PRECEPTS FOR LIFE
a Production of
Precept Ministries International
P.O. Box 182218, Chattanooga, TN 37422-7218
1-888-734-7707/ www.preceptsforlife.com
The following is an actual transcript of the PRECEPTS FOR LIFE Broadcast. For the purpose of filling transcript requests quickly, they have received only light editing. If you have questions concerning the material covered in this broadcast, Kay has published a number of books explaining the Scripture in depth. These books may be ordered by contacting the telephone number or address printed above.
OPEN
Do you work with a person that is absolutely despicable? They’re mean. They’re hateful. They are so full of pride and they think that they are so wonderful and that they own it all. How do you live with a person like that? Is there any hope for them? Maybe this is your husband. Maybe this is your wife. Maybe this is someone that has exalted themselves against you. Is there any hope or do you give up? O beloved, don’t give up, God is God.
PART ONE
It is hard, isn’t it beloved to be around a person who is obtrusive, who thinks that they know it all, who thinks that they are in essence, God’s gift to that company or God’s gift to that marriage, or God’s gift to that relationship. And yet they’re mean and they’re cruel and everything revolves around them. And if it doesn’t go their way watch out, you’re going to endure their wrath. Do you give up on a person like that? Is there no hope for someone who’s in that state?
Well we’re going to look at a man who was in that state. God knows how to humble people. Now listen: humble them, break them, but not destroy them. Maybe you’re that person. Maybe you have just excelled so much, that you are admired and respected and people, because you’re in authority, bow to you and you speak and they move. And, and, and yet you’re not nice to them. You’re mean to them. And in your heart you know that you’re being that way and you kick yourself for a little while and then instead of kicking yourself, you begin to kick them, because after all, if they were what they ought to be you wouldn’t have to be this way.
Maybe as a husband or as a wife, this is the kind of authority that you’re exerting because you feel like you’re married to an absolute fool, somebody that doesn’t know what they’re doing and doesn’t know where it’s at. And so by reason of just the years passing and the circumstances, you’ve become like that. Do you know what? That’s not pleasing to God. And God has to deal with it.
We’ve been looking at Nebuchadnezzar. We met him in the first chapter of Daniel, chapter 1. We met him when he came home in victory to claim his throne. It was the year 605 B.C.
We saw that he had a dream and that he was told in that dream that he was the head of gold, that he was this great king. In chapter 3 we saw him build a statue of gold. And when he built that statue of gold he was building that statue of gold in defiance to God, in a sense, because God told him that after the gold there would be another kingdom and then there would be third kingdom and then there would be a fourth kingdom and then the fifth kingdom would be God’s kingdom.
And he wasn’t going to have any of it. It was all going to be gold. His kingdom would last forever and ever and ever. You need to understand this background in order to appreciate what is happening in Daniel, chapter 4. Well, in Daniel, chapter 4 Nebuchadnezzar picks up the pen and he begins to write. You can see this by asking the question who. Who is speaking? Nebuchadnezzar, verse 1, the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in the earth: May your peace abound. Here is Nebuchadnezzar taking a pen.
He is addressing the people himself of every language. Now you say, why? Well it’s because his kingdom was very, very extensive. If you look at the map that is in your study guide you will see how far Babylon extended. Now it’s not as far as future kingdoms would extend, as we’re going to see. But at that time there was no kingdom like Babylon. So Nebuchadnezzar takes a pen.
He is king to all the peoples, nations and men of every language that live in the earth. He says may your peace abound. It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me. Now there you see that term, Most High God.
Here once again, you want to mark; this is a reference to God. So color it yellow so you see the light of it all and you get the light and you get the understanding. Most High God, the name for Most High God is El, E-l, Elyon, E-l-y-o-n. And you’re going to meet this name numerous times as you read through Daniel, chapter 4, because we’re going to see what this name really means and the significance of it. It says in verse 3: How great are His signs; how great are the signs of El Elyon?
And how mighty are His wonders? His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation. You’re saying whoa, wait a minute. Is this the Nebuchadnezzar of chapter 1, 2, & 3? Yes it is; it’s the same Nebuchadnezzar. You say, what’s happened? He wants to tell them what he has discovered about God. And so at the beginning he says He is El Elyon. He is great. His wonders are absolutely incredible. His kingdom endures from generation to generation. He says, I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.
