Forgiveness and Restoration

As we have been reading through Daniel, we have seen how Nebuchadnezzar (the king of Babylon) has; conquered nations, acted in anger, been disturbed by dreams and had a period of mental illness. A lot has happened. A lot that he has been in control of, even the orchestrator of, and for the latter part, a significant period where he was not in control, not even of himself. 

That period of time has been reviewed in Chapter 4, and the consequences of that time are recorded at the end of the passage:

34*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 honoured him who lives forever, 

    for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, 

            and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; 

    35*all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, 

            and he does according to his will among 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?” 

*36*At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendour returned to me. My counsellors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. *37*Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour 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 4:34–37.

These verses talk about the restoration of both Nebuchadnezzar, and the kingdom. Both have returned to their previous state with him as king, but clearly he is fundamentally changed. He now knows there's a king greater than himself, he now sees that he was walking in pride and self-sufficiency, and now realises that life isn't all about him.

Yet, as we read, we see that the scripture seems to have skipped over the, ‘seven periods of time’ that Nebuchadnezzar was without ‘reason’. It is mentioned, but there is no detail about what occurred for the nation during that period - it must have been quite a scary and unsettling time for a secure, conquering nation such as Babylon. Prior to this they were triumphant, capable and strong with a leader whom they held in high esteem. Then one day, this king became incapable of leading the nation, even leading himself, he started to act in strange ways, living with the beasts and without reason. That must have really rocked the stability of the leaders, the nation - the shock of seeing their king incapacitated for an undeterminable period of time. 

Then, it seems as suddenly as he lost his reason, Nebuchadnezzar is found to be in his right mind. His ‘reason returned’, so his leaders invite him back into his kingly role. This surprises me. It would have been known what had happened with Nebuchadnezzar, surely. The leaders and counsellors would certainly have been aware of the insanity of the king - fallen from glory, humbled to the level of the ‘beasts'. Yet, once they see he is returned to his right mind, they seek him to become leader again, they want him elevated again to his kingly role. What a demonstration of forgiveness and restoration! 

Not something the Babylonians are famous for, but the people give Nebuchadnezzar another chance. The lords and counsellors clearly still trusted in him and wanted him to lead even though they had experienced his downfall. 

What a lovely picture of hope that can give us - When we mess up, when we make mistakes, even when ignore what we know we should do, and turn our backs to God - there is hope of restoration. There is hope of forgiveness and purpose, even of regaining what we have lost through our own fault, our own ignorance, our own disobedience. If we, like Nebuchadnezzar, lift our eyes to heaven, bless, praise and honour the Most High, then we too can experience that hope, that forgiveness and restoration. 

God loves to give us a second chance, even a third or fourth …etc... maybe you need to hear that today, and give yourself another chance to get it right. Or, maybe there’s someone else or some others you need to give another chance. Like the people did for Nebuchadnezzar - they even sought to give him another opportunity. It must have been difficult when they had been hurt and let down, but they demonstrated forgiveness and restored him to his original status. 

It is an example of how God forgives and restores us too. When we lift our eyes to see Jesus on that cross, dying for all that we have ever done to turn our backs on God, we can know complete forgiveness, restoration and hope. 

Change of circumstances

When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. *2*He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. *3*And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.
Esther 4:1–3.

15*Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. *16*The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honour. *17*And in every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them.
Esther 8:15–17.

Grief, lament, bitter cries, mourning, fasting, weeping, sackcloth and ashes transformed into; royal robes, golden crown, shouting, rejoicing, lightness, gladness, joy, honour, feasting, a holiday.

How does that happen?

In the matter of a few months, the lives of the Jewish people was radically transformed. They were awarded life when the previous sentence over them had been death. How did such a complete change of circumstances occur?

Well, let's consider the people concerned - the Jews. Despite the edict of death being pronounced over them, they continued to faithfully live their lives even though stricken by grief. They lived with the perpetual fear of annihilation, yet they lived nobly. They maintained their faith and their culture and they leaned on their God. Eventhough death had been pronounced over the whole people group, they continued to live responsibly and faithfully. They knew their fate was sealed, a kings edict - unrevokable. They knew the future looked like a complete wiping out of their nation. So, what was their response? They lived righteously and they fasted and prayed. They knew they had little power or influence to change the circumstances, so they did the little they could, and they handed their fate and faith over to their God. They poured out their hearts, they appealed to God for rescue, then they got on with life - what else could they do?

Even with a death sentence over their heads, the Jews; went to work, played with their kids, tidied their homes - normal everyday stuff. They got on with living eventhough their hearts were full of grief. They kept going. They did not know how this was going to all work out, they were probably were more certain of their death than deliverance, yet they continued their lives of obedience. They sought God and they carried on.

