Matthew 7:21-23, 25:31ff, Romans 8, John 3: Who is Jesus?

Presented to Alberni Valley Ministerial Community Men’s Breakfast, 09 May 2026 and TSA AV Ministries, 10 May 2026 by Major Michael Ramsay 

  

As almost everyone is aware now, we will be moving. The Salvation Army has posted us the Burnaby, BC. Our last Sunday here will be June 28th.  I will miss everyone in this community. When I was able to speak at the recent Lenten services, I was chatted about some things that were near and dear to my heart – real social justice issues – so today I thought that I would just speak about who is Jesus? Can I have people just call out some of the titles and roles that we ascribe to Jesus? Today I want to chat about 3 or 4 of these a bit: Lord, Saviour, Son of God, and King (Messiah/Christ). 

 

Jesus is our Lord 

We call Jesus Lord. What does ‘lord’ mean? In today’s language, how do we use the word? We know the House of Lords? That is the senate in the UK. When the UK was a Superpower, the House of Lords had hereditary lords making decisions. Lords typically would be people who owned land. In our language today we still have landlords. When we call Jesus ‘lord’, we are drawing on this image; so, what is a landlord? A landlord owns the building you are in; you are expected to pay him rent and follow the rental agreement or he can evict you. 

 

Jesus is our landlord. He owns the earth and everything in it and He has given us some very specific responsibilities as part of our rental agreements –or, as we call them in the Bible, covenants- that we are bound by. Jesus is our Lord. We need to live up to our rental agreement. 

 

Jesus says, Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, [land]Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ 

 

I find it interesting that according to Matthew, Jesus tells us that prophesying in Jesus’ Name, driving out demons in His Name, and performing Miracles in His Name is NOT proof of our salvation. People are doing these things today who may not have Jesus as their landlord. Matthew tells us what Jesus says is evidence of salvation later in book. Jesus is our Lord. 

 

Jesus is the Son of God and Jesus is God 

Jesus is God’s son and as part of that is God Himself. I like the way the Bible speaks of us as co-heirs with Christ. Just as Julius Caesar adopted Augustus Caesar and he inherited his kingdom; so, you and I have been adopted as co-heirs with Christ and will inherit the Kingdom of God (Romans 8:17). 

 

Jesus however is the only sired, the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16); therefore he is the only ‘person’ who is actually God. He was born God – and, of course, He was God before He was even born (John 1:1).  

Doctrines 2 and 3 of The Salvation Army affirm that: 

2. ... there are three persons in the Godhead-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory. 

3. .. in the person of Jesus Christ the Divine and human natures are united, so that He is truly and properly God and truly and properly man.  

Jesus is our Saviour 

What does/did/will Jesus save us from? Hell? Eternal separation from God? The eternal consequences of our sins? Anything else? Is being saved about more than simply going to heaven? The New Testament / Covenant / Residential Tenancy Act says, “yes, it is.” Jesus has not merely saved us from the consequences of sin; He has also saved us from the necessity of sin. Just like an alcoholic can be free from the reality of drinking even as the temptation may always be there; so too regarding Christians and sin. In the NT letters believers aren’t referred to as Christians. We are referred to as ‘saints’; The word for ‘saints’ literally means to be holy, to be like God. In a letter from Peter (1 Peter 1:16), we are reminded that God tells us to “be holy as I [God] am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). Salvation means that we can be holy. Jesus is our Saviour. He died to save us from sin and that salvation/holiness we can experience this very day, and it will continue forever even into the new heaven and the new earth.  

The Salvation Army, of which I am an Officer, affirms in its 7th through 10th doctrines, that... 

7. repentance toward God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit are necessary to salvation. 

8. we are justified by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that he that believeth hath the witness in himself. 

9. continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ. 