Now I want you to see: I was at ease in my house. The first half of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign was one of conquering. I mean going out and we’re going to look at it, but he was going out and he was just conquering one country after another country, after another country. The last half of his reign was one when he stayed home for the most part.
He stayed in Babylon. He enjoyed the things that, he had achieved and he basked in the magnificence of this city that he had built. I mean there was a Neo-Babylonian Empire that Nabopolassar, his father ruled over, but now this was Babylon. This was Babylon the great.
And so he said I was at ease in my palace and I was flourishing there. I mean I had no needs. I had no wants or anything. Everything was going my way. All right, and he said I saw a dream. Now, here is another dream that he’s having.
And you want to mark that the same way we’ve marked the word dream. Because dreams and visions are very important in this book. And it said and it made me fearful; and these fantasies as I lay on my bed and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. It was a nightmare. I mean he couldn’t shake this dream. He couldn’t shake this vision.
He says so I gave orders to bring into my presence all the wise men of Babylon that they might make known to me the interpretation of this dream. Now what I want to suggest is that you just take a blue pen and underline, maybe in a wiggly line the interpretation of this dream, because we’re going to see the dream. We’re going to see the interpretation. We’re going to see that this is a key word. Once again, we’re continuing to mark Nebuchadnezzar because we want to know who this man is. We want to know as much about him as we can.
And I will tell you why, because he is a major figure among all the Major Prophets. Isaiah talks about him a lot. Jeremiah talks about him a lot. And Ezekiel talks about him a lot because God has lessons, for He, that He wants us to learn. But also and listen very carefully, because Babylon is a figure, it is an empire, that starts in Genesis, chapter 11 and goes all the way through Revelation, chapter 18 and 19. So it is a major figure, not only in the past, but also in the future.
And I want to remind you that Babylon is present day Iraq. Okay. He says then the magicians, the conjurers of the Chaldeans, and remember Chaldeans are Babylonians, and the diviners came in, and I related the dream. This time he’s going to tell them what the dream was.
To them, but they could not make its interpretation known to me. I told them the dream and they just sat there scratching their heads. I don’t know king. I don’t know. I’m sorry, this one I cannot figure out. I mean, they didn’t conspire; they didn’t come up with something. It may have been because he was at home. It may have been because he was flourishing.
You know we’re easier to get along with many, many times when the pressure’s off. It’s when the pressure’s on and, and you know and you understand, especially if you are a career woman, you know that you are trying to keep too many balls in the air, so to speak.
And it is almost hard and they come crashing down and the thud is great. But when a vacation comes or when the pressure comes off and it’s so much easier for you. Well he goes on to say, but, and remember we like these buts. But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god.
Now we know why he was named Belteshazzar, because it was one of the names of the god of Nebuchadnezzar. And he said he came in. He says and he was a man in whom the spirit of the holy gods was. And there’s another way to translate this. And I prefer the other translation.
The other translation is he was a man who had the Spirit of the holy God in him. And I think that by this time when Nebuchadnezzar is recognizing this it’s not holy gods anymore; it is the one God who is supreme. Well what does Daniel do and what does Daniel tell you and what is this dream about? Well listen, it is not only a historical event, but it has incredible application to your life and my life. And so we’ll talk about it when we come back right after these announcements.
PART TWO
Well, Daniel’s standing before the king. And Daniel is about to give him the interpretation of the dream. But first Nebuchadnezzar has to tell him what he dreamed and this is what he says. O, Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, since I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery baffles you, and I would mark mystery as I said, the same way that you marked dream. Tell me the visions of my dream, which I have had along with its interpretations.
Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed. So you can see that it is Nebuchadnezzar who is still speaking. I was looking and behold there was a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. And the tree grew large and became strong, and its height reached to the sky, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its foliage was beautiful. Its fruit abundant and it in it was food for all.
The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches, and all living creatures fed itself from it. I was looking in the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, an angelic watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven.
He shouted out and spoke as follows: Chop down the tree, cut off its branches, strip off its foliage, scatter its fruit; let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches. Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field; and let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beasts of the earth. What happens when this holy angelic watcher speaks? He’s talking about a tree.
Chop down the tree. Cut off its branches. Scatter its fruit. Let the beasts of the field flee from it. They were finding shelter in it, but let them go. The birds were nesting in it, but let them fly away. And then watch what happens.
