When my brother and I were younger we'd have friends around and play around with the idea that we were pirates - We'd make our own coffee stained Treasure Maps, speak in a 'ahoy there, landlubber' fashion and we even had our own toy swords! We'd use Isaac's cabin bed as a pirate ship and plan our missions from there.
The definition of pirate is clearly portrayed in the Chambers Dictionary, where a pirate is depicted as: 'A person who, without authority, attempts to capture ships at sea... A robber or marauder operating at sea.' There are a few 'pirates' in the Bible... well... their crimes weren't committed at sea, but they had the same nature as many of the pirates who come to our minds. Immediately as you dwell on the term 'pirate', words will come to mind... Aggressive... Bearded... Fearsome... Sword... Greedy... Parrot... Territorial... Bloodthirsty... Cannonballs. The list goes on. Now... if we cancel out words like parrot, you'll soon follow my drift. If you've ever heard of a guy called King Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible (or Nay-boo-ka-nay-zah! as I like to call him) then you'll understand why I'm talking about him. He was like the Blackbeard of the day. Let's learn a bit about him.
To say that King Nebuchadnezzar was not a God-fearing is a bit like saying that Scooby-Doo's not a fan of ghosts... Yeah, he did some pretty ungodly things, which we'll look at in a bit. This Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon in the time when the people of the City of Jerusalem were captured by the Babylonians and exiled to the land of Babylon, under the order of King Nebuchadnezzar. So here's some of the vile things that Naybookanayzah did. Well, for starters he took the people of Jerusalem captive and sent them away to Babylon, his own nation, as slaves. '...Nebuchadnezzar led his entire army against Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and built siege ramps against its walls (Jeremiah 52 v 4)... The number of captives taken to Babylon in the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign was 3,023. Then in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year, he took 832 more. In Nebuchadnezzar's twenty-third year he sent Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who took 745 more- a total of 4,600 captives in all (Jeremiah 52 v 28 - 30).' Secondly, Nebuchadnezzar unfortunately had a tendency to kill those didn't worship the Babylonian gods, and those who he wasn't keen on - and by several different means. "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you became pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded." (Daniel 1 v 10)... 'The king... ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed.' (Dan 2 v 12.) As well as exiling and killing people, Nebuchadnezzar was a big fan of worshipping idols, so he decided to make 'a gold statue ninety feet tall and ninety feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.' (Dan 3 v 1.) Despite all this, from the moment Jerusalem, a segment of God's people arrived in Babylon, something started to change in Nebuchadnezzar... It didn't start too well... To begin with he killed more people and made more statues, and demanded more Naybookanayzah worship, but as he decided to deal with the dreams he was having in a rational way instead of chopping people's heads off because of it, the mist began to clear a little for him, and what lay ahead of him with relation to his currently tyrannical rule became known... It was with the help of God-fearing warriors, Daniel (or Belteshazzar), Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego that Nebuchadnezzar's life was radically transformed. Despite all the sorrow and heartache of the people of God losing their land Jerusalem to the Babylonians, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, because of their strength and good looks, were raised up in the land of Babylon as Nebuchadnezzar's servants. Eventually, Daniel hears from God and gains the 'privilege' of interpreting Naybookadnayzah's un-interpretable dream. (Dan 2 v 24.) Daniel speaks of what will become of the Kingdom of Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar's rule, that one will rise above it, and how God will raise up an unshakeable kingdom. (Dan 2 v 31 - 45.) Nebuchadnezzar falls to the floor in awe of Daniel's words of insight and he raises Daniel up as the ruler over the province of Babylon, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as leaders of the affairs of the province of Babylon. (Dan 2 v 46 - 49.) Unfortunately, a short burst of anger later prompted Nebuchadnezzar to order the burning of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the blazing furnace. His reason? They wouldn't worship his gods. (Dan 3 v 13 - 23.) Astonishingly, the three men survive the furnace as Nebuchadnezzar discovers a fourth mysterious form walking around in the fiery furnace!! And Nebuchadnezzar bellows: "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" (Dan 3 v 46.) And from that point on Nebuchadnezzar's bewilderment at the power of God would lead him to make some very different moves and he demands that if 'any people... speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb' (Dan 3 v 29.) Nebuchadnezzar's still not quite got the idea yet! But soon enough, he has another puzzling dream, which only (guess who) Daniel (you guessed it) can interpret. Daniel interprets the confusing dream, and with fright says to Nebuchadnezzar: "You will be driven from human society... you will receive your Kingdom back when you have learned that heaven rules." (Dan 4 v 19 - 27.) We read on and discover that Nebuchadnezzar did in fact lose everything. 'He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagle's feathers and his nails were like bird's claws.' (Dan 4 v 33.) As the stories of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego began in the book of Daniel, so did Nebuchadnezzar's LIFE.
I'll go back to the story of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar shortly, but first I want to show you what happened way back before all this. What's shocking as you look at the roots of the exile of Jerusalem is that God actually intended Jerusalem to be taken captive by Babylon at the very start! Jeremiah 52 v 3: Just as it's beginning to dawn on all of us now how much control God actually had over these events, and that He actually spoke them into being, in the same way, Nebuchadnezzar, in the midst of the horror and ghastliness of such a horrific turn of events the true greatness of Yahweh (The LORD), pierced his spirit, and Nebuchadnezzar was able (the moment we've all been waiting for) to declare for real, his allegiance to the Most High God. Daniel 4 verse 34 says that after Nebuchadnezzar's sanity returned he looked to heaven and he worshipped the one who lives forever, and he writes this diary of praise... "His rule is everlasting, and his Kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, 'What do you mean by doing these things?' When my sanity returned to me, so did my honour and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honour than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honour the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud."
So if you're a Christian and you know some of these 'Nebuchadnezzars', these 'Blackbeards', these 'pirates'... then know in your heart that there is unbelievable hope for them. Or maybe you see yourself and think 'Man, I'm one of those pirates!', and you want to change, then guys, today is your day :) Nebuchadnezzar saw God and could cry out, 'This is the NEW me.' He could say, 'In the lowest of lows, I found God, and God brought me into His Glorious Light. This is the new me. LORD, You can make all things new.' Right now, I'd ask you to take that step and pray this prayer to Jesus, who has made it possible for us all to claim that new life: 'LORD, You can make all things new... I want to be changed in the way that Nebuchadnezzar was... I want to be an example of justice and truth for the rest of my days, because Your love has captivated me... Help me to live the way You want me to... I thank You for new life... Now You have mine... Forever more, in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.'
Ahrrrrrrrrr me hearty!!!
[B.T: New Living Translation]
[B.T: New Living Translation]
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