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.
And we as Christians if we don’t watch it, we too can become so dull to God that we say to ourselves we read what God’s Word says but it isn’t going to happen to us. God is not going to punish us for doing what we want rather than what He wants. Wrong!
How do you become dull?
Do you think quit praying will make you dull? Yes!
Do you think not reading your Bible will make you dull? Yes!
Do you think not fellow-shipping with other church members at church will make you dull? Yes!
And here is the danger of being dull- you don’t know how far you will move away from God.
I would say Nebuchadnezzar making an image of himself to be worshipped is moving quite far away from the day he said that Daniel’s God is “Lord of kings.”
Christian, guard against growing dull. Learn from the mistakes of a king.
Point #2
Nebuchadnezzar’s mistake is that he wanted his heaven right now right here on earth. He wasn’t going to wait for some heaven Daniel’s God promises in the future.
And the lesson for us is that we better examine ourselves to be sure that we are not trying to set up our own little heaven right now rather than waiting for the heaven that God has promised us.
It was not enough for Nebuchadnezzar to be king over the most powerful nation in the world at that time. He wanted to know what it would be like to be Lord over all the people. In his mind, with the kingship over all the land he possessed, and now to demand the admiration of everybody in his kingdom by forcing them to bow down to his statue, Nebuchadnezzar is thinking I am going to know what heaven feels like on earth.
Nebuchadnezzar mistake is that he wanted his heaven right here, right now.
And we as Christians if we don’t watch it, we will do everything in our power to try to set up our own little heaven on earth right here and right now.
Jesus knew that we would try to do that, so he warns us in the Sermon on the Mount. Listen to what he says: Matthew 6:19–21 (NKJV)
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Do you think the man in the parable Jesus gave who wanted to build bigger barns for his abundant crop was trying to have his heaven on earth? I would say “yes”.
Do you think the rich young ruler who came to Jesus to be saved but could not give away his riches wanted to keep his heaven on earth? I would say “yes”.
Do you think that Judas who sold out Jesus for thirty pieces of silver was trying to build his heaven on earth? I would say “yes”.
The Bible calls us sojourners which means that we are just pass through. This is not the place or the time to be building your little piece of heaven.
Point #3
Nebuchadnezzar's mistake is to give an ear to the wrong people. The Chaldeans let the king down in the past but he still listening to them. Interestingly, the Scripture is silent about the king listening to Daniel & his companions.
And the lesson for us is that we better be sure that we listening to the right voices.
Nebuchadnezzar has chosen to listen to the Chaldeans over Daniel and his friends. I can hear the Chaldeans now-that is a great idea king to build a ninety-foot statue of you out of gold and put out in the middle of the plain of Dura (modern day Iraq).
I cannot see Daniel and his friends recommending that to the king.
And then there is a decree. I can hear the Chaldeans now telling the king let’s have a decree if anyone does not bow down to that statute let’s throw them in the fiery furnace.
I cannot see Daniel and his friends recommending that to the king.
What I know is that the wrong people have the king’s ear, and the right people are shut out.
And we as Christians if we don’t watch it, we will find ourselves listening to the wrong people and the right people being shut out.
First of all, I need to be hearing from the Spirit. The Bible says that he who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says.
Secondly, I need to be hearing from men and women who are godly.
Thirdly, I need to filter out the advice given to me by people whose lives who are not lived for Christ. They haven’t given themselves good advice, so they certainly cannot give me good advice.
And bad advice can take you a long way away from Jesus. Look at Nebuchadnezzar.
Conclusion
Are we going to learn from the mistakes of Nebuchadnezzar or will we find ourselves making the same mistakes?
