Daniel 2:20,21 – “The Most High Rules”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

²⁰Daniel answering and saying,

Blessed be the name of the God from the ages upon the ages,

because the wisdom and the power are to Him.

²¹And He [is] the One changing the seasons and the times,

One taking away kings and One setting up kings,

One giving the wisdom to the wise ones

And the understanding to ones knowing insight.

The Most High rules.

Daniel trusted in the God of Israel and found Him faithful. Surrounded by the worship of a pantheon of gods and himself trained in the “wisdom” of Babylon, Daniel chose in spite of it all to believe that only the Most High could grant to him the true wisdom which would save him and his friends and the other “wise” men. And even the dream itself only further confirmed for Daniel what he had chosen to believe: The Most Rules.

Before Daniel goes to reveal the dream and its meaning to Nebuchadnezzar, he pauses to revel in the wonder of this amazing God. He has just seen for himself in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream the very rise and fall of the great civilizations of human history. As we have noted before, Daniel lived in a time of great political upheaval. His very captivity is the result of these shifting political fortunes. Yet what does the dream tell him? The Most High Rules. In his own life and throughout human history. The Most High Rules.

Daniel notes He is “the One changing the seasons and the times, One taking away kings and One setting up kings.”   My wife and I often say to each other, “Nothing stays the same.” The older we get, the more we realize it is true: “Nothing stays the same.” Time and again we get comfortable with everything from our church, to our pharmacy, to the operating system on our computer, to every other detail of our lives … only to suddenly find it has changed. Nothing stays the same. Except God! He is of course the same yesterday, today, and forever, which is a great comfort in the swirl of this shifting shadow life. But it is even more encouraging to know that it is this very Unchanging One who rules over all the changes! “He changes seasons and times.” The Most High Rules.

And of course the political fortunes of our world are equally liquid. Even within our own lifetimes we watch the political landscape of our world in constant upheaval. Nations literally rise and fall before our very eyes. I grew up in the Cold War and actually saw the Iron Curtain fall. We saw the mighty Soviet Union fall, then have watched as once sleepy China rose to be a new world power. And here at home, we had to suffer through eight years of the Obama administration, wondering if our nation would even survive, only to see God raise up Donald Trump to re-establish the rule of law our country was built on. We hope and pray in fact God is preserving our nation. He Himself said He wants rulers to provide a world where people can live “peaceful, quiet lives,” and that for the very reason that He wants “all men to be saved.” I sincerely hope that will be the outcome of this most recent political upheaval.

But regardless of which way the world’s kingdoms blow, we, with Daniel, can worship at the feel of Him who controls it all. The Most High Rules.

It looks arbitrary.  As wars rage, no one knows who will be the victor. Even war itself seems sometimes to be a matter of pure chance. Elections come and go and it seems as if the results are driven by campaigns and promises and advertising gimmicks. No wonder the people who do not know God freak out. No wonder the whole world seems to be locked in a constant battle for power, and for the money they think buys them that power.

But we can rest assured the real power behind it all is the God of Daniel. He is “the One changing the seasons and the times, One taking away kings and One setting up kings.”

And then as we hear people say, “Knowledge is power.” And it is. But where does it come from? Well, obviously, it comes from studying and thinking and doing research and going to school, right? Sort of. Those may be the normal means from which we gain knowledge but, as Daniel says, our God is “One giving the wisdom to the wise ones, and the understanding to ones knowing insight.” We can “study” all we want, but who lights the spark of understanding within us? Who takes those studies and suddenly “turns on the lights?” Once again, it is our great God. I often marvel at Albert Einstein. How could any man figure out that time is curved? How could anyone ever really figure out our world is made of unseeable atoms and molecules? How did anyone ever figure out how to turn iron into steel? How can people sit down and right music which isn’t just “nice,” but literally classic? “The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Prov 2:6). As He said of the Tabernacle in Exodus 31:6, “I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you.” It all comes from Him. The Most High Rules.

It all comes from Him.

“Every good and perfect gift comes down from above …” (James 1:17).

When Jesus returns He will have written on His robe and on His thigh the name, “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev 19:16).

The Most High Rules.

For us who know Him, who know He is not only powerful but good, we live in a world of blessed assurance. We often forget it, we often struggle to see it, even to believe it, but regardless of it all, we have a Rock to trust in.

The Most High Rules.

God, help me every day to see You behind the swirl of life and to rest in that truth. May I be free from the power struggle, free from the love of money, free to love and give because I know Him who rules it all.