GOD’S WORD FOR YOU
DANIEL 2:10-12
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10 The astrologers answered the king, “There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.” 12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon should be executed.
One of the benefits of living under a good government is that it bears a resemblance to a good marriage. The governing official (king, prince, president, or whatever his title) protects and cares for the people. The people enjoy life “in his shade… and life is sweet” (Song of Solomon 2:3). His banner is over his people. But in this fallen world, just as there are men who are bad, even cruel husbands, so there are princes and other leaders who are bad, sinfully bad, cruel, selfish, and who only want to make themselves seem great. We are seeing some things from Nebuchadnezzar that make us wonder about him. But good king or bad, the people were his subjects. “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1).
When President Kennedy was killed, our Seminary president said to the students: “A sad happening such as our nation experienced ought to make us more fully mindful again that it is a real gift of God that He gives us responsible and able governmental leaders, through whose labors and efforts we enjoy the high benefits of outward order, peace, and protection for this life. ‘There is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained by God.’ They are ministers, servants, of God to us for good. We so easily forget what a vital gift of God for this life these civil servants of God are. The happenings on Friday should help to remind us what a prey to evil doers, not only from the outside of our country but even from within, we would really be without governmental agents who in a responsible way wield the awesome power of the sword as a deterrent to crime and violence.” (Professor Lawrenz to the student body, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Chapel, November 1963).
King Nebuchadnezzar was angry with his astrologers, but he still thought of the good of the people. For if their astrologers and enchanters were just a pack of liars, then they needed to be exposed, and the nation needed to be rid of them. This would be a just penalty for their lies.
We can’t help but see what the emotion was that drove all of this in the King’s heart and mind. It was rage. He was furious, very, very, angry, over the stalling and the tactics from his wise men. We have been saying that this illustrates the Lord Almighty’s anger over our sins, and here the pot is boiling over. God is not gentle over sin. He does not wink at certain sins as if to say, “It’s okay.” When God’s people rebel against him, “They have provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols” and other sins (1 Kings 16:26). And God does not excuse those who don’t know his law. “Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin” (Romans 3:9). Their very thoughts accuse them (Romans 2:15).
When God punished all of mankind’s sin, the pot boiled over and all of his rage and fury over sin was poured out without mercy on his own Son, Jesus Christ. This is what made our Lord cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?!” from the cross. He was suffering the pain of hell, and he took on this suffering voluntarily, out of love and compassion for us. “He suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). And again: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds we are healed” (Hebrews 2:24).
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
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Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, New Ulm, Minnesota
God’s Word for You – Daniel 2:10-12 Rage