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Daniel 4:28-32 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.”
GREAT danger arises when you put yourself above God. The Bible has many examples of powerful people who had Nebuchadnezzar’s self-focused eyes, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” Such near-sighted vision keeps us from fulling seeing God’s will for our lives. “Why would God punish someone for these few words?” we might ask. But isn’t this self-focus the essence of sin? We are prone to believe our “mighty power” permits us to do as we please. The prideful heart concludes, “If I want something, surely it is my right to have it. Why would an educated human mind want to restrict itself to God’s limiting rules? Why would I want to give God credit for something I did? Certainly true freedom is to myself above a God who seems to have little or nothing to do with day-to-day life.” This kind of mind is Satan’s influence on our souls. King Nebuchadnezzar thought this way. In other passages, Daniel has demonstrated how the king praised God for his power and authority. But yet, he rejects God’s personal influence on his life. He sees no connection between God’s power to reveal mysteries and his own creativity, wealth and power. Thus, God condemns the king to live as an animal for a period of time. The Most High God continues to work on Nebuchadnezzar’s mind to humble the proud and rich as an example to the Jews and the world. I wonder who was listening? Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Daniel 4:20-27 “The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the beasts of the field, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds of the air – 22 you, O king, are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth. 23 You, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’ 24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”
DANIEL has spoken the bad news and the good news. The king will be cut down. Then he will be restored. Then Daniel has life-giving advice for the king: repent. That’s what it is to renounce your sins by doing what is right. Repentance is spiritually and physically turning away from your sins. You say, “I quit that sin.” Then you walk away from it, into the Spirit’s power to live more and more as Christ, the Redeemer, taught and lived. This entire dream sequence has been about God’s justice and his mercy. He is sovereign to declare what is wrong and what is right. The LORD God is the Ruler of heaven and earth who rightly judges those who sin and graciously blesses those who obey him. Thank God he gives you the opportunity to renounce your sin. Praise his justice and mercy to forgive as you repent. Walk into life in Christ and call on the name of the Lord. Acts 17:31 “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” Daniel 4:18-19 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.” 19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.”
Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!” DO you like giving bad news to someone you respect? I’m sure none of us do. Nor do we even like telling bad news to strangers. Perhaps that’s why we refrain from telling people of sin. That’s bad news! But we all must know the bad news, so we can know the good news is eternally good. Yes, the truth is difficult to speak, isn’t it? That’s why Daniel hesitated for a time to tell the dream’s meaning to Nebuchadnezzar. You would think Daniel, captured and enslaved by the king, would rejoice at this sign of the king’s demise. Yet, the prophet had a loving heart. He was living into God’s way as Jesus declared in Matthew 5:44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. I know Jesus spoke about 500 years after Danie lived, but remember Jesus is the eternal Word. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) God’s Word is always alive in his anointed servants. Daniel grieved over the dream’s meaning for the king. Such spiritual sadness was a characteristic of God’s prophets. Daniel’s contemporary, Jeremiah, is known as the weeping prophet because of his great grief of God’s judgment and the Jews’ refusal to repent. But the prophets also knew their words were actually a loving kindness to warn. The Jews needed to know the bad news, so they could hear the good. Daniel was the LORD God’s ambassador to speak the truth. We once again learn from this prophet of long ago how we represent God on earth today. The Bible tells us to love and pray for our enemies. If you hesitate, remember God so loved you, he came to tell you the truth, the bad news and the good. Otherwise, how would you know you need a Savior? How would you know Jesus is the Savior? How will others, even strangers, know if you keep the news to yourself? Ephesians 2:4 But God is so rich in mercy; he loved us so much 5 that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins, he gave us back our lives again when he raised Christ from the dead-only by his undeserved favor have we ever been saved. The Living Bible Daniel 4:15b-17 “‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him. 17 The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.’”
THE tree cut down and the banded stump remaining becomes a person as the messenger says, “him be drenched… live with the animals…his mind be changed...given the mind of an animal.” The king knows the tree is the image of a powerful and prosperous man to be cut down to live as an animal. This animal-like life will be for seven times. This is seven periods of time – weeks, months, years or some other timeframe God has set. “The holy ones declare the verdict.” is God’s judgment. The king, Babylon, surrounding nations, and the Jews will see again God Most High’s authority to personally transform minds to his purpose. If anyone asked you to summarize Daniel, verse 17 will do quite well. God is a mind-changer for his glory. Consider Joseph in Egypt, Gideon, Elijah, Elisha, David and the apostles as examples. God came to these outcasts, farmers, shepherds and fishermen to tell them who he is. At some point, each one began to have a new Spirit-empowered mind to believe God’s words. We know of them today because God changed their minds from pride, fear, doubt and frustration to faithfully know the Most High God’s extraordinary Way. The more their minds knew God, the more powerfully they demonstrated to the world how God, indeed, is Most High. The Sovereign LORD used them to judge, warn, prophecy, teach, preach and live his love, mercy and forgiveness. The apostle Paul describes this mind-changing process in Romans 8:6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. In the king’s dream, God personally spoke to the mind of a sinful man. He also promised he would limit the judgment. Again, this is a message to Israel to know God’s mercy amid his judgment. For you today, as you are in Christ, know God has come through his messenger Jesus Christ to alert your mind to your sin and salvation. The Spirit has then come to open your mind to know God is Father, Son and Spirit. He has cut down your pride and banded around you his protection from evil. He has rooted you in the gospel’s power to use your knowledge for his kingdom. Be faithful to use your mind in your time to believe and serve God. 1 Corinthians 14:15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. Daniel 4:14-15a “He (the watcher) called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.’”
