October 21, 2024

Ken Miller

The Self-Delusions of a Self-Made Man

October 21, 2024

Ken Miller

1 “King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.

3 How great are his signs,
how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. 6 So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. 8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, 9 “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.” – Daniel 4:1-9 ESV

The content of this chapter appears to cover events that happened much later in Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, perhaps near its end. Some scholars propose that a significant gap exists between the close of chapter three and the opening of chapter four. If correct, Daniel would be a much older man and Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom would have had time to reach the height of its glory. Babylon would have become a formidable world power with its opulent capital city reflecting Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams of unbridled success and significance.

The chapter opens with what appears to be a written testimony from the king himself. He begins by praising the greatness of 'ĕlâʿillay – the God most high. This is clearly a reference to the God of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar was not declaring his allegiance to the Hebrew God but was simply acknowledging Yahweh’s supremacy over all other gods. The king had ample evidence to reach this conclusion, having witnessed the miraculous salvation of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. He also experienced Yahweh’s power when Daniel interpreted his dream, something none of his magicians, sorcerers, or astrologers could do. Nebuchadnezzar was impressed with the God of the Hebrews and had promoted Him to a premier position among all the gods of the Babylonians.

Nebuchadnezzar was an equal opportunity idolater, choosing to include the gods of the nations he had conquered. Since Yahweh had proved Himself powerful and useful, Nebuchadnezzar was willing to promote His worship. He had even issued an official decree that made it illegal to denigrate or disparage the God of the Hebrews.

“If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!” – Daniel 3:29 NLT

Even years later, as the king reflected on his power and prominence, he was willing to give Yahweh some of the credit. Verses 1-3 are intended to set up what Nebuchadnezzar is about to relate. In the verses that follow, the king recalls yet another incident involving a dream, Daniel, and Yahweh. Decades have passed and the prophecy contained in the first dream has not yet been fulfilled. His kingdom remains intact and his power has not diminished. He even begins his testimony with the pride-filled statement, “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace in comfort and prosperity” (Daniel 4:4 NLT).

He was enjoying all the perks and benefits that accompanied the crown. He was rich, revered, and greatly feared. He ruled over a kingdom that had conquered much of the known world. But Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t control his unconscious thoughts. As he lay on his richly appointed bed, his mind was filled with nightmares that left him agitated and confused. Unable to sleep and anxious to know the meaning of the dream, Nebuchadnezzar sent for his wise men, a distinguished group of trusted advisors that included “magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers” (Daniel 4:7 NLT). But as before, these self-proclaimed prophets men proved powerless to help the king.

“I told them the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant.” – Daniel 4:7 NLT

This time, Nebuchadnezzar took it easy on them. He didn’t require them to use their powers to determine what he dreamed, he simply asked them to explain its meaning. But they were clueless.

Then Daniel showed up. The text doesn’t explain Daniel’s late arrival but according to chapter two, he was the highest-ranking wise man in the kingdom.

…the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men. – Daniel 2:48 NLT

Perhaps Daniel had been occupied with matters of state. But whatever the case, his timing could not have been better. He arrived just in time to hear the king’s dream and provide its interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar recounts Daniel’s entrance into the royal court by using his Hebrew and Babylonian names. It is unclear what Belteshazzar means but the king states that it has ties to one of his gods. He also adds the note that Daniel was filled with “the spirit of the holy gods” (Daniel 4:8 ESV). It seems unlikely that Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan polytheist, would have been referring to the Holy Spirit. He was simply acknowledging that Daniel possessed supernatural powers of a divine origin.

Desperate to know what his dream meant, Nebuchadnezzar begged Daniel to use his powers to solve the mystery.

“Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too great for you to solve. Now tell me what my dream means.” – Daniel 4:9 NLT

While Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t mention Yahweh by name, he knows that Daniel is a devout follower of the God of the Hebrews. Throughout this chapter, Yahweh’s superiority will be proclaimed. Even in the opening verses, Nebuchadnezzar declares His greatness.

“How great are his signs,
how powerful his wonders!
His kingdom will last forever,
his rule through all generations.” – Daniel 4:3 NLT

But as the chapter unfolds, Yahweh’s supremacy will be repeatedly stated.