10. it is the privilege of all believers to be wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24)

 

Jesus is King / Christ / Messiah 

 

Matthew, whom we quoted about Jesus as Lord, tells us in Chapter 7 what does not prove that we are Christ’s followers: prophecy, miracles, casting out demons in His Name; in Chapter 25, referring to Jesus as King, he tells us what does prove that we are saved: 

 

25:34ff: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 

  40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 

 

The people who do this are rewarded but they are also saved; for those who call Jesus King but who do not do this, God says. Verse 41, “‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” 

 

Jesus is our king; what is a king? Similar to the Landlord that we spoke about, the King (or the Crown) may own everything. They are responsible. In Canada, when you are charged in court, it is “the Crown versus so-and-so". In Canada, if a service is public (for the benefit of the people), rather than (private) to make money, it may be a ‘crown corporation.’ Kings of old, like some countries’ Presidents now, could even pardon people who were convicted of crimes. How much is that like Jesus? We are all guilty of sin, but Jesus offers us the pardon of salvation. The King historically is the boss; the person in charge; the person who has authority over us and power even over our very lives. The Monarch of Canada used to have a lot of power. Even before we were a country, the King permitted the HBC to manage all the lands flowing out of the Hudson Bay. That is much of the land that grew into our country. The ancestors of the King of Canada used to be absolute monarchs, responsible for our very lives. Now King Charles III is mostly just a figure head... my question for us is: Is Jesus still our absolute monarch or has he just become a figurehead in our lives? I am going to finish with a story about a king... 

James V, the King of Scotland used to go around the country disguised as a common person. That is because he wanted to meet the everyday people of the country not just the rich and powerful. He wanted to see how the normal people lived. 

 

One day he was dressed in very old clothes and was going by a place known as Cramond Brig, when he is attacked by robbers who don’t know who he is. There is a fierce struggle and he is nearly overcome when, at just the right moment, a poor farm worker - Jock Howieson - hears the commotion and comes to the disguised king’s aid. 

 

Now Jock, the poor labourer, who works on this portion of the King’s land, Cramond Brig, unawares takes the undercover king home and gives him a dinner of broth and Jock - as the king is recouping – naturally asks the man who he is. 

 

The King responds ‘I’m a good man of Edinburgh.’ 

 

‘And where do you live in that city and where do you work?’ 

 

‘Well,’ says James, ‘I live at the palace and I work there too.’ 

 

‘The palace, is it? I’d like to see the palace; if I could see the King, I’d tell him a thing or two…’ 

 

‘About what?’ asks the man. 

 

‘I’d tell him that I should own this land that I am on. I work it every day and he never comes here & gets his hands dirty working this land.’ 

 

 ‘You’re right enough’, says the man. ‘You come tomorrow to the palace at Holy Rood and I’ll show you around. Come at two.’ 

 

So the next day at two o’clock, Jock Howieson, is washed, dressed and at the palace to meet his new friend at the back door. The good man, whom Jock had saved the day before, shows him around the kitchen, the dining room, the bedrooms – the whole palace. Then, at last, the two of them come to the great rooms of the State. 

 

‘Do you want to see the King?’ the man asks Jock. 

 

‘Oh yes indeed’, says Jock, ‘I do. I do want to see the King.’ 

So they enter the great hall and as they come in, men bow and ladies curtsey. It is really quite a thing to see.  So Jock whispers to his friend, ‘How will I know who the king is?’ 

 

‘He’s the only one who keeps his hat on’ 

 

Jock says, ‘But… there’s only us two with our hats…’ and Jock immediately takes off his hat as he realises that James is indeed the King of Scotland. 

 

And so it is with us today. Jesus is King (as He is God, Lord and Saviour). He is walking around with each of us showing us His domain here on earth and just waiting for us to take off our hats as we realise that indeed Jesus is King. If there are any of us here today who have not taken off our hats and laid them before the Lord, I invite us to do just that – acknowledge the truth that Jesus Christ is King. And as we realise that may always serve Him as the absolute monarch in our life and never just a figure head. 

 

Let us pray. 

 

 

Daniel 6: Darius’ Lions’ Share of Salvation

Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries, 15 February 2026 by Major Michael Ramsay

 

We have been reading through the Book of Daniel and thus far going through chapter by chapter. Therefore, if you have been to church over the previous five weeks you would have read and studied the first five and now 6 chapters with us.

 

The first four chapters were ultimately about King Nebuchadnezzar’s salvation and included a couple of dreams and the famous Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego in the fiery furnace story. Last week there was one chapter dedicated to one of Nebuchadnezzar’s successors, King Belshazzar. We read the story of the writing on the wall and the fall of the Neo-Babylonian / Chaldean Empire. Also in Chapter 5 we are introduced to a new king – Daniel's third he served under, King Darius the Mede. Chapter 5:30-31: “That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.”

