“This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation, since none of the wise men of my kingdom is able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, because a spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
Nebuchadnezzar tells
Daniel (whom he calls Belteshazzar) that he wants Daniel’s God to perform for
him. King Neb will honor any god who will do what he wants…In this case he
wants to understand a dream, and that is exactly what is about to happen.
Many people approach God like Nebuchadnezzar. They seek Him when it is convenient. They
avoid obligation to Him by saying things like, “I’m not religious, I’m
spiritual”… or “there are many paths”…. Their meaning is “I have manageable deities,
but they all serve me – I do not serve them”.
Nebuchadnezzar displays
this type of “spirituality” by saying that “a spirit of the holy gods” (plural),
is in Daniel. But God is going to correct Nebuchadnezzar’s theology in
a way that he will never forget. Since Neb listens to dreams, God sends him a
doozy, informing him that he will live like an animal for 7 years - until he understands
that God does not share His glory with others. … And that message is universal.
God will not be one of your idols. When repentance doesn’t change your actions, God
allows sin to change your outcome. You can worship and follow the one true God,
or not…but you can’t keep God on retainer, just in case a time arises when He
might be useful to you.
Worship has always been found in human history … We were
made in His image and our awareness of Him is undeniable. Yet like
Nebuchadnezzar, some of us insist on trying to take His place.
Love involves free will… so God leaves the choice up to
you. But if you choose self-worship…you
will only get as far as your own power can take you…and like Nebuchadnezzar,
you will discover, that that is a barron, confusing place and not at all where
you intended to go…
Even if you’re a king like Nebuchadnezzar, you will eventually
have to acknowledge that there is only one God – and it isn’t you.
“You will never glory in God till first of all
God has killed your glorying in yourself.”― Charles Spurgeon
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