One of the problems that I have with the more modern forms and means of worship is the lack substance. The few hymns which our song book has coming from the 16th and 17th centuries, are far deeper in message than most of the 20th century hymns. And the majority of the “praise hymns” of the 21st century are as shallow as mirrors. I used to collect hymn books, and I have several that are over a century old. Reading through those books, the depth and quality of the message in those hymns is astonishing. And I won’t even begin to berate the kind of music to which most modern “praise” is being sung. As poor as is some of the music in our hymn book, it is generally a hundred times better than what is being sung in most churches today.
All of which brings us back to our scripture. These words may not have been put to music, as David might have done, but that is not their point. After the Lord revealed to Daniel what Nebuchadnezzar’s dream had been, and what it had meant, the heart of the man of God overflowed in praise to God. The words may not have been particularly poetic, but who knows how they might have sounded in the original Aramaic. What I would like us all to note is the depth of thought and, if you like, the theology behind these words. If we are going to worship the Lord, shouldn’t we use Biblical examples and precedents?
A few minutes ago we finished a wonderful meal – full of a variety of dishes from a variety of kitchens. I don’t suppose that there is anyone among us who isn’t adequately full. If you’re still hungry, you have no one to blame but yourself. Before we began, we had a generic, group-prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for all the food and preparation. There is nothing wrong with this, and I’m not being critical in any way. But let me ask you this: How many of you specifically thanked the Lord again, after you were full?
Daniel was in the midst of a life-threatening crisis, for which he needed the blessing of the Lord. God was the only one who could meet his needs in this case; this required a miracle. When the miracle was granted, Daniel was filled with praise, and his thanksgiving was properly forthcoming. Actually, the Hebrews’ lives were not yet spared, but it was assumed guaranteed.
As I say, this was a very special and important case, and most of us would have been just like Daniel in his praise and thanksgiving. But isn’t it true that our lives are often filled with lesser crises? What happens when a two-year-old gets hungry? It’s almost the end of the world to her. Another crisis. Are we as thankful after the minor challenge has been solved, as we are when the truly life-threatening problems are miraculously rectified? One of the first lessons here is that Daniel took time to thank God for His act of mercy towards him.
Now let me take my first illustration just one step higher. You have thanked the Lord for your lunch – as well you should. But have you praised Him as well? Isn’t there a difference between thanksgiving and praise? I don’t know how to explain what that difference is, but doesn’t it have something to do with quality and depth. It’s easy to thank God for our oatmeal and to praise Him for the almost miraculous piece of pie. But are we willing to praise God for something as ordinary and mundane a oatmeal? Do you see the difference? Daniel both thanked and praised God for the mercy he had received. That is our duty no matter what the size or the quality of that mercy.
And notice that Daniel was quite specific in his address – “O thou God of my fathers.” Perhaps we don’t consider this point as often as we should. Even the children of God are overcome to some degree by the pluralism in our society. But the fact is – the god of the Roman Catholics is not the God of the Bible – nor is he our God. Obviously the Jehovah of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is not the Jehovah whom we address. What about the god of the Charismatics? For that matter, I’m not too sure that the God of many Southern Baptists is our God. I think that the difference between these deities can be seen in the theology of their worshipers.
Daniel also addressed Jehovah as “the God of Heaven.” I am told that there are a lot of Jewish commentators who aren’t particularly fond of this title. They say that it goes back to various heathen deities. This perhaps highlights one of the problems that many of us have. Just because a word, a thought or a phrase is abused by others, that doesn’t meant that it is inappropriate or incorrect in the right circumstances. Our God IS the God of Heaven, and obviously from the context of Daniel – He is the God of earth as well. He isn’t confined to either place as some men seem to think. He is high and lifted up, glorious in Heaven, but reigning over the earthly affairs of men. He may be the God of the Heaven of Heavens, but He’s the God of the lower heavens too. He may be holy beyond measure, but he cares about his saints who may be trudging through the muck and mire of a sin-sick world. “Then Daniel blessed the God of Heaven.“
And for what did Daniel thank and praise the Lord? “For thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.” I will try never to criticize someone for praising God no matter how generic those words might be. I won’t fault you for not thanking the Lord specifically for each dish of food prepared for today. But there are many times when specificity is the order of the day. When your spouse or your parents have spent a great deal of money to buy you that gift on which you had your heart set, when you thank them, you probably shouldn’t say, “Thank you for the nice birthday.” If you ever hope to see that sort of thing again, it might be good to specifically mention that gift. And in your prayers of thanksgiving and praise, I believe that the Lord ought to hear specifics once in a while.
Something else to note, just in passing – The revelation was given to Daniel, and he expressed his thanksgiving and joy, but didn’t forget the fact that Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were a part of the process. “For thou hast now made known unto US the king’s matter.” Seldom is the work of the Lord carried out by solitary individuals. Every Moses has an Aaron and an Hur to hold up his hands. Every Paul has a Timothy and a Titus. If there is a victory over the Amalekites, that success, humanly speaking, belongs to Aaron and Hur as much as it does to Moses on the hillside and Joshua down in the trenches.
This was Daniel’s praise.
Daniel next mentions the Lord’s wisdom and might. In the context of the chapter, it’s obvious to me that Daniel is referring to God’s plan, and it’s execution. The Lord sovereignly raises up these empires and sovereignly removes them. It was His plan, and He carried out his plan perfectly – wisdom and power.
More specifically, “he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings.” Have you noticed that this winter is slightly different from the last two winters that we have had? The weatherman may talk about El Nino, and weather cycles, global warming and global cooling. But I happen to believe that the Lord “changeth the times and the season.” I also believe that Daniel 2:21 has nothing to do with the weather. In Acts 1, the disciples were asking the Saviour about the time when Millennial Kingdom would begin. They were expecting it right away. “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” The times and seasons in both scriptures are referring to the coming and going of kingdoms.
Daniel uses a metaphor and then clearly explains that he’s talking about the changing of empires. Jehovah is the king of kings and lord of lords, not just in the sense that he should be worshiped by these kings and lords. He actually takes the king’s heart in his hand and turneth it withersoever he would. Asaph wrote a song which became the 75th Psalm. Listen to it. “Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare. When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly. The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah. I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
Is this the God whom you worship? Is your God god enough to put a wicked man on the throne and still make him bring praise to Jehovah? Is your God sovereign enough to do whatsoever he chooses? Daniel’s was.
And Daniel’s God revealed to His prophet what He intended to do. “He changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.” The deepest and most secret of all things, are those which lay at the bottom of the Lord’s heart. Science may dig to the core of the earth, and dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific. Some day it may tear apart the pieces of the things which make up the tiniest parts of the atom. Science may some day fly to the farthest reaches of the universe. But there is only one way to know the deepest and most secret things of God – gracious divine revelation. The rise of the Medes and Persians, and then Alexander and Caesar, were things known only to the Lord, but in this case He chose to reveal them to his young prophet and through him to us.
Furthermore, the Lord knows what man does in the darkest corners of society. “He knoweth what is in the darkness.” And when God chooses to shine a light on these things, He doesn’t have to first find a mag-light or a torch. He is the light; Christ who is the light of the world dwelth with the Father.
And with that perhaps we should close by asking the Lord to shine that light down upon our own hearts. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Daniel walked in this light. “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Do you have this kind of fellowship with the Lord?