Gems from the Book of Daniel (I)

 

I am reading the book of Daniel again, and as always, even after reading it n^th times, I am still discovering things. I love the Scriptures!

Two things have fascinated me in the first chapter. The first is that the devil has good taste. Indeed, the king did not want to have just anybody by his side. He was looking for handsome, wise, intelligent, skilled young men without blemish and with a royal or noble background who would learn the literature and language of the Chaldeans (vs. 3-4). Such were the criteria to be at his service. I had already expanded on this in a previous post: In quest of esotericism. The more intelligent you are, the more the system of this world hunts for you. If you are beautiful and don’t have your head on strong shoulders, beauty contests are there to lure you. Lodges too, do not recruit idiots because what their teachings are often very complicated and far beyond the intellectual reach of the average citizen.

The second thing that catches my attention is the fact that their names were changed into names alluding to Babylonian gods and culture. We, Christians, also live in a world which regularly tries to change our names and force us to answer to names that are not ours, for the sake of social integration. Rihanna’s latest hairdo is hip? Young Christians copy it without any discernment. Lady Gaga’s latest fashion style is hop (just her name should tell you the girl is mad)? Christians just copy it. All my friends are getting a tattoo? I will have one as well, but instead of a snake or a mermaid, I’ll go for a cross or the name of Jesus. Cool! All rappers wander around with their pants on their thighs? Young (and even old) Christians do the same… Those who were still called “Christians” (little christs) not so long ago, are now called “Worldly”. What is your sign? And you say: Cancer or Scorpio... Have you changed your name? Are you now identified by the name of one of the gods of this world?

In chapter 2, king Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, but when he got up, he could not remember it. So, he summoned all the wise men of his kingdom –i.e. magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers- asking them to reveal the dream to him and the interpretation thereof. They said to him: “Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” To which the king replied: “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the thing is gone from me. » As the king insisted, threatening to tear them limb from limb, and lay their houses in ruins, they pleaded saying (vs. 10-11): "There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."

Let me stop here for now and highlight this:

· Notice who was supposed to be the wise men of the time: all manner of occultists. These are the kind of people world leaders turn to when they are troubled. Things have not changed. Mitterrand in France, Reagan in the US, most African presidents to name only a notorious few, were/are all surrounded by a bunch of marabouts and astrologers in charge of foretelling the future.

· These people knew nothing. They had no answer but they wanted the king to first tell them the dream. I have heard many stories of people who went to consult fortune-tellers, but instead of hearing something like: “You are X and you came for this or that and here is the answer to your problems,” They were tricked into divulging information about their family, health and job which were later used to invent a prediction for them. This is what the king’s mages wanted to do.

· No one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. By their own admission, they cannot be in touch with the gods. By their own admission, the entities they adore and cause people to worship, are unable to interfere in the lives of men. They are making people believe that they can consult the gods/spirits whereas they are mere wind-chasers. Indeed, the Bible tells us that idols, all idols, are vanity and pursuit of the wind (Is 41:29). This reminds the confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Elijah had told them: “Call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” In spite of all their invocations, nothing happened and Elijah laughed at them saying: "Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened." 1Ki 18:24 and 27. Idols are nothing, vanity. Don’t waste your time reading horoscopes: astrologers cannot predict the future. And if you know people who consult diviners of any nature whatsoever, share this with them.

To be continued…

Have a blessed week in CHRIST JESUS, The LORD.