
So, he's troubled again...
00:07:22.84\00:07:25.31
they are spaced apart by
a good little bit of time
00:07:25.34\00:07:27.78
but God is still wrestling with
and working with Nebuchadnezzar.
00:07:27.81\00:07:34.02
So, God sends
him a second dream.
00:07:34.05\00:07:37.19
The Babylonian Kingdom
00:07:37.22\00:07:39.92
was in its
ascendancy for a short 70 years.
00:07:39.95\00:07:44.03
Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon
for 40 of those 70 years.
00:07:44.06\00:07:48.86
So, for a great length of
time, he was on the throne.
00:07:48.90\00:07:53.70
We are several
years now into his reign
00:07:53.74\00:07:57.17
and God sends him, in mercy,
00:07:57.21\00:08:00.71
a second dream.
00:08:00.74\00:08:02.21
This one, bless your
heart, he remembered,
00:08:02.24\00:08:06.25
he knew this dream...
00:08:06.28\00:08:07.68
he didn't know what it meant
but he knew what he dreamed
00:08:07.72\00:08:11.82
and it scared him.
00:08:11.85\00:08:14.32
So now, he calls his
constellation of wise men,
00:08:14.39\00:08:18.39
that's what they're there for,
00:08:18.43\00:08:19.93
they're on
staff... they're paid...
00:08:19.96\00:08:23.26
they live at the
behest of the king...
00:08:23.30\00:08:25.87
their job is to
settle the king's nerves
00:08:25.90\00:08:28.44
when things happen
that he does not understand,
00:08:28.47\00:08:31.47
that's their job.
00:08:31.51\00:08:33.41
Now, here's... here's
something very interesting,
00:08:33.48\00:08:35.41
when I... when I
discovered the connection here,
00:08:35.44\00:08:37.35
I thought it
really rather interesting.
00:08:37.38\00:08:39.31
You remember in
Daniel chapter 2,
00:08:39.35\00:08:41.68
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream
00:08:41.75\00:08:44.12
that he could not
remember what he dreamt,
00:08:44.19\00:08:46.52
you remember that...
00:08:46.55\00:08:48.19
all right...
Nebuchadnezzar says to
00:08:48.22\00:08:51.29
the wise men
00:08:51.33\00:08:53.06
tell me the dream tell
me the interpretation...
00:08:53.09\00:08:56.06
the wise men say,
"You tell us the dream,
00:08:56.10\00:09:00.67
we'll tell you
the interpretation,
00:09:00.70\00:09:03.74
we are... we are
translators or interpreters,
00:09:03.77\00:09:09.11
we are not mind readers
00:09:09.14\00:09:10.51
so, tell us the dream...
we'll tell you what it means. "
00:09:10.58\00:09:13.01
Well, he doesn't
remember the dream,
00:09:13.05\00:09:15.62
so they say, "Well,
if you can't tell us,
00:09:15.65\00:09:17.99
we cannot tell you... "
00:09:18.02\00:09:19.35
Now, here in Daniel chapter
4, what is interesting...
00:09:19.39\00:09:22.76
if you go down to verse 18,
00:09:22.79\00:09:24.16
Nebuchadnezzar says
this after he calls Daniel,
00:09:24.19\00:09:28.10
he says, "I... I
told them the dream,
00:09:28.13\00:09:31.27
and they still
couldn't interpret it. "
00:09:31.30\00:09:34.34
So, they have the dream...
00:09:34.37\00:09:36.27
"This is what I remembered,
this one's in my head,
00:09:36.34\00:09:38.41
I gave them what the dream was
00:09:38.44\00:09:40.38
and they still
couldn't do any good,
00:09:40.41\00:09:43.18
still could not interpret it"
00:09:43.21\00:09:45.28
and the question you want to...
you may want to ask is, "why?"
00:09:45.31\00:09:49.42
Why?
00:09:49.45\00:09:51.35
I think it is because
00:09:51.39\00:09:53.69
God didn't want to
give that sacred message
00:09:53.76\00:09:59.03
to profane lips
00:09:59.06\00:10:02.40
I truly believe that God
did not want those wise men...
00:10:02.43\00:10:08.87
those astrologers...
00:10:08.90\00:10:10.67
those people who communicate
with the devil and the dead...
00:10:10.71\00:10:14.04
God did not want His word
coming out of their mouths.
00:10:14.08\00:10:19.45
Pause.
00:10:19.48\00:10:20.88
It occurs to me that
God... the God we serve
00:10:20.92\00:10:26.92
is somewhat selective
about the mouths He uses
00:10:26.96\00:10:32.86
to disseminate His message,
00:10:32.93\00:10:35.96
amen...
00:10:36.00\00:10:37.33
God doesn't want just
anybody preaching for Him,
00:10:37.40\00:10:41.14
that's the truth.
00:10:41.17\00:10:42.50
Remember in the New
Testament, there was this lady
00:10:42.54\00:10:44.34
who was following
the disciples and saying,
00:10:44.37\00:10:45.74
"These are the men of God,
these are the holy men of God"
00:10:45.77\00:10:48.11
and the disciples turned
around and cast the devil out
00:10:48.14\00:10:50.41
and got folk all upset
because they were losing money,
00:10:50.48\00:10:52.75
God is very,
very, very selective
00:10:52.78\00:10:55.95
about who He uses
to preach His Word
00:10:55.98\00:10:59.09
and God did not want His
word coming out of their mouths,
00:10:59.15\00:11:06.13
Psalm chapter 31
verse 18, the Bible says,
00:11:06.16\00:11:10.23
"Let lying lips be mute"
00:11:10.27\00:11:11.90
and so, there is no way in
this instance... as I see it,
00:11:11.93\00:11:16.14
that God would
use this motley crew
00:11:16.20\00:11:20.84
of soothsayers and
Chaldeans to carry his message.
00:11:20.88\00:11:26.31
Why? Because they
would not give God the glory.
00:11:26.35\00:11:31.79
These guys speak to the devil,
00:11:31.82\00:11:34.06
they speak to spirits,
00:11:34.12\00:11:35.46
and if they had
gotten the message,
00:11:35.49\00:11:38.36
they would have
either given credit to Satan
00:11:38.39\00:11:41.03
or taken the credit themselves
00:11:41.06\00:11:42.50
and that's not what God wants,
00:11:42.53\00:11:43.90
you see, God was trying
to reach Nebuchadnezzar,
00:11:43.93\00:11:45.67
God was trying to
save Nebuchadnezzar.
00:11:45.70\00:11:49.30
God was trying to convict
and convert Nebuchadnezzar
00:11:49.34\00:11:53.84
and so His message had
to come through the mouth
00:11:53.91\00:11:58.31
of a converted individual.
00:11:58.35\00:12:00.12
So, there's no way God's
going to allow these Chaldeans
00:12:00.15\00:12:03.72
to speak for Him
00:12:03.79\00:12:06.02
because God would
not get the glory.
00:12:06.05\00:12:10.23
So, again, they fail
00:12:10.26\00:12:13.29
and Daniel is called.
00:12:13.33\00:12:16.30
Now, it's
interesting because to my mind,
00:12:16.33\00:12:18.77
since Daniel came
through the first time,
00:12:18.80\00:12:22.40
I would think the king would
go to Daniel the second time
00:12:22.44\00:12:25.74
but evidently Daniel
was the last man on the list
00:12:25.77\00:12:29.48
and when he got to Daniel,
00:12:29.51\00:12:31.71
of course, Daniel had
the answer to the dream.
00:12:31.75\00:12:35.62
Pause.
00:12:35.65\00:12:37.35
A second quick Accent Point...
00:12:37.45\00:12:38.79
Access Point.
00:12:38.82\00:12:40.62
This is the second dream
sent by God to Nebuchadnezzar.
00:12:40.66\00:12:45.23
I remember, some time ago,
00:12:45.26\00:12:47.23
listening to the
testimony of a young lady
00:12:47.36\00:12:49.60
and she was saying,
00:12:49.63\00:12:50.97
"I told God, 'Lord, I'm going
to give you one more chance
00:12:51.00\00:12:53.37
to prove yourself to me'"
00:12:53.40\00:12:54.74
and what she didn't
understand was, God was saying,
00:12:54.77\00:12:57.71
"I'm going to give you
one more chance to accept me"
00:12:57.74\00:13:00.88
and this is what...
00:13:00.91\00:13:02.24
this is what is
happening to Nebuchadnezzar.
00:13:02.28\00:13:03.95
This second dream... is
God giving him another chance.
00:13:03.98\00:13:08.75
Aren't you... aren't
you glad we serve a God
00:13:08.78\00:13:10.82
of second
chances and third chances
00:13:10.89\00:13:12.85
and fourth
chances and fifth chances
00:13:12.92\00:13:14.89
and on and on and on and on...
00:13:14.92\00:13:17.76
God doesn't
give up after one try
00:13:17.79\00:13:21.00
and so, He is
giving Nebuchadnezzar
00:13:21.03\00:13:24.90
a second
opportunity to accept Him.
00:13:24.93\00:13:28.77
Pause...
00:13:28.80\00:13:31.17
Here's a side bar...
00:13:31.21\00:13:33.94
I want to show you a text that
for years kind of confused me
00:13:33.98\00:13:40.62
and I put it in here because
00:13:40.68\00:13:42.65
it sort of fits in
what we're talking about.