 

This is where today’s story picks up... but maybe we should have a sidebar first, before we read the chapter. I was looking up where the different kings are mentioned in the Bible and in history. Nebuchadnezzar is mentioned a lot and Ezra-Nehemiah takes place at the time of Cyrus, who is the next king under whom Daniel will serve. King Darius the Mede, however, isn’t mentioned anywhere other than the book of Daniel – either in the Bible or in history as far as we know. There was a Persian King known as ‘Darius the Great’ who is very famous in history – but he wasn’t around until after Cyrus. Darius the Mede, however, is before Cyrus. I followed that rabbit hole a little bit and came up with two ideas (of the very many out there) that I found interesting. One, ‘Darius the Mede’ could still have existed; he may just be lost to history for now. (I won’t go into that too much) and two, maybe ‘Darius the Mede’ is ‘Cyrus the Great’ or a ruler under Cyrus. Daniel 6:28 can actually be translated as “So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, that is, in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”

 

Another question, besides ‘who is Darius the Mede?’ that I found interesting is the question, ‘who are the Medes and the Persians?’ Do we know this? We know the Persian Empire. They fought against the Greeks a lot – Xerxes, Darius, Cyrus. We remember Xerxes from the book of Esther. The Persians and the Medes are two different groups of Iranians who are very closely related. Just like Tseshaht and Hupacasath are two different groups of Nuu-chah-nulth People (also Tla-o-qui-aht and Ahousaht); so the Medes and Persians are two nations of Iranians. Iran and the Iranian people, of course, still exists today in the same general area. Alright... to the scriptures... Babylon has fallen, the Iranians have taken over, and Darius is in charge. Reading from 6:1-5:

 

It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

 

Daniel is a high-ranking government employee. But he is somehow able to keep working for many years in various administrations. He was Nebuchadnezzar’s right-hand person and third in command (albeit newly appointed and very short-lived) for Belshazzar and now he is one of three top administrators for Darius. His fellow administrators don’t like Daniel for some reason: it could be prejudice, because he isn’t an Iranian but the Medo-Persians / Iranians did work well with the foreigners in their ranks and according to the books of Ezra-Nehemiah (which take place around this same time), the Hebrews seem to even have had a somewhat favoured position in the empire – but that can go back and forth – we also know the similar story of Esther, Haman and Mordechai which took place in the Persian Empire as well. 

 

It could be that his co-workers just didn’t like him. It could be that he was old and crochety – certainly Chapter 5 can be read that way. It could be that the other officials were jealous. It could be because he was the boss’ favourite, It could be a bunch of things but for whatever reason, Daniel was that one co-worker who nobody seemed to like – accept the boss. Anyway, he was about to be promoted and his co-workers did not like it at all. They tried to find something that he was doing that was not quite right so they could rat him out but Daniel was a stickler for the rules. Verse 5: Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” Verse 6ff:

 

So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.

 

There are a few things here. Obviously, this group was intentionally being tricky. They knew Daniel prayed to YHWH so they tricked the King into making it a capital offence to pray to anyone accept the King. There could be a few reasons that the king may go for that. He may think that he is a god or he may be so vain that he thinks that everything should be about him. These are possible motives but the fact that this is only for a month, not forever leads one to believe that it is something other than just that. If he actually wanted everyone to worship him and him alone he could have decreed it from now on instead of just for a time. I would imagine that there certainly was a certain amount of hubris in his command but it seems that it was as much about establishing his authority as anything else – similar to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. He had newly conquered a lot of his kingdom and wanted to make sure that everyone was loyal to him. Anyway, the plotters flattered the king into doing what they wanted. 

 

They were tricky too: look at Verse 7: the plotters tell the king that “The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed ...[with their request]” This was obviously untrue because Daniel was 1/3rd of the administrators and he didn’t agree. Some of his colleagues /workmates thought that they could trick their boss into getting rid of his favourite employee. (Honestly, I don’t know how they could think that would go well for them.) But – they did it. Part 1 of their plan is complete: They convinced the King to agree to throw anyone to the lions who is caught praying to anyone other than the king. He fell for it. 

