I was struck by the innocence in Daniel’s words as if for the first time, I read what he said to the new Persian king after being delivered by God from the lions that were supposed to kill and devour him. Over the last forty years plus as an eager Bible student I have read through and studied Daniel 6 many times. Until now, however, never had Daniel’s words in verse 22 touched my soul so deeply. And why? Not only is the Word of God like that of course, filled as it is with multiple layers of application and ever deepening meaning for those of us that study it regularly, but as Daniel faced the man who had condemned him, so, in my life journey I have interacted with whites who hate me.
Now, in context, the king in vanity Daniel faced had been tricked into condemning him to the lion’s den and only after he had no way out in accord with the laws of his kingdom. The king also genuinely cared about, valued and trusted Daniel to the point he would make him the second highest ranking official in his administration. No, it was not the king, but Daniel’s words of assurance to him, “I have done no wrong before you,” (Daniel 6:22b, NKJV) that so stirred my soul because of the hate around the king that had brought about the whole evil situation. Daniel’s haters were willing to even disregard his faith in the living God and kill him rather than see him advanced by the king.1
Many whites from slavery have had this same attitude toward their black fellow Americans. So prevalent, widely dispersed and persistent throughout every segment of the society has this hatred been for generations that it is righteously portrayed as systemic. I am among countless blacks from slavery who have wondered to ourselves and out loud what is it that makes our white countrymen that are guilty--many claiming to also be Christians--hate and despise us so?2 Consistent with the irrationality of evil, many cannot even put the basis for their hatred into sensible words. This accords with what the Bible teaches is the reason humans hate each other: sin in us (Galatians 5:19-21)!
Indeed, with hatred that gives rise to racism is superiority born of arrogant pride, entitlement, selfishness, envy, jealously and resentment. The long standing attitude of superiority among guilty white Americans at the highest levels of governance and across socio-economic strata is historically well documented. For example, in its 1857 Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court opinioned slaves were only property and not citizens with any rights ‘“the white man was bound to respect.’”3 Just a few years later in 1861, Alexander Stephens, Vice-President of the newly formed Southern Confederacy asserted, ‘“…the Negro is not equal to the white man. That slavery-subordination to the superior [white] race-is his natural and moral condition.’”4
Resentment embodied in America’s racism is like the man who has his way with a woman, then, despises her afterward (2 Samuel 13:1-18). For this cause, since the end of slavery a number of whites have advocated for blacks to return to Africa. But while a relative few did return, God perfectly just prevailed on the hearts of the majority of blacks and whites that this was not the right course since though our West African forefathers had wronged Him as sinners in their native land which He punished short of what was deserved, they had done no wrong to this nation; having been forcibly brought here firstly out of His permissive will (John 19:10-11).5 Also, no black person will be in Hell just for being black since truly, the living God our Creator made us this way (Acts 17:26-28)!
1 Daniel did no wrong in the court of Heaven to faithfully continue his habit and practice of daily spending time with God in prayer as a matter of their ongoing relationship. Such should be the case for every aspiring strong man of God in the image of Jesus Christ who also made prayer a priority in His life (Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16, 6:12). Learn more about Him as the Strong Man of God in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, available in the Strong Man Store, at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and mortar bookstore.
2 Do I really need to cite chapter and verse from the Bible here to demonstrate how the claim to be a Christian while hating anyone much less a fellow believer by its in- struction is totally inconsistent? Yet, I will cite some Scriptures so a guilty reader may repent from hating or mistreating any person or brother in Christ whatever his hue (Lamentations 3:34-36; John 13:34-35, 15:12; Romans 13:8-10; 1 John 3:10-23, 4:7-11, 20-21, 5:1-3). For not the mere words of faith, but also the deeds of all will be judged by God (Romans 2:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11; James 2:14-26; Revelation 20:11-15)!
3 David Barton, Setting The Record Straight: American History In Black & White, (Aledo, TX, WallBuilder Press, 2004), 23.
4 Barton, 30. Of the most tragic outcomes of continuing racism in our nation and professing Christianity is the fact that because of the arrogant pride bred superiority in- trinsic to it, there are whites (and some self-hating blacks) who will eternally perish in Hell because in racial bigotry they refused to receive the Gospel, the Lord’s instruc- tion, rebuke of their sin and heretical doctrines, call to repentance or warning from His Word coming through what is to them an inferior black man they are not duty bound to hear!