00:13:42.68\00:13:44.72
The Bible says this in John 7:17
"If any man will do His will,
00:13:44.75\00:13:50.53
he shall know the doctrine,
00:13:50.59\00:13:53.03
whether it be of God, or
whether I speak of myself. "
00:13:53.06\00:13:57.80
Now, when I first
ran across that...
00:13:57.83\00:14:00.67
it seemed rather confusing to me
00:14:00.74\00:14:03.44
because it seemed backwards.
00:14:03.51\00:14:05.37
You know, it seemed backwards,
00:14:05.41\00:14:07.28
once you know what
to do... then you do.
00:14:07.31\00:14:13.11
Does that make sense?
00:14:13.18\00:14:15.25
Yeah, if you ask my
wife to change a flat,
00:14:15.28\00:14:19.89
well, you don't want to do that
00:14:19.92\00:14:21.26
because she doesn't
know how to change a flat,
00:14:21.29\00:14:24.03
she's never changed a flat,
00:14:24.06\00:14:25.39
she probably could do it,
00:14:25.43\00:14:26.76
if someone told
her how to do it,
00:14:26.80\00:14:29.56
but you can't ask
her to change a flat
00:14:29.60\00:14:33.17
unless you show her how...
00:14:33.20\00:14:35.74
so it occurs to me
00:14:35.77\00:14:37.61
that
00:14:37.64\00:14:39.61
"knowing how"
comes before "doing"
00:14:39.67\00:14:42.11
"if you want me
to do... show me how"
00:14:42.14\00:14:44.58
but the Bible
seems to be saying,
00:14:44.61\00:14:47.68
"Do... then you'll know how"
00:14:47.72\00:14:51.09
and that always...
that always confused me...
00:14:51.15\00:14:54.12
just seemed like it was...
it was... it was backwards.
00:14:54.16\00:14:56.83
How can you do
unless you know what to do
00:14:56.89\00:15:02.83
or how can you do what you know
00:15:02.86\00:15:06.84
when you don't know what to do.
00:15:06.87\00:15:09.90
Pause.
00:15:10.01\00:15:14.11
The answer is...
and the Bible says,
00:15:14.18\00:15:16.85
you have to be willing first.
00:15:16.88\00:15:20.65
Now, this is
very, very important.
00:15:20.72\00:15:23.72
you have to be willing.
00:15:23.79\00:15:27.26
Now, let me give you a text...
00:15:27.29\00:15:29.59
the context of
this text is "giving"
00:15:29.62\00:15:33.23
but I think it fits in here
00:15:33.26\00:15:35.03
without doing
violence to the text
00:15:35.06\00:15:36.40
and that's 2nd Corinthians
chapter 8 and verse 12,
00:15:36.43\00:15:43.27
2nd Corinthians 8 and verse 12
00:15:43.30\00:15:45.74
we will read
just the first part.
00:15:45.81\00:15:48.18
The Bible says, "For if
there be first a willing mind,
00:15:48.21\00:15:55.88
is it accepted?"
00:15:55.92\00:15:57.55
So, when you come to the Lord,
00:15:57.59\00:15:59.72
you've got to come with a heart
00:15:59.75\00:16:04.06
that is willing
to do those things
00:16:04.09\00:16:07.30
that God has
asked you to do, amen.
00:16:07.36\00:16:11.10
When you open your
Bible, you've got to be willing
00:16:11.13\00:16:14.57
to observe and obey everything
that God is pleased to show you.
00:16:14.60\00:16:20.21
Pause.
00:16:20.28\00:16:21.91
Why would God be obliged
to reveal something to you
00:16:21.94\00:16:26.92
that you have no intention
of surrendering yourself to?
00:16:27.02\00:16:31.92
Pause.
00:16:31.95\00:16:33.46
Now, let me advise...
let me say this quickly...
00:16:33.49\00:16:35.89
God can and has done that,
00:16:35.92\00:16:39.03
we serve a loving God
00:16:39.06\00:16:41.50
and there are many,
many stories in the Bible
00:16:41.53\00:16:45.17
and we all know some
00:16:45.20\00:16:46.94
of people who have come to
God with their fist balled.
00:16:47.00\00:16:50.77
Pause.
00:16:50.81\00:16:52.64
They've come to God with
the intention of fighting Him
00:16:52.67\00:16:54.98
and He has shown
them and warned them
00:16:55.01\00:16:59.45
but when you come to God
00:16:59.48\00:17:03.52
and you are willing to do
whatever He asks you to do,
00:17:03.55\00:17:08.22
it sort of puts a
little onus on God
00:17:08.29\00:17:10.96
to hear you a little better.
00:17:10.99\00:17:12.33
It's just like
you have two children,
00:17:12.36\00:17:14.23
one child is
obedient and follows
00:17:14.30\00:17:16.23
and one child just doesn't want
to hear anything you have to say
00:17:16.26\00:17:19.90
now, you love both children,
00:17:19.93\00:17:21.77
but the truth is,
you can do a little more
00:17:21.80\00:17:25.04
for the one who
is obedient amen.
00:17:25.07\00:17:27.48
Does that make sense?
00:17:27.51\00:17:29.01
Yeah, if a child is
willing to listen and obey,
00:17:29.04\00:17:33.18
you can help them more
than one who simply rejects
00:17:33.21\00:17:37.29
everything you have to say.
00:17:37.32\00:17:38.65
When I was a pastor
00:17:38.69\00:17:40.76
and had a lady in my
church, she had two...
00:17:40.79\00:17:42.39
she said, "One
keeps me on my knees
00:17:42.42\00:17:44.89
and one keeps me
praising the Lord. "
00:17:44.93\00:17:46.29
She had a... she had a girl
00:17:46.36\00:17:48.30
who was so brilliant...
she was reading the New York...
00:17:48.33\00:17:51.47
The Sunday New
York Times at age five.
00:17:51.50\00:17:53.90
The Sunday New York
Times is 750,000 words.
00:17:53.94\00:17:56.81
It's thick... thick... thick
00:17:56.87\00:17:58.21
and if you've been to New York,
00:17:58.24\00:17:59.57
you know that
Sunday New York Times...
00:17:59.61\00:18:01.01
that... that's like carrying
a weight around with you.
00:18:01.04\00:18:03.04
At five she's reading
the Sunday New York Times...
00:18:03.08\00:18:05.38
that sailed through school...
00:18:05.41\00:18:08.12
graduated from
Andrews University...
00:18:08.15\00:18:10.32
just sailed through school...
00:18:10.35\00:18:11.69
that was the girl...
00:18:11.72\00:18:13.12
anything her
mother said, she would do
00:18:13.15\00:18:15.32
and then she had the boy,
00:18:15.36\00:18:16.99
she said, "This one
is wearing my knees out"
00:18:17.06\00:18:19.19
he's just
wearing my knees out...
00:18:19.23\00:18:21.46
same kids... same parents...
00:18:21.50\00:18:22.83
but she could do more for
the one who wanted to listen
00:18:22.86\00:18:27.07
than the one who did not
00:18:27.14\00:18:28.87
and so, the Bible is saying,
00:18:28.90\00:18:30.61
"There must first
be a willing mind"
00:18:30.64\00:18:32.91
and if you're willing...
00:18:32.94\00:18:34.48
you will know if you're
surrendered to the God...
00:18:34.51\00:18:38.48
to God... rather...
00:18:38.51\00:18:40.02
so, in verse 8
Nebuchadnezzar writes
00:18:40.05\00:18:44.09
but at the last,
Daniel came before me,
00:18:44.12\00:18:48.12
finally, he comes to Daniel.
00:18:48.16\00:18:49.66
Now, we don't know
how much time elapsed
00:18:49.69\00:18:53.53
between Daniel
chapter 2 and Daniel chapter 4
00:18:53.60\00:18:58.10
but truly, Daniel should
have been first on the list
00:18:58.13\00:19:01.74
and I cannot understand
why we'll go to friends...
00:19:01.77\00:19:04.97
we'll go to colleagues...
we'll go to workmates...
00:19:05.01\00:19:08.14
we'll go to
everybody to get advice
00:19:08.21\00:19:09.98
and then if it doesn't work...
then we'll want to go to God
00:19:10.01\00:19:12.61
and God ought to be first, amen
00:19:12.68\00:19:14.95
that ought to be
the first place you go,
00:19:14.98\00:19:17.35
so, Daniel comes at the end...
00:19:17.42\00:19:20.09
well praise God
he's got the insight
00:19:20.12\00:19:23.22
and he's got the
Spirit of God in him
00:19:23.26\00:19:26.29
and I like the insight provided
by the Spirit of Prophecy
00:19:26.36\00:19:30.27
as to the social,
psychological dilemma
00:19:30.30\00:19:33.57
that Daniel finds himself in.
00:19:33.64\00:19:35.87
Now watch the... watch
the... the interplay here,
00:19:35.90\00:19:38.77
the interplay
between Daniel... the Lord...
00:19:38.81\00:19:42.11
and the king...
00:19:42.14\00:19:43.48
let's look at the state of
play in Babylon at this time
00:19:43.55\00:19:47.45
in the aftermath
00:19:47.52\00:19:48.85
then we'll look at
the "what" and "why"
00:19:48.88\00:19:51.42
and the dream itself.
00:19:51.49\00:19:52.82
Again, in the sort
of film noir flashback.
00:19:52.85\00:19:56.93
A quote from Prophet and Kings.
