THE CULTURAL EXCHANGE – THE KING AND I
DANIEL 2:1-25
NEBUCHADNEZZAR SEEKS ANSWERS
NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S FATHER, NABOPOLASSAR FOUNDED BABYLON AND GAVE HIM THE NAME, O NABU (NEBO) AFTER ONE OF THE CHIEF GOD’S KNOWN FOR WISDOM …
NEBUCHADNEZZAR WAS KNOWN FOR HIS CRUELTY,
2 KINGS 25:7
THE KING’S DREAMS, Vv.1,3
A SOCIETY OF WIZARDS CANNOT FIND THE ANSWERS NEBUCHADNEZZAR IS LOOKING FOR, 2-12
THE KING’S DELUSION,
“MAGICIANS” SACRED SCHOLARS
“ASTROLOGERS” STUDY OF THE STARS TO PREDICT THE FUTURE … IN THE NEW TESTAMENT THEY WERE CALLED, MAGI
“SORCERY” PRACTICE OF DIVINATION OR INCANTATION TO FORETELL THE FUTURE
A HARRIS POLL TELLS US THAT THOUGH THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SAY THEY BELIEF IN THE BASIC CONCEPT OF THE BIBLE, THERE’S A GROWING INTEREST IN OTHER SPIRITUAL IDEOLOGIES. FOR EXAMPLE, 51% SAY THEY BELIEVE IN GHOST, 31% BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY, 27% BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION. IN FACT, BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE REINCARNATED FROM SOME OTHER PREVIOUS LIFE FORM.
IN THE U.S. THAT MEANS 125 MILLION PEOPLE BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY, AND 70% OF THOSE READ THEIR HOROSCOPES EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR DIRECTION. IN FACT, 7% HAVE SAID THEY ALTERED THEIR DECISIONS, MADE DIFFERENT CHOICES THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO BASED ON AN ASTROLOGICAL READING …
SWINDOLL, “THEY CANNOT DISCERN THE DEPTHS OF HIS COUNSEL, COMMUNICATE HIS HEART, OR REVEAL HIS PROGRAM. SOVEREIGNTY AND SORCERY ARE AS FAR APART AS HEAVEN AND HELL.”
THE KING’S DEMANDS,
DANIEL WILL SEEK AND FIND THE ANSWERS, Vv.13-25
DANIEL’S POISE,
DANIEL IS PRACTICAL,
DANIEL’S PRAYER,
DANIEL’S PRAISE,
DANIEL’S PURPOSE,
APPLICATION:
“AT THE ROOT OF POLITICAL DICTATORSHIPS AND TYRANNY THERE IS SOMETHING THAT THE DICTATORS THEMSELVES CANNOT FULLY GRAPPLE WITH, THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT’S WRONG WITH THEM, THEY LIVE WITH A DEEP SENSE OF BEING INSECURE. THEY HAVE A DARKLY CONSCIOUS REALIZATION OF THE INSECURITY OF THEIR EXISTENCE. THEREFORE, MAN IS TEMPTED BY THE BASIC INSECURITY OF HUMAN EXISTENCE TO MAKE HIMSELF DOUBLY INSECURE.”
REINHOLD NIEBUHR, THE NATURE AND DESTINY OF MAN