Reading with M'Cheyne Podcast

William Conley
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Notes and comments on the M'Cheyne lectionary william296.substack.com

  1. 2h ago

    The Sea Monsters and the Son of Man

    This is the M’Cheyne reading for October 23rd, although this passage is from yesterday’s reading. It is a day late, but that’s sometimes how I roll. So let’s begin. In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.” — Daniel 7:1–3 (NIV) Introduction Now, the first thing to recognize is that Daniel 7 is a vision. This is something Daniel saw. To understand his vision, I think it helps to have some familiarity with the ancient Near Eastern background. Both the Babylonians and the Canaanites had stories about the sea, chaos, and great battles between the gods and the powers of the sea. In Babylonian mythology, you have Marduk and Tiamat. Tiamat represents the primordial sea, and Marduk defeats her. He then divides her body and uses it to form the heavens and the earth. In Canaanite mythology, you have a somewhat similar story involving Baal and Yam. Yam is the god of the sea, who challenges the divine order and seeks supremacy among the gods. Baal battles Yam and defeats him. So you have these two stories. Marduk defeats Tiamat. Baal defeats Yam. In both, the sea is associated with chaos and threatening powers that must be overcome. Daniel is not simply retelling these pagan myths. He is speaking into a culture familiar with these Babylonian and Canaanite stories. I believe that maybe these myths themselves represent a corrupted understanding of something that is actually true about creation, order, and chaos. I will get to that later. The point is that this imagery of the great sea being stirred up, and these terrifying beasts emerging from it, was something that ancient readers would immediately recognize. We on the other hand, living in the 21st century, have no clue, and thus we need to familiarize ourselves with the ancient near eastern cultural context if we are going to understand what Daniel was trying to communicate. Reading Daniel Through Genesis Chapter 1 Now, that’s the ancient Near Eastern background. But if we look at the biblical background, and particularly if we read this through the first chapter of Genesis, I think we begin to see something else. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. This is the famous tohu va-vohu text that has produced voluminous scholarly literature as to what it meant in its ANE context. If we just take its lexical meaning, it is “without form and void.” It is unformed. It has not yet been ordered into a habitation for man. This is before the six days of creation, during which God forms and fills the heavens and the earth, making the world into a place where man can dwell in fellowship with God. Now, think about what Daniel is seeing. These kingdoms are coming up out of the sea. And in a sense, they are going backwards toward this pre-creation chaos found in Genesis 1. This is not mankind in the Edenic state. In fact, they are not even men. They are beasts. And remember the order of creation. On the sixth day, God creates the beasts, and then he creates man in his own image. Man is given dominion over the beasts. But here in Daniel, we see the opposite. Instead of men exercising dominion over the beasts, we have beasts exercising dominion over men. So everything about this vision is moving backwards. It is a reversal of the creation order. Instead of moving toward fullness and completion, these kingdoms are moving backwards toward chaos, toward the unformed condition of the world before God ordered it as a habitation for man. And I think that’s an important way to understand these four kingdoms. They are not simply political powers. They represent humanity becoming beastly, turning away from the purpose for which God created man in the first place. Now, when I speak of chaos, I am not suggesting that creation was evil in the beginning. God created the heavens and the earth, and his creation was good. The unformed condition of the earth was not sinful. It was simply not yet formed and filled. But sin is different. Sin is a privation of the good. It does not have a positive existence of its own. It is the corruption of something good that God has made. In that sense, sin moves in the same direction as uncreation and destruction. It moves away from order, away from fullness, away from the purpose for which God created the world. It is going backwards. That is what I see happening in Daniel’s vision. These kingdoms are not moving humanity toward its intended fullness. They are moving backwards toward chaos. Instead of becoming more fully what God created man to be, humanity is becoming beastly. Yet God will arrest this backward movement through a Redeemer. We see Him later in this chapter as the Son of Man, and he is given a dominion that