00:19:56.96\00:19:58.93
"To Daniel the meaning
of the dream was plain,
00:19:58.96\00:20:03.53
and its
significance startled him.
00:20:03.57\00:20:06.60
He was astonied... "
00:20:06.63\00:20:08.94
now that's an interesting word,
00:20:09.00\00:20:10.37
when I looked it up, I
thought it was a misprint
00:20:10.41\00:20:12.57
but evidently,
two centuries ago,
00:20:12.61\00:20:14.74
"astonied" was part
of the English language.
00:20:14.78\00:20:17.51
It means the same as
"astonished" means now
00:20:17.55\00:20:20.08
but it's "astonied" it
means "dazed and bewildered
00:20:20.18\00:20:23.55
for one hour. "
00:20:23.59\00:20:24.92
So, Daniel has the answer
00:20:24.95\00:20:28.66
but when he got the answer,
00:20:28.69\00:20:32.43
it really sort of knocked
him on his heels a little bit.
00:20:32.46\00:20:36.00
He wasn't expecting
what that dream meant.
00:20:36.03\00:20:38.93
Now, the king didn't
know exactly what it meant,
00:20:38.97\00:20:42.34
but he knew it wasn't good.
00:20:42.37\00:20:44.91
The Court wise men
were... as we say... clueless
00:20:44.94\00:20:49.98
and Daniel now knows the dream
00:20:50.01\00:20:53.25
but he is so overwhelmed...
00:20:53.35\00:20:56.52
so blown away by
its interpretation
00:20:56.55\00:21:01.59
that he cannot speak.
00:21:01.62\00:21:03.12
Pause.
00:21:03.19\00:21:05.16
Now, that's the "what"
00:21:05.19\00:21:07.10
let's take a moment and
try to examine the "why"
00:21:07.13\00:21:10.43
let's get some
idea of the theological,
00:21:10.47\00:21:15.54
sociological context
for this part of the book
00:21:15.57\00:21:19.24
and we find that in
Prophets and Kings, page 516.
00:21:19.31\00:21:22.94
Going to summarize.
00:21:22.98\00:21:24.31
So, Nebuchadnezzar
now has two dreams.
00:21:24.35\00:21:28.25
He is humble and
praises God by the first one,
00:21:28.28\00:21:32.92
he sets up a golden image...
00:21:32.95\00:21:36.22
a prelude to the
"fiery furnace" incident,
00:21:36.26\00:21:41.66
he is humbled by the
"fiery furnace" incident,
00:21:41.70\00:21:47.17
he praises the Lord...
00:21:47.20\00:21:49.60
he promotes
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
00:21:49.64\00:21:53.91
so now we understand
the spiritual state of play
00:21:53.94\00:21:59.38
in this part of
Daniel chapter 4.
00:21:59.41\00:22:02.75
Here's the Access Point.
00:22:02.78\00:22:04.55
Again we're in
Prophets and Kings.
00:22:04.62\00:22:06.86
"Nebuchadnezzar nevertheless
00:22:06.89\00:22:11.19
at times had ascribed
to the favor of Jehovah
00:22:11.23\00:22:15.70
the glory of his kingdom
and the splendor of his reign. "
00:22:15.76\00:22:22.04
Now, that's
very, very interesting
00:22:22.07\00:22:23.81
that this heathen king
00:22:23.87\00:22:26.84
realized that his
success was not all due
00:22:26.88\00:22:33.82
to his own effort sometimes
00:22:33.88\00:22:37.45
pause
00:22:37.49\00:22:38.82
and that is the
crux of the problem.
00:22:38.85\00:22:43.43
He's got some good traits
00:22:43.49\00:22:47.00
but he doesn't give
credit where credit is due.
00:22:47.03\00:22:53.27
Does that sound
like anybody you know
00:22:53.30\00:22:54.64
or anybody you've ever met?
00:22:54.67\00:22:56.10
Not all bad... just not
willing to give God the glory
00:22:56.14\00:22:59.67
so Nebuchadnezzar
sometimes realized and said,
00:22:59.71\00:23:03.35
"You know, this
isn't me... there's a God"
00:23:03.38\00:23:06.92
and of course, once Daniel
and the Hebrew boys came in,
00:23:06.95\00:23:10.09
he is constantly hearing
about and knowing about God.
00:23:10.12\00:23:13.22
He is aware of the
God of the Hebrews,
00:23:13.25\00:23:15.09
God has made
Himself known to him
00:23:15.16\00:23:16.93
and there were times
00:23:16.96\00:23:18.69
when in his
more sanguine moments
00:23:18.73\00:23:20.83
he thought to himself,
00:23:20.90\00:23:22.20
"You know, there's got to
be a God helping me with this,
00:23:22.23\00:23:25.50
this can't all be me. "
00:23:25.53\00:23:27.74
So, there were times
when he was ready to admit
00:23:27.77\00:23:30.77
that God was helping him
00:23:30.87\00:23:33.84
and that the
splendor of his reign
00:23:33.88\00:23:36.14
was not the
work of his own hands
00:23:36.18\00:23:38.31
but that it was
indeed the work of God.
00:23:38.35\00:23:41.98
Nebuchadnezzar's noble
conception of God's purpose
00:23:42.02\00:23:47.99
concerning the
nations was lost sight of
00:23:48.02\00:23:50.69
later in his experience;
00:23:50.73\00:23:52.76
but when God humbled
him on the plains of Dura,
00:23:52.79\00:23:56.20
he again acknowledged God. "
00:23:56.23\00:23:58.13
See, God's going to force him
00:23:58.17\00:24:00.07
to acknowledge God.
00:24:00.14\00:24:03.20
God... the Lord we serve
will not tell you how to decide
00:24:03.24\00:24:11.11
but He will make
you decide, amen.
00:24:11.15\00:24:15.05
God will back you into a corner
and make you make a decision,
00:24:15.08\00:24:18.75
you will determine
what that decision is
00:24:18.79\00:24:21.26
but God will
back you into a corner
00:24:21.29\00:24:23.76
and make you decide
00:24:23.83\00:24:25.36
and Nebuchadnezzar...
when he went out on Dura
00:24:25.43\00:24:29.10
and he put the three Hebrew
boys in the fiery furnace,
00:24:29.13\00:24:31.57
he put them in... tied and bound
and then when he goes to look
00:24:31.63\00:24:35.80
not only are they
not tied and bound
00:24:35.84\00:24:38.04
but there's a
fourth person in there
00:24:38.07\00:24:40.24
he realized that God
takes care of his own.
00:24:40.28\00:24:44.11
That's a humbling experience,
because the 90-foot golden image
00:24:44.15\00:24:50.29
was a personal thing with him
00:24:50.35\00:24:53.02
and God took that personal
issue and made it personal
00:24:53.05\00:24:57.89
and saved those
three Hebrew boys
00:24:57.93\00:25:01.03
and showed him the
power of the Most High God
00:25:01.06\00:25:04.90
so, it was humbling
00:25:04.97\00:25:06.30
and in the light of that,
00:25:06.33\00:25:09.74
he gave glory to God.
00:25:09.77\00:25:13.17
So, God is getting
through to Nebuchadnezzar.
00:25:13.21\00:25:17.91
The problem is, he
hasn't learned how to grow
00:25:17.95\00:25:21.85
and that is something
that we need to learn today
00:25:21.92\00:25:25.79
Brothers and
Sisters, Ladies and Gentlemen,
00:25:25.82\00:25:27.46
how to grow in grace.
00:25:27.49\00:25:29.49
Ellen White talks
about the spiritual heat.
00:25:29.52\00:25:31.63
There are times
when you come to church
00:25:31.66\00:25:33.60
or when you have a particularly
nice spiritual experience
00:25:33.63\00:25:38.13
and she calls
it, "Spiritual Heat"
00:25:38.17\00:25:43.00
you feel warmed by the
fires of the Holy Spirit,
00:25:43.04\00:25:45.21
pause
00:25:45.27\00:25:48.61
the job for the Christian
is to take that feeling
00:25:48.64\00:25:53.05
and grow in it,
you know what I mean?
00:25:53.08\00:25:56.85
And grow in it... to...
to move from grace to grace,
00:25:56.89\00:26:00.52
from strength to strength
00:26:00.59\00:26:01.92
and grace to grace and
strength to strength...
00:26:01.96\00:26:04.49
the job of the Christian is
to grow in Christ every day.
00:26:04.53\00:26:09.80
The job of the Christian
is to move from conviction
00:26:09.83\00:26:15.60
to conversion,
00:26:15.64\00:26:17.61
they are not the same.
00:26:17.64\00:26:20.01
All conversion
starts with conviction.
00:26:20.08\00:26:26.11
Conviction is the sense
that something is wrong.
00:26:26.15\00:26:29.75
you know it's wrong,
00:26:29.78\00:26:31.42
you're convicted
that something is wrong.
00:26:31.45\00:26:33.09
Conversion is God getting in
00:26:33.12\00:26:36.52
and helping you to turn the
wrong and make it right, amen,
00:26:36.56\00:26:40.60
so, conviction will have you
say what Nebuchadnezzar said.
00:26:40.63\00:26:44.53
"God is a God of all Gods...
00:26:44.57\00:26:46.80
a King of all
Kings... the Lord of all Lords"
00:26:46.84\00:26:48.87
but that's only
the starting point,
00:26:48.90\00:26:50.67
that's not the end
of your experience,
00:26:50.71\00:26:52.41
that's just the beginning.
