There are a number of important lessons in Daniel beyond the lesson of the Bible’s reliability (see last week’s “Heads Up”). Today, please let us give them briefly and then apply them in a slightly wider way. Continue reading ““Sin & Judgement””
“The Writing On The Wall”
Belshazzar’s Feast is a circa 1635 painting by Rembrandt. It is held in the The National Gallery, London. Rembrandt is considered to be one of the greatest masters of Dutch painting and even Western painting.
Belshazzar gave a party in Daniel 5 and he “invited all his friends.” What a party it was! The king assembled one thousand of his nobles, plus many wives and concubines. Wine flowed. Continue reading ““The Writing On The Wall””
“How Low Can You Go?”
In Psalms 8:4-5 (Hebrews 2:6-7) there is a description of man that reads, “What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor.” These verses fix man in an interesting place in God’s created order: lower than the angels, but higher than the beasts – somewhere between. Continue reading ““How Low Can You Go?””
“The Most High God”
The unique name for God that we find six times in Daniel four is “the Most High.” What does this name signify? If you get out a concordance and look to see where else it occurs in the Old Testament, you find that the first time the name appears is in Genesis in connection with the story of Abraham’s return from the battle against the kings and his meeting with Melchizedek. Melchizedek was the priest of the Most High God, ruler of heaven and earth. It is not referring to God’s role as Redeemer or to his wisdom. It relates to God’s sovereignty. “The Most High God” is the God who rules, not only in heaven but on earth. Continue reading ““The Most High God””
“The Sin God Will Not Tolerate”
William Blake’s depiction of Nebuchadnezzar from the book of Daniel tells of a ruler who through hubris lost his mind and started eating grass like a cow. The “mad king [is] crawling like a hunted beast into a den among the rocks; his tangled golden beard sweeping the ground, his nails like vultures’ talons, and his wild eyes full of sullen terror. The powerful frame is losing semblance of humanity, and is bestial in its rough growth of hair, reptile in the toad-like markings and spottings of the skin…” (William Gilchrist) Continue reading ““The Sin God Will Not Tolerate””
“The Sovereign God”
North Koreans are indoctrinated from an early age to adore “The Eternal Leader” and his two sons, including the current dictator. Last fall, Christian Solidarity Worldwide described testimony from defectors: “Christians are reported to have suffered brutal violence. Forms of torture include beatings with fists or implements such as electric rods, wooden pokers, metal poles, water torture through forced submersion, and being used as test subjects for medical training and experimentation.” Continue reading ““The Sovereign God””