Articles
God Is King Over All
God Is King Over All
As creator, all belongs to the Lord. He declares: “ All souls are mine” (Ezek. 18:4). The nations are a drop in the bucket compared to Him (Isa. 40:15). The greatest kingdoms are but for a short season, the greatest kings rule for only a blink of the eye. Daniel now begins a three-chapter section showing that God is sovereign over all.
The great Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, is humbled before God and declares:”I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation. "All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, 'What have You done?' (Dan. 4:34-35)
Heaven declares: "This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes And sets over it the lowliest of men." (Dan. 4:17)
King Belshazzar was given this message: “This is the interpretation of the message: 'MENE'—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. " 'TEKEL'—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. " 'PERES'—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians." (Dan. 5:26-28) That very night, God took away the whole kingdom of Babylon.
Then we watch as God shuts the mouths of lions to protect Daniel. This prompts Darius to declare: "I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever. "He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions." (Dan. 6:26-27)
This same God has raised Jesus from the dead and sat Him upon the throne of David. Jesus has been made king of kings and lord of lords. As these kings during Daniel’s time acknowledged the sovereignty of God, so all men will confess the Lordship of Jesus: “… at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11
Belshazzar was judged because he refused to “recognize that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes” (Dan. 5:21-22). Can you read the writing on the wall? Will you not humble yourself before the Lord? We can confess him as Lord know, live in obedience to Him, and be blessed by Him; or we can be weighed in the balance and found wanting only to face eternal condemnation by Him. What will it be?
Hugh DeLong