00:26:52.47\00:26:53.84
You got to go from
conviction to conversion.
00:26:53.88\00:26:58.01
You've got to grow in
grace and grow in strength
00:26:58.05\00:27:02.38
and so,
Nebuchadnezzar has shown us
00:27:02.42\00:27:05.05
a pattern of conviction
00:27:05.09\00:27:07.49
he was convicted when
he heard about the statue,
00:27:07.52\00:27:10.56
he was convicted on the plains
of Dura at the fiery furnace,
00:27:10.66\00:27:14.86
so, he's convicted... but his
conviction has yet to translate
00:27:14.93\00:27:19.17
into conversion.
00:27:19.20\00:27:21.57
He has not learned that it
is important for us to grow
00:27:21.60\00:27:26.81
in Christ and in
our knowledge of Him
00:27:26.88\00:27:31.38
so he's humble...
but he's not quite where
00:27:31.41\00:27:34.58
God wants him just yet.
00:27:34.62\00:27:39.29
I'm in Prophets
and Kings, page 514.
00:27:39.32\00:27:44.66
"An idolater by
birth and training,
00:27:44.69\00:27:49.90
and at the head of
an idolatrous people,
00:27:49.93\00:27:52.90
he had nevertheless an innate
sense of justice and right,
00:27:52.93\00:27:59.07
and God was able to
use him as an instrument
00:27:59.11\00:28:03.98
for the fulfillment
of His Divine purpose. "
00:28:04.01\00:28:08.68
Now that's very interesting,
00:28:08.72\00:28:10.82
he is an idolater, he's a pagan,
00:28:10.85\00:28:12.32
but somewhere in his
heart, he knows what justice is
00:28:12.35\00:28:16.16
and he knows what "right" is
and he knows right from wrong,
00:28:16.22\00:28:20.46
it's there inside his heart
00:28:20.53\00:28:22.26
but he's working
against his training,
00:28:22.30\00:28:25.10
he's working
against his background,
00:28:25.13\00:28:27.84
he's working against all
the people that surround him
00:28:27.87\00:28:30.44
and that's why,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
00:28:30.51\00:28:31.87
it is important for Christians
00:28:31.94\00:28:34.28
to surround
themselves with Christians.
00:28:34.31\00:28:36.68
Pause...
00:28:36.75\00:28:38.41
Amen.
00:28:38.45\00:28:40.12
Now, I'm not
saying that Christians
00:28:40.15\00:28:44.09
should only be with Christians
00:28:44.12\00:28:45.79
because I think we have
a call to take our salt...
00:28:45.82\00:28:48.82
salt and light to the world,
00:28:48.86\00:28:50.83
but your inner circle...
those that you listen to...
00:28:50.86\00:28:55.96
those that you spend time with,
00:28:56.00\00:28:58.03
those that you associate
with on a regular basis,
00:28:58.07\00:29:02.60
ought to be people
traveling the same road as you
00:29:02.64\00:29:07.11
who think like you do,
00:29:07.14\00:29:09.61
now they don't
think exactly like you do
00:29:09.64\00:29:11.38
but as far as
accepting the Lord...
00:29:11.41\00:29:13.75
who are walking
the same road as you...
00:29:13.78\00:29:16.02
who know the
same God that you know
00:29:16.05\00:29:18.22
and who are serving
the God like you are.
00:29:18.25\00:29:20.09
You can spend a lot of
time with non-Christian people
00:29:20.12\00:29:24.26
or people who
don't like the Lord...
00:29:24.29\00:29:26.09
or people who
don't serve the Lord,
00:29:26.13\00:29:27.86
or people who... who have
no God-consciousness at all...
00:29:27.93\00:29:32.00
and maintain your
Christian stability.
00:29:32.07\00:29:35.07
Your inner circle...
00:29:35.10\00:29:37.21
those that you
listen to and dialog with...
00:29:37.24\00:29:40.28
and get a lot of information
from and time with...
00:29:40.31\00:29:43.11
ought to be people
who think as you do
00:29:43.18\00:29:45.51
and who love the Lord as you do.
00:29:45.55\00:29:47.42
That's how you
strengthen yourself.
00:29:47.45\00:29:49.25
Now, if you're
going to win people
00:29:49.32\00:29:51.09
studying with...
with non-Christians...
00:29:51.12\00:29:53.19
my brother-in-law
has a Bible Study Group
00:29:53.22\00:29:55.22
that meets on Tuesdays
at his house down in Panama,
00:29:55.26\00:29:58.09
that group has grown
from five now to 20 plus
00:29:58.16\00:30:03.43
and of that 20
plus, I think only three
00:30:03.53\00:30:07.40
are baptized members of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:30:07.50\00:30:10.77
the rest are all non-Adventists.
00:30:10.81\00:30:13.17
Couple of doctors in the
group, an attorney in the group
00:30:13.21\00:30:15.94
but they're there
to talk about Jesus.
00:30:15.98\00:30:19.15
They're there to
learn about the Lord.
00:30:19.21\00:30:22.35
So, they spend time together
00:30:22.38\00:30:24.15
but it's time that is spent in
trying to learn about the Lord.
00:30:24.19\00:30:28.16
So, it is important
that you surround yourself
00:30:28.19\00:30:30.96
with people who love the
Lord like you love the Lord
00:30:31.03\00:30:33.56
and so, Nebuchadnezzar is at
the head of an idolatrous nation
00:30:33.60\00:30:37.63
and he is by training
and by nature and by nurture
00:30:37.67\00:30:40.77
an idolater
00:30:40.80\00:30:42.24
but there's
something inside his heart,
00:30:42.27\00:30:44.51
he knows there is a God,
00:30:44.54\00:30:46.07
he knows that
the Lord loves him,
00:30:46.11\00:30:48.18
he knows that
there's something more here
00:30:48.21\00:30:50.78
than what I can see
and what I can accomplish.
00:30:50.81\00:30:53.35
He's got an
innate sense of justice,
00:30:53.38\00:30:55.78
he knows right
and he knows wrong,
00:30:55.82\00:30:58.22
yeah, he's hot-headed...
yeah, he can be rash...
00:30:58.25\00:31:01.19
yeah, he can be impulsive
00:31:01.22\00:31:02.92
but deep down inside
there's something there
00:31:02.96\00:31:07.00
and God knows it.
00:31:07.10\00:31:08.40
You know, I'm so glad
00:31:08.43\00:31:10.33
that we serve a Lord
00:31:10.37\00:31:12.30
a God... who can
file off the rough edges
00:31:12.33\00:31:16.87
amen
00:31:16.97\00:31:18.31
because the truth is,
all of us have rough edges.
00:31:18.34\00:31:22.38
Amen.
00:31:22.41\00:31:23.75
Everybody's got something,
00:31:23.81\00:31:25.71
we all got places where
we need to be sanded down
00:31:25.75\00:31:29.05
and Nebuchadnezzar
had a lot of places
00:31:29.08\00:31:31.59
where he needed
to be sanded down
00:31:31.62\00:31:33.36
but beneath that rough exterior,
00:31:33.42\00:31:35.06
God saw that there was
something there worth saving
00:31:35.09\00:31:39.13
and that's why I am so
glad that I serve a God
00:31:39.16\00:31:42.76
who looks beneath my
rough exterior, amen.
00:31:42.80\00:31:45.80
He knows there's
something good down there...
00:31:45.83\00:31:48.80
and Nebuchadnezzar had
something good down there,
00:31:48.87\00:31:50.87
God just had to get to it,
00:31:50.94\00:31:52.67
He just had to get
at it but it was there
00:31:52.71\00:31:54.64
and that's why God is
giving him first chance...
00:31:54.68\00:31:57.98
second chance...
00:31:58.01\00:31:59.61
and we're going to see in just
a little bit... third chance
00:31:59.65\00:32:03.99
because He knew
that he was worth saving.
00:32:04.02\00:32:07.39
I'm actually glad God
says, "Hey, she's worth saving"
00:32:07.46\00:32:10.73
"he's worth saving"
00:32:10.76\00:32:12.83
"they're worth saving"
00:32:12.86\00:32:14.83
and God calls you...
00:32:14.86\00:32:16.83
and I think, only
when we get to heaven
00:32:16.87\00:32:18.57
will we be able to look back
00:32:18.60\00:32:20.70
and see the stony road
that God brought us over,
00:32:20.74\00:32:23.67
you know, because when you're...
00:32:23.71\00:32:26.34
when you're close to
it you can't always see it
00:32:26.37\00:32:28.84
but I think in heaven,
one of the we will marvel at
00:32:28.88\00:32:31.28
is how God protected us
00:32:31.31\00:32:33.08
when we weren't
looking out for ourselves,
00:32:33.11\00:32:35.38
when God directed us
00:32:35.42\00:32:37.45
when we weren't
directing ourselves,
00:32:37.49\00:32:39.05
how God guided us
00:32:39.09\00:32:40.82
when we didn't know
where we were going,
00:32:40.92\00:32:42.96
how God brought people
into and out of our lives
00:32:42.99\00:32:45.79
that we didn't even
know were for our benefit,
00:32:45.83\00:32:48.23
and how God did so many things
00:32:48.26\00:32:50.30
to file down those rough edges
00:32:50.33\00:32:52.63
to make us fit for
the kingdom of heaven
00:32:52.67\00:32:55.04
and that's
precisely what God is doing
00:32:55.07\00:32:57.44
with Nebuchadnezzar here,
00:32:57.47\00:32:58.81
he is filing down Nebuchadnezzar
00:32:58.84\00:33:01.58
because he has for this rough,
00:33:01.61\00:33:04.38
rash,
hot-headed, impulsive king...
