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This Is A Test, This Is Only A Test!
Contributed by Jimmy Haile on Jun 23, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: God is taking Nebuchadnezzar to school, can he pass the test?
Daniel 4:1-3-Nebuchadnezzar the king, To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.
I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me. How great are His signs, And how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And His dominion is from generation to generation.
Nebuchadnezzar Is In Class:
Chapter 1-Daniel determines not to eat Nebuchadnezzar’s food - vegetables or food sacrificed to Babylon’s gods and Nebuchadnezzar finds these 4 boys to be 10 times more wise and understanding than anyone else and he appoints them to his personal service.
Lesson One-God rewards those who do things His way! Nebuchadnezzar takes advantage of what God is able to do through these 4 boys and their obedience to God, but he makes no commitment to God…So he failed the first test!
Chapter 2-Nebuchadnezzar has dream and all his wise men can not interpret it and he gives the command to kill all the wise men, and that would include Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, But Daniel is given the interpretation and tells the king that God has place him there to be king and that his kingdom will flourish and the king says, Verse 47-The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”
Lesson Two-God is supreme! ( Above All Others) God is sovereign! (Having Supreme Authority or Power), but Nebuchadnezzar still doesn’t acknowledge God as the one true God…So test number two…Failed!
Chapter 3-Nebuchadnezzar builds a statue and all must fall down and worship it or be put to death and because Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego would not worship it, they were put in the fiery furnace but God protect them in the furnace and Nebuchadnezzar declares, Verse 28-29-Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!
Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
Lesson Three-Those who stand with God will never fall! Seeing all of this about God and how He helps those who serve Him…Gives His people wisdom, understanding, protection and delivers them from their enemies, he still does not accept God as his God, even though he makes the statement…there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
Test number three…Failed!
Why after all that has been revealed to him does he not get it?
God keeps dealing with him, God keeps revealing Himself to Nebuchadnezzar but the king just doesn’t get it!
Do you know anybody like that? God keeps helping them, God keeps blessing them, God keeps delivering them and yet they don’t turn to Him and make Him their God!
What about you? How many times does God have to show you how much He loves you?
How many times does He have to rescue you or deliver you from harm before you trust Him with your life?
How many miracles have to happen in your life before you surrender your life to Him?
What does He have to do to prove to you, He is not going to leave you, nor forsake you!
How is going to prove to you that He is not going to give up on you, even when others do?
What is it going to take to happen in your life before you quit playing games and start getting serious about your relationship with Him!