 

Now, the moment of truth – how well do they know Daniel? Will he take the bait. We should note here that there is no religious law or practice that we know of now that states that Daniel had to pray to God three times a day; there is no command in the Bible that says that he needs to pray towards Jerusalem every day. It is just something he does in his personal devotions – it is not mandated by religious law or Judean tradition; it is just something he does; so, will he keep praying to YHWH after the law is published – and can they prove it; or will he be sneaky like deceiving people who smuggle Bibles into foreign countries today or who have secret Church meetings? Will he be tricky or will he be bold for the gospel? They are waiting. What will Daniel do? Verse 10-12a:

 

10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

 

When there is trouble, the first thing Daniel does is go home and pray. That makes sense. It says he goes home, into his house, and he goes to a room upstairs. The windows in that room face Jerusalem. He went to that room and knelt down to pray three times a day, as he had always done. Now the plotters – I don’t know how many of them there are. Are there just his 2 hitherto equals or are there others as well? It says there is a group of them so I imagine that a group is more than two people - The plotters, go as a group and sure enough they catch him praying; so, as was their plan, they run to the king and remind him of the law and that it can’t be changed and that anyone who breaks that law is to be thrown to the Lions. 6:12-14:

 

The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”

13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

15 Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”

 

I find it interesting that when they tell on Daniel – remember that Daniel is one of the 3 top administrators in the kingdom and he is being promoted to number 2 behind only the King – sort of like Darius’ Prime Minister - and his fellow ruling elites refer to him as “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, [who] pays no attention to you.” This reminds me what we are hearing about in the USA today with ICE. Or in Japan: their Prime Minister just won an election with a platform of keeping the foreigners out and possibly limiting / not letting them practice their religion or cultural traditions. Or – it is Olympics time – remember the Paris Olympics? Not only did they seemingly mock God, Christians and Christianity in their opening ceremonies, but they also banned Muslim women athletes from wearing the hijab let alone the niqab or burqa. In Canada too we have just tightened our restrictions on people from other countries being able to live and work here – and Canada's Quebec Law/Bill 21 does not allow the turban, the hijab, the crucifix, or other symbols of religious worship for anyone who is a government employee like Daniel was. The group’s deriding comment about Daniel is that he is a foreigner and they attack him via his religious worship. Much like is happening today in Canada, the USA, and other western and even eastern countries.

 

The king isn’t concerned about that. He made Daniel number 2 in his Kingdom: Daniel in Babylon after Israel falls is again reminiscent of Joseph in Egypt before Israel was founded. The king is very hesitant to kill Daniel and so at sundown it appears that the whole group (however large it is) that wants Daniel gone, goes to the king to remind him of his duty –because of their country’s version of Quebec’s Bill 21- to throw Daniel to the lions, vv. 16-19:

 

16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.

19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

 

I find this very interesting. The king obviously does not want to lose Daniel. Lots of people want Daniel out of the way, but the king is not passive in this story. He actively wants Daniel to somehow survive. He has hope that somehow Daniel might make it. He can’t sleep at all that night. He doesn’t want to eat. He doesn’t want to watch anything or do anything. He just wants it to be tomorrow to find out what will happen. You know what it is like when the die is cast, there is nothing you can do but pray and hope. Maybe it is like when you have written an exam and everything is riding on your mark and you have to wait to find out how you did, or you wrote a proposal, or applied for a job and you don’t know what happened; or maybe there has been an accident and you don’t know if your family member was in the accident or not and you are just praying that she is okay. My father-in-law was a politician. They would fight a whole campaign and then on election night after the polls were closed just sit glued to the TV to see the results coming in. There is nothing more that can be done. You just watch and pray that not only your team wins but that you survive. You are not defeated. 

 

The example of powerlessness and waiting that strikes fear in my heart still when it comes to my mind is when I was in grade six. Of course there was no internet when I was in Grade 6 – and I didn’t do my homework one day, I forgot – and here it is Wednesday night and the school library is closed and Thursday, the following morning, the teacher will ask for a random group of students to present their assignments – and like I said there is no internet and no way for me to do my homework before tomorrow. So I prayed that I would not be in the group that is picked to present the next day. I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to do anything. I just needed to find out my fate. I think this is what it is like for Darius. He has tried to think of something that he can do to save his friend and/or prized employee but he can’t. All he can do is wait through the night – hoping.