00:33:04.41\00:33:07.65
He's got something He
wants to do for him...
00:33:07.68\00:33:10.59
with him.. to
him... and through him.
00:33:10.62\00:33:14.69
Pause.
00:33:14.72\00:33:16.93
I'm in Prophets and Kings,
you know how I... I... I debated
00:33:16.96\00:33:20.43
"How much Spirit of
Prophecy should I put in this?"
00:33:20.50\00:33:22.03
But one of the things I like
about the Spirit of Prophecy...
00:33:22.10\00:33:24.60
it sheds light
on the Biblical text
00:33:24.63\00:33:26.80
because the Bible
doesn't have time really
00:33:26.84\00:33:29.30
to go into all
the nuances but we...
00:33:29.34\00:33:31.77
we see the Biblical text
and then the... the... the...
00:33:31.81\00:33:35.28
narrative is filled
in by wonderful quotes
00:33:35.31\00:33:40.28
from the Spirit of Prophecy
00:33:40.32\00:33:41.65
so, "It is not surprising
that the successful monarch,
00:33:41.68\00:33:46.32
so ambitious and
so proud-spirited,
00:33:46.35\00:33:49.16
should be tempted to turn aside
from the path of humility. "
00:33:49.19\00:33:53.76
A lot of stuff
is being said there,
00:33:53.80\00:33:56.60
one, he is being successful,
00:33:56.63\00:33:58.77
Babylon, under Nebuchadnezzar,
was the envy of the world,
00:33:58.83\00:34:06.17
so, this non-Jewish king...
00:34:06.21\00:34:10.88
this non-Jehovah-loving
emperor is having success.
00:34:10.95\00:34:16.82
That's a fact...
and the fact also is,
00:34:16.89\00:34:20.66
that when things are going good,
00:34:20.69\00:34:23.93
sometimes, it
enters into our mind
00:34:24.03\00:34:26.26
that we don't need the Lord.
00:34:26.29\00:34:27.60
Amen.
00:34:27.66\00:34:28.96
Yeah, bills are being
paid... wife is doing well...
00:34:29.00\00:34:34.44
husband's doing well...
00:34:34.47\00:34:35.94
kids doing well in school...
00:34:35.97\00:34:37.37
everything's going well...
00:34:37.47\00:34:38.81
sometimes we're
tempted to think...
00:34:38.84\00:34:40.34
"Well, I can handle this,
00:34:40.38\00:34:43.91
because
everything is going well"
00:34:43.95\00:34:46.25
and
Nebuchadnezzar is doing well.
00:34:46.28\00:34:48.62
He is an instrument of God
00:34:48.65\00:34:51.29
pause
00:34:51.32\00:34:53.52
and yet he is beginning to
slip back into the path of pride
00:34:53.56\00:35:02.23
and away from
the path of humility.
00:35:02.26\00:35:06.23
Nebuchadnezzar wasn't
out fighting and conquering
00:35:06.27\00:35:10.91
he spent a lot of time
building and decorating.
00:35:10.94\00:35:15.48
Now, of course,
he had the Hebrews
00:35:15.51\00:35:18.98
to help him run the kingdom,
00:35:19.01\00:35:21.15
in fact, that's why Daniel,
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
00:35:21.18\00:35:25.95
were selected.
00:35:25.99\00:35:27.36
Remember, we
said the first night,
00:35:27.39\00:35:28.79
they were bright,
they were handsome,
00:35:28.82\00:35:30.33
they were good
looking, they were smart,
00:35:30.36\00:35:32.86
and that he took
them for those reasons,
00:35:32.89\00:35:35.36
so that they could
help him run the kingdom
00:35:35.40\00:35:37.90
and before this
is done, we find...
00:35:37.93\00:35:39.53
Daniel's third in the kingdom,
00:35:39.57\00:35:41.17
these Hebrew boys
are promoted twice
00:35:41.20\00:35:44.51
so, they're
running the Government...
00:35:44.54\00:35:46.04
Nebuchadnezzar, basically,
has a lot of time on his hands
00:35:46.07\00:35:49.18
and when you got a
lot of time on your hands,
00:35:49.21\00:35:52.51
sometimes that can get
you into a lot of trouble.
00:35:52.55\00:35:55.75
So, he is
beautifying his capital city
00:35:55.78\00:35:59.62
and archeologists say...
00:35:59.69\00:36:03.86
and this is
what they... they say
00:36:03.89\00:36:06.03
that the "golden city...
the praise of the whole earth. "
00:36:06.06\00:36:09.90
He made that city beautiful.
00:36:09.93\00:36:11.77
As we said the other night,
Babylon was not a large empire
00:36:11.80\00:36:15.57
as far as empires go
00:36:15.60\00:36:16.94
of the great empires, Babylon
was actually the smallest
00:36:17.01\00:36:19.87
as far as
territory was concerned
00:36:19.91\00:36:22.48
but as far as beauty and riches,
00:36:22.51\00:36:25.01
from what the
archeologists and scholars say,
00:36:25.05\00:36:28.65
it was by far
the most beautiful...
00:36:28.68\00:36:32.12
the most opulent...
the most gorgeous...
00:36:32.15\00:36:34.59
and a lot of that was due to
the building of Nebuchadnezzar.
00:36:34.62\00:36:38.53
He ruled 40 years out of the
70 and he spent a lot of time
00:36:38.56\00:36:42.30
making his
palace and his country
00:36:42.33\00:36:44.67
and his city beautiful
and the envy of the earth.
00:36:44.70\00:36:49.27
but here is the
danger of success.
00:36:49.30\00:36:52.34
Remember I asked you yesterday,
what is the better teacher,
00:36:52.37\00:36:54.68
success or failure?
00:36:54.71\00:36:56.04
There is a danger of
success... here it is.
00:36:56.08\00:36:59.25
Ellen White tells us,
00:36:59.28\00:37:01.62
"... it is the full cup
00:37:01.65\00:37:03.85
that must be most
carefully balanced... "
00:37:03.92\00:37:08.12
amen.
00:37:08.16\00:37:09.72
Now, what's it saying?
00:37:09.79\00:37:11.36
Have you ever filled up your
glass just a little too full?
00:37:11.39\00:37:16.13
You know, you turn on
one of those spigot things...
00:37:16.16\00:37:18.80
those punch things
that... at a party...
00:37:18.83\00:37:20.57
and you try to turn
it off and it keeps...
00:37:20.64\00:37:22.30
you know, it just keeps on going
00:37:22.34\00:37:23.71
so, you leave your glass there
00:37:23.74\00:37:25.07
and it's getting
closer and closer
00:37:25.11\00:37:26.44
and closer and closer to the top
00:37:26.47\00:37:27.94
so, now you got
a really full glass
00:37:27.98\00:37:29.54
and you got to be
really, really careful, amen,
00:37:29.58\00:37:33.82
you do, because a full glass
00:37:33.85\00:37:36.82
or a full cup is
much more dangerous
00:37:36.89\00:37:41.49
than an empty cup.
00:37:41.56\00:37:42.89
If you have an empty cup,
00:37:42.92\00:37:44.26
you can put your finger through
the cup handle and spin it...
00:37:44.33\00:37:45.76
you can do anything you want...
00:37:45.79\00:37:47.13
but once you get a full...
and if it's right at the brim
00:37:47.20\00:37:50.13
you've got to be very careful.
00:37:50.17\00:37:51.90
Now, there's a
spiritual lesson there
00:37:51.93\00:37:53.50
that if God is
really blessing you,
00:37:53.54\00:37:57.47
you've got to be very careful,
00:37:57.51\00:37:59.71
amen... yeah you do
00:37:59.74\00:38:02.64
because the natural tendency is
00:38:02.68\00:38:05.81
to take those
blessings for granted
00:38:05.85\00:38:08.95
and to ascribe to yourself
00:38:08.98\00:38:11.59
the power and
glory of those blessings,
00:38:11.62\00:38:13.89
so, a full cup... if
God is really blessing you
00:38:13.92\00:38:16.76
and everything is going right,
00:38:16.79\00:38:18.26
and everything
is going perfectly,
00:38:18.29\00:38:20.06
that's when you got
to be very, very careful
00:38:20.13\00:38:22.26
because that's when,
00:38:22.30\00:38:24.43
as they used to say in
the old Negro Spiritual,
00:38:24.47\00:38:27.44
"Your foot might slip
and your soul get lost"
00:38:27.47\00:38:30.31
so, if you're really enjoying
the blessings of the Lord,
00:38:30.34\00:38:33.11
be very, very careful,
00:38:33.14\00:38:34.51
one: be thankful
for those blessings,
00:38:34.54\00:38:36.48
two: give the glory to God
00:38:36.51\00:38:38.18
but be very careful because
sometimes you can lose out.
00:38:38.21\00:38:44.55
Pause.
00:38:44.59\00:38:49.89
I'm back in Prophets and
Kings, "Hardening his heart"
00:38:49.96\00:38:54.60
now, where have we
heard that before...
00:38:54.63\00:38:56.43
from a ruler?
00:38:56.46\00:38:57.80
"Hardening his heart, he
used his God-given talents
00:38:57.83\00:39:03.74
for self-glorification... "
00:39:03.77\00:39:06.14
that's sad...