Do you do the same when you encounter a change of circumstance? when you are faced with paining suffering?

Even when your life is threatened, your situation hopeless, do you hold on to your faith? Do you realise that if all else is against you, there is One who isn’t?  Do you, as the Jews did turn to God, pray, weep and fast?

What is your first response in tragedy?

This year, I want to take a leaf out of the Jews book. Their immediate response to devastating news was to pray and fast. They dint tell all their friends about it, they didn't hide, they faced the situation with the only one who cold have any influence. They had to live in the uncertainty, in the tragedy for a while, but God delivered in a mighty way - look at the celebration, how their mourning was turned into dancing. Times of fasting turned to feasting, mourning turned into shouts of joy. The Jews did not hide from their chase in circumstances, they took into account their emotions, they got on with life and they fell on God, and God provided a greater day of celebration than if the change of circumstances had never occurred. God gave life where there was death pronounced. The Jews had to live through it first though, they demonstrated faith and obedience and trust in God. Do you do the same when your circumstances change?

What power do you have?

In this world, what do we seek?

I think that many of the things we seek after ultimately come down to the desire to have more control - more power in our lives.
We all like to have a bit of power, and usually we’d like more of it. Even as children we wish for more power - many of our battles with our daughter at the moment involve the reality that she wishes to do her own thing no matter what’s going on or who that effects - she wants greater control and to exert the power she has. At heart though, aren’t we all the same as our girl? Aren’t we all stuck in a rhythm in which we desire more power and want our own way? We want the control and power to get life going the way we want it to.

One way we can do this is by seeking an increase of money because we want the opportunity to have different options, really wanting more control in our lives - the power to make different choices. Some desire to make their way up a career pathway, they will end up with more power and control as they increase in responsibility and influence. They then have power over others as well as themselves.

For myself, I have never desired to be the top of any career ladder, I have  not sought money, reknown or progression in the jobs I have had. So, you may think I have escaped this power-lust, but I haven’t. I am quite happy to be part of a team and work hard, yet I do not want the power or responsibility of being in charge. I am quite happy with being an assistant, not being top dog at work, because what I actually want is control over my home life. I do not want my life to be dictated to by work. So, you see, even this decision is showing that I desire authority and power, but over life outside work.
It seems that none of us can escape - we are all a bit power-hungry, no matter how we convince ourselves otherwise -  we all like control, we all crave power as we yearn to make our own decisions for our own lives. None of us are immune.

Considering this has caused me to consider - how much power do we really have?
The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 8:8 (several translations coming up);

English Standard Version
No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.

New Living Translation
None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked.

King James Bible
There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

Good News Translation
No one can keep from dying or put off the day of death. That is a battle we cannot escape; we cannot cheat our way out. 

These verses are all different interpretations of the same verse. They all show that our power is limited. Our ability to control or have power over things has boundaries. Over one of the true major events of life - we have no say. The day we die is already determined and it doesn’t matter how many ways we try to avoid it, elongate it or ignore it, we still have no power to change it.

Some of these interpretations state that we cannot ‘retain the spirit’. Our spirit, the essence of who we are, cannot be imprisoned or controlled, it will depart from our earthly body on the day we die. It cannot be held captive in a vessel that no longer breathes - it lives on, not aimlessly, but moves on to what is next - so where is your spirit going when the guaranteed event the comes to us all comes to you? What is going to happen to you when you die?

Well, there is good news - you do have some authority and power to choose the eternal destination of your spirit. It all depends on what you do now.

There are two options for your life after death -  With God or without Him.

It’s your call. You may not have power over your dying moment, but you do have the ability to choose where you are going afterwards. You cannot control how, when or where you die, but you can make a decision now that determines where your life hereafter will be.

So, where will it be?
Where are you choosing to go when you die?
With God? Without God?

You have the power and right to choose for yourself, it does not depend on anyone else to seal your eternal fate, this decision you have the power and authority to make yourself.
It is all about if you accept and live out the forgiveness Jesus gave when he died on the cross. If you believe in him, accept his forgiveness, and live out a new life in him then your spirit will live on with God. So, on the day of death, when the spirit is released from its earthly cage, you have a guaranteed future with God, and the reality of that day approaching should hold no fear for you even though you cannot control it.
What about if you don’t believe in God? Well, then, it is an eternity without God for you. As you choose to live your life now, without Him, so will your life after be. Considering that God is love, that’s not going to be a very pleasant place to be. Imagine living in an environment that is completely devoid of love, the complete opposite to a loving environment, that is what you are choosing for yourself.

Some may read this and think they will put on hold a decision about this, but you and I do not know how long we have to make that decision. You have no power to decide how long you have left, you may not have another chance to decide on your eternal destination, so what will it be?