Introduction

Let us turn to the Book of Daniel, Chapter 4, where the Most High rules in the kingdom of men. In the past few chapters, we have seen time and again that our God reigns supreme on earth. What happens in this world is under the control of our God. No matter how wealthy you are, or how great your authority, there is always a Most High God who rules in the kingdom of men. There are things in life that one cannot control. First, you cannot control when you are born. Second, life and death are beyond our control.

Some say, I can control when I die. But in reality, you cannot. You might say, I can commit suicide and choose a time to jump off a building. But you probably do not fully understand the act of jumping off a building. We see many people who jump off buildings, but it is not their own will. We think these people have depression and decide to jump, but it is not so. It is the dark forces behind them, evil spirits manipulating them, leading them down a path of no return. We will not argue for now whether they can control the timing, but generally, people cannot control when they are born or when they die.

In reality, natural disasters and calamities are beyond your control. People gradually conclude that the weather is unpredictable, and fortune and misfortune can strike at any moment. Exercising and maintaining your body cannot guarantee you a longer life. Recently, a friend shared an incident with me. One of their colleagues, who held a high position, played table tennis, exercised, maintained his health, and ate organic food all the time, was very particular about his health. But he suddenly died a few months ago. Everyone must understand that as a human being, there are many things you cannot control.

A person's destiny is not determined by exercising, three meals a day, brushing teeth, washing face, going to school, or going to work. These things do not determine a person's destiny. What determines a person's destiny are usually sudden disasters. The most important thing for a person is not to be arrogant, to know that they are a person. It is easy to handle things when a person knows they are a person. Knowing that you are a person, you need to know the Most High who controls all things in the universe.

Scripture Background

Let me tell you again the stories that happened in the previous chapters of the Book of Daniel: King Nebuchadnezzar was the emperor of the Babylonian Empire. Babylon was very powerful, one of the most powerful kingdoms in history, with a vast territory. In the second chapter of Daniel, an event is described where King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that no one could interpret. They found Daniel to interpret the dream, and Daniel told the king what would happen in the future.

By the third chapter, this King Nebuchadnezzar had forgotten what he said in the second chapter: “Truly, your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries.” As a result, King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image, and with the sound of horns, flutes, harps, lyres, and all kinds of instruments, he commanded everyone to worship this golden image. This person is really strange. In the previous chapter, he knew that Daniel's God was the God of gods, so why not worship this God of gods? Instead, he made a golden image sixty cubits high.

Those Jews, namely Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were thrown into the fiery furnace because they refused to worship the golden image. If Daniel had been there, he would have been thrown into the fiery furnace as well. The king fixed his eyes on the fiery furnace and saw a total of four people, one of whom was like a god. As a result, the king asked them to come out, and they were unharmed. This sounds like a myth.

Finally, Daniel's three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were promoted. King Nebuchadnezzar issued a decree that any people, nation, or language that spoke against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would be torn limb from limb, and their houses would be turned into a pile of rubble, because there is no other god who can save in this way. Wouldn't it be good for King Nebuchadnezzar to trust in this God? In fact, he also wanted to believe, but sometimes people just do not know the immensity of heaven and earth.

In the fourth chapter of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar proclaimed to all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

May you have abundant peace! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation. (Daniel 4:1-3)

This sounds good, but sometimes people know God, and sometimes they do not. Some of our brothers and sisters also forget as they go along. When times are bad, they say, Pray for me! When they get better, with food and drink, they forget God: Isn't destiny in my hands? I will create my destiny with my own hands. Can they create it? It would be good if they did not cause any trouble, but many people just do not know.

King Nebuchadnezzar had just finished saying these things when, after a while, as he was at ease in his palace and prospering in his house, he had a dream that was very interesting:

These were the visions I saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and it provided food for all. The wild animals found shelter under it, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed. In the visions I saw while lying in bed, there before me was a holy watcher, coming down from heaven. He called in a loud voice: 'Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him. 'This is the decision announced by the watchers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them even the lowliest of people.' (Daniel 4:10-17)

This was the dream Nebuchadnezzar had. Later, he brought Daniel to interpret the dream. Daniel was very good at speaking. When he saw the dream, Daniel was greatly perplexed and dismayed. How did he say it?

Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you. Belteshazzar answered, My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all—under it the wild animals lived, and in its branches the birds had their nests— Your Majesty, you are that tree!

You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth. Because Your Majesty saw a holy watcher coming down from heaven, saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the ground, in the grass of the field; let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the wild animals.' This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you.