will never be destroyed. He overcomes these sea monsters and moves all of creation toward its consummation, not toward chaos. This, I contend, is Daniel’s reversal of the Babylonian and Canaanite myths. God is not however actually fighting chaos monsters. He is destroying the works of Satan, the Dragon, the ultimate enemy of God’s good order. The Dragon seeks chaos and destruction. He is working to undo creation. He acts like a chaos monster, but he is not a rival to God, as we see in the Babylonian and Canaanite myths. He is a creature, entirely subject to God’s sovereign authority. The City of Man is A Beast Now, as we look at these sea monsters, these beasts coming out of the sea, and understand the ancient Near Eastern context, we must not think that whatever nations these beasts represent, and I am going to get to that in a minute, they are the only beastly kingdoms. Every kingdom is beastly because every kingdom is fallen. Every man born of Adam and Eve is fallen from what man was created to be. In that sense, fallen mankind has become beastly. So all the kingdoms are beastly, whether we are talking about the Aztecs, the Incas, China, India or any other kingdom in history. Wherever you find a kingdom and a civil government, you are dealing with fallen government, just as you are dealing with fallen man. All of them are fallen. The reason we have these four beastly kingdoms represented to us here in Daniel is that these are the particular kingdoms God is using as his servants to bring about the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise. God is working through these kingdoms in history to accomplish his redemptive purposes. They are the nations God uses in Redemptive History. But these kingdoms do not last. They are all destroyed, and ultimately their dominion is brought to an end by the coming of the Son of Man. This includes all kingdoms and not just the four represented here. Now, if we think about this in the context of fallen mankind, the coming of the Son of Man must not only destroy these sea monsters, these beastly kingdoms, but he must also slay fallen man so that man can be made anew. Nobody can be resurrected to new life unless he first dies. The Redeemer, the Son of Man must destroy the beastliness of fallen man. This is necessary in order for there to be resurrected life. He will destroy what the Dragon initiated in bringing about the fall of mankind. Thus the sea monsters and all fallen man are being conquered by the Redeemer. Some are raised to eternal life, and others are raised to judgment and eternal death. This is why the new birth is necessary. Fallen man must die in order to be made new. Redeemed man must die with Christ in order to be raised with Christ. Identifying the Beasts If we read this passage and look at the four beasts, there are two primary ways of identifying them. One is to see them as Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece. The other is to see them as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. I think the first interpretation is a little more difficult, given what Daniel says later in chapter 8, where Media and Persia are represented as one kingdom. So I would go with the second interpretation: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Now, the fourth beast is not represented as any particular animal. It is simply a beast, a terrifying monster, different from all the others. I think that difference becomes important when we try to understand exactly what Daniel is saying about this fourth kingdom. This is the kingdom during which the Son of Man appears, which to me clearly identifies it as the Roman Empire, because Jesus came during the Roman Empire and died on a Roman cross. For that reason, I find it very difficult to accept the higher-critical interpretation that identifies the fourth beast as the Greek Empire. There is also the matter of the four heads of the third beast. We know that Alexander the Great’s empire was eventually divided into four major kingdoms after his death, which fits the imagery remarkably well. There are so many indications pointing in this direction that I think the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman interpretation is the best reading of the passage. The Ancient of Days and the Son of Man Now, when we come to Daniel 7:9–14, we see the Ancient of Days seated upon his throne, and then we see one like a Son of Man coming before him and receiving a kingdom that will never be destroyed. There is so much in this section of Scripture that I would like to discuss more fully, but for the purposes of this exposition, I am going to leave much of that for another time. What I want to emphasize here is that the kingdom of God overcomes the kingdoms of fallen mankind. Man proposes, man establishes his kingdoms, but God wins, and he redeems. I remember when I was in the South Pacific, teaching at T

