Contemplations

(Daniel 4) THE KING WHO GRAZED ON GRASS     While Daniel was captive in Babylon Nebudchanezzar was the king. He oppressed the poor and exalted himself, But God saw him worth teaching. One day the king had a vivid dream, While he was rich and content. The dream he had made him fearful; He didn’t know what it meant. So he called together his “wise” men, That consisted of magicians and enchanters. The crowd of “wise” men also included, Astrologers and diviners. But none could interpret the dream, Then Daniel entered his presence. The king remembered Daniel’s God, And no mystery could master His brilliance. Daniel was to tell details of the dream, Though its meaning left him spent. Though Daniel was afraid to respond, The king asked what the dream meant. Daniel at first was puzzled, And his thoughts terrified him. He knew his reply might trouble the king, So he was feeling grim. The king told Daniel to have no fear, If

(Daniel 5) King Belshazzar gave a banquet, For a thousand nobles and his harem. They toasted their gods with goblets of gold, From God’s temple in Jerusalem. They praised the gods of silver and gold, As they all drank their fine wine. While praising gods of bronze, wood and iron, God’s vessels they would malign. There in the royal palace, On a wall near the lampstand, They couldn’t believe their eyes; There appeared the fingers of a hand. The king watched the hand as it wrote; His face turned deathly pale. He was so afraid his knees knocked together, And his legs began to fail. Enchanters, astrologers and diviners; The king called his “wise” men to him. The one who could translate the writing, Would be third ruler over them. But none of the “wise” men could read it, So the king turned the color of cream. The queen reminded him of Daniel, And how he had solv