Truth Thrown Down

    This week's BSF lesson, Daniel chapters 7 and 8, was difficult. In Daniel chapter 2, the nations are symbolized in Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a statue as: head of gold (Babylon), chest and arms of silver (Medo-Persia), belly and thighs of bronze (Greece), legs of iron and feet of iron and clay (Rome). In chapter 7, Daniel's dream, the nations are symbolized by animals: winged lion (Babylon), bear (Medo-Persia), winged leopard (Greece), iron toothed beast (Rome). Then, in case we were not confused enough already, chapter 8, Daniel's vision, only has two beasts: ram (Medo-Persia) and he goat (Greece). I have heard of these empires, of course, but in my time they are ancient history. However, I found something very contemporary in chapter 8 verse 12, that is the subject of this poem. 

 

Truth Thrown Down

Babylon's throne is millennia gone

The Medes and Persian's reign is done.

The empires that were Greece and Rome

now a capital and one country's home.

Yet their legacy continues on

from Daniel's scripture handed down,

"truth is thrown down to the ground".

Truth is thrown down to the ground. 

Come to the Fete

    I have already written one Daniel poem this week. Haven't I suffered enough? But as I was doing my Bible study this evening, minding my own business, I was struck by the lunacy of a king compelling his subjects to worship him--or die. Was the word genuine ever on Nebuchadnezzar's vocabulary list? That explains the tone of this poem--more like a carnival barker than a royal invitation.

 

Come to the Fete

 

Come all to the fete on the Babylon plains!

Come to see, bend the knee, in our great sovereign's name!

 

See the statue he built at its majestic height.

Note how our kingdom's gold reflects glittering light.

 

Meet the high, mighty men from our whole empire 'round.

When the songs start to rise, they'll fall flat on the ground.

 

Come worship our king, with his impressive name.

He can't answer your prayers, but he sure can proclaim.

 

By the way, if you don't feel the need to bow low,

then down into the fiery furnace you'll go!

 

If you think that true reverence cannot be compelled, 

you do not know King Nebuchadnezzar too well. 

 

So go call one and all from vast Babylon's shores

to come to the King's fete, either his fate--or yours!

 

10/11/25 

 

 

  

  

 

 

The Odds on the Ox

    When we studied Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a great statue, I wondered why God wasted such an important message on an arrogant monarch who seemed to have stopped listening after Daniel said, You are the head of gold. He hardly needed reinforcement for his sense of self-importance. God's special revelation to him, although it would greatly benefit future Bible readers, seemed only to inspire Nebuchadnezzar to build a monument to himself. But after praying about it, I realized that the reason was not complicated. God gave Nebuchadnezzar incremental knowledge of Himself through many years so that one day, his heart would be ready to receive Him. It is the same thing God does for most of us. He certainly did that for me. 

    The Lord's motive in this was not complicated either, it was because He loved him. After many times reading this familiar story, I was shocked to realize that the reason God went to so much trouble for Nebuchadnezzar was because He loved him. God loved Nebuchadnezzar! The Bible is full of stories of people God loved enough to break their pride so He could heal their soul, but there was only one He loved enough to humble as an ox.

 

The Odds on the Ox   

 

If they were giving odds in Babylon

about proud King Nebuchadnezzar 

coming to faith in Daniel's God,

they would have been a million to one.

 

Even with the clear evidence-- 

Daniel's interpretation of his

God given dream--Nebuchadnezzar

recognized God's wisdom, but not His will.

 

And when Daniel's three friends

were supernaturally protected from

 the furious king's fiery furnace, 

he respected God's power, but not his place. 

 

The great tree dream was a warning--

the builder of Babylon's tall towers and walls

would bend down to eat grass from the ground.

He heard the message, but spurned its meaning. 

 

Heaven's Sovereign reached out four times,

but the earthly ruler refused to repent,

reigned instead like an unreasoning beast, 

and in God's judgment, became one. 

 

Until he who had looked down upon so many

 looked up to the King of kings.

 Against all odds, repentant, with mind restored,

 Daniel's God became a proud king's Lord.

 

10/8/2025

 

 

 

(I used to wonder how the people of Babylon could remain unaware of their potentate's mental state when he was out grazing in their fields, but now I only need to remember our last presidency.)