    The Sea Monsters and the Son of Man

  2. 2h ago

    The Sea Monsters and the Son of Man

    This is the M’Cheyne reading for October 23rd, although this passage is from yesterday’s reading. It is a day late, but that’s sometimes how I roll. So let’s begin. In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.” — Daniel 7:1–3 (NIV) Introduction Now, the first thing to recognize is that Daniel 7 is a vision. This is something Daniel saw. To understand his vision, I think it helps to have some familiarity with the ancient Near Eastern background. Both the Babylonians and the Canaanites had stories about the sea, chaos, and great battles between the gods and the powers of the sea. In Babylonian mythology, you have Marduk and Tiamat. Tiamat represents the primordial sea, and Marduk defeats her. He then divides her body and uses it to form the heavens and the earth. In Canaanite mythology, you have a somewhat similar story involving Baal and Yam. Yam is the god of the sea, who challenges the divine order and seeks supremacy among the gods. Baal battles Yam and defeats him. So you have these two stories. Marduk defeats Tiamat. Baal defeats Yam. In both, the sea is associated with chaos and threatening powers that must be overcome. Daniel is not simply retelling these pagan myths. He is speaking into a culture familiar with these Babylonian and Canaanite stories. I believe that maybe these myths themselves represent a corrupted understanding of something that is actually true about creation, order, and chaos. I will get to that later. The point is that this imagery of the great sea being stirred up, and these terrifying beasts emerging from it, was something that ancient readers would immediately recognize. We on the other hand, living in the 21st century, have no clue, and thus we need to familiarize ourselves with the ancient near eastern cultural context if we are going to understand what Daniel was trying to communicate. Reading Daniel Through Genesis Chapter 1 Now, that’s the ancient Near Eastern background. But if we look at the biblical background, and particularly if we read this through the first chapter of Genesis, I think we begin to see something else. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. This is the famous tohu va-vohu text that has produced voluminous scholarly literature as to what it meant in its ANE context. If we just take its lexical meaning, it is “without form and void.” It is unformed. It has not yet been ordered into a habitation for man. This is before the six days of creation, during which God forms and fills the heavens and the earth, making the world into a place where man can dwell in fellowship with God. Now, think about what Daniel is seeing. These kingdoms are coming up out of the sea. And in a sense, they are going backwards toward this pre-creation chaos found in Genesis 1. This is not mankind in the Edenic state. In fact, they are not even men. They are beasts. And remember the order of creation. On the sixth day, God creates the beasts, and then he creates man in his own image. Man is given dominion over the beasts. But here in Daniel, we see the opposite. Instead of men exercising dominion over the beasts, we have beasts exercising dominion over men. So everything about this vision is moving backwards. It is a reversal of the creation order. Instead of moving toward fullness and completion, these kingdoms are moving backwards toward chaos, toward the unformed condition of the world before God ordered it as a habitation for man. And I think that’s an important way to understand these four kingdoms. They are not simply political powers. They represent humanity becoming beastly, turning away from the purpose for which God created man in the first place. Now, when I speak of chaos, I am not suggesting that creation was evil in the beginning. God created the heavens and the earth, and his creation was good. The unformed condition of the earth was not sinful. It was simply not yet formed and filled. But sin is different. Sin is a privation of the good. It does not have a positive existence of its own. It is the corruption of something good that God has made. In that sense, sin moves in the same direction as uncreation and destruction. It moves away from order, away from fullness, away from the purpose for which God created the world. It is going backwards. That is what I see happening in Daniel’s vision. These kingdoms are not moving humanity toward its intended fullness. They are moving backwards toward chaos. Instead of becoming more fully what God created man to be, humanity is becoming beastly. Yet God will arrest this backward movement through a Redeemer. We see Him later in this chapter as the Son of Man, and he is given a dominion that will never be destroyed. He overcomes these sea monsters and moves all of creation toward its consummation, not toward chaos. This, I contend, is Daniel’s reversal of the Babylonian and Canaanite myths. God is not however actually fighting chaos monsters. He is destroying the works of Satan, the Dragon, the ultimate enemy of God’s good order. The Dragon seeks chaos and destruction. He is working to undo creation. He acts like a chaos monster, but he is not a rival to God, as we see in the Babylonian and Canaanite myths. He is a creature, entirely subject to God’s sovereign authority. The City of Man is A Beast Now, as we look at these sea monsters, these beasts coming out of the sea, and understand the ancient Near Eastern context, we must not think that whatever nations these beasts represent, and I am going to get to that in a minute, they are the only beastly kingdoms. Every kingdom is beastly because every kingdom is fallen. Every man born of Adam and Eve is fallen from what man was created to be. In that sense, fallen mankind has become beastly. So all the kingdoms are beastly, whether we are talking about the Aztecs, the Incas, China, India or any other kingdom in history. Wherever you find a kingdom and a civil government, you are dealing with fallen government, just as you are dealing with fallen man. All of them are fallen. The reason we have these four beastly kingdoms represented to us here in Daniel is that these are the particular kingdoms God is using as his servants to bring about the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise. God is working through these kingdoms in history to accomplish his redemptive purposes. They are the nations God uses in Redemptive History. But these kingdoms do not last. They are all destroyed, and ultimately their dominion is brought to an end by the coming of the Son of Man. This includes all kingdoms and not just the four represented here. Now, if we think about this in the context of fallen mankind, the coming of the Son of Man must not only destroy these sea monsters, these beastly kingdoms, but he must also slay fallen man so that man can be made anew. Nobody can be resurrected to new life unless he first dies. The Redeemer, the Son of Man must destroy the beastliness of fallen man. This is necessary in order for there to be resurrected life. He will destroy what the Dragon initiated in bringing about the fall of mankind. Thus the sea monsters and all fallen man are being conquered by the Redeemer. Some are raised to eternal life, and others are raised to judgment and eternal death. This is why the new birth is necessary. Fallen man must die in order to be made new. Redeemed man must die with Christ in order to be raised with Christ. Identifying the Beasts If we read this passage and look at the four beasts, there are two primary ways of identifying them. One is to see them as Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece. The other is to see them as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. I think the first interpretation is a little more difficult, given what Daniel says later in chapter 8, where Media and Persia are represented as one kingdom. So I would go with the second interpretation: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Now, the fourth beast is not represented as any particular animal. It is simply a beast, a terrifying monster, different from all the others. I think that difference becomes important when we try to understand exactly what Daniel is saying about this fourth kingdom. This is the kingdom during which the Son of Man appears, which to me clearly identifies it as the Roman Empire, because Jesus came during the Roman Empire and died on a Roman cross. For that reason, I find it very difficult to accept the higher-critical interpretation that identifies the fourth beast as the Greek Empire. There is also the matter of the four heads of the third beast. We know that Alexander the Great’s empire was eventually divided into four major kingdoms after his death, which fits the imagery remarkably well. There are so many indications pointing in this direction that I think the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman interpretation is the best reading of the passage. The Ancient of Days and the Son of Man Now, when we come to Daniel 7:9–14, we see the Ancient of Days seated upon his throne, and then we see one like a Son of Man coming before him and receiving a kingdom that will never be destroyed. There is so much in this section of Scripture that I would like to discuss more fully, but for the purposes of this exposition, I am going to leave much of that for another time. What I want to emphasize here is that the kingdom of God overcomes the kingdoms of fallen mankind. Man proposes, man establishes his kingdoms, but God wins, and he redeems. I remember when I was in the South Pacific, teachin