Until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and gives them to anyone he wishes. The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue. (Daniel 4:19-27)

As a result, not long after, King Nebuchadnezzar was walking in the palace, and he said:

Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty? (Daniel 4:30)

He did not even know why he said these words. As soon as these words came out of his mouth, a voice came down from heaven:

This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and gives them to anyone he wishes. Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does what he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: What have you done? At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. (Daniel 4:31-37)

This is what the fourth chapter of Daniel tells us. The principle is very simple.

People Who Are Self-Righteous Are Easily Cursed

If a person is doing well in the world, they will feel that it is their own ability that has made them successful. But is it really their own ability? In fact, it is not. It is that they are more lucky. In fact, everyone's intelligence is about the same, but some people are just lucky. We can take countries as an example. God blesses a country, and that country prospers. Some people think that it is what the king of that country has done that has made the country prosper, but this is not necessarily true. Because the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to anyone he wishes.

Pride is a fatal thing. As people live, they forget that they are human beings and think that they are very powerful. This applies to all of us. We must never think that we are great. If you observe carefully, you will know that things in this world are difficult to predict. Do you and I not need this God? When I was young, I knew that man is just a man. But where can I find this God? Later, after I came to know the Most High Jesus Christ, I said that I had found the greatest God.

The Most High rules in the kingdom of men. This is not difficult to understand. If we look closely at human history, we will find that Lin Biao meticulously planned to assassinate Chairman Mao, but Chairman Mao's train changed its route. We think that the great leader is so smart, but maybe he just wanted to change the route, and as a result, he escaped. Many such things have happened throughout history. For example, in the Han Dynasty, Xiang Yu originally wanted to kill Liu Bang at the Hongmen Banquet, but he did not succeed. In the end, in the Chu-Han Contention, Xiang Yu was defeated, and Liu Bang became the emperor of the Han Dynasty. Sometimes we feel, how can this person not die? How can it be so coincidental? This is not a coincidence. This is the Most High ruling in the kingdom of men.

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong were very powerful strategists, and Liu Bei obtained these two people. Later, when Pang Tong went to fight, he was shot to death by an arrow on the battlefield. Zhuge Liang knew that this was the will of Heaven and could not be violated. Later, Zhuge Liang launched six expeditions to Qishan to attack Cao Cao, but each time he failed at the critical moment and died of exhaustion at Wuzhangyuan in his fifties. When he died, he summed up a sentence: The will of Heaven cannot be violated. Zhuge Liang was very capable at that time. He could almost summon wind and rain. For example, the story of borrowing arrows with straw boats proves the saying: Zhuge Liang calculates with his fingers and is as accurate as a god. But no matter how great his ability was, he still could not reverse the entire situation.

No matter how we compete with the Most High, we cannot compete. In ancient China, there was also a thought that was passed down, called Man will conquer nature. The 311 tsunami in Japan, the Southeast Asian tsunami, the Wenchuan earthquake, and so on. When catastrophic destruction comes, no matter how strong the technological strength of the country, there is no way to resist it. For example, Japan is a very developed country, but when the tsunami comes, there is no way to resist it. So we human beings have no way to overcome it. We have no way to control the small earth, let alone the solar system and the universe.

Through these things, we human beings must know that we are human beings. I remind our brothers and sisters that you need God very much, not that God needs you very much. People must not be arrogant. You must know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men. I knew an old man who was an official and spoke very arrogantly. He said: Singapore is a small place. Send a warship and destroy it! He often said some nonsensical things. Later, he got cancer and was tortured very badly. Even the strongest painkillers could not stop the pain. In the end, I led him to pray and dealt with the pain problem, but in the end, he still died miserably.

People just do not know who they are. This King Nebuchadnezzar did not not know this God. We can see in the first two chapters of Daniel that King Nebuchadnezzar wrote praises to our God: How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation. But people are like this. Sometimes they know that they are human beings, and sometimes they do not. When they do not know, they feel that they are great.

As a result, just twelve months later, King Nebuchadnezzar was walking in the royal palace of Babylon, followed by a group of people, flattering him from the left and flattering him from the right, making the king dizzy, and he said such a sentence:

Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty? (Daniel 4:30)

The ending after saying this was that he ate grass like an ox. It was terrible! So I want to tell everyone that we must know that we are human beings. Maybe you are doing well in investment and financial management, and you are doing well in running a business, but in fact, you are far behind this King Nebuchadnezzar. Maybe you are doing a lot of things well, but so what? Do not be arrogant. Once a person becomes arrogant, disaster is not far away.

