Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20020203.htm

DANIEL: HOPE FOR TODAY'S DISILLUSIONED YOUTH
Part V: Functioning Confidently Amidst Oppressive People
(Daniel 4:1-37)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

It is easy to feel vulnerable to oppressive forces today:

(1) In the February, 2002 issue of the Reader's Digest, an article by Susan Freinkel, "The Unthinkable," reports on the possibility of "future terrorist attacks" in American communities. She states: "We can't know for sure what shape future attacks may take. They could involve the unloosing of deadly infections, the release of crippling chemical agents, or even the deployment of nuclear weapons."

In view of the FUTURE potential for trauma at the hands of OPPRESSIVE TERRORISTS, how are we to FUNCTION with a sense of MEANING and PEACE in our lives?

(2) Religious oppression in America is a rising concern among Christians: The WorldNetDaily.com web site on January 10, 2002 reported the ASSIST News Service revealed "an increasing number of California public school students must attend an intensive three-week course on Islam . . .students are to pretend that they are Muslims, wear Muslim clothing to school, stage their own jihad via a dice game and pick out a Muslim name (to replace their own) from a list of 30."

Elizabeth Lemings, a teacher in the Byron, California Union School District complained to ANS, "We can't even mention the name of Jesus in the public schools, but . . . they teach Islam as the true religion . . . (and) there is not one word from the ACLU, People For The American Way or anybody else . . ."

How are CHRISTIANS supposed to FUNCTION in today's AMERICA with this type of RELIGIOUS bias against them?

(3) A Connecticut State employee was thankfully acquitted this week for breaking a confidentiality law to protect a neighborhood's children from possible harm by a state relocated known sex offender!

However, as a result of the trial, the employee lost his job, and has incurred huge legal fees.

Are others who are LEGALLY required to keep QUIET about such files going to face the loss of their jobs and large legal fees if they violate the confidentiality law to protect little children from abusers? HOW can employees FUNCTION this way?!

How can oppressed people FUNCTION in VIEW of the seemingly UNSTOPPABLE OPPRESSION they may face?

