King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Saturday, September 14, 2019
Chapters: Daniel 4-6
Message: According To God’s Purpose
Hello My Friend,
We hear of, and even witness miraculous testimonies, even dying, and return to tell about it. And yet we hear of, and even witness many who lost their lives after years of suffering. I can honestly tell you that God has miraculously intervened in my life more times than I can count, and often wonder why. So, how does God decide who lives to tell their story? Well, it all starts with a purpose. No, God does not purpose to send some crazy maniac to shoot children, but He will use that tragedy to change the lives of many as they come to Him through His Son. We also have to take into account the person who died, what God may be saving them from. We have no idea what our future holds, but God does, and if He has to bring us to heaven to protect us, He will, which is often what happens when children die in the hands of horrible people. Now, I really cannot explain God’s thoughts on this beyond what I have read and learned from the Bible, but I can explain that God has a purpose, not for just some, but all, and that purpose is for every soul to be saved. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen, but He never gives up hope until their very last breath. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” – Romans 8:28-30.
“to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Now, there are times when God does judge a nation, and many men, women, and children will die for their refusal to repent, and He will use the heathens to do it. Not one soul ends up in hell because God wanted them there, since Adam, we all have a choice, and if we choose Him we live, period. And you did not need to see Jesus dying on the cross to live by faith in God, in fact, the majority of those who witnessed Him dying on the cross never believed, and still held on to their crackpot religion, which by the way, has them sitting in hell right now. If there was ever a testimony of God’s saving grace upon all, it is Nebuchadnezzar. God used him to judge Israel, a man who also thought himself to be a god because he was ruler over just about every nation. Nebuchadnezzar stands before the people and gives gives his amazing, testimony.
“Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee. This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.” – Daniel 4:1,4-5,8,17-18,24-25.
“and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field,” This means that he would turn into an animal and live in the fields for seven years. And that is exactly what happened because he refused to acknowledge that his success came from God. “The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.” – Daniel 4:30-34,37.
“and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.” Pride always comes before a fall, and humility is the only thing that will lift you back up. “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” – James 4:9-10.
Apparently, Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony did not convince his son that he ought to repent, but he too will discover God is the only KING, and in control of all things. It all started with a feast, he decided he wanted use the golden cups that his father had brought from the temple and worship their false gods with them.
“Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;” – Daniel 5,3-6,10-11.
“in whom is the spirit of the holy gods;” This man was scared out of his wits. Let me tell you, you do not and cannot understand the power of God until you face a dangerous situation. That is when many do turn to God for answers, or I should say someone who knows God. They brought Daniel before the king and he flat out told him it was because of their using the cups. Daniel also reminded him of what happened to his father, and he was well aware of it.
“O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:” – Daniel 5:18-23.
“hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;” And this is where God’s mercy runs out. These are people who are well aware of the testimonies of those who got saved and of God Himself, and yet they refuse to humble themselves and repent. Remember, God gave His Word to His believers so that they could have something to show them how to worship Him His way, and what happens to those who do not. Now, Belshazzar was killed shortly after the interpretation was given, the Medes took control of Babylon, a Darius reigned. Darius loved Daniel because he was faithful, he honored Belshazzar’s decree that made him third in command of the country, and was even contemplating bringing him up higher than that. Of course, that did not go ever well with the Babylonians and they conspired to have him killed. “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” – Daniel 6:1-5.
“except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” The world despises faithful Christians, they will do anything to try to get them to turn on God. Their attempt to have Daniel killed did not go so well, in fact, they were the ones who ended up being killed for deceiving the king in the first place. We have a choice, everyone has the same choice, and whether or not we approve of God’s purpose, Jesus gave His life for all, even the maniac who shoots children. Repentance is not a respect of persons, we all need to repent, meaning if we want to be saved from judgment we need to repent of our own works saving us, and turn to Christ, who did the work for us. “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” – Romans 3:22-25.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.” – Daniel 6:22.
Today’s Prayer: God, It amazing me every day how You can save a sinner like me, and continue to use me as a witness and testimony of Your miraculous interventions in my life, and how Your Son literally changed me into a new person. To say that I understand everything written in Your Word would be a lie, but what I do know is that I am saved by my faith alone in Your Son’s sinless death, burial, and resurrection. Amen! And I know what He has done in my life, and I can side with Paul who said, “Christ came into the world to save sinners of who I am chief.”. Lord, lead me and guide me in the purpose that You have for my life, and continue to work in my life so that I can be a faithful witness of Your saving grace in my life. I ask this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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