The reason why we are still alive today is that God has mercy on us all, or because God remembers us Mingding Destiny people and has mercy on our families, so that they will not suffer a devastating disaster because of their arrogance. But there is one thing we must know, and that is that God performs miracles in us. Today, in this world, many sudden disasters happen every day. Even with so many disasters, people still do not know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.

When we read history, we must know that human strategies cannot be compared with the will of the Most High God. This is what is meant by the will of Heaven cannot be violated. In fact, the kings of all ages are appointed by God. Whether it is a president or a king, they are all appointed by the Most High. The Bible teaches people to obey authority for a reason, because there is no authority that is not from God. All authority is established by God.

God Dislikes Human Perversity

Nebuchadnezzar had this dream, and Daniel advised him to avoid arrogance. But after twelve months, he forgot. Daniel said:

Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you; break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.” (Daniel 4:27)

A few days ago, I met an elderly woman whose sister lived in the countryside. She used her connections to bring her sister to the city, and after the Reform and Opening Up, she took her to Shenzhen. Later, when this elderly woman’s parents passed away, she found out that her sister had transferred their parents' house to her own name, even though her elder sister had no intention of contesting it. To make matters worse, her sister became arrogant, refusing to even discuss the matter at the Housing Authority and threatening to sever ties with her sister. When the elderly woman told me this, she was remarkably calm, for which I am truly grateful! But what good will her sister gain from this? She gains nothing; it only reveals the wickedness in her heart, the lack of righteousness.

Daniel advised Nebuchadnezzar to practice righteousness and not constantly take advantage of others. Observe those who fight with their siblings over their parents' property; do they end up living well? When I asked the elderly woman about her sister's later circumstances, she told me that her sister was living a miserable life.

I have seen many such cases. Another brother had his elder brother bring their elderly parent from the countryside to live with him in the city. However, his elder brother insisted on fighting him for the house. The elder was simply staying there. Such unrighteous acts are common, as if every family has its share. People like that will not live well. Why? We know that good is rewarded with good and evil with evil; if retribution is not immediate, it will come. This is a principle people have gradually observed and summarized.

Our Choices Are Important; We Reap What We Sow

I am grateful that my parents were decent people. My father was very filial to my maternal grandmother, and my mother took care of my paternal grandfather with utmost care. As a result, their children turned out well. My aunt, on the other hand, did not fare well. Why? When my grandfather was ill, he longed for his daughters, so much so that he tore the mat on his bed. But they never showed up, fearing that they would have to share the medical expenses with my parents. They were stingy with money, where was the righteousness?

People like my mother live well in their old age, and I believe my mother is fortunate to have a son like me. My aunts would say to my mother, Look at your son, you are so blessed! People reap what they sow. They wondered why their sons lost money, gambled, and sponged off them, while my son gave you money, took care of you in your old age, and looked after you? Because people reap what they sow; what kind of person you are determines your fate.

Know that the outcome of one's life is determined by what one sows. If you sow bitter gourd, you will harvest bitter gourd; if you sow sweet melon, you will harvest sweet melon. How can you harvest sweet melon from bitter gourd? Therefore, today, we must practice righteousness, break off our sins, show mercy to the poor, and remove our iniquities. If you do not practice righteousness, you cannot break off your sins. If people are always trying to take advantage of others, being greedy and insatiable, what can they gain? In the end, their deaths will be miserable.

Observe carefully the struggles between nations and people; they are intense, including the internal struggles of ancient courts. These people will resort to any means to survive, but there is no righteousness, and as a result, they do not live well. Everyone should know that the poor in this world will always be with us. Some say, Look, he is under a curse of poverty, he deserves it, he reaps what he sows! Poverty is something he sowed himself. The question is, when you see the poor, do you have a heart of compassion? Isn't that a test that the Most High has placed before you? Showing mercy to the poor doesn't necessarily mean giving them a lot of money, but when they have nothing to eat or drink, you must have compassion and not let them go hungry. Therefore, showing mercy to the poor and removing iniquity means removing those things within oneself that are not right, being clear in one's understanding of what one is doing.

We, brothers and sisters, believe in the Lord, but do we truly know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men? Not necessarily. Do we truly know why we are alive? Not necessarily. Therefore, we, brothers and sisters, must know for certain that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men. If we please the Most High and fulfill His destiny for us in this world, that is an exceedingly good thing.

