4:19-27 - I find it interesting that Daniel seems to legitimately care about what happens to Nebuchadnezzar. This is the king who sent Daniel and company into exile and destroyed Jerusalem...yet he has found good in the king and actually wants to help him. He does not want to give the king the bad news about the dream interpretation, and then when he does, he strongly encourages the king to live in humility and righteousness to avoid the fate of the dream. This seems to imply that the dreams are not necessarily prophecy as much as they are warnings about what will happen if nothing changes in the life of the king. I wonder if by the grace of God we can offer forgiveness to those who have hurt us and find the good in them...even getting to the point where we can pray for blessings and mercy in their lives? That kind of attitude and strength is only available through God.
4:30 - It seems like the king must have taken Daniel's words to heart...at least for a little while. For a year, the king is left in a healthy state, until one day when he is walking on the rooftop of the palace and surverying his kingdom. He sees the beautiful hanging gardens of Babylon and the wall that a four horse chariot can drive across the top of (Both wonders of the ancient world), and he decides to arrogantly worship himself. Her revels in the pride of believeing that he has built this all through his own greatness...when everything he has been allowed to build has been a gift from God. Pride and arrogance lead us on a path away from God and toward destruction, as Nebuchadnezzar quickly finds out.
4:34-37 - After being driven into the wilderness to live for possibly seven years as a wild beast - Nebuchadnezzar learns his lesson. It is interesting that to learn that he is not a god, he must become a creature that is more animal than human. The most stubborn of us sometimes have to be brought to our knees before we can clearly see how desperately we need God. Fortunately at the end of his time in the wilderness, Nebuchadnezzar humbles himself before God and offers worship. I hope that this attitude of humility pervaded the rest of his life and that he became a God-fearer...I hope to see Nebuchadnezzar in heaven some day.
5:1ff - Alright...talk about a change of pace. In one verse, Nebby is gone and a random guy named Belshazzar has taken over power. What we don't see in the text here (because it didn't matter to the narrative) is that there are two other rulers in between Nebby and Bel. In fact, Belshazzar is really only a ruler because he has run his father Nabonidus off and taken over. Wait, doesn't verse 2 tell us that Belshazzar us the son of Nebuchadnezzar? Well, not really. It says that Nebby is his father, but the word used for father can also mean predecessor, or one who came before. It is kinda like calling the Israelite patriarch "Father" Abraham...he is not really the father of every Israelite but he is a predecessor and leader of is people. Apparently Belshazzar, backed by the priests of Marduk, ran Nabonidus (Who preferred the Babylonian God Sin) out of the capital and he was living in a nearby oasis city with an army of his own. We are coming into the story at the tale end of some serious court intrigue.
5:3 - Bel has grabbed all the leaders of the Babylonian Empire together for a pep-talk/last supper in the palace, because the Persian horde has invaded their country. He apparently wants to inspire the leaders of the empire to work together to fight the Persians and he so desperately wants to make a good impression that he has his servants dig out the holy golden chalices that Nebuchadnezzar stole from the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. These are objects so sacred that even Nebuchadnezzar never had the audacity to use them. Belshazzar serves wine in them in a last ditch effort to inspire the troops by reminding them of the glorious conquests of Babylons past. Unfortunately for him, this is the last straw for a dying empire that has become more and more vile since the death of Nebuchadnezzar. They use the sacred temple objects to worship false gods of wood and stone...and God has had enough!
5:10ff - The woman who steps onto the scene is most likely the "queen mother," who just happens to be Nebuchadnezzar's wife (It makes sense, since kings usually had plenty of younger wives and this is only 20 years after Nebby's death - rulers liked to keep relatives of beloved kings around as a reminder of their power). She remembers the incredible wisdom and faithfulness of Daniel and begs Belshazzar to send for him.
5:17 - I want you to notice how differently Daniel treats Belshazzar than he used to treat Nebuchadnezzar. He sees no redeemable qualities in the spoiled young ruler and does not treat him with the respect that he used to give Nebby. He plainly tells Belshazzar that he wants nothing to do with his gifts...but that he will interpret the meaning of "the writing on the wall" for free. Where he was once heartbroken to have to give bad news to Nebuchadnezzar, he now almost gleefully prophecies against Belshazzar...he knows that the Babylonian Empire is beyond redemption and ready for the cleansing judgement of God.
5:22ff - While standing before a man who could slaughter him in an instant, Daniel pulls to punches with his interpretation. He tells Belshazzar that because of his arrogance and disrespect towards God, that he had been judged and found lacking. The Babylonian Empire will end with Belshazzar.
5:30-31 - Interestingly enough, non-biblical historical texts tell us that Babylon was conquered during a secret night raid by the Persian Empire. While the rulers of Babylon were drinking in honor of non-existent gods...the ruler of all creation allowed their enemies to sneak into the kingdom and bring it to utter destruction in one night.
6:1 - There is no non-biblical record of Darius ruling in Persia until Darius I who does not come to power for many years after this moment. So who is this Darius? There are various options, but the most likely is that Darius was a Babylonian title given to the general of the armies of the true Persian king Cyrus. While Cyrus ruled his vast empire from Persia, it makes sense that one of his generals would have become an under-king in Babylon - under the authority of only Cyrus in all the world. We know that he is a discerning man because he is instantly drawn to the wisdom and humble leadership of Daniel. Just as Nebuchadnezzar before him, Darius makes Daniel a high-profile leader in Babylon.
6:4 - Jealous co-regents look everywhere to find fault in the life that Daniel leads, yet even his worst enemies can find nothing bad to present to the king. This is a testament to the integrity and faithfulness in which Daniel lived his life. This is an excellent challenge for us - to let out faith dictate the way that we live in every aspect of our lives.
6:9 - A law that says that Darius is the only god who can be worshipped for 30 days? That sounds really weird? Why could he not see through their ploy? What is the point of proclaiming your deity for only 30 days? In the time during the transition of power from Babylon to Persia, he most likely seeks to cement his own importance into the minds of the people he now rules. He probably thinks that 30 days of worship will be a great way to get his leadership burned into people's hearts.
6:10ff - I love this picture of the unwavering faithfulness of Daniel. This verse also goes to show that there is no way Daniel bowed down to worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar made (He most likely just wasn't there). After hearing the decree that the people of Babylon can worship only the king, Daniel goes immediately to his rooms...goes out on the porch so that all can see and prays to the one and only God in the universe.
6:14 - This gives us a picture into the heart of Darius - there is goodness there. He does not want to kill Daniel...Daniel is his favorite regent (Unlike Nebuchadnezzar who if you can remember, was violently angry at Rak, Shak and Benny when they refused to worship the idol he made). He looks for a loop hole in the decree, but cannot find a way to break the unbreakable law he has made. Maybe that is why he chooses to have Daniel thrown into the lion's den instead of just having him beheaded or something like that. The lions are more of a test of guilt rather than an execution (As you can see when Daniel is released the next day - he doesn't just get left in there indefinitely). None of this changes that fact that Darius' own arrogance is what led to this brutal situation.
6:24 - You cannot deny the miracle of this event...the lions were not full...they were not tired that day...when the other regents and their families are thrown in, the starving lions catch them in the air before they can even touch the ground and begin devouring them. It is God and only God who saved Daniel.
6:26 - Again, because of Daniel's faithful love of God - God's name is honored by pagan lips. I hope I can leave behind a legacy like this...one where even non-Christians could see the hand of God at work in my life. Wouldn't that be great?
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