Daniel

v1-9: The King's Pride The chapter begins with King Nebuchadnezzar declaring his praise of God to all nations, for he has seen the signs and wonder of God through Daniel and his friends. The king praised God as a God of Signs and Wonders. He indiicated that:  1. A mystery revealer and mighty deliverer (Dan 2:47; Dan 3:28-29). Only Daniel can interprets God's message.  2. His kingdom lasting forever. (Dan 4:3) 3. All powerful, does as He pleases and to no one He answers. (Dan 3:17-18; Dan 4:35) 4. Merciful restorer, just and righteous, but the proud He humbles. (Dan 4:37) But the King still has a lot of pride and ego. He hasn't really changed in this heart or in his character. He did not do what God wants him to do. In another word, he is a hypocrite.  He said, "I Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me."  (v4,5)  He admitted that he i...

 Chapter 3 - The Golden Statue v1-12: Faithfulness Challenged Nebuchadnezzar ordered the construction of a large golden statue.  It was sixty cubits high (around 27 metres) equivalent to 9 story building. Some scholars speculate that the statue was likely made of a less valuable metal, such as bronze or iron, and then overlaid with gold to give it a more impressive appearance. This was a common practice in ancient times, where valuable metals were used as a coating or plating for less valuable metals or other materials. The statue was likely a representation of the Babylonian god Marduk (or Bel in Akkadian language), who was considered the patron deity of the city of Babylon.  In Babylonian mythology, Marduk was considered the son of the god Ea and the goddess Damkina. He was depicted as a powerful warrior god who defeated the forces of chaos and created the world out of the body of the slain goddess Tiamat. As a result, Marduk was considered the most powerful of the Baby...