Monthly Archive for March, 2002

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Daniel 6:11

Published on March 21, 2002 in Daniel. 0 Comments
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Daniel 6:11 “Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.”
 
 
 11 Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
Daniel did not hide his worship.  Daniel followed Jeremiah in this.  Although Daniel was busy as an administrator of a kingdom, he kept short accounts with God. 
Je 29: 1 “Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who were carried away captive—to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. … 10 For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”
PRINCIPLE:  The claim that we do not have time for prayer is a rationalization. 
APPLICATION:  Many busy executives claim that they do not have time for God.  This is always a rationalization.  It is a matter of putting priority on the things of greatest value. 
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Daniel 6:10

Published on March 20, 2002 in Daniel. 0 Comments
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Daniel 6:10 “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.”
 
 10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
Having knowledge of Darius’ decree, Daniel did not hesitate to worship his God.  He followed his customary practice from the beginning of his walk with God – “as was his custom since early days.”  This event did not perturb him.  He was sedate and stately, a man of quiet assurance.  He did not enter into a state of anxiety and apprehension. 
Daniel had a habit and place of prayer.  He allowed nothing to interfere with this practice.  He was a man who utterly depended on God for his needs.  Guidance and thanksgiving were part of his prayer life. 
Daniel did not leave his window open out of a sense of phony religious pride nor because of a need for air conditioning! 
PRINCIPLE:  God gives stability of soul in crisis. 
APPLICATION:  As Daniel, we need to commit every crisis to God’s sovereignty.  Under God’s economy, we present our problems to Him in prayer.  This gives a stability of soul that no psychological mechanism can provide. 
Ps 55: 22 “Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”
Ph 4: 6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
As Daniel, we should give thanks for everything.  We put everything in God’s hands. 
1 Sa 3: 18 “Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, ‘It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.’”
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Daniel 6:6-9

Published on March 19, 2002 in Daniel. 0 Comments
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Daniel 6:6 “So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever! 7 “All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 “Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.”
 
 6 So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever!
Having not found any flaw in Daniel’s leadership, the 122 administrators tried to set up Darius to undermine Daniel.  They seized on the very thing Daniel was noted for – consistency in his belief. 
7 “All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
The plot against Daniel centered on his worship and Darius’ ego.  All of Darius’ subjects were to address their prayer to the king.  The penalty for not obeying this statute was to be cast into a den of lions. 
People of vengeance have attitudinal problems.  These attitudinal problems manifest themselves in overt action.  Daniel’s enemies actively conspired against him.  They used machination to undermine him. 
8 “Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.”
Since this played to the pride of the king, he acquiesced to the suggestion that all prayer be addressed to him.   
9 Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.
The plan appealed to the Darius’ vainglory so he signed a decree.  All laws of the Medo-Persian Empire were irrevocable. 
PRINCIPLE:  Legislation can never provide equality. 
APPLICATION:  Attitudinal sins contaminate people within its sphere of operation.  Under God’s economy, He designs civil law to protect and give freedom to the individual.  Some people use law as a weapon.  This legalism distorts wholesome life in a national entity.  When governments begin to make law to control its citizens rather than provide protection and afford freedom, we end up with organizations like the ACLU who try to control citizens by lawsuits.  Legislation can never make man equal.  A federal government cannot rectify all social and moral ills.  Only regeneration can do that. 
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Daniel 6:5

Published on March 18, 2002 in Daniel. 0 Comments
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Daniel 6:5 “Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”
 
 
 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”
After an extensive search on Daniel’s background, his adversaries could not find any fault or corruption in his leadership so they tried to find some inconsistency in his beliefs.  They could not find any skeletons in his political or character closet.  They must have been amazed to find a person of such sterling character.  They chose a device that used Daniel’s belief against him. 
PRINCIPLE:  All those who live dynamically before God will come under attack. 
APPLICATION:  All faithful believers will at some time or other find themselves under attack for their belief.  This is part of the satanic system of undermining our testimony.  Satan uses his fallen angels to attack believers who take a stand for God. 
God gives those who know the Word a sense of personal peace.  They walk unperturbed and foreboding no matter what trial they might face. 
Polycarp was a disciple of the apostle John.  Enemies of Christianity put him on a stake to be burned in Smyrna (A.D. 155).   They gave him a chance to recant his faith before they lit the fire.  He said, “Eight and six years have I served Him, and He has done me no harm.  Why should I forsake Him now?”  That is poise. 
Is 26: 3 “You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
  Because he trusts in You.”
God asks us to be open and public with our faith.  He asks us to pray in private and in public.  He expects us to live our life before Him in private and in public. 
Mt 10: 33 “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
Ro 10: 9 “…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
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Daniel 6:4

Published on March 17, 2002 in Daniel. 0 Comments
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Daniel 6:4 “So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.”
 
