The Most High Rules The Kingdoms Of Men

   Imagine for a moment that you’re the Old Testament prophet Daniel. You’re born into a crumbling nation that reeks of corruption and idolatry. Under normal circumstances, your intelligence and noble birth would guarantee a quiet, luxurious life. Instead, at an early age you’re rounded up by soldiers of a foreign king, transported to a faraway country, and force-fed the mythologies and scholarship of your country’s conqueror. After you’re taken away, your people are slaughtered and your nation is completely destroyed, including the majestic temple that King Solomon built. You will never see your homeland again and you’ll spend the rest of your life serving a long succession of pagan rulers.

If you’re Daniel, does it look like God rules the kingdoms of men? Yet, that is one of the main messages of the book of Daniel. When the powerful Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar took personal credit for everything his rule had accomplished, the Almighty God of a conquered people transformed him into a clawed, hairy, grass-eating, beast-like creature until he learned his true position (Daniel 4.17, 25, 32). When the last Babylonian king Belshazzar flouted God by bringing the vessels of the temple to his banqueting table to toast his gods, God reminded the king through Daniel of what happened to his forefather and Belshazzar was killed that very night (Daniel 5.21). Even in the very beginning of the book, the conquest of God’s people is phrased in the text as “God gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his [Nebuchadnezzar’s] hand…” (Daniel 1.2). Daniel saw empires collapse and rise before His eyes, but despite the upheaval in his life, he never forgot the One in ultimate control of the world.

Regardless of your political persuasion, you probably agree that our nation’s recent presidential race was the most divisive and disturbing election cycle in recent memory. For more than a year, social media and news corporations have bombarded us with sound-bites and opinions laced with dire tones of urgency, designed to whip us into a frenzy and capture our vote. Regardless of whether you’re disappointed or satisfied with the outcome of the race, do not make the mistake of thinking that a human being controls the world. Do not allow your peace of mind to be determined by who’s occupying the Oval Office (or some other governmental position). As the dust settles and we move on with our lives, recognize that presidents and nations come and go, but the world has a kingdom which will never be destroyed. Long after the United States of America is no more, the crucified and risen King of glory will still securely sit on His throne, ruling His people in peace and justice throughout eternity. Plant this thought deeply within your heart, bend your mind to His will, humble yourself before Him, and resolve to devote your short life to His everlasting cause!

Nathan