  3. 1d ago

    The Witness of Daniel to the Medes and Persians

    The Witness of Daniel to the Medes and Persians Daniel 6: A New World Power McCheyne Bible Reading, October 21 A day late, as usual. The reason I am running a day behind in the McCheyne readings is that I am trying to work through the entire book of Daniel. I won’t be able to comment on every passage, but I would like to say something about every chapter. This makes things a little difficult. Some chapters require more attention than others, and consequently, I sometimes have to work through the readings a little out of order. Nevertheless, we come now to Daniel chapter 6. Daniel 6:1–5 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God. A New World Power Darius is now ruling. He is not a Babylonian. The Babylonian Empire has fallen, and the Medes and Persians have become the dominant power in the biblical world. I think this is something we need to understand as we continue reading through Daniel. The Bible is not telling us that the Medes and Persians were the only great power in the world. There were other kingdoms, other civilizations, and other centers of political power. Rather, the biblical narrative is concerned with that part of the world in which God is unfolding his redemptive purposes and giving his revelation. In that sense, the Medo-Persian Empire has become the new world power on the stage where God is revealing the fulfillment of his promises to Abraham—that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. This is how that blessing will come to all the nations. God is working through history, through kingdoms and empires, and now in particular through the Medes and Persians, as he continues to unfold his redemptive purposes. Daniel Is Still There. Notice what is happening. Daniel is in a position of power, and he has angered those who want to be in positions of power themselves. The high officials and the satraps sought to find grounds for a complaint against Daniel. Why? Because they wanted the power. This is the way the kingdoms of this world work. It is all about exalting yourself, gaining control, and ruling over everybody else. You want people to serve you. You don’t want to serve them. But the kingdom of heaven is exactly the opposite. Jesus asks, who is greater: the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? And then he says, “But I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:27). In the kingdom of heaven, greatness is measured by service, not by how many people you can bring under your authority. This is what Jesus models for us. He is the King who came not to be served, but to serve. It is the upside-down kingdom—a kingdom that operates according to principles entirely different from those of the kingdoms of this world. And here we see Daniel, a faithful servant of God, standing in the middle of a kingdom filled with men who are fighting for power. The Tale of Two Kingdoms Now, how did it end for the men who were fighting for power? Well, they knew the system. They knew how to flatter the king. They knew that the law of the Medes and Persians could not be changed. So they maneuvered the king into condemning Daniel. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den, but God preserved his life. Then Darius moved against those who had maneuvered him against Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions’ den, and they were devoured. This is the irony of the City of Man. Live by the sword and manipulation, and die by those same means. The very system they used to destroy Daniel became the instrument of their own destruction. So we have the tale of two kingdoms here. The kingdom of man ends in death. The kingdom of God ends in the preservation of life. Daniel’s life was preserved, and he continued to be a witness to Darius. Look at how God worked through Daniel’s witness to reveal himself to the king. When Daniel was condemned, Darius said to him: “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. At the break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. He called out: O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions? Daniel answered: O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm. The king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken out of the den. And here is where we see the witness of Daniel to the king. What was the result? King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell on the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions. And so Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Through the ministry of Daniel, the Medo-Persian Empire was given a witness to who the true God was. The king himself declared to all the peoples, nations, and languages under his dominion that Daniel’s God was the living God, whose kingdom would never be destroyed. And this is how God was continuing to unfold his promise to Abraham: that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit william296.substack.com