 4 So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.
The governors and satraps tried to dig up a charge against Daniel’s leadership out of jealousy.  They wanted to find a way to discredit him. 
PRINCIPLE:  Success of some always leads to jealousy in others. 
APPLICATION:  Whenever we find ourselves in leadership whether in politics, business or Christian work, there are those who are jealous of our accomplishments.  Their envy will attempt to diminish us.  They will look for any weakness, any flaw to detract from the leader.  They will use it against the leader. 
Christian leaders are always targets of Satan to undermine the trust of God’s work.  Jealousy and envy always destroy what they touch.  It is a destructive power.  It is petty. 
Pr 27: 4 “Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,
But who is able to stand before jealousy?”
Mt 27: 18 “For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.”
Ac 7: “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him…”
  For the sake of Jesus Christ and the testimony of the church, leaders should be blameless (not sinless). 
Ac 24: 16 “This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”
Ph 2: 15 “…that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…”
Not all leaders are blameless so there is a need for objective criticism of leadership that is free from envy.  Love always believes the best until it knows otherwise.
1 Co 13: 7 “…bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
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Daniel 6:1-3

Published on March 16, 2002 in Daniel. 0 Comments
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Daniel 6:1 “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; 2 and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.”
 
 
Chapter 6 advances the historical time significantly ahead of chapter five. 
 1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom;
Jeremiah 50:9 predicts that the Medes and Persians will defeat the Neo-Babylonian Empire.  This included the army of Cyrus and the armies of the Median King Astyages and Croesus of Lydia.  Jeremiah 50 and 51 describe the actual fall of Babylon.
Je 51: 11 “Make the arrows bright!
Gather the shields!
The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes.
For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it,
Because it is the vengeance of the Lord,
The vengeance for His temple.”
Cyrus was the Lord’s anointed (Je 45:1; 2 Chr 36:22,23; Ezra 1:1-4; Is 44:28; 45:1-5).  Cyrus’ general, Gobryas, captured Babylon.  Darius assumed the role of King of Babylon.  He was the “son of Ahasuerus (title for king, 9:1) of the seed of the Medes.”  The Jewish historian Josephus verified this fact (Jewish Antiquities, Book X). 
“Now Darius, who with his relative Cyrus put an end to the Babylonian sovereignty, was in his sixty-second year when he took Babylon; he was a son of Astyages but was called by another name among the Greeks.” 
The kingdoms of Media and Persia were related by marriage.  The Median King Astyages arranged the marriage of his daughter Mandane to Cambyses, King of Anshan, who later became King of Persia.  This union produced Cyrus the Great, King of Anshan, who later became King of Persia.  Astyages’ son was Darius Cyaxares II who was Darius the Mede of Daniel 5:31 and 6:1.  He was the uncle of Cyrus the Great.  Cyrus left the throne of Babylon to Darius.  Cyrus married the daughter of his uncle Darius two years later uniting the two kingdoms and made himself King of Persia. 
Daniel 6 occurred during the two-year reign of Darius the Mede.  The two arms of Nebuchadnezzar’s image were the two kingdoms of Media and Anshan that merged into the Persian Empire. 
Daniel, now in his eighties, appointed 120 satraps to administer the kingdom.  A “satrap” is a guardian, watcher.  These people watched over Babylon administratively. 
2 and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss.
Daniel put three governors over the 120 satraps of whom he was one. 
3 Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.
Darius placed Daniel over his entire kingdom because of his outstanding administrative abilities.  God promotes prepared people.  He was a man of the Word.  He looked at the world through the eyes of God.  That is why God revealed divine truth to him.  Daniel’s “excellent spirit” was due to his knowledge of the Word of God (5:12).  We see this in his study of Jeremiah. 
PRINCIPLE:  God moves the believer beyond his natural capacity if he or she builds a body of truth in the soul and applies it to experience. 
APPLICATION:  When a believer builds up a soul full of God’s viewpoint on life, he goes beyond his natural capacity.  God always rewards the believer who operates on His economy and is faithful to that economy.
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Daniel 5:22-31

Published on March 15, 2002 in Daniel. 0 Comments
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Daniel 5:22 “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23 “And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. 24 “Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written. 25 “And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 “This is the interpretation of each word. Mene: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; 27 “Tekel: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; 28 “Peres: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” 29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.’”
 
