Lessons Learned From The Mistakes Of A King Series

Lessons Learned from the Mistakes of a King

Dave Hartson / General

How is Your Shine / Da 3:1–9

Introduction

As we turned to Chapter 3 in the Book of Daniel, it has been seventeen years since Arioch, the captain of the Babylonian guard, has brought Daniel into the presence of the king so that Daniel might tell the king the troublesome dreams and their interpretation.

The king after hearing Daniel tell him the dreams and their interpretation fell down at the feet of Daniel and said this: “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a reveler of secrets since you could reveal this dream.”

I want to call your attention to one part of what the king said: “the Lord of kings.” What is Nebuchadnezzar’s role in Babylon? He is the King of Babylon. So, you hear what the king is saying. Daniel’s God is over me.

Do you know what we say as Christians? Our Lord is over us.

But seventeen years have passed and as we enter Chapter Three, Nebuchadnezzar is not any longer acknowledging that Daniel’s God is over him. It may be so much time has passed, and things have gone on like they always have gone on in his kingdom that he has grown dull to what God had said to him, or he might be in just total disobedience. He has not forgotten what God’s says but he doesn’t care. That’s total disobedience.

Let me ask you. Do you know that as Christians, we can grow dull to the things of God? And I know as Christians we can be totally disobedient to what God says, I know I have been there.

So, just like King Nebuchadnezzar, we can find ourselves in the same spot, so we can learn from his mistakes so that we don’t make them in our lives. King Nebuchadnezzar’s mistakes don’t have to be our mistakes. Let’s look at it.

Scripture

Daniel 3:1–9 (NKJV)

3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” 7 So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever!

Point #1

Nebuchadnezzar’s mistake is that he grew dull to what God had revealed to him and he forgot his response to God because the king spent no more time with Daniel’s God.

And the lesson for us is that we need to guard against growing dull in our life.

We are not told after Daniel revealed the dreams and their interpretations that the king requested more time with Daniel to find out more about Daniel’s God. It would seem to me; I would want to know more about this God who knew my dreams and their interpretation.

We are not told that King sought out Daniel to seek advice from his God as to how to rule his kingdom. He certainly didn’t seek advice of Daniel’s God about building the statue of himself.

What we are told is that 17 years have passed, and the King has seen no threat from the Medes and Persians. He is still on his throne. So, he decides to make an image of himself ninety feet high and nine feet wide all gold and have the people bow down to this statue. He is so dull to God that he is saying it isn’t going to happen like Daniel’s God said.