The tree you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached the sky and was visible to all the earth, Sermons
I. THE BEPROVED. There are many difficulties in approaching a man with even the most necessary reproof, most of which were present in this case of the king. A sinner is like a fort surrounded by many lines of entrenchment. The reprover is quite conscious of the strength of the moral fortification, and is oft deterred from his duty. The reproved is ready to repel reproof by virtue of: 1. Self-love. "Most quick, delicate, and constant of all feelings." 2. Pride. The reprover seems to assume the office of both lawgiver and judge. But what right this superiority? 3. Difference in social rank. It matters not whether, as in this case, the reproved be of superior rank or of inferior. If the former, the reproved resents the audacity; if the latter, what he is pleased to call the patronage. 4. Absence of moral aspiration. The reproved does not really desire to be better than he is. 5. Contrariety of judgment. The reproved doubts the principle upon which you are proceeding; e.g. you expostulate with a man on the sin of gambling; but he disputes your premiss, viz. that there is wrong in gambling. There is no sin or vice which some men will not be found to defend. Nebuchadnezzar may have considered all his oppressions of the poor, etc., as quite within his kingly right. 6. Suspicion of the reprover's motive. II. THE REPROVER - his tone and spirit. He should be characterized by: 1. Sincere and simple sympathy for the man. In this respect Daniel was perfect. 2. Grief over the moral position. 3. Sorrow for the consequences. 4. Fidelity. 5. Courtesy. Note the tone of vers. 19, 27. Daniel was mindful of his relation to his king. 6. Hopefulness. Daniel gave counsel simple, comprehensive, direct. And then expresses a large hope, "If it may be," etc. (vers. 26, 27). Some elements in - III. THE REPROOF WILL BE SUGGESTIVE. 1. It was solicited. An immense advantage. 2. Based on adequate knowledge. Nothing can be more paralyzing to a would-be reprover than to find that he is proceeding either on false or unproved assumptions. 3. Strong by authority of truth. "In presenting admonitory or accusatory truth, it should be the instructor's aim that the authority may be conveyed in the truth itself, and not seem to be assumed by him as the speaker of it." "One man, a discreet and modest one (and not the less strong for that), shall keep himself as much as he can out of the pleading, and press the essential virtue and argument of the subject. Another makes himself prominent in it, so that yielding to the argument shall seem to be yielding to him. His style, expressly or in effect, is this: 'I think my opinion should have some weight in this case;' 'These arguments are what have satisfied me;' 'If you have any respect for my judgment,' etc. So that the great point with him is not so much that you should be convinced, as that he should bare the credit of convincing you." 4. Well-timed. "The teller of unpleasing truths should watch to select favourable times and occasions (mollia tempora fandi) when an inquisitive or docile disposition is most apparent; when some circumstance or topic naturally leads without formality or abruptness; when there appears to be in the way the least to put him (the person reproved) in the attitude of pride and hostile self-defence" For aught we know, Daniel may have had it on his mind for a long time to speak to the king; at length the day of opportunity dawned. IV. THE RESULT. 1. The reproof was not at once successful. For a year more (ver. 29) the king seems to have gone on, in the same spirit, to do the same deeds. 2. But was so finally. (Ver. 34.) When reproof had been emphasized by judgment. The memory, then, of Daniel's counsel. - R. "Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him." There are moments of astonishment in all true ministries. The word "hour" should be replaced by the word "moment": Then Daniel was astonished for one moment. But into one moment how many hours may be condensed! Into one feeling a whole lifetime, with manifold and tragical experience, may enter. We have nothing to do with mere time in calculating spiritual impression, spiritual service, spiritual enjoyment. Daniel was not a man to be easily affrighted; the astonishment which befell him was moral, imaginative, not in the sense of fancying things that did not exist, but in the sense of giving realities their largest scope and meaning. He was astonished that such a fate was awaiting king Nebuchadnezzar. It was like a blow struck upon the very centre of his forehead; when he saw what was going to befall the king he was struck, as it were, with a spear of lightning, his voice faltered, as did the fashion of his countenance. He had a message to deliver, and yet he delivered it with tears that were hidden in the tone of his voice. He was not flippant; he was solemn with an ineffable