History records king Nebuchadnezzar as brutal,
powerful, and ambitious.
According to the God given dream of chapter 2, Nebs is
the most powerful world leader ever, until Jesus takes the throne.
King Nebs besieged Judah three times and destroyed
Jerusalem.
In Daniel 1 he captured and castrated the best and
brightest young men of Judah.
Daniel 2 he had a dream of a great image and demanded
his wisemen tell him the dream and its interpretation or be cut to pieces and
have their houses turned to ashes.
Daniel 3, he built a great golden image and commanded
everyone to bow or be burned alive in a fiery furnace.
Nice guy, huh?
BUT
GOD WEAVES HIS WONDERFUL WAYS THROUGH THE WICKED WAYS OF MAN.
Chapter 1 God dazzled Nebby by making Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, Azariah, ten times wiser than all the wisemen of his court.
Chapter 2 God amazed Nebs by revealing the dream and
interpreting it through Daniel.
Chapter 3 God shocked him when the three who wouldn’t
bow, wouldn’t burn.
After Daniel 4, we will see Nebs no more, unless perhaps,
one day we bump into him on the streets of gold.
Is it possible that a proud wicked king could be
humbled and changed by the Most High God?
Let’s look at the rest of his story and see what you
think.
Hear ye, hear ye! The heralds unrolled the scroll and proclaimed
the king’s official proclamation throughout all of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar the king,
To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all
the earth:
Peace be multiplied to you.
Whew, that’s good, at least it’s not bad news. We’re
not going to war and getting more taxes.
2 I thought
it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has
worked for me.
Wow. Signs and wonders? Sounds like New
Testament talk.
He’s not talking politics or religion but giving a testimony.
The wicked king sounds like an evangelist.
If you’ve ever trusted God through a test, then you
have a testimony to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has
worked for you.
3 How
great are His signs,
And how mighty His wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And His dominion is from generation to generation.
His, His, His, His...
Who is Nebs focused on?
Not himself, that’s a change.
Any encounter with God is humbling.
Find a prideful person who claims to know God and you’ve
found a liar.
Find a person who knows God, and you’ve found a
humble person.
4 I,
Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace.
Like most of us, for the most part, at home, at rest
and doing well.
5 I saw a
dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of
my head troubled me.
That took courageous humility, for the most powerful
man on the planet to admit that in the security and comfort of his own bed, he was
afraid and troubled.
God used dreams. Jacob. Joseph. Pharaoh. Daniel.
Joseph, Mary’s husband. Paul...and others.
He still uses dreams. Multitudes of muslims today are
converted through dreams of Yasu, (the name used for Jesus by many Arab
Christians).
God is knocking on Nebby’s heart.
6 Therefore I issued a decree to bring in
all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to
me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians,
the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in, and I told them
the dream; but they did not make known to me its interpretation.
Notice he didn’t chop them to pieces or throw them in
the fiery furnace.
Is Neb’s heart softening? Is Daniel and the boys’
Godly behavior rubbing off on him?
8 But at last Daniel came before
me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my
god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told
the dream before him, saying: 9 “Belteshazzar, chief
of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in
you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that
I have seen, and its interpretation.
Danny boy, glad you finally made it. Those wise guys were
of no help, as usual.
But I know you’re filled with the Holy Spirit and can
interpret my dream.
What a testimony.
Walk by faith and in peace, and the
world notices.
Believers live in a fishbowl.
You are being watched.
10 “These were the
visions of my head while on my bed:
I was looking, and behold,
A tree in the midst of the earth,
And its height was great.
11 The tree
grew and became strong;
Its height reached to the heavens,
And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.
12 Its
leaves were lovely,
Its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
The beasts of the field found shade under it,
The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches,
And all flesh was fed from it.
13 “I saw in
the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a
holy one, coming down from heaven.
Speaking of being watched. A watcher, refers to an
angel.
Not only is the world watching but so is God. So are
His angels, sent to minister to you. Heb. 1:14.
Nothing is hidden.
14 He
cried aloud and said thus:
‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.
Let the beasts get out from under it,
And the birds from its branches.
Wait what? Why cut down that beautiful, awesome, fruitful tree?
God’s more interested in character than
comfort.
15 Nevertheless
leave the stump and roots in the earth,
Bound with a band of iron and bronze,
In the tender grass of the field.
Let it be wet with the dew of heaven,
And let him graze with the beasts
On the grass of the earth.
16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man,
Let him be given the heart of a beast,
And let seven times pass over him.
Notice verses 15-16, the tree is personified, no
longer called “it” but “him”.
17 ‘This
decision is by the decree of the watchers,
And the sentence by the word of the holy ones,
In order that the living may know
That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,
Gives it to whomever He will,
And sets over it the lowest of men.’
In order that everything
living knows God’s in control, not king Nebs or anyone or anything else.
(Sidenote: In control of
everything doesn’t mean controlling everything. Discussion for another
time.)
The Most High rules over the kingdoms of men. Jesus said to Pilate, you’d have no power against Me
unless it had been given you from above. John 19:11.
Romans 13:1. Let every soul be subject to
the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the
authorities that exist are appointed by God.
18 “This dream
I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its
interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not
able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for
the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”
Memorize that: You are able, for the Spirit of
the Holy God is in you.
I can’t get up and speak in front of the Church.
You are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God
is in you.
I can’t make it through this surgery.
You are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God
is in you.
I can’t have that hard conversation.
You are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God
is in you.
I can’t forgive that person.
