Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. But Job was an upright
man among men, and brought down to a low estate in his flesh
by extreme suffering, both in body and possessions. While this
was indeed a chastening of Job, yet the culmination of that which
the Lord would teach Job is not seen until the very last chapter,
when he is made to see himself in the light of the glory of
God, who he had some knowledge of, but yet lacked the vital
component of seeing the unfolding of the Lord's absolute glory.
We see the same thing occur with Jonah as he was humbled before
the very God whom he disobeyed. Little did he know that the Lord
had already prepared a fish before he ever bought a ticket to Tarshish.
There in that fish's belly he was brought to confess, salvation
is of the Lord. Peter was a strong man, both
in body and determination. Yet because the Lord loved him,
he could not be allowed to trust in the arm of the flesh. Thus
he was made to weep bitter tears as he fulfilled the Lord's prophetic
words to him, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you,
that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that
thy faith fail not. The cock shall not crow this
day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. One
of the most amazing accounts found in the scriptures of the
visitation of grace upon a man is seen as the Lord performed
His perfect work upon one whom He had ordained as the destroyer
of Israel. King Nebuchadnezzar was a vain
and wicked king who worshipped a multitude of gods, but mostly
was enamored of himself. Little by little, the Lord bore
witness to Nebuchadnezzar of his power, first when Daniel
was unable to interpret his dream. He testified of the Lord's greatness,
as many carnal men do, yet he stopped short of seeing who the
Lord is. For the very next chapter we see Him raising up a golden
image in the plain of Dura, in the very face of Him who said,
Thou shalt not make any graven image. Through his act of wicked
idolatry, the Lord was pleased to set the stage for yet another
testimony to his own greatness, as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
were cast into the fiery furnace. The Lord's hand is not shortened,
say, by many or by few, and this wicked king once again was brought
to acknowledge the great Deliverer, who preserved the lives of these
young men in an impossible situation. Yet the Lord was not yet through
with his chastening of Nebuchadnezzar, for he was given another dream
which troubled him greatly, and Daniel was once again brought
in to interpret this vision. He trembled before the Lord as
Daniel revealed that which would occur. He may have even performed
some deeds of kindness and reformed his conduct to some extent. Yet,
like all carnal religious men, this was a mere outward reformation,
for soon he was once again filled up in his natural pride as he
surveyed the vastness and beauty of his kingdom and gloried therein
without proper regard to him who rules absolutely and had
given him all of this. The Lord was bringing Nebuchadnezzar
exactly where he designed for him to be, that he might bring
true repentance unto him by revealing to him his own weakness and the
glory and power of the true and living God. Now to be sure, this
was an extreme circumstance which the Lord was pleased to use.
The Lord will meet each one of his children at the point of
their rebellion. Though Nebuchadnezzar had expressed
in some measure a recognition of the Lord's greatness, he had
merely expressed that greatness as being superior to other gods
which he compared him to. The Lord told the children of
Israel, Thou shalt have no other gods before my face. It is not
sufficient for the sons of God to merely acknowledge that God
is great. Rather, they must be brought to the place of understanding
that he is without rival, and that there is no god but one. This is the very truth set forth
by Christ when he said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. And then repeated by Peter, neither
is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name
under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Nebuchadnezzar
was brought to this same place as he extolled the King of Heaven.
He recognized the power and grace of him who humbles those whom
he loves, as he confessed those that walk in pride he is able
to abase. He was brought to confess what
every one of those who are thus favored by the Lord must. He
who had eaten grass like an ox now eloquently and clearly magnified
the Lord of heaven and earth. I bless the Most High, and I
praised and honored him that liveth forever. whose dominion
is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation
to generation. And all the inhabitants of the
earth are reputed as nothing. And he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the
earth. And none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest
thou? Can any who know him deny this?
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