8/5/10

What time is it?

Weird clock!! Looks like something straight from the mind of Tim Burton, or perhaps even from the Twilight Zone shows (an old black and white series on T.V.). WHOEVER dreamed this up is one very strange person indeed! Which brings to mind a question: can someone be both sane or insane? Here is an example of someone who was sane, then insane, then sane again.

Daniel 4:4-37 (WEB)
4) I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace.
5) I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
6) Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
7) Then came in the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers; and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known to me its interpretation.
8) But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him, saying,
9) Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.
10) Thus were the visions of my head on my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth; and its height was great.
11) The tree grew, and was strong, and its height reached to the sky, and its sight to the end of all the earth.
12) The leaves of it were beautiful, and its fruit much, and in it was food for all: the animals of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13) I saw in the visions of my head on my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from the sky.
14) He cried aloud, and said thus, Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit: let the animals get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches.
15) Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of the sky: and let his portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth:
16) let his heart be changed from man’s, and let an animal’s heart be given to him; and let seven times pass over him.
17) The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.
18) This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.
19) Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken mute for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered, Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream, or the interpretation, trouble you. Belteshazzar answered, My lord, the dream be to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your adversaries.
20) The tree that you saw, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached to the sky, and its sight to all the earth;
21) whose leaves were beautiful, and its fruit much, and in it was food for all; under which the animals of the field lived, and on whose branches the birds of the sky had their habitation:
22) it is you, O king, that are grown and become strong; for your greatness is grown, and reaches to the sky, and your dominion to the end of the earth.
23) Whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from the sky, and saying, Cut down the tree, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of the sky: and let his portion be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over him;
24) this is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High, which has come on my lord the king:
25) that you shall be driven from men, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field, and you shall be made to eat grass as oxen, and shall be wet with the dew of the sky, and seven times shall pass over you; until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will.
26) Whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; your kingdom shall be sure to you, after that you shall have known that the heavens do rule.
27) Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be a lengthening of your tranquility.
28) All this came on the king Nebuchadnezzar.
29) At the end of twelve months he was walking in the royal palace of Babylon.
30) The king spoke and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?
31) While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from the sky, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you:
32) and you shall be driven from men; and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field; you shall be made to eat grass as oxen; and seven times shall pass over you; until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will.
33) The same hour was the thing fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and ate grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until his hair was grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.
34) At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation.
35) All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or ask him, What are you doing?
36) At the same time my understanding returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and brightness returned to me; and my counselors and my lords sought to me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent greatness was added to me.
37) Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.
(Daniel 4:4-37, WEB)

Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Judah, he was a very great king indeed, but he needed to learn a lesson. Pride was his downfall and The God of all heaven was his adversary. Daniel warned him, but pride must have its way. So, for several years he went a little "crazy". God gave him back his senses and Nebuchadnezzar understood God's place and his own. Sometimes a lot has to happen before we give God his proper praise and glory. Hopefully, in due time, we will turn around and give the God of heaven his due. I just hope we don't have to tell time by this clock; it gives me a headache.

Those were the days....

This is a picture from 1973; its a picture of my brother David's first wedding. I guess I had weddings on the brain because yesterday one of my fellow workers was leaving to attend HIS brother's wedding. The thing is: when I saw this picture I had mixed emotions; I was happy to see how young and great looking everyone was, but sad to think about some of them must look now. Yet, for many of them, I imagine they have had a full life. I only know about my brother (who is permanently disabled) and myself. Beyond that, I can only wonder. Consider the following passage from the book of Ezra to see what remembering can lead to.

Ezra 3:8-13 (WEB)
8) Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who were come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of the house of Yahweh.
9) Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to have the oversight of the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brothers the Levites.
10) When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Yahweh, they set the priests in their clothing with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise Yahweh, after the order of David king of Israel.
11) They sang one to another in praising and giving thanks to Yahweh, “For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever toward Israel.” All the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised Yahweh, because the foundation of the house of Yahweh was laid.
12) But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
13) so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people; for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.
(Ezra 3:8-13, WEB)

Human beings have feelings; this is common to us all, but we show them differently. Many of the Jews who had seen the first temple remembered it. How clearly they did this is in doubt because the exile lasted seventy years, but nonetheless, they remembered. I can only imagine the depth of feeling a truly faithful Jew must have held towards the temple, but for some of them it was too much to hold in; they wept. Memories are like that, sometimes they are just hard to remember. I seems unbelievable that I once looked like I did at Dave's wedding, but then was then and now is now. Look for the good and move on. I just can't help but wonder though, were the old men crying out of sorrow or joy?