 

As he seals Daniel in the lion’s den he says, Verse 16, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” And then after the sleepless night, Verse19-23, 

 

At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” 

21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

 

The King is relieved; the king is overjoyed. God had saved Daniel from the lions as he saved his companions from the furnace many years before. God protected him. The king is relieved. He is overjoyed. He had hope; he had faith – he did race to the den of lions as fast as he could, as early as he could. He was hoping – I am reminded of the Disciple John, on Easter morning, when he ran faster than anyone and arrived at the empty tomb. As one might expect to see the lifeless body of Jesus, one might expect to see the lifeless body of Daniel – but each were alive! John said, he believed but he still did not understand! Remember too in the Gospels, the centurion who came to Jesus asking him to save his little girl who passed away– I imagine that before King Darius knew Daniel was alive, he hoping would have felt the same as the centurion expressed, “I believe, help my unbelief.” These are Darius’ feelings. He then experiences the miraculous salvation of YHWH: He is overjoyed. Verse 24:

 

24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

 

This is interesting. The king who was so concerned about the laws of the Medes and the Persians that he signed the assumed execution of his trusted official, his friend because it was the law, he here quickly decides that not only should all his friend’s accusers die but so should their families – and apparently God agrees because they all seem to have died quickly - before they even hit the ground. The officials, however many of them there were, took quite a chance (because apparently this outcome was always a possibility) and it cost not only them but also their whole families their lives. I do wonder how many lions there were and how hungry or angry they were. I do wonder how many people died that day – 10 officials and all of their wives and kids? 50 officials and all their families? 120? I don’t know but their gamble didn’t pay off and the stakes were very high. They gambled that they could defeat Daniel by tricking the king, but even though they successfully tricked the king, God defeated them and the king was keen to see that they experienced the consequences.

 

God saved Daniel in a miraculous way just as King Darius hoped beyond hope and maybe didn’t even quite dare to believe. This brings us to the point of this chapter, as Darius speaks up on his version of a Testimony Sunday for all the hear, verses 25-28:

 

25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:

“May you prosper greatly!

26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.

“For He is the living God

and He endures forever;

His kingdom will not be destroyed,

His dominion will never end.

27 He rescues and He saves;

He performs signs and wonders

in the heavens and on the earth.

He has rescued Daniel

from the power of the lions.”

28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

 

As YHWH rescued Daniel, and as He revealed Himself King Darius so too He reveals Himself to you and I and He can rescue us from everything that concerns us today!

 

Let us pray

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Daniel 4: Tree Four (not 6,7); Whatever it Takes.

Presented to TSA Alberni Valley Ministries by Major Michael Ramsay, 01 February 2026

 

Chapters 1-4 of Daniel are primarily about the salvation of Nebuchadnezzar, who was the brutal leader of a Superpower and as Susan said last week, maybe a megalomanic like maybe another world leader today that we all know. Daniel Chapter 4 is the final chapter in the Nebuchadnezzar story. Chapter 4 comes in 3 distinct parts:

1.               God gives King Nebuchadnezzar another dream to inform him of the future

2.               Nebuchadnezzar seeks Daniel to reveal God’s message 

3.               God’s message comes to fruition

 

Part 1: God Gives Nebuchadnezzar a Dream (Daniel 4:1-18)

4 King Nebuchadnezzar sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:

 

“Peace and prosperity to you!

2 “I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me.

3 How great are his signs,

how powerful his wonders!

His kingdom will last forever,

his rule through all generations.

 

4 “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace comfort and prosperity. 5 But one night I had a dream that frightened me; I saw visions that terrified me as I lay in my bed. 6 So I issued an order calling in all the wise men of Babylon, so they could tell me what my dream meant. 7 When all the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and fortune-tellers came in, I told them the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant. 8 At last Daniel came in before me, and I told him the dream. (He was named Belteshazzar after my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)

 

9 “I said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too great for you to solve. Now tell me what my dream means.

 

10 “‘While I was lying in my bed, this is what I dreamed. I saw a large tree in the middle of the earth. 11 The tree grew very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see. 12 It had fresh green leaves, and it was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. All the world was fed from this tree.