 22 “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.
Belshazzar knew of God’s sovereign moves on Nebuchadnezzar so he was culpable.  He would not humble his heart before God’s sovereignty.  His sin was the same as Nebuchadnezzar (vv. 18-21). 
Now Daniel sets forth four charges against Belshazzar:
1)      Belshazzar did not humble himself although he knew about Nebuchadnezzar (v.22). 
2)      He defiled the sovereign God by sacrilegiously abusing the vessels of the Temple (v.23).
3)      He was guilty of idolatry (v.23).
4)      He did not glorify the true God (v.23) who gave him his very life. 
23 “And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.
Some men do not learn the lessons of God’s judgment.  Belshazzar and his crew violated the vessels of the temple; therefore, God will remove the Neo-Babylon Empire from its power. 
24 “Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.
God sent Belshazzar a warning by direct revelation. 
25 “And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
Daniel now begins to interpret the writing on the wall.  He interprets each word.  The three words refer to measures of weight. 
26 “This is the interpretation of each word. Mene: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it;
“MENE” is an Aramaic word and means numbered, set the limit.  The number of years for the Neo-Babylonian Empire has come to an end.  Daniel repeats “MENE” for emphasis –number, number.  God numbers each day and hour of the Neo-Babylonian kingdom.  This is the last day of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.  It lost its world power in one day. 
Ps 90: 12 “So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
27 “Tekel: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting;
“TEKEL” means weighed.  God weighed Belshazzar and his kingdom and found him flagrantly wanting in conceding the sovereignty of God.  “UPHARSIN” means half.  God puts Neo-Babylon on divine scales and finds them wanting.  Babylon did not meet God’s standard. 
28 “Peres: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
“PERES” means to divide, break.  This word explains “UPHARSIN.”  The “U” is the Aramaic word “and” and “PHARSIN” is the plural for “PERES.”  Belshazzar’s kingdom will divide into two parts: Medes and Persians.  This kingdom immediately followed the Neo-Babylonian Empire.  They were right outside the city ready to fulfill God’s prophecy. 
29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Belshazzar kept his promise to honor Daniel.  However, this honor only lasted a few hours until the fall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire to the Medes and Persians.  The Persians diverted the Euphrates River that flowed through Babylon into a lake to the north of Babylon.  They entered through the riverbed through thigh deep water. 
30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain.
Belshazzar did not make it through the night for the Persians invaded Babylon that night and executed him.  He met his reckoning.  Isaiah and Jeremiah predicted this fall (Is 13:17-22; 21:1-10; 45:1; 47:1-5; Je 50:1-3, 9-10,21, 24, 30-31 35-37; 51:1-2, 11-13; 30-64).  As described in the Nabonidus Chronicle, Babylon fell on Tishri 16 (October 11,12 or 13) 539 B.C.  Herodotus and Xenophon both confirm that the end of the Babylonian empire was sudden.  Relevant extra-biblical records describing the fall of Babylon include portions of Berossus (cited in Josephus), the Cyrus Cylinder, and the Babylonian Chronicle.
31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.’
Many critics deem that the reference to “Darius the Mede” is one of the most serious historical problems in the book of Daniel. 
Critics claim that Daniel erred in setting forth a separate Median kingdom that ruled over Babylon when the Persians gained victory over Babylon.  However, Daniel does not say that the kingdom was the Median kingdom but only that the king was a Mede. 
PRINCIPLE:  God sits in sovereign judgment over all the nations of the world. 
APPLICATION:  The purpose of chapter five of Daniel is to record the historic fulfillment of prophecy.  It also demonstrates God’s dealings with pagan empires.  Contemporary pride in great achievements of man will produce the same results – the fall of national entities. 
1 Th 5: 1 “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”
God sits as Judge over all the nations of the world.  He works in human government through His sovereign decisions.  There is meaning and purpose to history, even in secular governments. 
1 Ch 29: 11 “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
12     Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.”
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Daniel 5:20-21

Published on March 14, 2002 in Daniel. 0 Comments
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Daniel 5:20 “But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. 21 “Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. 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 rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.”
 
 20 “But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.
God called Nebuchadnezzar “my servant.”  God used him to work out His purposes.  He used Nebuchadnezzar to rule and reign for His own purposes. 
Je 25: 8 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Because you have not heard My words, 9 ‘behold, I will send and take all the families of the north (Israel),’ says the Lord, ‘and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations.”
Je 27: 6 “And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him.”
Je 43: 10 “…and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden. And he will spread his royal pavilion over them.’”
21 “Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. 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 rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.
Nebuchadnezzar’s downfall was due to pride.  He learned his lesson through divine discipline. 
PRINCIPLE:  Nothing can interdict God’s purposes. 
APPLICATION:  God knows and rules the kingdoms of men.  He also knows the future.  God is never surprised about any event in history because He knows all events simultaneously.  He is not a sequential being.  Neither is He a time or space being.  God transcends time and space. 
Is 39: 5 “Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: 6 ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the Lord. 7 ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’  8 So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good!’ For he said, ‘At least there will be peace and truth in my days.’”
Ro 11: 25 “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
When God purposes a thing, nothing can interdict it.  To rebel against Nebuchadnezzar was to rebel against God’s will for it was God’s will to send nations into captivity (Je 2:2-11; Is 20:2; Ezek 12:5-7; Ac 21:11).
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Daniel 5:18-19

Published on March 13, 2002 in Daniel. 0 Comments
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Daniel 5:18 “O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. 19 “And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down.”
 