THE bountiful tree’s destruction terrified Nebuchadnezzar. He saw this as a real threat to his wealth and power. When people have great wealth, they spend much time holding on to it. They live in fear something or someone will quickly snatch it away from them. And, indeed, history lists wars upon wars because one country or ruler wants what another has. This is one reason Jesus says in Luke 18:25 “Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” A man of wealth and power thinks too much of what he has and too little of the Provider, who has given him his wealth. Yet, in the tree’s destruction, you can see God’s grace. The stump remains. We might think there is no hope for the tree. But as God often does, he keeps hope alive within the destruction. The stump’s roots remained rooted in the grass. The iron and bronze hoops around the stump were a common practice then to keep the stump intact. This would help the tree to sprout new shoots and grow again. This message is also for Daniel and the Jews. God had created Israel. He had taken them into his personal care in a Promised Land of plenty. God had further blessed them with an abundant way of life in his law. But Israel disregarded his compassionate heart to rule itself with sinful desires. In response, God came with his judgment ax and sent them into exile. In essence, the LORD God is saying, “I blessed you. I gave you a home, protection, the law and all you needed. But I have watched your sin. You did not repent, and I have cut you down. But know this. You will grow again.” The Lord God is telling all, “The Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. (Psalms 146:8-9) If you think some sin in your life is too big for God to forgive, then please consider his magnificent love. Repent. Turn to him. He has put a shield around you, so you will grow abundantly in him. Luke 3:9 “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” Daniel 4:13 “In the visions I saw while lying in my bed, I looked, and there before me was a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven.”
A holy messenger from heaven came to the king. Some Bible versions record, “there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.” (NKJV) “Watcher” will help us better understand God’s message to the king – and to us. There are two reasons God watches us: Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. God watches to reward the right and to judge the wrong. You see this in Genesis when God watches over Abraham to protect Abraham and Sarah. He corrects them in their sin and rewards their righteous faith. At the same time, God watches over Sodom. He sees its evil and sends messengers – watchers – to seek the righteous. The city does not repent, and God judges Sodom and its sister city, Gomorrah, to complete destruction. All ancient cities had watchers – or a watchman – to announce the coming of good news or bad, friends or enemies. An experienced watchman’s eyes could determine if good news or bad was on the messenger’s lips. He knew the movement of friend and foe. The watchman’s words were vital to a kingdom’s well-being. Nebuchadnezzar saw a holy one coming down from heaven. The king’s dark heart knows he is in danger. This is one way to understand your relationship with Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Made righteous – right with God – in his blood, you know through the Spirit your Savior is omnipresent – always with you – to watch over you for your good. His watching is as with Abraham. He leads you into a life away from sin and into his true way. As you obey his ways, Jesus’ watching directs you to a life blessed in his love and joy. John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 15:10 “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.” God has personally sent Jesus to deliver a message of repentance and salvation. Jesus warns of the dangers. He promises safety in his death, resurrection and ascension. Rejoice and be glad God is a Watcher, who points you to his good. Isaiah 43:1 But now, this is what the Lord says — he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Daniel 4:10-12 These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.”
HAVE you thought how trees are used for various images throughout the Bible? In Genesis 2 are the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. Eve picked the fruit from the former, and sin entered. God banned Adam and Eve – and all mankind – from the Tree of Life until the new heaven and earth: Revelation 22:2b On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Trees are also images of rulers and countries to be cut down under God’s authority: Isaiah 10:34 He will cut down the forest thickets (the leaders) with an ax; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One. In contrast, trees picture God’s strong, faithful people: Psalms 1:3 The one who meditates on God’s law is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. And in Isaiah 61:3b They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. Nebuchadnezzar certainly saw the abundant, fruitful tree in his dream relating to his life. That’s why he was afraid, even terrified. We aren’t afraid when others are threatened are we? But if we perceive danger in our own future, fear will, indeed, grip our hearts. As a result, the king could not let this pass and dismiss it as “just a dream”. He needed an answer. Daniel is the only person on earth who could possibly have the means to tell him. Daniel is a as the man from Psalm 1. He meditates continually on God’s Word. He is rooted in God’s living water to prosper in the Lord’s wisdom. In Isaiah’s words, Daniel is an oak of righteousness planted in Babylon. God is using him to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God. What kind of tree are you? Empty or full of fruit? Shallow roots or deeply embedded in God’s Word to grow in strength and confidence? Are you a tree of life for a world afraid of the future? Ephesians 3:16 “I pray that out of his glorious riches God may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” Daniel 4:4-9 “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. 5 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. 6 So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. 7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me. 8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.) 9 I said, ‘Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me.’”