 

13 “‘Then as I lay there dreaming, I saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. 14 The messenger shouted,

“Cut down the tree and lop off its branches!

Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit!

Chase the wild animals from its shade

and the birds from its branches.

15 But leave the stump and the roots in the ground,

bound with a band of iron and bronze

and surrounded by tender grass.

Now let him be drenched with the dew of heaven,

and let him live with the wild animals among the plants of the field.

16 For seven periods of time,

let him have the mind of a wild animal

instead of the mind of a human.

17 For this has been decreed by the messengers;

it is commanded by the holy ones,

so that everyone may know

that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world.

He gives them to anyone he chooses—

even to the lowliest of people.”

 

18 “‘Belteshazzar, that was the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now tell me what it means, for none of the wise men of my kingdom can do so. But you can tell me because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.’

 

Does this passage sound familiar to you? This is very similar to chapter 2 that we looked at two weeks ago with the dream. One difference we should notice though is that this chapter is read in the voice of the king himself – this is important. He is telling the story. He is sharing his testimony to the whole world; the king personally here is telling the ‘miraculous signs and wonders’ the Lord has done for him. Chapter 4 is Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony Sunday.

 

King Nebuchadnezzar has this dream and -again like chapter 2- the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and fortune-tellers were unable to interpret it. This time though, unlike chapter 2, the king from experience has faith that God will use Daniel to interpret the dream that God gave the king to tell him about what God is going to see done in Nebuchadnezzar’s life. 

 

Part 2: Daniel Relays God’s Message (Daniel 4:19-27)

19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.”

 

Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! 20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds— 22 Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.

 

23 “Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’

 

24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”

 

This dream is very similar to Nebuchadnezzar’s earlier dream, (as well as the ways that we have already mentioned) in that the King is this wonderful tree in the dream like he is the head of gold in the earlier dream. And then like the statue falls so the tree is cut down – but this new dream’s message, instead of relating to those who will inherit his kingdom, this new message is a very personal message to Nebuchadnezzar. It is giving Nebuchadnezzar a heads up about what is going to happen in his own life personally – and why, and what to do about it.

 

I find it interesting as well that Verse 19 says Daniel was ‘perplexed’ and ‘terrified’. God is reaching out to Nebuchadnezzar with a very scary warning – so much so that when Nebuchadnezzar finally convinces Daniel to tell him what the dream means, Daniel replies, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!” Daniel then tells the king what will happen to him. The king “will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals... eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven”. 

 

This reminds me of some of the folks we live and work with at TSA shelter and soup kitchen at the Bread of Life Centre. Think of folks who are homeless, addicted, and suffering from mental health issues. Nebuchadnezzar becomes like some of our friends that we walk with every day (for literally for 7 ‘seasons’... maybe years, weeks, months). Many of our friends led “normal” or “successful” lives until addiction, mental health or something else got a hold of them. God says that Nebuchadnezzar will suffer all of that and then Nebuchadnezzar will “acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes” and he will be returned to sanity and to his position safe in the knowledge and comfort that “Heaven rules”. Daniel then offers Nebuchadnezzar this advice before any of this happens, Verse 27, he says, “Your Majesty... Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.” God has patience for an entire year, allowing the king every opportunity It seems, but Nebuchadnezzar still does not do this, thus...

 

The Dream Is Fulfilled (Daniel 4:28-37)

28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

 

31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

 

33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

 

34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honoured and glorified Him who lives forever.

 

His dominion is an eternal dominion;

His kingdom endures from generation to generation.

35 All the peoples of the earth

are regarded as nothing.

He does as He pleases

with the powers of heaven

and the peoples of the earth.

No one can hold back His hand

or say to Him: “What have you done?”

 

36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honour and splendour were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of Heaven, because everything He does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to humble.

 

This is Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony, his salvation story.

To recap: We remember the first 3 chapters of this book; what is happening. Chapter 1, God brings His servants Daniel, Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego into the service of King Nebuchadnezzar.