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "How may an individual function in TODAY'S world where he can face an oppressive parent, spouse, employer, church, business or governmental OVERSEER not to mention a TERRORIST?"
  1. The Hebrew captive, Daniel, lived under an oppressive, egotistical, powerful dictator in Babylon's king Nebuchadnezzar, 4:27, 29-30.
    1. Nebuchadnezzar wickedly oppressed his subjects as seen in Daniel's urging him in Daniel 4:27 to repent from his sinful cruelty of them.
    2. This oppression would have been threatening to his subjects: Nebuchadnezzar's realm covered the entire Fertile Crescent, making him seem humanly invincible, The MacMillan Bible Atlas, p. 104.
    3. A great concern to his subjects would have been the king's lack of guilt in this oppression due to his great personal pride, Dan. 4:29-30.
      1. Besides Babylon's many fortifications, Nebuchadnezzar built a palace on "ranges of lofty terraces" where he planted "trees and gardens watered by special hoists" allegedly for his wife, Amytis "to remind her of her hilly homeland," Z.P.E.B., v. One, p. 440.
      2. Many projects in Babylon have been found with inscriptions to Nebuchadnezzar's proud claim to have built them, Ibid., p. 442.
      3. Upon surveying these his works, Nebuchadnezzar one day proudly credited them to his personal power and majesty, Daniel 4:29-30.
      4. Thus, the king had no cause in his pride to cease being oppressive.
  2. However, GOD HUMBLED Nebuchadnezzar SO THAT HE gave GLORY to the GOD of HEAVEN for his REIGN, Daniel 4:1-37:
    1. Daniel 4:1-37 records a "public decree" written in Aramaic, a decree from Babylon's king Nebuchadnezzar himself, cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Dan. 4:1; Bible Knowledge Commentary, O.T., p. 1324.
    2. In this decree, Nebuchadnezzar spoke of an event that occurred to him in his reign as a testimonial to all of his subjects of God's work to correct his ways, Daniel 4:2-3. This is detailed in Daniel 4:4-36:
      1. Nebuchadnezzar related how once he was comfortably established in his reign, he had another troubling dream, Daniel 4:4-5.
      2. Like before, the Babylonian wise men were unable to interpret the dream, so the king asked Daniel for help, Daniel 4:6-8.
      3. The king relayed the dream's details, details that predicted a temporary humbling of an influential party until it was known that the Most High God alone gave might to rulers, Daniel 4:9-18.
      4. Daniel was reluctant to interpret the dream, but at the king's insistence, relayed it spoke of Nebuchadnezzar himself: God was warning the king to repent of his oppression and pride lest he be forcibly humbled by God in judgment to learn as much, 4:19-27.
      5. As it happened, Nebuchadnezzar did not repent, but continued to gloat in his pride and oppression, Daniel 4:28-30.
      6. Accordingly, God struck the king with a form of insanity known as boanthropy where one views he is an animal, Daniel 4:31-33, Ibid., Ryrie St. Bible, KJV, ftn. to Daniel 4:33.
      7. Seven years later, Nebuchadnezzar's reason returned to him, and he humbled himself to God, acknowledging God as the One Who sovereignly allows empires to rise or fall, Daniel 4:34-36.
    3. This decree reveals Nebuchadnezzar had appropriately repented of his oppression to his subjects through his humbling under God seen in declaring to all his subjects, "May you prosper greatly," Dan. 4:1c!
    4. Accordingly, Nebuchadnezzar ended his testimonial to all of his subjects by honoring Daniel's God of heaven Whom he declared was the "King of heaven" whose works were all "right and his ways just" and "those who walk in pride he is able to humble," Daniel 4:37!
Application: To handle the THREAT of being VULNERABLE to powerful and oppressive overseers or difficult people, (1) recall great king Nebuchadnezzar's decree of TESTIMONIAL, and REST in the SOVEREIGN God of HEAVEN'S supremacy in ALL forces AROUND us. (2) This will lead to OBEYING the God of heaven by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and reception of eternal life, Acts 17:29-31; John 3:16. (3) It will also mean following DANIEL'S example in SUBMITTING to God's will to obey His Written Word, Daniel 1:8, 11 with 1 John 2:3-6. (4) Then, like DANIEL, we merely trust the God of heaven to rule and OVERrule in the affairs of powerful and even oppressive people AROUND us so WE can do GOD'S WILL for OUR lives! Then, no terrorist, oppressive parent, spouse, or business, government or church overseer or any other entity can STOP our being BLESSED by the God of HEAVEN in HIS SOVEREIGN oversight in our affairs!

Lesson: Though he was wickedly cruel and seemingly humanly unstoppable in his oppression as an egotistical dictator of a vast empire, king Nebuchadnezzar was HUMBLED by GOD to give GLORY to GOD for his might, and he CEASED OPPRESSING his SUBJECTS! >

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 This past week, a Christian employer spoke with me of how God had worked in his own heart regarding a matter of business relative to a subcontractor he had employed.

The subcontractor had been instrumental in opening up an opportunity for a business contract for his employer, so the Christian employer had gone ahead with the typical business practice of securing the main profit from the contract that otherwise would have gone for the subcontractor were the subcontractor working on his own.

However, though this is a typical practice in the industry, the Christian employer felt he was taking money that really didn't belong to him as his profit. Yet, to make the adjustment, the Christian employer would have to give up $2,000.00 he had taken for his profit, leading to a big temptation to rationalize he should keep the profit!

After realizing the Lord wanted him to trust God for his income in the matter, the employer told me he went ahead with the adjustment to his loss of the $2,000.00! He relayed how he was deeply relieved at this move and sensed the Lord's approval in it!

God then REWARDED this Christian employer. Shortly after this event, he was able to organize a large loan to save $100,000.00 in INTEREST over the loan's term! He told me, "Think of it! I squared away with the Lord on the $2,000 so HE turned around and gave me a $100,000 break -- it's amazing!"



GOD has ENORMOUS POWER to INFLUENCE overseers TODAY, for it is HE who is the ULTIMATE Sovereign!



Whether we are in oversight or in a subordinate role, all WE need to do is TRUST and OBEY GOD and HE will work wonders so we can do His will!