Nebuchadnezzar esteems and praises Daniel: This world uses esteem and praise over the need for Jesus Christ

Daniel 2:46-49

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

• Worldly honors given to Daniel.
• Praise given to God for personal enrichment but not from a heart of service to Him.
• Promotions given for service to governing authority but not for service given to the Lord God.

Worldly honors given to Daniel.

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him.” Daniel 2:46

Daniel had interpreted the dream of king Nebuchadnezzar as described in Danel 2:31-45. The king was grateful to Daniel for the service rendered to him and fell on his face, on hands and knees in a show of honor towards Daniel. However, he was not bowing humbly to show his thanksgiving to God, he was honoring a person not the Living God. Nebuchadnezzar also commanded that his servants present and offering and incense to Daniel. Those servants of the king would have included the royal officials within his administration. That was a command, an order, not heartfelt gratitude towards Daniel. Showing honor to Daniel in that way was a standard practice to reward a person for service to the Babylonian Empire, the king himself.

The honor shown to Daniel by Nebuchadnezzar and his servants is an example of honoring human beings but not having a heart filled with praise to God, through Jesus Christ, in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus says, “I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” John 5:41-44

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are not even to show that type of honor to angels, and certainly not other people, “Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” Revelation 22:8

Today, praise, honor, dignity, respect, esteem, awards, recognition, promotions etc. are given to people who give services to the culture of the beast. They do not want a person’s feelings to be hurt by being called sinners in need of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. They are not really honoring the person but honoring the beast that is living within the honored person that is given what to do, say, feel, and think by the beast. Likewise, people within the culture of the beast are shown respect, esteemed, and given a sense of dignity to honor the beast that speaks and lives within the person. The leaders of today’s culture believe that the salvation of humanity comes in that way, but by doing that they dishonor God the Creator, reject the need for Jesus Christ, and do not want the Holy Spirit to be part of who they are.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we know that treating other people well is important, but loving God with all of our heart, soul, and mind the very first priority, as our Lord Jesus says, “‘You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You will love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

Praise given to God for personal enrichment but not from a heart of service to Him.

“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.” Daniel 2:47

Nebuchadnezzar is building up the dignity, esteem, and respect of Daniel for the personal enrichment he received. In doing so, he vainly praises Daniel’s God as being the God of gods and Lord of kings. However, the king kept a distance from claiming the God of gods and the Lord of kings to be his God and Lord. He said, “your” God, not our “God”

As followers of Jesus Christ, we gladly accept praise for living in the will of God, through Jesus Christ, in the presence of the Holy Spirit. However, we are not responsible for the indifference that others have to Christ Jesus.

When a person is indifferent to God and Christ Jesus, they can toss around flatteries very easily, even if it means flattering we who live for God through Jesus Christ. However, their flattery praising our good works to the community culture is not for speaking to them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their intention is to draw us away from the message of the Cross and try to make us feel good about partnering with the community agenda and making us believe we are serving Jesus Christ. That is where today’s fallen churches are. They are full of good works and labor diligently, but they have left the first love for Jesus Christ, “I know your works, your labor… and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” Revelations 2:2-4

“Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Matthew 15:7-9

Promotions given for service to governing authority but not for service given to the Lord God.

“Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.” Daniel 2:48

Daniel was promoted by Nebuchadnezzar and given many gifts and made him a ruler over the whole province of Babylon and governor over all the wisemen. All of that was given only because Daniel enriched Nebuchadnezzar.

As followers of Jesus Christ, worldly prestige, job promotions, authority, many gifts, and even promotions within the manmade churches do not mean anything to us. Like Daniel, who remained faithful to God despite all of the flatteries given to him by Nebuchadnezzar. Those things are truly what Satan will promise to us if we leave aside God, Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me. “Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You will worship the Lord your God, and Him only you will serve.’” Matthew 4:9-10

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? ” Mark 8:36

“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:34-38

“Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.” Daniel 2:49

At the request of Daniel; Nebuchadnezzar promoted Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. That worked fine as long as the king was worshipped as God, benefitted by them, and was given the highest honor possible by them. However, as soon as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to serve the image he set up as God, they were thrown into the fiery burning furnace to be exterminated, as described in the post on Daniel 3:19-30.

Today, those who govern by the beast giving them what to do, feel, think, and say will make you feel like royalty as long as you worship the image of the beast. They insist that those working under them conform to the image of the beast that is given breath/life to speak by speaking and living through people. They expect people to be conformed to the mark, name, number of the beast by what they are given to say and do. That is the beast that sets itself up as God, within the temple of God, our body, by giving what to say and do. That is the one “…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Click for a post on that.

The day is coming, and now is seen in the world, when those who do not serve the image of the beast are killed, “He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.” Revelations 13:15. Click for a post on the image of the beast.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1