  4. 2d ago

    Belshazzar and Belteshazzar: A Tale of Two Kingdoms

    Belshazzar and Belteshazzar: A Tale of Two Kingdoms Daniel 5: The Writing on the Wall We come now to Daniel chapter 5. This is our M’Cheyne reading for October 20, although I am reading it on October 21, so I am a day behind. In Daniel chapter 4, we saw how Nebuchadnezzar was humbled through the judgments that came upon him. It appears that he may actually have been converted. We cannot say that with certainty, but his final confession gives us reason to hope that he came to saving faith in the living God. But when we come to Daniel chapter 5, we find a very different situation. We encounter Belshazzar, who is called Nebuchadnezzar’s son. Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, there is little indication that Belshazzar ever learned the lessons that his father had learned. Let’s begin with Daniel 5:1–4: Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. 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. Here we see a son living in the prosperity of the kingdom, yet failing to take to heart the lessons his father had learned. So often this is the case. One generation comes to know the Lord, perhaps through great suffering and humiliation, while the next generation falls away. Nebuchadnezzar had been humbled. He had learned that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of men. He had been brought low, even to the point of living like a beast, before his reason was restored and he lifted his eyes toward heaven. But Belshazzar was enjoying the prosperity of the kingdom Nebuchadnezzar had built. And what did he do? He praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. Things that could neither speak nor hear nor understand. Yet he worshiped them. Let’s continue with verses 5–6: 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 I think there is something interesting here. The fingers appeared and began writing on the wall, opposite the lampstand. I wonder whether there is some significance to the mention of the lampstand. Throughout Scripture, light is often associated with revelation. We see this especially in the tabernacle and temple, where the lampstand illuminated the holy place. The lampstand was not merely a piece of furniture. It belonged to the symbolic world of God’s dwelling among His people. And here, in the palace of Babylon, we find a mysterious hand writing opposite a lampstand. I don’t want to press the symbolism too far, but I think it is worth considering. God was revealing something to Belshazzar, just as He had revealed Himself to Nebuchadnezzar through dreams and judgments. And Belshazzar was terrified. His countenance changed. His thoughts troubled him. His knees began knocking together. But what would he do in response? Let’s continue with verses 7–9: The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. Notice what Belshazzar did. Exactly what Nebuchadnezzar had done before him. He called upon the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers to explain the revelation. But they could not interpret it. Here is something else I find interesting. Daniel had apparently been removed from his former position in the royal court. Remember, Nebuchadnezzar had appointed Daniel chief over the wise men of Babylon. Yet Daniel is no longer among those whom the king summons. He appears to have been forgotten. The kingdom had prospered. The generations had changed. And Daniel, the faithful servant of the living God, had apparently been pushed aside. But the queen remembered him. Here is one of those times when a man really needed to listen to his wife, or at least to the queen. Let’s read verses 10–12: 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; Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation. The queen remembered Daniel. She remembered his wisdom and understanding, and how Nebuchadnezzar had appointed him over the wise men of Babylon. I wonder whether she herself had learned something from the events of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. Perhaps she knew more of the truth than Belshazzar did. Now, if we read this canonically, I think there is something interesting going on here. It almost harkens back to the Garden of Eden. In the garden, Eve was deceived by the serpent. She gave the fruit to Adam, and he ate. Adam followed her into disobedience, and they fell. But here we have something of a reversal. We have a woman trying to get a deceived man to see the truth. Rather than leading him away from God’s word, she points him toward the man through whom God had revealed His word. She directs him to Daniel. I am not suggesting that Daniel is deliberately reenacting Eden, but the pattern is there. In the garden, the woman gave the fruit to the man, and he followed her into disobedience. Here, the woman points the man toward the truth. And he actually listens to her. Whether he would heed the word of God, however, was another question. Let’s continue with verses 13–14: Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. The king promises Daniel that if he can interpret the writing, he will be clothed in purple, receive a chain of gold, and become the third ruler in the kingdom. But notice Daniel’s response. Let’s read verse 17: Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. Now Daniel sounds a little harsh with Belshazzar. He essentially tells the king to keep his gifts. Daniel was not interested in the king’s gold, purple clothing, or position in the kingdom. But sometimes, when someone has turned away from the truth, what is required is a strong rebuke. And Daniel was not about to flatter this king. He was there to declare the word of God. Before interpreting the writing, Daniel reminds Belshazzar of the lessons Nebuchadnezzar had learned. The Most High God had given Nebuchadnezzar the kingdom, greatness, glory, and majesty. The nations trembled before him. But his heart was lifted up, and he dealt proudly. God humbled him. His glory was taken away, and he was driven from among men to live like a beast until he learned that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of men. I think Daniel is trying to impress upon Belshazzar the lessons his father had learned. Nebuchadnezzar had been given tremendous blessings, yet those blessings had become an occasion for pride. God humbled him through judgment, and that judgment brought him to acknowledge the sovereignty of the Most High. Belshazzar needed to learn the same lesson. Daniel then rebukes him directly. Let’s read verses 22–24: 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: Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. Notice what Daniel says. Belshazzar knew all this. He knew what had happened to Nebuchadnezzar. He knew how God had humbled him. Yet he refused to humble his own heart. Instead, he praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which could neither see nor hear nor know. But the God in whose hand was his very breath, and to whom belonged all his ways, he had not honored. This is the heart of Daniel’s rebuke. Bel

