Fair Warning

And at the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon Daniel 4:29

The End – What transpires next has been the subject of endless sermons on pride.  Nebuchadnezzar’s ego swells and he proclaims his own might, only to receive that terrible announcement, “This day the kingdom is taken from you.”  But we often overlook the fact that Nebuchadnezzar had twelve months warning.  A year earlier Daniel warned the king to depart from his sinful ways and turn to righteousness if he wished to avoid the outcome of his terrifying dream.  For a whole year the king did nothing, in spite of the fact that he accepted Daniel’s interpretation of the dream.  The end was no surprise.  It was only a matter of time.

If you and I had such a dream and a man who had the spirit of the Holy God interpreted this dream and we knew that his interpretation was true, what would we do?  We would most likely do what Nebuchadnezzar did – nothing.  How can I say such a thing.  Because the evidence is overwhelming.  Time after time God reveals His concern and His desire for us.  He sends those who warn us.  He pricks our conscience with His word.  He grants us glimpses of the impending disaster.  He pleads with us to enter into His mercy.  And what do we usually do?  Nothing.  Nothing until we are cast out, eating grass, living like animals.  How can we explain such self-destructive behavior?  The explanation is really simple.  We do not listen because we do not fear.  We believe that God will forget, that tomorrow will be like today, that the kingdoms of this earth will continue, that the edge of the cliff is an illusion.  We just don’t want to think about it, so we don’t.  And every day that goes by without calamity convinces us that our bet was the right one.  God really didn’t mean it.  After all, He is a loving and forgiving God.  He will excuse us one more time, won’t He?

Until the end of the twelfth month.  The end – in Hebrew, qetsat – concludes God’s period of warning.  The hammer falls.  The dream comes true.  We wake up.  It does not conclude God’s plan or purpose, but it certainly changes ours.  Qetsat – in picture form, “the sign of the last desire.”  The last hook to let go.  The end of a covenant I make with myself to fulfill my needs.  Do you suppose that Yeshua had Nebuchadnezzar’s procrastination in mind when he exhorted His followers to work while there was day?  Do you think Sha’ul was reflecting on Daniel when he told us that the time is short?  And what do we do?  Well, we have important things to attend to, things that will keep us busy with covenants we make with ourselves, things that assume tomorrow will be a repetition of today.  We walk in the palace and say, “Isn’t this the life I have made for myself?  Isn’t it grand?  Isn’t it secure?”  How long ago did God give you a warning?

The shortest day of the year is a good day to remember the end – and adjust accordingly.

Topical Index:  end, qetsat, Nebuchadnezzar, warning, Daniel 4:29