I strongly encourage you to read the first two parts of this posting for a better understanding.
After hearing the dream and the explanation thereof, the king fell on his face, worshiped Daniel and commanded to offer an offering and incense to him. He said to him: “It is true that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets” and he made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over all the province of Babylon, and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon (vs. 46-48).
See the irony: he confesses that God is God, but worships Daniel. He acknowledges the excellence of the God of Daniel, but he doesn’t convert. He doesn’t send the other “wise” men away from the palace. He simply decides that Daniel is now the chief prefect over them. The proof that Nebuchadnezzar did not convert is given in Chapters 3 and 4. In chapter 3, he erects a massive statue of himself and asks everybody to worship it. When he learns that Daniel’s friends would not do it, he summons them and says (vs. 14 & 15): “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?... if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Where has the one who had previously acknowledged the supremacy of the God of the Hebrews over every other god gone? Here is he now, boasting about “his gods”.
As threatened, he throws them in an overheated fire which refuses to roast them. Terrified, he proclaims (vs. 28-29): “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego… Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” Who will not want to serve this kind of God? Yet, Nebuchadnezzar simply forbids blasphemy against Him, but doesn’t invite the people to change their ways and does not convert himself, even though he knows that no other god can rescue like Him. Strange, isn’t it?
In chapter 4, he has another dream and once more, he first turns to his charlatans. In front of their (new) incapacity to interpret it (you don’t say!), Daniel intervenes again and explains that the king has become haughty and God is going to strike him if he doesn’t repent. Daniel pleads with him, saying (vs. 27): “O king, 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.” This is the proof that until now, Nebuchadnezzar is still not converted. Things occur as announced by Daniel and the king is struck by a mysterious illness which almost turns him into an animal. History is full of fables regarding the true nature of his affliction, but what is certain is that he was mad, to say the least. When he regains his sanity after some years, he says (vs. 37): “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour 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.” He is converted, at last...
This teaches us that in many cases, it is only brokenness that can force people to convert. You can do a lot for someone through your prayers, they may even admit it to their friends, but this does not mean they will give their life to Christ. The children of Israel are a very good example of this. What miracle did they not see? Yet, they remained in their unbelief. Likewise, Jesus speaks to a crowd which had just been miraculously fed with only five loaves of bread and two fish and says: “You are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” Then, He asked them to labour for imperishable food, meaning, doing the work of God which was: believing in Him. Listen to their answer: “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?” (Jn 6:26-30). These people had witnessed or heard of healings, deliverance, resurrections, cleansing of lepers and they had just witnessed a multiplication of five loaves of bread for 5000 men (i.e. more than 10,000 people including women and children). They had been so impressed that they said: "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!" and were ready to crown Jesus (Jn 6:14-15) and yet, less than 24 hours later, they had the nerve to ask His business card for them to believe in Him! No wonder Jesus told them that they were only looking for Him because of their bellies and not because they had seen wonders which had convinced them that He is truly the Son of the Living God. Don’t wait for God to strike you down like he dealt with Nebuchadnezzar. Do not wait to see a miracle to believe: believe because God is real and is God. Do not say that you will know that God loves you if He gives you this or that or if you see Him powerfully at work: this is the attitude of an ungrateful heart. Just believe that He is God and He loves you. Daniel’s friends told the king (3:17-18): “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” In other words, whether He gives me or not, whether He does this for me or not, I will still serve Him. Do not run after God because of what His hand can give you: this is spiritual begging. Cling unto God like the branch clings unto the trunk of which it depends. God does not need you, you need Him. Without Him, you will soon become a dry and dead leaf or branch. May these thoughts guide you as we enter 2013.
To be continued…
Merry Christmas and God bless you.
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