  5. 3d ago

    Nebuchadnezzar and the Cosmic Tree

    Nebuchadnezzar and the Cosmic Tree Daniel 4: A Mythopoeic Reading from Eden to Babylon to the Cross We come now to Daniel chapter 4. The chapter begins with King Nebuchadnezzar addressing all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion endures from generation to generation. Nebuchadnezzar then recounts a dream that he had. He called upon his wise men to interpret it, but none of them could explain its meaning. Finally, he turned to Daniel, believing that Daniel would know the answer. Nebuchadnezzar described the dream this way: The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. This tree has some connection with ancient mythology, particularly the idea of the cosmic tree that reaches into the heavens. The biblical account certainly resonates with some of these ancient mythological images. Here is a tree that grows all the way to heaven. It provides food and shelter for the whole world, and it is visible from the ends of the earth. This also presents us with what might be called a flat-earth perspective. I am not suggesting that the earth is actually flat, but that this is the literary form in which the vision is presented. We can argue about whether such descriptions are intended to be literal or actual. I would suggest that the language is better understood as mythopoeic. It presents the world through the imagery of ancient cosmology, describing reality in a way that communicates something more than its physical appearance. The vision is communicating something through this ancient literary imagery, and we need to understand that imagery before we can appreciate what the dream is telling us. We find similar imagery in ancient Mesopotamian literature. I believe there is something behind this mythology. It may actually be a corruption of an original truth, preserved in the ancient Near Eastern cultures but distorted through their myth-making traditions. I believe these myths may be connected to the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden and represent a corruption of that original truth. I cannot prove this historically. My conviction arises from my prior commitment that the Bible presents the true account because it is the Word of God. The cosmic tree represents life, provision, and shelter for humanity. Nebuchadnezzar is not the Tree of Life, although he may have thought that he was. He may have understood himself as a living representative of this ancient myth, the great king who provides life and security for the nations of the earth. But God uses this familiar imagery to communicate something quite different. Nebuchadnezzar is not the source of life. His kingdom, his greatness, and even his own existence depend entirely upon the God of heaven. The tree may reach to heaven, but it can also be cut down by the command of heaven. The vision then continues, and we see what God does to this tree: I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. He proclaimed aloud and said thus: “Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him.” Here we have something of the language of de-creation. The cosmic tree, which Nebuchadnezzar imagines as the source of life, is chopped down. Remember the sixth day of creation. God created the beasts of the field, and then He created man in His own image. But now Nebuchadnezzar is going backward. Instead of acting like a man, he is given the mind of a beast. This is a reversal of the order of creation. It is de-creation language, the language of judgment. God is judging Nebuchadnezzar’s false understanding of the source of life. The tree is chopped down, and Nebuchadnezzar must live like a beast until he learns what it means to be a man. Ultimately, what does it mean to be a man? What it means to be truly human is revealed in Jesus Christ, the Son of Man and the Son of God, who brings redemption and restores humanity to what it was created to be. Now, after this vision of impending judgment upon Nebuchadnezzar, what does Daniel advise the king to do? In verse 27, Daniel says: 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. Daniel preached repentance to Nebuchadnezzar. He called upon him to practice righteousness and show mercy to the oppressed. What was the result? We continue in verse 28-30: All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven announcing that his kingdom had departed from him and that the judgment previously revealed in the vision would now take place. Verse 33 tells us: Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws. We see that Daniel preached repentance to Nebuchadnezzar, but Nebuchadnezzar did not repent. Notice how Nebuchadnezzar doubled down on his pride. Look at the language he uses: “Is not this great Babylon?” “Which I have built.” “By my mighty power.” “For the glory of my majesty.” Everything is about Nebuchadnezzar. He is still stuck on the idea that he is the great tree. He would not listen to Daniel. He would not listen to the vision. So God brought the judgment upon him. What happens to Nebuchadnezzar after this judgment? We come to verse 34: At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored Him who lives forever, for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. Nebuchadnezzar finally confesses that God is the one who rules over all things. It is not Nebuchadnezzar who rules the world. It is the Most High God. We might compare this with the earlier Babylonian attempt to build the Tower of Babel. In Genesis 11, the people of Babel said: Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves. They wanted to make a name for themselves. They wanted to reach heaven by their own craft and power. In a sense, they wanted to conquer heaven. On the other hand, we have Abraham. In Genesis 12, God tells Abraham that He will make his name great. Notice the difference. The builders of Babel wanted to make a name for themselves. Abraham was promised that God would make his name great. The builders of Babel attempted to ascend to heaven by their own power. Abraham received the promises of God by faith. And this brings us to the great contrast between the City of Man and the City of God. If you want to reach heaven, you cannot ascend there by your own power. You must receive what comes from above. Was Nebuchadnezzar Converted? When we get to the end of the chapter, we read in verse 36: At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now, pause and think about that. Was Nebuchadnezzar converted? When you look at the language he uses, you might make the case that he was not fully repentant. Notice that he is still talking about himself. “My kingdom.” “My majesty and splendor.” “My counselors and my lords.” “Still more greatness was added to me.” He still seems to be stuck on himself. You could make the argument that Nebuchadnezzar had not fully repented. But I would be careful here. When someone comes out of the kind of idolatry that Nebuchadnezzar had been living under, thinking of himself as the golden head of the statue, imagining himself as this great tree reaching to heaven, it does not mean that he immediately begins living a holy life. Sanctification takes time. I would not throw Nebuchadnezzar under the bus simply because the text indicates that he was still a sinner. He was a sinner, and so is everybody else who has ever been brought to faith. We are all still sinners. But notice how the chapter concludes in verse 37: Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are right and His ways are just, and those who walk in pride He is able to humble. And that, I tell you, sounds to me like a converted man. A converted man with a trainload of problems. Nebuchadnezzar had lived under a theology of glory that had not quite been put to rest. He was still struggling with his own greatness, his power, his majesty, and his kingdom. But don’t all Christians suffer f

