from Rachel: Break Off

Which part of the interpretation recorded in verses 20-27 do you imagine was most disturbing to King Nebuchadnezzar?

“I would imagine the living with wild animals, eating grass like cattle, and sleeping outside every night.”

Glance back at Daniel 2:48-49. What had Nebuchadnezzar done for Daniel after he interpreted the first dream?

“He had made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and put him in charge of all its wise men.”

According to Daniel 4:19, how did Daniel first react to Nebuchadnezzar’s description of the dream?

“perplexed and terrified”

When did you last hear something that temporarily dumbfounded you?

“I think I have about three times in the past two weeks or so, but I can’t remember the details of any right now (I remember Susie worried the call had dropped).”

As he stood speechless before the king, what kind of things might have been going through Daniel‘s mind (v.19)?

“‘How can I tell him the accurate interpretation and keep my head on my shoulders?’”

“Like David, Nebuchadnezzar was offered a season of repentance that might have drastically reduced the severity of chastisement. What did Daniel advise the king to do? Check all that apply”

“care for the oppressed
“renounce his sins
“do what is right”

Some things – substances, activities, relationships – are so toxic to us that moderation won’t work. Have you made this discovery for yourself? “yes” If so, how?

“Some of the horror movies I have watched haunt my thoughts more than others. I know I should probably give them all up, but I like them, and some are less scary and disturbing. Unfortunately, I can’t know which ones without seeing them.”

Dearest Rachel –

This is another short study with limited responses on your part – or maybe it’s just that, as my own letters to you get longer, I find myself noticing how short your daily workbook passages are. Considering how I would catch you on frantically going through multiple days worth of study sessions the evening before your group would meet, I shouldn’t begrudge that; after all, you still wound up filling out every answer, and in most cases, well beyond the space initially set aside for you to do so. It still feels limited, especially from this distance since I last saw you or heard your voice, but at least it’s something.

There’s a lot in this study that touches on the concept of fear; fear of responding to a volatile superior with bad news, as well as the fear of the judgment that said news announced. I’m not sure which of the players you most related to in this tableau. The fact that you acknowledged multiple occasions in recent memory of hearing something dumbfounding (although I’m not sure that the scenario you actually described was so much frightening as simply leaving you at a loss for words – granted, I admit to having less patience with some of your more… challenging… friends than you did), combined with your colorful description of Daniel’s thought processes might suggest you understood his perspective better.

At the same time, you were also aware of something that you, like King Nebuchadnezzar, needed to break off for your own good – ironically, that something was specifically designed to instill a sort of fear into its viewer by its very design, which you enjoyed… up to a point. And, as it wouldn’t necessarily be considered a sin to continue with them – it doesn’t appear to violate any of the recommendations Daniel gave the king to stave off the punishment his dream suggested was imminent, apart from a certain interpretation of “do[ing] what is right” by setting them aside when prompted – you continued to indulge in such entertainment from time to time thereafter. Not that I can criticize you for it; while horror was never my thing, I know that there is plenty of other entertainment that I take in that hasn’t much value to it for the time I spend on it.

To be sure, the issue that Nebuchadnezzar was guilty of wasn’t one of sloth, like you and me. On the contrary, it seemed to have been quite the opposite; he was, as Lincoln put it, “a self-made man who worship[ped] his creator,” which is something the real God cannot abide. Most of us suffer from that sort of pride at one time or another in our lives; not enough of us get smacked down – or learn from such punishment, even if only partially – like the king of Babylon here.

Still, whether dealing with sloth or pride, I could stand it if you were to keep an eye on me, honey, and you would wish me luck. I’m sure I’ll need it.