ONCE again Nebuchadnezzar has a terrifying, fearful dream. Once more he responds urgently to know the dream’s meaning. To do so, he begins where he did in Daniel 1, calling the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners to ease his troubled mind. What was he thinking? Had not the LORD given Daniel the meaning of the king’s first dream? Did not the king confessed God’s power? Daniel 2:47 “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” The king had also praised God when Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael came from the fire. Why is he again seeking answers from the powerless pagan officials? Apparently the king’s praise of God were empty words. It seems he honored God because he learned the answers to his dream, and he saw God’s power over the fire. But he seemed to put his experience with God in the corner of his mind where it God had no real meaning for his life. Nebuchadnezzar had no heart knowledge of God as the one who watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand. (Psalm 121:5) The King’s mindset was to consult demon-influenced officials and keep God in the background until life became terrifying. Is this the way of our human nature? Many people claim they believe in God, but few act as if they believe God is actively a Helper for their daily lives. Even when we claim, “Jesus is my Lord.” many of us are still prone to set our minds on our own abilities with no consideration of seeking the LORD. We keep him on the “Sunday Shelf” or in the “Desperate Corner” to use at our convenience. But then terrifying things confront us. Where do we go? What do we do? Do we seek the “enchanters and diviners” of our day who tell us, “Look to yourself.” Or are we willing to submit our fears to God, trusting, the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121:6-8) Nebuchadnezzar needed another humility lesson. He’s about to learn he’s not the center of the universe. What do you need today to daily set your mind on God? Psalms 47:8 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. Daniel 4:1-3 King Nebuchadnezzar, To the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world: May you prosper greatly! 2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. 3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.
ONE has to stop and wonder, “Is this from a prophet?” Surely there is some mistake that King Nebuchadnezzar writes a blessing to his people and praises the LORD God. Isn’t he Babylon’s idol-worshiping king who destroyed Jerusalem, the temple and took thousands captive? His praise to God is such that it may remind us of the apostle Paul’s greetings to the churches, “Grace and peace to you…Praise be to God.” In God’s marvelous providence, the apostle and the king do have in common a very personal, transforming experience with God. Nebuchadnezzar is about to tell how God has also moved mightily into his life. Paul also could write joyously of God’s grace and love. The once murderous opponent to Christ had personally experienced the Spirit’s power and the Son’s teachings. In Christ is was a new man. As we learn the king’s story, let’s learn from his attitude to eagerly tell the story: As he says, “It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.” We already anticipate the story to come is good news. If you don’t know the story, I’m sure you’re reading all of Daniel 4 today to learn of God’s miraculous signs and wonders. We all like a good story. Who can keep from knowing what God has done for even a sinner as the king? God has come now for the third time in Daniel’s story to powerfully display his sovereign authority to a king who reigns over his people. God has used Nebuchadnezzar to punish Israel. Now he is using the king to display his glory and power. God’s purpose is to make his name known before his people and an idol-worshiping king. God did that in Egypt to make his name know to his people and to prepare Israel for the Exodus. God is now using signs and wonders to prepare Israel to return to Jerusalem and Judah. God is good at preparing us to be in his home. 1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. Daniel 3:28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
HOW would you summarize the lives of Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael) and Abednego (Azariah)? How about the pagan king’s words: “They trusted in God and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” Think of it! A man who pridefully worships himself and idols honors men who fully live for God. The three men have faithfully lived into the meanings of their Hebrew, God-given names. Indeed, the One True God has protected and helped them to walk unscathed from the consuming fire to glorify God. Now think of this. What would have happened if they had denied their faith? What if they had quietly said to each other, “I believe in God, but I don’t want to risk my life. I don’t want offend the king. I’ll just go along.” In short, nothing would have happened. They would not have openly confessed their complete trust in God for life now and forever: Daniel 3:17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. The king and his officials would not have witnessed the LORD God’s authority over death. There would have been no appearance of the “angel” –likely the preincarnate Jesus. Remaining quiet would have silenced praise to the LORD. In short, unbelief – evil – would have triumphed without a whisper from God’s chosen servants. Nothing good happens when you do nothing with your faith. Compromise with the world keeps you from God’s promises for life now and forevermore. Being willing to die for Jesus is the only way to fully live. Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” 22 Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, “Away with you!” |
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January 2025
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