Thick-headed Neb

Thick-headed Neb

Not long ago I had a few moments to relax, and, for whatever reason, I grabbed my iPod and pulled up one of my favorite pieces of Classical music, “Belshazzar’s Feast.” (“What’s on my iPod” —subject for another post). Anyway — and I am going somewhere with this — I was listening to “Belshazzar’s Feast” (Walton) and was prompted to head back to the book of Daniel to read the Biblical account of a very unwise move on Belshazzar’s part. For proper background, I started reading from Daniel 1:1. There reside the accounts of Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah’s (Abed-nego) healthy eating, Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s epic dream, and Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah’s experience in the furnace. Then there was the first person account of Nebuchadnezzar’s self-glorification in spite of God’s warning, and his subsequent year-long period of grazing for grass and sleeping under the stars. (Daniel 1-5).

One thing that impressed this time through was Nebuchadnezzar’s spiritual thick- headedness. While I was considering how thick headed he seemed to be, there was a sound in my head (not audible) like God looking at me and then clearing His throat, “Ahem.” I can be just as thick. Even though I have seen incredible things that can only be explained by God’s activity, I still act wrong, think wrong, trust in myself, etc.

The good news is there is hope. Nebuchadnezzar spent a year living like a wild donkey. He finally figured out the problem, and recognized that God was the one worthy of praise, honor and allegiance. So may we come to the same realization, hang on to it, and live it!