This is why beloved, it is so important that you read God’s Word slow enough, carefully enough, so that you see things like this and discern them and say, hey, look at that. It says let him be drenched with the dew of heaven. Him, what? Him, the stump. Him the stump? Him, the stump of the tree. Remember the tree is cut down but its stump is still left. Yet what’s around that stump? Now, watch; a band of iron is around that stump. The roots are left; they’re not destroyed.
But a band of iron and bronze is around it. It’s living in the new grass of the field. And then it says let him be drenched with the dew of heaven. And it says and let him share with the beasts, in the grass of the earth. Wait a minute. Let him, this stump of the tree that has been cut down, let him share the grass with the beasts of the field. And you’re mind ought to be going, what is going on? It, it ought to be going. Nebuchadnezzar was saying what is going on. The magicians and the conjurers and the wise men of Babylon didn’t know what was going on. They couldn’t figure it out. But you know Daniel.
And you know that Daniel has a God who knows these things. And this is why Nebuchadnezzar is writing this way and saying hey, everybody on this earth, pay attention; this is God.
This is a mighty God. All right, now, let his mind be changed from that of a man. Now, watch, watch. That word mind could also be translated heart because in Jewish thinking in those times a man thought with his heart. You know, keep your heart, your mind with all diligence; for out of it comes the issues of life.
All right, so he’s saying, this root, this stump that is left, that has bands of iron and bronze around it, that’s going to eat the grass of the field with the beasts is going to have his mind changed from that of a human being. It says and let a beasts’ mind or heart be given to him. So here is this man who is now a stump of a man, who has this band that is kind of squeezing him and holding him, that now, has a mind of a beast. And it says and let seven periods of time pass over him. Then it says this. This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers.
And the decision is a command of the holy ones, in order that the living might know. That you and I might know, that all the peoples of this world might know what? That the Most High, El Elyon is the ruler over the realm of mankind. What does this great king want everyone to know?
That God, El Elyon is sovereign, that He is the ruler over mankind and He bestows it on whom He wishes and sets it over (now catch this) the lowliest of men. Now if you would stop and think, I remember; I’m old enough. But I remember World War II and I remember a little song that we sang. Whistle while you work. Hitler is a jerk. Mussolini is a sheenie. Whistle while you work.
They were horrible rulers. You know what Hitler did. I don’t care if anyone tells you that the holocaust never existed, that is a lie straight from the pit of hell. It did exist. He was determined to exterminate every single Jew off of the face of this earth. He was the most despicable of men. He was the lowliest of men. Do you know that Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar wrote over and over again, I am the son of a nobody? I am the son of a nobody. I am the son of a nobody.
And you know what? You may have been the daughter of a nobody. You may have been the son a nobody. I don’t know what you came from.
But I know this: that many times when that happens to us we are determined that we are not going to be like that. And that’s good. But sometimes we begin to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, don’t we? And now you’ve achieved. But what you don’t know is this; you don’t realize that God is sitting on His throne and God is able to exult and God is able to bring low.
And if He exults and if He brings low, be you male or female, whatever He does, you’ve got to know that God is lover of mankind, that God loves the world and that God wants you, and He wants me to live for Him. He wants us to realize that He is God, that His dominion is over everything and to let Him rule in our lives.
Devotions with Emotion
Fair Use Notice
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work herein is archived under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in reviewing the included information for personal use, non-profit research and educational purposes only.
‘Your Devotion with Emotion’
This material was brought to you by Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity. Last Call Digest, is a ministry of Michael James Stone, volunteers, and people dedicated to the Love of God and Salvation of Souls. It is an aggragate of Christian Material selected to Bless you and Prepare you for each and every day you read them. May God Bless You as You Do!! Reading these Devotions will help you to prepare daily for life, living, and your Lord. You will hear God Speak To You thru them.
Jesus is Coming Very Soon.
“the simple format”
Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity, operates by you, with you, and for you. “Freely you have received, freely give” Pass this on, everywhere you can, anytime you can, anyway you can. You will be blessed if you do. mrnetbizness@gmail.com
Last Days of the Last Generation “Last Generation”
The simple format “the prophecy site just about prophecy”
Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity Journalist
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
The material is being made available in an effort to understand scripture, news, technology and society especially as it relates to God and Jesus. It is specifically for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site. Nor is any implied reciprocal gratuities implied or construed.