00:39:06.17\00:39:07.74
"exalting himself above the God
00:39:07.78\00:39:12.25
who had given
him life and power. "
00:39:12.28\00:39:16.72
Now, let me ask you a question,
want to get very pragmatic,
00:39:16.75\00:39:19.52
pause
00:39:19.55\00:39:23.56
how many here think
that Wintley Phipps...
00:39:23.59\00:39:27.30
is not aware that
he is a good singer?
00:39:27.36\00:39:30.97
Pause.
00:39:31.00\00:39:32.77
Do you think he knows that?
00:39:32.80\00:39:34.44
Sang for five or six
Presidents, sang for the Pope,
00:39:34.47\00:39:37.94
sang all over,
00:39:38.01\00:39:39.34
you think he knows
he's a good singer?
00:39:39.37\00:39:40.71
I think he does.
00:39:40.78\00:39:42.81
You think Pastor John Lomacang
knows he's a pretty good singer?
00:39:42.84\00:39:46.58
Pause.
00:39:46.61\00:39:48.65
Do you think Yvonne Lewis...
baptized her 30 years ago,
00:39:48.68\00:39:51.55
making six
figures with her voice
00:39:51.59\00:39:54.39
well over 100,000 dollars
00:39:54.42\00:39:55.92
do you think she
knows she can sing?
00:39:55.96\00:39:58.43
Pause.
00:39:58.46\00:40:00.43
Is there any sin in
knowing that you have a talent?
00:40:00.50\00:40:03.43
Pause.
00:40:03.47\00:40:05.37
Now, if you can do something
and you know you can do it,
00:40:05.43\00:40:09.07
is that sinful?
00:40:09.10\00:40:10.77
Do you think
Michael Jordan knows...
00:40:10.81\00:40:12.71
knew that he was one of the
best basketball players ever?
00:40:12.74\00:40:16.18
See, there is no sin in
knowing that you have a gift
00:40:16.21\00:40:20.58
because if you don't
know you have a gift,
00:40:20.62\00:40:23.95
then you'll never know
how to improve the gift,
00:40:23.99\00:40:27.26
you've got to know
you've got it... if you got it
00:40:27.32\00:40:29.66
amen
00:40:29.69\00:40:31.03
so, those who
have gifts have to know
00:40:31.06\00:40:34.93
so that they can improve them.
00:40:34.96\00:40:36.40
The Bible says,
"Whatever you do,
00:40:36.43\00:40:37.83
do all to the glory of God. "
00:40:37.87\00:40:39.97
So, before you
can give it to God
00:40:40.00\00:40:42.27
as a return on His investment,
00:40:42.30\00:40:44.14
you got to know you have it,
00:40:44.17\00:40:45.91
amen.
00:40:45.97\00:40:47.31
If you're... if
you're... if you're smart
00:40:47.34\00:40:49.41
and everybody's
staying up late studying
00:40:49.44\00:40:51.41
and studying and studying
00:40:51.45\00:40:52.78
and you can just
look at it one time
00:40:52.81\00:40:54.58
and then zip through
00:40:54.62\00:40:56.08
that's a gift...
00:40:56.12\00:40:57.55
and if you've
got it, you know it.
00:40:57.59\00:40:58.99
The United States
Chaplain, Barry Black
00:40:59.02\00:41:01.69
has a photographic memory,
00:41:01.76\00:41:03.09
he preaches from
his head no notes...
00:41:03.12\00:41:05.19
I cannot do that,
00:41:05.23\00:41:06.56
you think he knows
that he has a gift from God?
00:41:06.59\00:41:09.36
Of course he does...
00:41:09.40\00:41:10.87
the problem is not in
knowing that you have a gift,
00:41:10.93\00:41:13.90
the problem is...
or the question is...
00:41:13.94\00:41:16.77
"Who gets the glory?"
00:41:16.81\00:41:19.81
Amen.
00:41:19.84\00:41:21.24
That's what it's all about,
00:41:21.28\00:41:23.21
who is going to get the glory.
00:41:23.24\00:41:25.11
Who is going to be glorified
by my use of this gift?
00:41:25.15\00:41:30.25
So he's hardening his heart,
00:41:30.29\00:41:32.72
he's got a talent but he's
using it for self-glorification.
00:41:32.75\00:41:38.63
He is taking from God the
glory that only belongs to Him
00:41:38.66\00:41:44.47
and Ladies and Gentlemen,
00:41:44.53\00:41:45.87
when you try to
inhale all of the oxygen
00:41:45.90\00:41:49.50
and don't give God
the glory He deserves,
00:41:49.54\00:41:53.31
you're really
on dangerous ground
00:41:53.34\00:41:55.24
because the Bible
says, "Every good gift
00:41:55.28\00:41:57.85
and every perfect gift
comes from the God of heaven"
00:41:57.88\00:42:04.02
and so, Nebuchadnezzar is
moving in a horrible direction,
00:42:04.09\00:42:08.86
he is hardening his heart,
00:42:08.89\00:42:10.83
what he doesn't know
is that spiritually...
00:42:10.86\00:42:14.40
it is time to grow up.
00:42:14.46\00:42:17.67
"... His passion as a
builder, and his signal success"
00:42:17.70\00:42:22.24
see that's a...
he's having success...
00:42:22.27\00:42:24.07
things are going pretty good,
00:42:24.11\00:42:26.04
so, "his signal success
00:42:26.07\00:42:28.34
in making Babylon one of
the wonders of the world,
00:42:28.38\00:42:31.68
ministered to his pride... "
00:42:31.71\00:42:33.88
his city was
beautiful and he knew it.
00:42:33.92\00:42:36.75
He had put more
money into his city
00:42:36.79\00:42:39.49
and he was aware of it.
00:42:39.52\00:42:40.86
it ministered...
boosted his pride and his ego
00:42:40.92\00:42:44.03
"... until he was in
danger of spoiling his record
00:42:44.09\00:42:48.36
as a wise ruler
whom God could use"
00:42:48.40\00:42:50.60
he was... he
had a good record...
00:42:50.63\00:42:52.70
he was doing some good things
00:42:52.73\00:42:54.50
and he was in danger
of spoiling that record
00:42:54.54\00:42:57.91
as someone that God
could continue to use
00:42:57.94\00:43:01.34
so God was using him
00:43:01.38\00:43:03.11
"as an instrument
00:43:03.14\00:43:04.78
for the carrying out
of His Divine purpose... "
00:43:04.81\00:43:07.88
Ladies and
Gentlemen, I submit to you,
00:43:07.92\00:43:09.68
if God is blessing you,
00:43:09.72\00:43:11.82
He's not blessing you
so that you can walk around
00:43:11.85\00:43:14.16
puffed up saying, "I am blessed"
00:43:14.19\00:43:16.29
amen
00:43:16.32\00:43:17.73
if God is blessing you,
00:43:17.76\00:43:19.46
He is blessing you so that
you can be a better vehicle
00:43:19.49\00:43:23.20
for the Word of God.
00:43:23.23\00:43:25.77
Why does God give a
person more Holy Spirit?
00:43:25.80\00:43:29.97
Why does He give
him more blessings?
00:43:30.01\00:43:31.97
The same reason you put
heavy-duty shock absorbers
00:43:32.01\00:43:35.88
on the back of your pickup truck
00:43:35.91\00:43:38.25
so you can carry more weight
00:43:38.28\00:43:40.58
that's why God blesses.
00:43:40.62\00:43:42.48
And so, God was
blessing Nebuchadnezzar
00:43:42.52\00:43:44.49
because He wanted to use
Him as a vehicle... as a...
00:43:44.52\00:43:48.82
as an instrument to
do great things for Him
00:43:48.86\00:43:51.96
and Nebuchadnezzar is
taking all the glory to himself.
00:43:51.99\00:43:55.23
He is doing exactly the opposite
00:43:55.26\00:43:57.40
of what God wants him to do
00:43:57.43\00:44:00.14
and he now is
beginning to spoil his record.
00:44:00.17\00:44:04.04
So, in mercy, God
gives the king another dream.
00:44:04.11\00:44:07.94
It's a bad dream,
00:44:07.98\00:44:09.31
it was given
ironically at the same time
00:44:09.34\00:44:13.62
that things were going so well,
00:44:13.65\00:44:16.08
things are going
well for the Jews,
00:44:16.15\00:44:18.25
things are
going well for Daniel,
00:44:18.29\00:44:20.39
things are going well for
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
00:44:20.46\00:44:23.73
things are going
well for Nebuchadnezzar
00:44:23.76\00:44:25.86
and in Daniel 4:4,
00:44:25.89\00:44:28.13
"... I Nebuchadnezzar
was at rest in my house,
00:44:28.16\00:44:33.03
and flourishing
in my palace... "
00:44:33.07\00:44:36.14
he admits it,
00:44:36.17\00:44:37.51
things were going
good... flourishing...
00:44:37.57\00:44:40.64
kingdom going well...
00:44:40.68\00:44:42.11
I'm going well...
00:44:42.18\00:44:43.55
and everything is going well,
00:44:43.61\00:44:47.18
that's when this
second dream comes in.
00:44:47.22\00:44:50.55
Pause.
00:44:50.59\00:44:51.99
So, Daniel now is
given an interpretation
00:44:52.02\00:44:56.02
in the midst of this
prosperity that says,
00:44:56.06\00:45:00.13
"It's all going to end...