Daniel now reminds Belshazzar of God’s sovereign working in the life of Nebuchadnezzar. 
 18 “O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor.
Daniel reminded Belshazzar of the sovereignty of Jehovah in dealing with Nebuchadnezzar.  It was this sovereign God who put the writing on the wall.  God taught Nebuchadnezzar this lesson in chapter four. 
The Bible says more about Nebuchadnezzar than any other gentile ruler.  The family of Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzar made a meteoric rise to power.  This family of four generations left behind more material evidence than any family mentioned in the Bible. 
19 “And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down.
Nebuchadnezzar’s conquests were far-flung.  Jeremiah foretold these conquests (Je 25:1ff.; 27:1ff.; 43:10).  Ezekiel did as well (Ezek 26:7; 29:19; 30:10). 
PRINCIPLE:  God works sovereignly in history. 
APPLICATION:  The story of Babylon throughout the Bible is a major theme.  This story begins in Genesis 10:10 where Nimrod built the city of Babel (Babylon).  Hammurabi, the Amorite lawgiver was one of its great kings.  The empire of Babylon reached its zenith in the eighteenth century B.C. and became known as one of the great metropolises of the world.  The city went into eclipse after Hammurabi.  It was not until the rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire a thousand years later that Babylon rose to world dominion under Nebuchadnezzar.  Throughout history, it is a type of the final city of the world in Revelation 17 and 18. 
The Assyrians dominated the Mesopotamian Valley and most of the civilized world after old Babylon declined.  Later, their capital city was Nineveh on the Tigris River.  Her people were ruthless and war oriented.  The last great ruler, Ashur-banipal, died in 625 B.C.  His son was unable to keep the empire together.  The king of the Chaldeans, Nabopolassar, was Ashur-banipal’s viceroy in Babylon.  Nabopolassar rebelled against Assyria and took Babylon.  Nabopolassar and Cyaxares joined forces and took Nineveh from Assyria.  Nineveh fell in 612 B.C., according to the prophecy of Nahum 2:1-3:19.
The Assyrians retreated to Carchemish on the banks of the Euphrates River with the Egyptians.  The future of the world was decided in one of the great battles of history, the Battle of Carchemish (605 B.C.).  Egypt never rose again and Babylon ruled the world.
While Nabopolassar mopped up the cities along the Tigris-Euphrates Rivers, he sent his son Nebuchadnezzar to stop Pharaoh-Necho of Egypt at Carchemish.  Necho had killed the good King Josiah at Armageddon on his way to Carchemish in Palestine.  Nebuchadnezzar crushed Necho and the Egyptians.  This was the final defeat of the Assyrians.  The Egyptians never again rose to a world power.  Judah became a vassal of Babylon (Is 39:5-8).  Daniel as a member of the royal family came to Babylon as a captive and as a person of great influence to the world power. 
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Daniel 5:13-17

Published on March 12, 2002 in Daniel. 0 Comments
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Daniel 5:13 "Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14 “I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 “Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. 16 “And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 17 Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.”
 
 
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?
Belshazzar heard of Daniel by reputation.  He had not given Daniel the honor that Nebuchadnezzar had. 
14 “I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.
Belshazzar declares that Daniel is a man of wisdom. 
15 “Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing.
The wise of this world do not have answers dealing with revelation.  The leaders of the world will not seek answers from God until their bankruptcy becomes evident. 
16 “And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
Belshazzar asked Daniel to do what his wise men could not do.  If he fulfilled the king’s request, the king would reward him. 
17 Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
Daniel declined the king’s gifts.  He would not allow himself to be bought off by material means.  He was a man of great spiritual stability.  Daniel was under no obligation to the king so that he could speak freely. 
PRINCIPLE:  Only divine revelation can ultimately declare the meaning of the sovereignty of God in history. 
APPLICATION:  God is the God of history and He is sovereign over history and the future.  He has authority over every nation of the world.  All nations that do not align themselves with God’s righteousness will inevitably fall.  The handwriting is on the wall for any nation that does not heed who and what God is. 
God will destroy the final Babylon as recorded in Revelation 17 and 18.  That Babylon will be revived.  This is a religious and political Babylon of the future located in Europe. 
Matthew 11: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 “But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 “And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 “But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”
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