Title Let's Forsake Greed (Daniel 11:18-19)
Contents
Lesson 111 Let's get rid of greed (Daniel 11:18-19)
11:18-19
After that he will turn his face to the islands and get drunk many times, but there is a captain who will wash away his visible disgrace and turn his disgrace on him. At last he will turn his face and go to the fortresses of his land;
Taking advantage of the young age of the king of the south, the king of the north came down to attack the south with all his might. However, the Roman Empire intervened. The king of the north had no choice but to make peace with the king of the south. The king of the north gave his daughter as a wife to the king of the south. The king of the north expected that his daughter would be on his side so that he could control the king of the south so that the south would eventually fall into his hands. However, the daughter of the king of the north betrayed her father and took the side of her husband. In the end, the plan the King of the North had made went to waste. The king of the north was very unhappy with his daughter who became the wife of the king of the south, and he was quite upset about the Roman Empire intervening in the middle.
Please see verse 19. “At last he will turn his face to the fortresses of his land.” The king of the north was compelled to take wealth from his fortresses in order to pay the war reparations promised to Rome. He went into a temple and tried to plunder the treasures there. Then what happened? "Falling through." He was killed by the villagers guarding the temple. "I will never see you again." The king of the north raided the temple to raise reparations for the Roman Empire, but was eventually killed by an angry mob.
The king of the north was too greedy. He could live by ruling well the territory he was given, but he was not satisfied with it and attacked the south and also the islands under the control of the Roman Empire. However, in the end, it did not achieve its purpose and rather met a tragic end. This is James 1:15. “When lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” The king of the north would have been able to live happily in his own territory. However, he was not satisfied with his life, and he was overly greedy and eventually met a disastrous end.
It is one of the stories left by Tolstoy, a great Russian writer. A king suddenly fell ill. He said:
"I will give even half of my kingdom to anyone who heals me."
A wise man came to the king and said,
"King! You can heal the king. If anyone finds the happiest man in this country and puts on his underwear, the king will be healed."
The king sent his servants to find the happiest man. However, although the servants went everywhere, they could not find anyone who was truly happy. Rich people were not healthy. Healthy people had no money. The healthy, wealthy man had his own problems, whether he had problems with his wife or upset his children.
But one day, while the prince was walking down the street with his servants, he heard the sound of hymns and prayers resounding from the crumbling house. As I listened quietly, it was a prayer filled with gratitude.
"God! Thank you. I had enough work today. I'm full now, so I'll have to go to sleep. So, what more can I ask for?"
The prince heard the prayer and thought that he had finally found the happy man he had been looking for. He went into the house with his servants. The prince told him what he was doing, and asked him to take off his underwear, as he would do enough for him. But this happy man also had a problem. What could be the problem? He was so poor that he had no underwear.
What can we learn from this story? Happiness is not in having. There is an English proverb that says: "Happiness consists in contentment." Happiness is not in how much I have. It doesn't even depend on how much I've learned. Being satisfied with your life is a happy life.
Whatever you eat, drink, or do, if you do it with joy, joy, and gratitude, that is the way to happiness. What did the prophet Habakkuk say? Please see Hab 3:17.
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crops produce no crops in the fields, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls.”
There is nothing visible. But what does he conclude? This is Hab 3:18.
"I will rejoice in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation."
If we have faith that the living God will always be with me and guide my steps, just as he has led me to Ebenezer, we can live happily ever after. Today, I hope that we can open our spiritual eyes and look to the God who is Emmanuel. I am not walking alone. It is a life of walking with the Lord. Please do not forget to spend this day with the Lord. I hope you have a blessed day filled with thanksgiving today because of the living God. Let go of greed. When lust has conceived, it becomes a sin. Don't complain about what you don't have, let's live in gratitude for what we have. I hope that you will live this life that God has given you and live happily.