00:45:00.16\00:45:02.76
not for the
country... but for the king. "
00:45:02.80\00:45:07.14
This is a
personal interpretation.
00:45:07.17\00:45:12.57
The Bible says,
"Daniel was astonished"
00:45:12.61\00:45:15.81
Ellen White says, "astonied"
00:45:15.84\00:45:18.18
"he was
nonplussed, he was dumbfounded"
00:45:18.21\00:45:22.68
he knows he's got
to give bad advice
00:45:22.72\00:45:26.89
to a king who
doesn't like bad news.
00:45:26.96\00:45:31.03
When I was a pastor, we
used to have Prayer Meetings
00:45:31.06\00:45:33.70
called, "Don't
give me no bad news"
00:45:33.73\00:45:35.90
and it was Prayer Meetings
where we just had praise,
00:45:35.93\00:45:38.50
no one... we didn't talk
about our aches or our pains
00:45:38.53\00:45:40.40
or our challenges,
00:45:40.44\00:45:41.77
just praise reports for
the whole Prayer Meeting,
00:45:41.80\00:45:43.47
we did that, maybe,
once every couple of months,
00:45:43.51\00:45:45.17
we had a, "Don't give me
no bad news" Prayer Meeting.
00:45:45.21\00:45:49.44
Well, Daniel serves a
"Don't give me no bad news king"
00:45:49.48\00:45:53.68
he doesn't want any bad news
00:45:53.72\00:45:55.58
and Daniel's got
some real bad news for him
00:45:55.62\00:45:58.69
pause
00:45:58.72\00:46:00.79
no way he can make this nice
00:46:00.82\00:46:02.59
pause
00:46:02.62\00:46:04.73
this is a king who twice before
00:46:04.76\00:46:07.03
had given
orders of extermination
00:46:07.03\00:46:09.23
so he is not shy about
ordering the death of people
00:46:09.26\00:46:12.73
and Daniel has
got to give him news
00:46:12.77\00:46:15.07
and he's little a
worried about this,
00:46:15.10\00:46:17.41
now, I'm going to say this,
00:46:17.44\00:46:18.77
"I don't think
Daniel was afraid"
00:46:18.81\00:46:20.18
there are times when
he could have been afraid,
00:46:20.21\00:46:22.31
I don't think he's afraid,
00:46:22.34\00:46:23.68
Daniel had proved
that he trusted in his God
00:46:23.75\00:46:25.75
and when you trust in God
00:46:25.78\00:46:28.08
you can speak before
any ruler or any king
00:46:28.12\00:46:30.29
you can tell him the truth,
00:46:30.32\00:46:31.65
He trusted in God...
00:46:31.69\00:46:33.02
but he is... he is disturbed
00:46:33.05\00:46:35.16
because things are going so well
00:46:35.19\00:46:37.63
and this interpretation...
this dream is saying
00:46:37.66\00:46:41.73
that things are not going to go
well for this particular king.
00:46:41.76\00:46:47.74
So, Daniel cannot
speak... and the king speaks
00:46:47.77\00:46:53.84
and... and again...
00:46:53.88\00:46:56.38
you know, when you
read the Word of God
00:46:56.41\00:46:58.51
and you see
these little nuances,
00:46:58.55\00:47:00.15
these little... these little
changes in how things work
00:47:00.18\00:47:04.92
you know that the
Spirit of God is working
00:47:04.95\00:47:06.92
and here is one of them.
00:47:06.99\00:47:08.32
We're in Daniel
chapter 4 right at verse 19.
00:47:08.36\00:47:13.33
Daniel can't
speak, he's astonished
00:47:13.36\00:47:16.26
so, Daniel
doesn't comfort the king,
00:47:16.33\00:47:19.20
the king comforts Daniel.
00:47:19.23\00:47:22.67
Pause.
00:47:22.70\00:47:24.44
Nebuchadnezzar...
calling him Belteshazzar...
00:47:24.47\00:47:29.18
calling him by
his Chaldean name,
00:47:29.21\00:47:32.48
he says, "Do not let the dream
00:47:32.51\00:47:35.35
or its
interpretation trouble you"
00:47:35.38\00:47:38.09
that's interesting
00:47:38.12\00:47:39.92
that's the king
speaking to Daniel.
00:47:39.95\00:47:42.39
He doesn't know
what the dream means,
00:47:42.42\00:47:44.83
he knows it's bad,
00:47:44.86\00:47:47.30
he doesn't know what words
00:47:47.30\00:47:49.40
are about to come
out of Daniel's mouth,
00:47:49.43\00:47:52.67
and yet he sees
how shook up Daniel is
00:47:52.70\00:47:55.84
so, the king... the person
who is about to get the bad news
00:47:55.87\00:48:01.08
says, "Don't let it trouble you,
00:48:01.14\00:48:03.01
it's going to be all right. "
00:48:03.04\00:48:04.75
You can tell the
Spirit is working
00:48:04.78\00:48:06.55
and working in a very strong way
00:48:06.61\00:48:08.32
when the king is
trying to comfort Daniel
00:48:08.35\00:48:09.98
as it was for Daniel
trying to comfort the king.
00:48:10.02\00:48:12.05
Nebuchadnezzar doesn't
know what Daniel's about to say,
00:48:12.09\00:48:14.69
he doesn't know what's
coming out of Daniel's mouth,
00:48:14.72\00:48:17.26
he knows it can't be
good and yet he says,
00:48:17.29\00:48:20.16
"Don't let it bother you... "
00:48:20.23\00:48:21.93
the Holy Spirit is working.
00:48:21.96\00:48:23.67
So, the Spirit of
God is moving here.
00:48:23.77\00:48:25.73
That little exchange is
testament to what God can do
00:48:25.77\00:48:29.87
to change a mind and heart.
00:48:29.90\00:48:31.74
You know,
sometimes we look at people
00:48:31.77\00:48:33.11
and we don't see how
they ever will be saved.
00:48:33.14\00:48:36.38
How the Lord
ever breaks that down.
00:48:36.41\00:48:40.25
You know God
can do all things...
00:48:40.32\00:48:42.28
He can do anything but fail...
00:48:42.35\00:48:44.29
and some of the
people who we think
00:48:44.32\00:48:45.99
are the hardest nuts to crack
00:48:46.02\00:48:47.99
my dad was one of them,
00:48:48.02\00:48:49.92
70 plus years...
fighting against God.
00:48:49.96\00:48:52.69
My wife, Irma, her dad...
00:48:52.73\00:48:54.83
same one... all his
life... fighting against God
00:48:54.83\00:48:57.47
and then one day, my
father gets on the phone
00:48:57.53\00:49:00.17
and calls and says,
00:49:00.20\00:49:01.54
"Could you come home and
study the Bible with me?"
00:49:01.57\00:49:04.64
Pause...
00:49:04.67\00:49:06.71
And so, I fly
home... no... drove home...
00:49:06.74\00:49:09.61
and for one week...
studied the Word of God together
00:49:09.64\00:49:13.68
and that was in May,
00:49:13.75\00:49:16.95
I flew back home in
October of the same year
00:49:17.02\00:49:22.82
baptized him... and then
mid-November my mother called
00:49:22.86\00:49:27.76
and said, "Come home,
your dad just had a stroke,
00:49:27.83\00:49:30.40
he's dead. "
00:49:30.47\00:49:31.80
Pause.
00:49:31.83\00:49:34.17
Who knew... God can
tear down strongholds,
00:49:34.24\00:49:39.21
God can do things that
we didn't think He could do.
00:49:39.24\00:49:42.61
God can do anything but fail
00:49:42.64\00:49:45.45
and so, He's giving
Nebuchadnezzar another chance.
00:49:45.48\00:49:49.82
Here's the
dream... very quickly.
00:49:49.85\00:49:52.15
Tree... strong and mighty...
00:49:52.19\00:49:54.19
height reaches to heaven,
00:49:54.26\00:49:56.12
lovely leaves...
abundant fruit...
00:49:56.16\00:49:59.29
enough for all the
beasts of the field...
00:49:59.36\00:50:02.43
birds of the air
come and nest under it.
00:50:02.46\00:50:05.23
A mighty tree...
a beautiful tree...
00:50:05.27\00:50:07.67
a full tree...
a luscious tree...
00:50:07.70\00:50:10.17
a tree that
provides for other people
00:50:10.21\00:50:12.57
and in verse 23, Nebuchadnezzar
hears for the second time,
00:50:12.61\00:50:16.91
"This is you... you
are that great tree,
00:50:16.95\00:50:20.58
but there's a holy
watcher who came from heaven...
00:50:20.62\00:50:24.65
that's the good news...
00:50:24.69\00:50:26.76
now Nebuchadnezzar,
00:50:26.82\00:50:28.69
I've got to give
you the bad news,
00:50:28.72\00:50:30.89
because the holy watcher said,
00:50:30.93\00:50:32.96
'chop it down'
00:50:32.99\00:50:35.73
chop it down... but leave
the stump and the roots intact
00:50:35.76\00:50:43.37
and in the earth
00:50:43.44\00:50:45.04
let it get wet
with the dew of heaven
00:50:45.07\00:50:47.71
but leave it intact...
00:50:47.74\00:50:49.78
why?
00:50:49.84\00:50:52.25
'... we must know
that Heaven Rules... '
00:50:52.28\00:50:55.58
Nebuchadnezzar, you have to know
00:50:55.62\00:50:58.62
that heaven rules. "
00:50:58.65\00:51:01.29
We've got to know
that heaven rules.
