Daniel 4
The night of October 8, 1871 was devastating. The Great Chicago Fire began its blaze around 9pm that evening and lasted around 36 hours. Over 300 people would perish in the flames, along with homes for over 100,000 residents. Not only would this event change Chicago forever, but it would also dramatically affect the future of evangelism. Earlier that evening, DL Moody finished his sermon and decided not to give an altar call, but rather let people stew on it for a while. Little did he know that many of those listening would not be alive the next morning. As a result, he would never allow people to walk away without making a decision about Jesus. He would go on to do altar calls after every message (Christian Fellowship). No longer would evangelism be about a process, but a decision. Biblically, I think it works a bit differently. And oddly enough, Nebuchadnezzar is a great example.
Throughout the 40 or so years of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, we have seen him go from a wholly evil, antagonistic despot who tried to brainwash others into the “Babylonian way” to a sympathetic friend of the Jews, guarding their rights to faith. While he clearly began the story as the villain, God stayed with him, moving him forward through a process of drawing him to Himself – a path that doesn’t end in judgment, but with guidance and discipline. And it comes from Nebuchadnezzar’s own mouth – this chapter was most likely written by him. Daniel and his friends put in years of work to eventually see the king to a place where he can deal directly with God. Let’s look together at how God played the long game with Nebuchadnezzar.
Loyal Subversives are Visible (v7-9)
The king reuses that line of “knowing holy gods in you” meaning that he remembered what he’d seen in Daniel’s life – which means Daniel’s trials happened so God could work in the king. That means, God intended for people to watch Daniel’s life – consider Darius’ experiences with Daniel as well. This is what Jesus means when He said to let your light shine before others (Matt 5:14-16).
My faither-in-law was put on display to been seen by other in 2015 when an allergy to heparin caused blood clots to fill up his body starting from his feet and working their way north. He came very close to death, but God used his gentle, determined attitude to be a witness to everyone he came across as he managed through the long-term recovery.
Loyal Subversives are Invested in People (v18-19)
Nebuchadnezzar trusted Daniel as his go-to man so much so that he encouraged Daniel to speak freely and cared for Daniel’s pain in this, as Daniel worries so much over the fate of the king (v19) and truly cares that the king change so this bad thing wouldn’t happen to him (v27). We see here a real friendship between these two people who genuinely care for each other – like Bill & Bobby.
Bill Greenhaw was a retired school principal who looked rather stern. He was an organist and highly respected in church. I wore leather jackets and rode a motorcycle. One day, I jokingly asked him if he would like to go out to lunch with me on my bike. To my surprise, he accepted!
He was the opposite of me in so many ways, but he enjoyed riding with me on my bike. We took many rides together, but he never told anyone about them. I think it brought out a sense of adventure in him, and I was the only person he felt comfortable sharing that side of himself with. He was shy around most people. At his funeral, I told his family about our rides, and they were astonished. I miss his kind and gentle character, and our rides together. —Bobby Mills, Macon, Georgia
Loyal Subversives are Patient (v28-33)
As a result of DL Moody’s experience, evangelicals tend to focus on the point of a person’s conversion and can forget that it takes a lot to get them to salvation. Nebuchadnezzar’s reign as the Babylonian king lasted around 40 years, almost all of which were spent with the Jews there in exile, with 7 of those years crazy. He had rejected many years’ worth of altar calls and had resisted God’s counsel from Daniel for a long time. He certainly didn’t make an immediate turnaround. God worked patiently, over time and we need to let Him do that.
Nebuchadnezzar became an evangelist through his passion for how God worked on him over time (v3,34-35) – He specifically praises God’s eternal power. Time is what takes faith from an intellectual argument to reality with God working in us over time. We need to be patient and let it come.
Next Steps
The evidence in this chapter leads to the conclusion that the king submitted himself before God, and with him exiting the story at this point, we can speculate this led to his “happy ending” in relationship with God. Daniel’s willingness to seek the good of his new home while staying loyal to God over the long haul has led to Nebuchadnezzar’s salvation. What can we learn from this? Here are some ways we can practice being loyally subversive in our world.
- The things we go through happen so others can see God working in you. Discuss with a friend ways that God has “put you on display”.
- Change occurs in relationship. Who are you investing in? Create a list of people you are intentionally befriending for the gospel.
- Patience is key. Let God create experiences as you spend time with people on your list. Not every conversation must be a gospel presentation. Go make some memories!
This is a loyally subversive lifestyle. Spending our life in front of others, building them into deep and trusted relationships that lead to God. Daniel provided the example, we are called to live it out. Don’t let fear or anything else rush God’s process. Take your time and do it well.
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