“…the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.” – Daniel 4:17 ESV

“…this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king.” – Daniel 4:24 ESV

“…the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” – Daniel 4:25 ESV

“…the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” – Daniel 4:32 ESV

“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…” – Daniel 4:34 ESV

“…he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth…” – Daniel 4:35 ESV

“I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” – Daniel 4:37 ESV

This entire chapter is intended to provide a stark contrast between the powers of this world and the sovereign majesty and might of God Almighty. Nebuchadnezzar is meant to represent human authority in all its prideful arrogance. He is the consummate self-made man who dares to shake his fist in the face of God and declare his autonomy and independent authority. Surrounded by all the trappings of his own success, he dares to see himself as a deity in his own mind. But his dream mocks and rocks his confidence.

Nebuchadnezzar had conquered the world, but he couldn’t win the battle going on inside his head. Things were happening that he could not control or explain. There was a dimension to the world he could not see and over which he was powerless. Despite his posse of prophetic posers, he could not see the future. Regardless of his power, he had no way of controlling his fate. But the King of Heaven was not only aware of Nebuchadnezzar’s future, but He was in control of it.

Nebuchadnezzar was going to learn a powerful and painful lesson about God’s sovereignty and man’s inadequacy. His might was minimal when compared to that of God. His rule was impermanent when compared to that of God. His autonomy was non-existent when compared with the providential power of God Most High.

…all the nations of the world
    are but a drop in the bucket.
They are nothing more
    than dust on the scales.
He picks up the whole earth
    as though it were a grain of sand. – Isaiah 40:17 NLT

God sits above the circle of the earth.
    The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!
He spreads out the heavens like a curtain
    and makes his tent from them.
He judges the great people of the world
    and brings them all to nothing. – Isaiah 40:22-23 NLT

The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord;
he guides it wherever he pleases. – Proverbs 21:1 NLT

Nebuchadnezzar was surrounded by wealth, power, prestige, and a team of worldly wisemen who offered to provide him with insights into the future. But all the pomp and prophetic promises of this world are no match for God Most High.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

December 13, 2021

Ken Miller

The Book of Genesis

Image Bearers

December 13, 2021

Ken Miller

The Book of Genesis

24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” – Genesis 1:24-28 ESV

God’s timeline for creation was unfolding according to His perfect plan. He was methodically replacing the former chaos and darkness with order and light. And every phase of the divine process was well-orchestrated and designed to prepare the way for what would be His crowning achievement: The creation of man.

God had created the land on which man would exist. He had prepared the oxygen-rich “heaven” or lower atmosphere that would be necessary for man’s survival. There was the sun and moon to determine the days and seasons of man’s life. The sun’s distance from the earth was perfectly planned so that the ambient temperature on earth would be conducive to human life. And God had even created a protective barrier in the upper atmosphere that would prevent the harmful rays of the sun from doing irreparable damage to His creation. And to top it all off, God had provided an abundant source of food and nourishment in the form of fruit-bearing trees and vegetation.

There was nothing haphazard or random about the creation. It was all well-ordered and highly intentional. God was preparing the perfect environment in which to place the crown jewel of His creation plan. The all-knowing God of the universe was not making this up as He went along, but it was all part of the well-designed strategy He had developed long before He had initiated the creation process.

Once again, Moses reveals a deliberate order to the events of creation. This next phase involves God’s creation of “living creatures” (Genesis 1:24 ESV). The Hebrew word is נֶפֶשׁ (nep̄eš), and while it can be translated as “soul,” the surrounding context dictates that it refers to animal life. Moses describes three different kinds of creatures: “livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth” (Genesis 1:24 ESV). Livestock refers to what will come to be known as domesticated animals such as cattle or sheep. Creeping things describes all those creatures whose physical stature place them close to the ground. This will include everything from reptiles to rodents. The final category, beasts of the earth, appears to indicate all remaining species of wild animals.