  6. 4d ago

    Twenty-Six Commands and One Promise

    1 Thessalonians 5: Twenty-Six Commands and One Promise The Indicative Precedes the Imperative This is the M’Cheyne Reading for October 19, 2026. One of the fundamental principles of understanding the relationship between law and gospel is that the indicative precedes the imperative. Because God has redeemed us, we are therefore able to obey Him by faith. Our obedience is not the condition of our redemption but its fruit. God does not command us to make ourselves acceptable to Him. He has already received us in Christ, and therefore we are called to walk in obedience. But this obedience is not something we accomplish in our own strength. As Augustine famously prayed, “Give what You command, and command what You will.” We cannot obey God apart from His grace. Yet by His grace, we can walk in obedience by faith. The doing does not precede the being. We must first be in Christ before we can walk as Christians. Our obedience does not establish our relationship with God; it flows from that relationship. We do not obey to earn God’s love. We obey because we are already loved and received in Christ. With this in mind, consider the twenty-six commands and exhortations of 1 Thessalonians 5. Paul gives the church an extraordinary series of instructions concerning our relationships with one another, our conduct in the church, our prayers, our gratitude, and our life in the Spirit. Here are twenty-six exhortations from the chapter, in their biblical order. Grammatical note: Not all twenty-six are expressed as grammatical imperatives in the Greek. Some are exhortations expressed through other grammatical constructions. Nevertheless, they all communicate instructions concerning the Christian life. Twenty-Six Commands * Let us not sleep as others do. * Let us remain awake and sober. * Put on the breastplate of faith and love. * Put on the helmet of our hope of salvation. * Encourage one another. * Build one another up. * Respect those who labor among you, who lead and admonish you. * Esteem them very highly in love because of their work. * Live in peace with one another. * Admonish the unruly. * Encourage the fainthearted. * Help the weak. * Be patient with everyone. * See that no one repays evil for evil. * Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people. * Rejoice at all times. * Pray without ceasing. * Give thanks in every circumstance. * Do not quench the Spirit. * Do not treat prophecies with contempt. * Test all things. * Hold fast to what is good. * Abstain from every form of evil. * Pray for us. * Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. * Have this letter read to all the brothers. And One Promise After all these commands, Paul gives us this wonderful assurance: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it. —1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 There it is. Twenty-six commands and one promise. The same God who calls us to obedience is the God who sanctifies us. We do not obey in order to obtain His favor. We obey because we have already received His grace in Jesus Christ. The indicative precedes the imperative. And the final word belongs not to our performance, but to God’s faithfulness. He will do it. Paul closes the letter with one final benediction: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. —1 Thessalonians 5:28 The commands are surrounded by grace. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit william296.substack.com

  7. 5d ago

    The Image of Man

    The Image of Man Daniel 3: From Babylon to the Beast This is the M’Cheyne Reading for October 18, 2026. I’ll never forget watching the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. There is a famous scene in which a group of apes gathers around a great black monolith, a tall rectangular slab rising out of the ground. The apes are fascinated by it, almost as though they are worshiping it. I don’t pretend to understand all the symbolism or philosophy behind 2001: A Space Odyssey, but that scene seems to be getting at something primeval about man and his relationship to images. Man has a tendency to make images and worship them. He wants something he can see, something he can touch, something he can control. There is a desire to master the world around him, to find security in something that he can possess and manipulate. Of course, in the movie, the monolith is not something the apes themselves have made. Nevertheless, the image is striking, particularly when we come to the great image erected by Nebuchadnezzar on the plain of Dura. Now we come to Daniel 3. The chapter opens: King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. —Daniel 3:1 Interesting. The image was sixty cubits high and six cubits wide. When we see the number six, we might ask whether there is anything significant about it. In Genesis, man was created on the sixth day. The seventh day was the day of rest, when God rested from all His works. When we come to Revelation 13, we encounter another image, and another number. We are told that 666 is the number of a man. Now, we should be careful not to press these numbers too far. Six is not inherently evil. After all, God created man on the sixth day and pronounced His creation very good. Nevertheless, there may be something significant about the dimensions of Nebuchadnezzar’s image. What we have here is the glorification of man. This is the city of man. Remember where we are. We are in Babylon, in the land of Shinar. This is where, in Genesis 11, men gathered to build a city and a tower reaching toward heaven. They wanted to make a name for themselves. Now Nebuchadnezzar has erected another great monument on the plain of Dura. There is something else interesting here. In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a great statue. Its head was made of gold, and Daniel told him that he was that head. But the rest of the statue represented kingdoms that would come after him. His kingdom would not last forever. Now, in Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar makes an image entirely of gold. Perhaps he did not like the idea that his kingdom would come to an end. But why do kings make statues? Why do men make images? One reason is that images are instruments of power. Kings erect monuments to glorify themselves and to establish their authority over other men. Nebuchadnezzar does not simply erect a statue for people to admire. He commands everyone to bow down and worship it. Those who refuse will be put to death. Here is the great irony. In Genesis 1, God created man in His own image. Man was made to represent God in creation. But now man makes an image of himself and commands other men, who are already made in the image of God, to bow before it. Man, who was created to worship God, now demands worship for himself. This is what idolatry does. It takes something in creation and attempts to give it the glory that belongs to the Creator. When we come to Revelation 13, we encounter the same pattern. An image is erected, worship is demanded, and those who refuse to worship the image are threatened with death. The story has come full circle. From the Garden of Eden to Babel, from Nebuchadnezzar’s image on the plain of Dura to the image of the beast in Revelation, we see the same temptation: man attempting to take the place of God. But Daniel 3 also tells us something about the faithful people of God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will not bow. They know that they are already made in the image of God. They belong to Him, and their worship belongs to Him alone. Nebuchadnezzar can make an image of gold. He can command the nations to worship it. He can even threaten to throw those who refuse into a fiery furnace. But he cannot make himself God. Life in the City of Man Before we finish Daniel 3, there is something else we should notice about what idolatry does to men. It is not simply about bowing down before statues. Idolatry is about power, position, and glory. It is about men seeking to exalt themselves over other men. This is how the city of man works. If we go back to Daniel 2, after Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, we read: Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. —Daniel 2:48 Now, do you think the wise men of Babylon appreciated that? Of course they didn’t. Daniel was a Jewish exile, and suddenly he had been elevated to one of the highest positions in Babylon. Furthermore, Daniel requested that the king appoint Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. So Daniel and his three friends now had considerable political power. And this always creates problems in the city of man. There is always jockeying for position. When Nebuchadnezzar erected his golden image and commanded everyone to bow down before it, there were people watching to see who obeyed and who did not. We read in Daniel 3:8: Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. They reminded Nebuchadnezzar of his decree and then informed him that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not obeying it. Now, why would these Chaldeans turn them in? It was jealousy. These Jewish exiles had been placed in positions of authority, and the Chaldeans saw an opportunity to bring them down. They could use the king’s own decree against them. This is exactly how the city of man works. You want to live in the city of man? This is what it is. It is all about power. It is all about position. It is about building tall towers, making a name for yourself, and seeking your own glory. It is the theology of glory. It is not the theology of the cross. And that is our reflection for today on Daniel 3. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit william296.substack.com

