I'll pray for you

I'LL PRAY FOR YOU

 

     There is a story about a holy man who was meditating under a tree next to a river. The river began rising, and that was when he saw a scorpion stuck in the tree roots about to drown. So, the man crawled out on the roots to the scorpion. Of course, every time the man reached out the scorpion stung him. A passerby shouted, “Don’t you know that is a scorpion? And don’t you know it is the scorpion’s nature to sting you?” To this, the man replied, “That is true, but it is my nature to save. I don’t need to change my nature to save. I don’t need to change my nature because the scorpion will not change his.”

 

     How many of us would have had that attitude? How many of us would have seen the scorpion and cheered on the water? Many of us have that attitude toward people. Sometimes it is because they think so differently than us, we want to avoid the awkwardness of trying to connect. Other times it is because the people are worse than the scorpion. However, perhaps these attitudes make us like the scorpion. As followers of Jesus, we are called to a different heart.

 

     Daniel 4:19-27(CSB)

 

Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was stunned for a moment, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.”

 

Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies! The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky and was visible to the whole earth, and whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant—and on it was food for all, under it the wild animals lived, and in its branches the birds of the sky lived—that tree is you, your majesty. For you have become great and strong: your greatness has grown and even reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.”

 

“The king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground and with a band of iron and bronze around it in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with dew from the sky and share food with the wild animals for seven periods of time.’ This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree of the Most High that has been issued against my lord the King: You will be driven away from people to live with the wild animals. You will feed on grass like cattle and be drenched with dew from the sky for seven periods of time, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms, and he gives them to anyone he wants. As for the command to leave the tree’s stump with its roots, your kingdom will be restored to you as soon as you acknowledge that Heaven rules. Therefore, may my advice seem good to you my king. Separate yourself from your sins by doing what is right, and from injustice by showing mercy to the needy. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.”

 

 

 

This is the Word of God.

For the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

 

     The crazy thing about this dream interpretation is that Daniel has no problem figuring out what it means. He hears the dream and goes silent. Verse 19 says, “Daniel was stunned for a moment, and his thoughts alarmed him.” After hearing the dream, Daniel knew exactly what it meant, but that caused him to create a moment of awkward silence.

 

     King Nebuchadnezzar wanted to know what his dream meant, even if it was bad. Daniel had earned his respect, so the king encouraged Daniel to share. While Daniel did not want to share the message, this word was not the prophet’s message, but God’s word to Nebuchadnezzar. The prophet had to speak God’s truth.

 

     The clarity of the interpretation speaks to the ease of Daniel’s understanding of the dream. In his commentary, Adam Clarke wrote, “The dream is so fully interpreted that in the following verses that it needs no commentary.” Contrary to Clarke, I will give a summary of verses 20 through 26.

 

     Ultimately, God is warning that the king would go from the very top of power and knowledge to grazing in the field like a cow. King Nebuchadnezzar would go from a symbol of worldly power to the lowest of the low. His power had made him prideful, and God was going to remind Nebuchadnezzar of his place. God was ruler of all, including Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom. This judgment would last until Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged God’s sovereignty.

 

     Keep in mind, this is the same Nebuchadnezzar that we read about in Daniel chapter 3, who built a gigantic statue of himself. He commanded everyone to worship this image of himself, and when three men refused the king became so enraged he had them thrown in a fiery furnace. It is a wonder Nebuchadnezzar did not fly off the handle here. Of course, perhaps the memory of a fourth person in the fire was enough to give him ears to hear, at least for a moment.

 

     Understanding the severity of the word, Daniel offers King Nebuchadnezzar sound advice in verse 27. He suggests that the king repents. Only this repentance had to be more than lip service and even outward actions. Daniel was calling Nebuchadnezzar to “rend his heart” of evil and turn to God, evidenced by his treatment of those subject to him. Especially the people Nebuchadnezzar conquered. God expected Nebuchadnezzar to rule the Hebrews, as well as others, in the same manner as the kings over the Israelites, ruling in justice and righteousness.

 

     Sadly, even with this warning, Nebuchadnezzar would not change his ways. He would lose his mind and spend seven years grazing like a cow. While there is a lesson in this, that is not our focal point. Our focal point has to do with a holy man and a scorpion.

 

     Look at verse 19, remember Daniel’s hesitation and awkward pause? Remember how he says, “I wish this applied to your enemies”? Why would Daniel behave that way and begin his interpretation with that introduction? It could be because he hoped Nebuchadnezzar’s enemies used this against the king. But as a believer in Jesus who thinks that His call to holiness wants us to think the best of one another, I do not think that is the case. I think Daniel pauses because his heart is filled with compassion for Nebuchadnezzar. He has compassion for the king who conquered his homeland, took him away as a captive, and tried to force him to adopt Babylonian life, giving Daniel a proper Babylonian name. Instead of praying for a piano to fall on the king’s head, the prophet has genuine compassion for his oppressor.

 

     As harsh as God’s word of judgment to Nebuchadnezzar seems, this warning through a dream is an offer of mercy. God warns Nebuchadnezzar to change his ways twelve months before it happens. Daniel, unaware of the exact timeline sees this window of opportunity, so he gently and kindly extends the mercy of God to the king.

 

     The scorpion does not change his nature, but neither does Daniel! He has faith in God and lived a holy life that showed his love for God. That love led Daniel to love King Nebuchadnezzar, who was different from him in almost every way.

 

     This passage reminds us of an important truth. The Bible tells us “For the wages of sin is death.” Our sin leads to destruction, death, and eternal separation from God. As followers of Jesus, we know this is why we need to repent, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. However, we also need to remember this truth applies to everyone. And that includes people who are different from us, even those we consider our enemies. Our heart for those different from us, those who are our enemies, reveals what is most important to us.

 

     The heart of Jesus longs after our enemies like a lost sheep, one He is willing to leave us for to go and find. Jesus is searching for those people different from us like a lost coin. He is waiting to see them walking down the road like a prodigal returning home, waiting to run out and greet them.

 

     If we are Christ’s followers, this is the heart we are called to have. This does not mean we overlook their sins and shortcomings. Nor does it mean there are no issues that need to be addressed. And it does not mean we have to be their best friend. It means we must be willing to accept them at God’s table, pointing them to how to get there. When we pray for them, it is not that a piano falls out of the sky on their head. Our prayer is that they would hear Jesus calling and be transformed.

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