5 The sovereign God maintains control over the affairs of men on earth! Nothing; absolutely nothing happens to any people outside of God’s perfect or permissive will and foreknowledge. Thus, as the Lord instructs Pilate about how He was in his hands, so too, by way of application my West African forefathers through God’s permissive will were brought to America to be slaves (Psalm 107:10-16; Lamentations 3:37-42; Ezekiel 18:4). Consequently, we are here in His purposes with much suffering and many tears in our struggles first for freedom then, to this day sadly, to be treated as equal citizens. In this latter struggle, those of us that are biblically conservative Christians persist for righteousness sake by faith in and service to God as a witness to those who hate us while waiting for Him to bring the perfect equity of His King- dom! Read the November 29, 2015 post, When The Glory Comes, under the category, Glory To God! Also, visit The From Slavery To Victory Education Project at https://fromslaverytovictory.org to learn more about the victories of faith.
There are some key issues and applications from the time I spent in Daniel and other parts of Bible prophecy since January 9th this year that I did not delve into, but will briefly do so beginning with this post and all to follow through April as a wrap up.1 As the Lord leads and yet another tyrant on the world stage seeks “dominion and territorial expansion through conquest” coinciding with what I wrote during a February post,2 I write to warn him (and all that will follow his course) that earthly kings are ruled over by Almighty God and answerable to Him! This was the lesson the king of Babylon had to be repeatedly taught by Daniel and his three companions until he apparently finally learned it.
King Nebuchadnezzar made the mistake of arrogant pride many kings and evil tyrants before and after him have made to believe just because he conquered Judah, captured its citizens and took property including religious “articles” back to Babylon where he put them in “the treasure house of his god,” that somehow he had also defeated Judah’s God (Daniel 1:1-2, NKJV). But nothing could be infinitely further from the truth as God gave him a dream he had to depend on Him through His vessel Daniel to interpret because neither he nor any of his staff of Babylonian “wise men” could. The dream showed God’s Kingdom is greater than all others of men (Daniel 2:1-28, NKJV)!
“Prostate before Daniel,” king Nebuchadnezzar confessed ‘“Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings…,’” (Daniel 2:46-47, NKJV). The king was humbled again when he exalted himself with an image and decreed that all of his subjects bow to and worship it. But the refusal of Daniel’s three friends to do so and God’s deliverance of them from the consequence elicited the following response from the king: ‘“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word…,’” (Daniel 3:28, NKJV). From what happens next, clearly the king still had not learned his lesson.
Chapter four of Daniel presents king Nebuchadnezzar’s own testimony of what happened to him after God gave him a dream about his great pride and the consequence Daniel plainly interprets to him, but which he ignores (Daniel 4:1-33). After living as a mad man convinced he was a beast that ate grass like an ox for a time as foretold, the king’s sanity was restored by God and he had a new attitude (Daniel 4:34-36)! Indeed, he testified: ‘“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down,’” (Daniel 4:37, NKJV). A later king learned the hard way too (Daniel 5).3
Since all of the foregoing is common Sunday School instruction throughout Christendom, it is certain Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, who professes to be a Christian is aware of how God, the King of Heaven brings down the pride of earth’s kings as testified to by the king of Babylon over 2,500 years ago. Therefore, in accord with this biblical instruction, I urge the Russian Orthodox Church leaders Mr. Putin respects to advise him to repent, cease his war of pride and conquest against Ukraine and withdraw. Nevertheless, such men filled with the spirit of conquest will continue4 to the end when the Antichrist who makes no pretense whatsoever of reverencing God, the King Heaven, will war against Him and be soundly defeated (Daniel 8:23-25, 9:27cd; Revelation 6:1-2, 19:11-21)!
1 See the posts that begin January 9 through March 6, 2022.
2 Read the February 13, 2022 part one of the two-part post, War Of The Ages End, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
3 Why are we men so filled with pride and stubborn about it to the point it takes repeated humiliating lessons for God to finally break us? Such is the power of sin in us! Get my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics to learn the provisions God has made to help men overcome our stubborn pride through Christ Jesus. It is available in the Strong Man Store, at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and mortar bookstore.
4 Truly, Mr. Putin’s war of conquest and desolations upon Ukraine is a preview of things to come and sign professed Christians should take to heart and prepare! Or will you be as Israel’s religious leaders who refused to see the plain signs of Messiah displayed in Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 16:1-4)? Please also note in this preview no “rap- ture” has occurred to remove Ukrainian believers from what to them is surely great tribulation! This is because the Lord declares He comes right “after” the actual “great tribulation” to “gather together His elect,” (Daniel 11:40-45; Matthew 24:15-22, 29-31, NKJV).
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