  8. 6d ago

    The Wisdom of God and the Wisdom of Babylon

    Daniel 2: The Wisdom of God and the Wisdom of Babylon The City of Man and the City of God This is the M’Cheyne Reading for October 17, 2026. Daniel chapter 2 is a rather long chapter, so let me summarize the movement of the story and make a few observations. The chapter opens: In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. —Daniel 2:1 The king calls together his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and wise men and demands that they tell him his dream and its interpretation. Now, I think what may have happened here is that Nebuchadnezzar had begun to realize that a lot of his court magicians and wise men were giving him bad counsel. They were paid members of the court, and they would say whatever pleased the king. They would tell him whatever he wanted to hear. Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar was beginning to realize that much of their wisdom was of no use. So he says, in effect, Well, you tell me the dream, and then I’ll know that you’re actually telling me the truth. When they admit that they cannot do it, he orders them to be put to death. This brings us to Daniel. Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Ariok, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. He declared to Ariok, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Ariok made the matter known to Daniel. And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king. —Daniel 2:14–16 Look at the wisdom of Daniel. He is diplomatic. He is tactful. He is respectful. He doesn’t panic or make demands. He simply asks why the decree is so urgent and requests time to look into the matter. I believe this is the wisdom that God had given Daniel, and it was already manifesting itself in the way he conducted himself at court. Then Daniel goes home and tells Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his three companions, what has happened. He asks them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that they might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Daniel does the right thing. Not only does he pray, but he goes to his friends and says, in effect, Hey, you need to pray too. We need help. He knows that the only place they are going to get help is from God. It isn’t going to come from Daniel himself. Then the mystery is revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. And what does Daniel do? He praises God. Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. —Daniel 2:20–22 Daniel knows where wisdom comes from. He acknowledges that God has given him the revelation out of his goodness and kindness. He doesn’t take credit for himself. The story continues with Daniel appearing before Nebuchadnezzar and telling him both the dream and its interpretation. The king had seen a great image, a mighty statue of exceeding brightness. Its head was made of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. Then something extraordinary happens. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. —Daniel 2:34–35 Now, I think this is telling us something very important. We are not to look at Babylon as some great power that is wholly beneficial simply because Nebuchadnezzar is represented by the head of gold. This is the city of man, and the stone that destroys the entire statue represents the kingdom of God. The city of God is permanent. The city of man is not. The city of man may shine like gold, silver, and bronze. It may look impressive. It may appear to possess great wisdom, wealth, and power. But it will not last. The stone that strikes the feet destroys the whole image. The gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay are all broken together and carried away like chaff in the wind. Not a trace of them remains. But the stone becomes a great mountain and fills the whole earth. That is the kingdom that will endure. And notice that this stone was cut out by no human hand. This is not another kingdom established by the wisdom or power of man. It is the kingdom established by God himself. When Nebuchadnezzar hears Daniel describe the dream and explain its meaning, he knows that Daniel has told him the truth. Daniel has revealed something that none of his other wise men could possibly have known. The king responds: Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery. —Daniel 2:47 Then the king gives Daniel high honors and many great gifts. He makes him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel, however, makes another request. He asks the king to appoint his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remains at the king’s court. Notice that Daniel, now the chief of the wise men, recognizes that he needs help. He brings his three friends into the administration with him. There is something to be learned from that as well. But the larger point is that this dream, its interpretation, and Daniel’s conduct throughout the entire episode were a proclamation of truth to the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had surrounded himself with wise men, magicians, enchanters, and sorcerers. Yet none of them could reveal the mystery. Daniel could, but only because God had revealed it to him. The king was confronted with the wisdom of the one true God. He recognized something of God’s greatness and began to see the limitations of the gods he worshiped and the men who surrounded his throne. And that, I think, is the great contrast running through Daniel chapter 2. The wisdom of Babylon could not reveal the mystery. The wisdom of God could. The kingdoms of men may look impressive, but they will pass away. The kingdom of God will fill the whole earth. And Daniel, by his prudence, his prayers, his humility, and his faithfulness, becomes a witness to that kingdom in the very court of Babylon. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit william296.substack.com

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