 

Chapter 2, God reaches out to King Nebuchadnezzar via a dream that he can’t interpret and possibly can’t even remember. The king asks his advisors, wise men, to tell him his dream and what it means; they can’t. God then tells Daniel the dream and Daniel tells the dream and its meaning to the king. God reveals Himself to Daniel, his friends and the king. The King then realizes that God is the God Most High and orders people to serve Daniel’s God. 

 

In that first dream, as we’ve already said, Nebuchadnezzar is represented as a head of gold on a giant statue, and that is good; it represents a powerful leader and nation. In the very next chapter, chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar sets up a giant nine story / 90 ft / 30 m tall and wide statue. It is almost like he took the gold head from his dream in Chapter 2 and made it into a whole gold statue in Chapter 3, one without the flaws of the dream. (trying to rectify the problems of the dream himself – at least symbolically)

 

He then asked all the officials to bow down to it. This would be like if the statue was this building here (and maybe had a mural of the PM on it) and the Prime Minister came to town and ordered all the government officials and all the government employees from all the branches of government to come out for the dedication of the building and then asked everyone to pay respect to the building, the statue. It would be like... If anyone here goes to sporting events... you know how before the game, we are all supposed to stand up and take our hats off and sing a song praising our country (and a foreign country if we are playing an American team). 

 

Some people then notice Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego in the crowd – that they did not do their culture’s equivalent to removing their hats and standing up; they did not bow down, and they tell the king. The king is upset at this defiance – their words seem rather defiant too! It would be even worse than if we refused to stand and take our hats off for the national anthem and then when we were asked why, answered “we only stand and take off our hats for God, not for the national anthem, not for this country, and not for you” to the PM.

 

Nebuchadnezzar was mad! ...and threw them into a fire. God –right in front of Nebuchadnezzar - miraculously saves their lives and then it seems that Nebuchadnezzar begins again to understand what God is telling him. God can save anyone AND God decides who lives and dies, not Nebuchadnezzar or anyone else.

 

Susan compared Nebuchadnezzar to Trump in that he seems to be a megalomaniac and showed us pictures of ICE and ICE protests last week. God loves Nebuchadnezzar, even though he was the President of their era, leading the USA of their era. 

 

Even more, these first four chapters remind me of the Exodus story. Do we remember why God said that he sent the plagues to Egypt? He could have just freed the Hebrews but He did it this way so that Pharoah – who did all the bad stuff that Pharoah did – and all the Egyptians might know God. In Daniel 1-4, God makes Nebuchadnezzar – who threatened to kill all his advisors and all the wise men, who threw 3 leaders into the fire, who did so much more  –  God gives him dreams that God interprets and God sends an angel to protect Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego from the flames and then God, fulfills a personal dream to the king by making Nebuchadnezzar live like an animal. God does all this so that Nebuchadnezzar may know the Lord, humble himself before Him, repent, and experience salvation.

 

So if God loves Nebuchadnezzar this much and God loves Pharoah this much and as God probably loves world leaders today this much, then how much does God love every one of us – the parables of Luke 15: the 99 sheep who did not go astray, God loves them too; the coins still in the wallet, God loves them too; and all the non-prodigal children, God loves them too. I do think of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Maybe leaders of superpowers then, now, and always are those lost ones... Maybe we are. 

 

My encouragement to us from the message today is twofold: 1) Let us not let hate for world, our, or other leaders overtake us. God loved Pharoah and Nebuchadnezzar. God loves the world leaders today (pick your favourite villain, if not Trump then maybe Carney, Putin, Zelinsky, Netanyahu, whomever) and 2) God loves us. Just like God went out of his way to show Nebuchadnezzar the way to salvation, so too He does not wish that a single one of us – or any of our loved ones or anyone else  - will be lost; so I encourage us to keep praying for the salvation of our loved ones, our leaders, and our adversaries; and I encourage each of us to live a life worthy of repentance because God loves you just like he loves everyone – even you know who, whomever ‘you know who’ is to you  – John 3:16-18:  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

 

I believe this. And I believe that as chapters 1-4 of Daniel show the great extent to which God goes to secure the repentance and salvation of Nebuchadnezzar; so too God will do whatever it takes; giving each of us, and all our family members, and all our friends, and all our enemies, everything that we need so that we all, like Nebuchadnezzar, can humble ourselves, repent, and experience God’s Salvation both for now and forever.