While the Hebrew word, נֶפֶשׁ (nep̄eš), can be translated as “soul,” it will soon become readily apparent that these “living creatures” are meant to be viewed as quite different from humanity. As Moses recorded the unfolding nature of God’s creation process, he kept his audience in mind. He wanted the people of Israel to understand the unprecedented role that they, as human beings, played in God’s plan for the universe. They were not just another form of animal. The living creatures, while conscious and capable of thought, were not made in the image of God.

Moses is very deliberate and specific when he writes, “God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind” (Genesis 1:25 ESV). These creatures, while made by God, did not bear the image of God. They were of a completely different “kind.” They bear God’s handiwork but do not share in His character or nature. And their creation is followed by an important and relationship-defining statement from God.

“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” – Genesis 1:26 ESV

Here, for the first time in Moses’ narrative, we find God referring to Himself in the plural. Over the centuries, this verse has been used to defend the concept of the Trinity or God in three persons. While this verse does not explicitly teach a trinitarian doctrine, it does support the concept. And if this verse is viewed in relationship with other passages, it is easy to see the plurality of the Godhead displayed. In the opening lines of his gospel account, John declares that Jesus played a key role in the creation.

In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and his life brought light to everyone. – John 1:1-4 NLT

The Godhead, consisting of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, enjoyed a unique three-in-one relationship that was totally non-replicable and inexplicable. Yet, man was created in such a way that he could emulate, albeit imperfectly, this divine co-dependency and relational intimacy. Humanity would be given the unique ability to mirror the Godhead and experience the joy of fellowship and the gift of God’s blessing. Man was to be a decidedly different form of “living creature.”

“First, God’s deliberation shows that he has decided to create man differently from any of the other creatures—in his image and likeness. God and man share a likeness that is not shared by other creatures. This apparently means that a relationship of close fellowship can exist between God and man that is unlike the relationship of God with the rest of his creation. What more important fact about God and man would be necessary if the covenant at Sinai were, in fact, to be a real relationship? Remove this and the covenant is unthinkable.” – John H. Sailhamer, "Genesis," in Genesis-Numbers, vol. 2 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary

Another key difference between man and the rest of creation was his dominion role. God clearly articulated the unique role that man would play in His newly created universe.

“…let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” – Genesis 1:26 ESV

The Hebrew word is רָדָה (rāḏâ), and it conveys the idea of rule or authority. God was delegating His sovereign authority to mankind. The King and creator of the universe was passing on to humanity a responsibility to care for all that He had made.

God’s purpose in giving humankind his image is that they might rule the created order on behalf of the heavenly king and his royal court. So the divine image, however it is defined, gives humankind the capacity and/or authority to rule over creation. – NET Bible Study Notes

Once again, it must be remembered that this “history” of the creation was intended as a much-needed reminder for God’s chosen people, the Israelites. Moses was trying to help them understand the unique role entrusted to humanity by God. From the very “beginning,” mankind was to have acted as God’s vice-regents, bearing His image and carrying out His divine will for His creation. They were to have been stewards over all that He had made. And, as God’s precious possession, the Israelites had an even greater responsibility to reflect God’s glory, power, and authority through their lives.

Moses was reminding his fellow Israelites that they had a two-fold responsibility to act as God’s faithful stewards. They, along with all humanity, had been created with one purpose in mind: To rule as God’s vice-regents over His creation. But as the heirs of the promises made to Abraham and the recipients of God’s law, they had the extra-added responsibility to live in keeping with His divine will as His children. This entire retelling of the creation story was meant to remind them of their unique status as the apex of God’s creative order and to encourage them to do what the first man and woman failed to do.

God had originally created a pair of individuals who would bear His image, share in His royal rule, and spread His glory across the face of the earth.

God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. – Genesis 1:27 ESV

God created this first couple, blessed them, and then reiterated the divine mandate He had assigned to them.

“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” – Genesis 1:28 ESV

They were to procreate, making more of their kind – those made in the image of God. In obeying this command, they would spread the glory of God throughout the earth. They would populate the planet with more godly image-bearers and, in so doing, the invisible God would be made visible throughout the earth. They would reflect His nature and demonstrate His goodness and glory through their daily lives and their interactions with one another and the rest of His creation.