solemnity. Never was he in such a position before. Only the Divine Spirit could make him equal to the responsibilities of that critical hour. Many words we can utter easily, but to pronounce doom upon life, any life, old man's or little child's, is a task which drives our words back again down the throat. We cannot utter them, yet we must do so; we wait in the hope that some relief will come, but relief does not come from this burden-bearing in the sanctuary of life. The preacher is often as much astonished as the hearer, and as much terrified. In proportion as the preacher is faithful to the hook which he has to read, expound, and enforce, will he sometimes come to passages that he would rather not read. It would be delightful if we could expel the idea of penalty from our human intercommunion. Men have tried to fill up the pit of hell with flowers, and all the flowers have been consumed. It would be delightful to hide by concealment of any kind the horrors that await the wicked man, but to hide those horrors is to aggravate them. It can be no joy to any man to go forth and say, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." No man could utter such words but in obedience to the election and ordination of God. It is easy, if we consult our own flesh and sense and taste alone, to hide the Cross of agony and shame; but he who hides the Cross hides the salvation which it symbolises, and without which it is impossible. It is not easy for any man, Jonah or Daniel, Hosea or Joel, to say unto the wicked, It shall be ill with thee. We would rather live upon the other side of the hill, where the sun smiles all day, where the flowers grow as if they would never cease to unfold some new secret of colour and beauty, and where the birds trill a song from hour to hour, as if growing in capacity as they multiply in service. But the hill of the Lord is many-sided; we should be unfaithful and unjust if we did not recognise its multifold aspects, and show them to those who have come to see the reality and the mystery of the Divine Kingdom amongst men. Daniel looks wondrously well in the moment of his astonishment. The man's best self is now in his face. How quiet he is, and what singular tenderness plays around the sternness which befits the message that he is about to deliver! What a mixture of emotion, what an interplay of colour, what an agony of sensation! yet Daniel is a true man, and he will speak the true word, come of it what may, so far as he himself is concerned; furnace of fire or den of lions, he must speak the word which the Lord has given to him. Why do we not follow his example? Why do we try to take out of the Divine word all things offensive? It would be easy to pander to human taste, and to flatter human vanity, and to assure the half-damned man that the process cannot be completed, but that after all he will be taken to Heaven and made a seraph of. Who can tell lies so thick, so black? Let him eschew the altar and the Cross. (Joseph Parker, D.D.) People Belteshazzar, Daniel, Jonah, NebuchadnezzarPlaces BabylonTopics Ends, Grew, Hast, Heaven, Heavens, Height, Hight, Large, Reach, Reached, Sawest, Sight, Sky, Stretching, Strong, Tall, Thereof, Touching, Tree, Visible, VisionOutline 1. Nebuchadnezzar confesses God's kingdom,4. makes relation of his dreams, which the magicians could not interpret. 8. Daniel hears the dream. 19. He interprets it. 28. The dream fulfilled. Dictionary of Bible Themes Daniel 4:1-37Library The Life of Mr. Andrew Melvil. Mr. Melvil, after finishing his classical studies, went abroad, and taught, for some time, both at Poictiers in France, and at Geneva. He returned to Scotland in July 1574, after having been absent from his native country near ten years. Upon his return, the learned Beza, in a letter to the general assembly of the church of Scotland, said, "That the greatest token of affection the kirk of Geneva could show to Scotland, was, that they had suffered themselves to be spoiled of Mr. Andrew Melvil." Soon … John Howie—Biographia Scoticana (Scots Worthies) Human Government. Epistle xxxi. To Phocas, Emperor . The Teaching of Matthew 13 Proves that no Era of Millennial Blessing Precedes Christ's Second Advent. And the Fame of Antony came Even unto Kings. ... Third Sunday after Trinity Humility, Trust, Watchfulness, Suffering The Power of God That for the Most Part the Occupation of Government Dissipates the Solidity of the Mind. King of Kings and Lord of Lords Concerning Salutations and Recreations, &C. Destruction of Jerusalem Foretold. The Chorus of Angels Supplementary Note to Chapter ii. The Year of Christ's Birth. "Seek First the Kingdom of God," &C. Repentance Daniel Links Daniel 4:20 NIVDaniel 4:20 NLT Daniel 4:20 ESV Daniel 4:20 NASB Daniel 4:20 KJV Daniel 4:20 Bible Apps Daniel 4:20 Parallel Daniel 4:20 Biblia Paralela Daniel 4:20 Chinese Bible Daniel 4:20 French Bible Daniel 4:20 German Bible Daniel 4:20 Commentaries Bible Hub |
    |