As a result, King Nebuchadnezzar listened, but in the end, he could not resist the flattery, which made him dizzy, thinking it was all his own ability. Human wisdom and intelligence come from the Most High; the Most High removes intelligence from whomever He pleases and allows foolishness to enter whomever He pleases.

Pleasing God Alone

Honoring the Most High and thoroughly knowing our God is an exceedingly good thing! Daniel truly knew God, and as a result, he lived very well. Later, King Nebuchadnezzar was driven to the wilderness, dwelling with the beasts, eating grass like an ox. Strangely, he did not get sick, did not catch a cold, and did not suffer from rheumatism. Why didn't he get sick? Because even whether you get sick or not is determined by God. If God wants you to live, you cannot die, it is difficult to die.

Imagine, he used to be an emperor. Now he eats grass like an ox. How many people did the king execute, killing like a butcher? Were there people who hated him and wanted to kill him? Certainly, there were. But if God does not allow people to harm him, people cannot harm him, because man's word does not prevail. Later, Nebuchadnezzar lifted his eyes to heaven, and his reason returned to him.

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and 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)

Experiencing such a thing, he began to know God. In fact, if a person can know the Most High in his lifetime, no matter how prominent your position, knowing that there is a Most High who rules in the kingdom of men, many things become easy. The problem is that people do not know. I know some people who are not high in official rank, but they are very arrogant. We must know that when a person becomes arrogant, it is very dangerous. Some people are in retail, not doing well, but they feel very great, and the people following them also hold their noses up in the air, feeling very powerful. Their conversations are very interesting, even laughable.

They are not like King Nebuchadnezzar, who was followed by all the elites of the empire! We must learn one thing from King Nebuchadnezzar, as written in the scripture:

“At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and 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, and he does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’” (Daniel 4:34-35)

Subsequently, King Nebuchadnezzar's reason returned to him, and the glory, majesty, and splendor of the kingdom also returned to him. Moreover, his counselors and ministers came to see King Nebuchadnezzar and the greatest authority was added to him. We can think about why the counselors and ministers came to see King Nebuchadnezzar? Because he praised, honored, and revered the King of Heaven. Because all he did was honest, all he did was fair, and he could humble those who acted proudly.

Conclusion

The Book of Daniel describes the story of King Nebuchadnezzar, much of it in the first person. What he said is very good. I remind everyone again, it is not that God needs us, it is that we need God! Because in our days on earth, there is nothing we can control. We cannot control when we are born, when we die, accidents, and disasters. We praise, honor, and revere the King of Heaven, because His dominion is eternal and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.

What does God want to tell us through Daniel chapter 4? God wants to tell us, can we see the things of the world clearly? If we see them clearly, we will find that everything in the world is under the control of our God. Shouldn't we worship Him alone? Some brothers and sisters treat their boss as the Most High, but there is no need to do that. If you revere the King of Heaven, God will protect you. What can harm you? Nothing can harm you!

If a person truly knows God, he can live extremely calmly in this world and be very prosperous. Let us read this passage again:

“His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’” (Daniel 4:34-35)

Can you summarize what King Nebuchadnezzar summarized? If you can summarize it, can you praise, honor, and revere the God who lives forever like King Nebuchadnezzar? Let us come out of the empty life and begin to learn to honor our God! If you are doing business very badly, it is actually our hearts that need to change.

It is not that you do not know God; perhaps you are in the state before King Nebuchadnezzar had his dream. You know how great His miracles are, how magnificent His wonders are, His kingdom is eternal, and His dominion endures from generation to generation, but is there an element in your heart that still relies on your own ability? We need ability to do things, but ability is not what we rely on. If we rely on our own ability, isn't it very tangled and uncomfortable? Because relying on our own ability cannot solve all the problems we need to face.

If we see through everything, just like King Nebuchadnezzar, after seven periods, eating grass like an ox, his body was wet with the dew of heaven, his hair grew long like eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ talons. If we walk such a road, we will know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and the Most High gives the kingdom to whomever He wills. Wouldn't we live very calmly?

Let us ask ourselves, what are we busy with usually? Can we adjust our busy days a little to emulate those who honor God in this world by faith? In this way, we will live extremely nobly! Daniel, as the prime minister, managing the Babylonian Empire, was not so busy that he was exhausted and unable to breathe. We need wisdom and intelligence! We need to know that the Most High is in the kingdom of men, in your company, in your business, in your life, in your home! The key is whether we have such faith.

May God bless everyone!