00:51:01.32\00:51:05.33
Now, let me say this because
my time is slipping away from me
00:51:05.36\00:51:08.00
and this is
very, very important.
00:51:08.03\00:51:09.36
"This is one of
the greatest miracles
00:51:09.40\00:51:14.47
in the Word of God. "
00:51:14.50\00:51:16.20
We never look at it
that way but it is...
00:51:16.24\00:51:19.94
it... it's... it's an incredibly
great miracle from the Lord.
00:51:19.97\00:51:23.75
Think about it.
00:51:23.81\00:51:26.31
That dream told Nebuchadnezzar,
00:51:26.35\00:51:29.72
"You are going to lose your mind
00:51:29.75\00:51:33.05
and be driven
from the company of men
00:51:33.09\00:51:40.56
for seven years...
00:51:40.60\00:51:43.16
you'll be living
outside, eating grass,
00:51:43.20\00:51:47.50
you won't
communicate with anybody
00:51:47.57\00:51:50.17
and no one will
communicate with you
00:51:50.24\00:51:52.74
and for seven years,
00:51:52.77\00:51:56.01
I'm going to perform
an ongoing miracle. "
00:51:56.04\00:51:59.95
Nebuchadnezzar
couldn't take care of himself,
00:52:00.05\00:52:03.89
so, that miracle was happening
every day for seven years
00:52:03.92\00:52:08.62
amen
00:52:08.66\00:52:10.13
it's a powerful miracle...
00:52:10.23\00:52:12.29
it's one of the
greatest in... in the Bible.
00:52:12.36\00:52:14.83
God promised, "No one's going
to take your kingdom from you"
00:52:14.93\00:52:19.27
now that could have
happened, couldn't it?
00:52:19.30\00:52:22.27
Yeah, when Sennacherib
failed to... to conquer Israel,
00:52:22.30\00:52:27.04
he went home and
his own sons killed him.
00:52:27.08\00:52:29.54
That didn't happen.
00:52:29.58\00:52:31.35
"So, you're not going to have
insurrection in your family,
00:52:31.38\00:52:33.68
no other kingdom
is going to come in
00:52:33.72\00:52:36.38
and take your kingdom from you.
00:52:36.42\00:52:38.09
You will be kept...
00:52:38.12\00:52:41.19
you're... you know, you're...
00:52:41.22\00:52:43.59
you're
basically out of your mind
00:52:43.63\00:52:44.96
someone could say,
"You know, we should just
00:52:44.99\00:52:46.49
put him out of his misery"
00:52:46.53\00:52:47.86
Nebuchadnezzar
would not have known
00:52:47.86\00:52:50.40
he would have
been none the wiser,
00:52:50.43\00:52:52.93
and yet, for seven years,
God kept the kingdom sound,
00:52:52.97\00:52:58.37
He kept enemies from invading,
00:52:58.41\00:53:02.01
He kept the
kingdom from disintegrating
00:53:02.04\00:53:05.45
and He kept Nebuchadnezzar...
00:53:05.48\00:53:07.88
his... his... you know,
he didn't have any hygiene,
00:53:07.92\00:53:11.82
his nails are growing long
and his hair is growing long
00:53:11.89\00:53:15.76
and his skin is
like eagle's feathers
00:53:15.79\00:53:17.86
and you know he's
not showering or bathing,
00:53:17.89\00:53:20.40
he's just... he's just
living out there... eating grass
00:53:20.43\00:53:22.86
but God is keeping
him for seven long years.
00:53:22.90\00:53:29.30
That is a continuing miracle,
00:53:29.34\00:53:30.67
it is one of the greatest
miracles in the Word of God...
00:53:30.71\00:53:34.24
Old Testament or New
00:53:34.28\00:53:35.98
and God is doing
this... I say again...
00:53:36.01\00:53:38.75
for a heathen king
who Ellen White says,
00:53:38.78\00:53:41.48
by training... by nurture...
00:53:41.52\00:53:45.79
by nature...
00:53:45.82\00:53:47.32
this is a pagan guy
00:53:47.36\00:53:49.46
but God sees
something in him worth saving
00:53:49.49\00:53:53.16
and so, at the
end of seven years,
00:53:53.19\00:53:57.63
one day in the
providence of God,
00:53:57.70\00:54:02.20
pause
00:54:02.27\00:54:04.47
God changes things...
00:54:04.51\00:54:06.88
pause
00:54:06.91\00:54:09.51
one day he is insane
00:54:09.54\00:54:13.28
the next day he is sane
00:54:13.35\00:54:17.02
one day he is eating
grass like an animal,
00:54:17.09\00:54:22.42
the next day, he is eating at
a table with a knife and fork.
00:54:22.46\00:54:28.10
One day he cannot communicate
with anybody or anything,
00:54:28.13\00:54:32.17
totally dependent upon God,
00:54:32.20\00:54:34.70
the next day he stands
up and acts like a man.
00:54:34.74\00:54:41.41
It's a marvelous,
marvelous miracle.
00:54:41.44\00:54:46.41
Ellen White says that the
impressions given by God to us
00:54:46.45\00:54:54.39
unless we really accept them
00:54:54.42\00:54:57.73
through the power
of the Holy Spirit,
00:54:57.76\00:54:59.13
we will lose them
00:54:59.16\00:55:00.93
but it was during
this seven-year period,
00:55:00.96\00:55:06.33
or, perhaps more accurately,
00:55:06.37\00:55:09.54
at the end of
this seven-year period,
00:55:09.57\00:55:14.64
that this heathen
king found his Lord.
00:55:14.68\00:55:20.85
When he came back
from the wilderness,
00:55:20.92\00:55:24.49
he was a changed man
00:55:24.52\00:55:27.16
and more than that,
he was a converted man.
00:55:27.19\00:55:33.23
It was during this period
00:55:33.26\00:55:35.50
that God got
through to Nebuchadnezzar
00:55:35.53\00:55:41.67
and even the words of
his mouth were different.
00:55:41.74\00:55:50.11
Pause.
00:55:50.15\00:55:51.61
God changed him
00:55:51.65\00:55:53.62
and God converted him.
00:55:53.68\00:55:56.02
This time when he
speaks for the Lord,
00:55:56.08\00:55:59.69
he's not just
speaking from the head,
00:55:59.72\00:56:03.39
he is speaking from the heart,
00:56:03.46\00:56:07.03
he is a converted man,
00:56:07.13\00:56:10.37
he is now a child of God
00:56:10.47\00:56:13.67
and he knows and understands
what God wants to do.
00:56:13.74\00:56:20.58
So, let's look at verse 19,
00:56:20.61\00:56:22.18
Pause.
00:56:22.21\00:56:28.55
Ellen White says,
00:56:28.58\00:56:29.92
"At the end of the time... "
00:56:29.95\00:56:32.05
or rather... this is
Nebuchadnezzar speaking,
00:56:32.09\00:56:33.76
this is Nebuchadnezzar
speaking, Daniel 4:19,
00:56:33.79\00:56:37.33
"At the end of the time,
00:56:37.36\00:56:38.89
I Nebuchadnezzar
lifted up my eyes to heaven
00:56:38.93\00:56:42.60
and my understanding
returned to me... "
00:56:42.63\00:56:46.30
his understanding returns
00:56:46.33\00:56:48.64
and then he goes into
a time of praise to God.
00:56:48.67\00:56:55.11
He talks about the
goodness of the Lord,
00:56:55.14\00:56:57.65
he talks about the
greatness of the Lord,
00:56:57.68\00:57:00.18
he talks about the
Lord's ability to set up kings
00:57:00.25\00:57:04.55
and bring kings down,
00:57:04.59\00:57:08.06
God pulled Nebuchadnezzar
00:57:08.09\00:57:11.46
basically, from
the scrap heap of life.
00:57:11.49\00:57:14.83
He plucked him out of Babylon...
00:57:14.83\00:57:18.43
when we think of Babylon,
00:57:18.47\00:57:19.80
we think of
everything that is anti God
00:57:19.83\00:57:22.00
but God called Nebuchadnezzar.
00:57:22.04\00:57:25.67
Nebuchadnezzar, at the end,
00:57:25.71\00:57:29.28
acknowledged his
dependency upon God
00:57:29.31\00:57:32.01
and Ellen White says,
00:57:32.05\00:57:34.25
"These are the
last words recorded
00:57:34.32\00:57:36.62
about Nebuchadnezzar
in sacred history. "
00:57:36.69\00:57:39.52
Nebuchadnezzar,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
00:57:39.55\00:57:42.42
is a saved man...
00:57:42.46\00:57:44.73
his name is written
in the Book of Life.
00:57:44.76\00:57:47.86
Audience: Amen.
00:57:47.93\00:57:49.23
Shall we pray, "Father God,
00:57:49.26\00:57:50.63
we thank you,
Lord... we praise you
00:57:50.67\00:57:53.13
because truly... truly...
00:57:53.17\00:57:56.04
you are a good and
gracious and great God
00:57:56.07\00:57:59.64
and we see how
you called this king
00:57:59.71\00:58:03.98
and made him your child
00:58:04.01\00:58:06.48
please Lord, do that for
each and every one of us,
00:58:06.51\00:58:10.52
make us your children,
00:58:10.55\00:58:13.39
in Jesus' name, amen. "
00:58:13.42\00:58:16.22