You are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God
is in you.
I can’t beat that bad habit, that sin, this disease.
You are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God
is in you.
I can’t control my temper, my thoughts, my tongue.
You are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God
is in you.
I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me. Phil. 4:13.
19 Then
Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time,
and his thoughts troubled him. So the king spoke, and said,
“Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you.”
Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the
dream concern those who hate you, and its interpretation concern your
enemies!
Obviously, Daniel cared for the well-being of the
king.
20 “The tree
that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens
and which could be seen by all the earth, 21 whose
leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food
for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the
birds of the heaven had their home— 22 it is you,
O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and
reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth.
23 “And
inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and
saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in
the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass
of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with
the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him’; 24 this
is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which
has come upon my lord the king: 25 They shall drive
you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they
shall make you eat grass like oxen...
The king identified as a cow.
Boanthropy is a rare psychological disorder in
which a human believes themselves to be a cow or ox.
Bovine - things related
to bovine.
Anthropic –
things related to human beings.
In 1946, Old Testament
scholar R. K. Harrison, wrote about a man he observed who exhibited the same
symptoms of Nebuchadnezzar.
“The patient was in his
early twenties, who had reportedly been hospitalized for about five years. His
symptoms were well developed on admission and diagnosis was immediate and
conclusive. He was of average height and weight, with a good physique and he was
in excellent bodily health. His mental symptoms included pronounced anti-social
tendencies, and because of this he spent the entire day from dawn to dusk
outdoors in the grounds of the institution. His daily routine consisted of
wandering around the magnificent lawns of the hospital. And it was his custom
to pluck up and eat handfuls of grass all day long. His diet consisted
exclusively of grass from the hospital lawns, he never ate institutional food
with other inmates, and his only drink was water.
The only noted physical
abnormality was a lengthening of the hair and a coarse thickened condition of
the fingernails. Without institutional care the patient would have manifested
precisely the same physical conditions as those mentioned in Daniel 4:33.
25 ...They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and
seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High
rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.
We believe seven times refers to seven years.
Context is king and later in Daniel we see the word times, referring to years.
Daniel 7:25, 12:7.
Interestingly we also see it in Daniel’s NT
counterpart, Revelation 12:14, also referring to years.
Even more interesting is that they are all talking
about the Tribulation.
26 “And
inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the
tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know
that Heaven rules.
Nebby goes nuts for seven years, until he
realizes God rules, then God shows him grace and lets him rule again.
Another interesting note: Ancient Babylonian writings,
582- 575 BC are called the Silent Years. There’s nothing about the king. Which
evidences his seven-year stint with insanity, because they only recorded victories, not defeats, great accomplishments, not failures.
History confirms HIStory.
27 Therefore,
O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous,
and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there
may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”
Daniel and the king had a respectful relationship, or
Daniel would’ve been cooked for giving advice like that.
28 All this came
upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of the twelve
months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The
king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a
royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”
31 While the
word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven:
“King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from
you! 32 And they shall drive you from men, and your
dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you
eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know
that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He
chooses.”
33 That very
hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men
and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair
had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
For seven years the king identified as a cow.
Nebuchadnezzar rejected God’s nonstop knocking and suddenly
judgement fell for seven years.
The world is rejecting and speeding toward a seven
year judgement that will suddenly fall in the twinkling of an eye.
34 And at
the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my
understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and
honored Him who lives forever:
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as
nothing;
He does according to His will in the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of the earth.
No one can restrain His hand
Or say to Him, “What have You done?”
36 At the same
time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor
and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I
was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to
me. 37 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.
Notice he did not say, “All those who walk in pride
shall be cut in pieces and their houses turned into an ash heap.” (Daniel
2:5, 3:29).
Instead, he said—He (God) is able to put
down.
Nebs was saying, God is in charge, not me.
King Nebuchadnezzar found humility.
God resists the proud but gives grace
to humble. James 4:6, Matt. 23:12, 1 Peter 5:5, Prov. 3:34.
Did he find God Personally?
Will we see Nebby in Heaven?
Hold that thought.
We’ll make three closing comments and come back to
it.
1. God is seeking.
2. God is speaking.
3. Pride makes us deaf and blind to God’s seeking and speaking.
Start with the last one first:
3. Pride
makes us deaf and blind to God’s seeking and speaking
God gave a dream of an image, where Nebs was the head
of gold. Daniel 2:31-45.
Next thing you know, Nebs built an image of his own,
all of gold.
Too often, we twist God’s Word to fit our own image.
Then, God gave Nebs a dream of a great tree. Daniel 4.
Next thing, Nebs thinks he’s invincible. My mighty
majesty made all this.
He willingly forgot that the tree got chopped down,
and for seven years he was given over to a strong delusion.
Like Nebuchadnezzar, those who continue to reject God’s
seeking and speaking, are willingly rejecting the Truth, and are thereby turned
over to a strong delusion, 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12. Romans 1:18-32.
Is Nebs in heaven?
Wait, we still have two more points to cover. We’ll
make it quick.
By the way, did you know that while Nebuchadnezzar was
still wicked and worshipping false gods, God referred to him as “My servant”
three times in the book of Jeremiah 25:9, 27:6, 43:10).
That reveals more of God’s heart than
Nebuchadnezzar’s.
Romans 5:8, God proves His love for us, in
that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
2. God is speaking
He uses dreams, and people and signs and wonders, and
fiery furnace trials, if need be.
God is speaking.
Are you listening?
1. God
is seeking
We might’ve thought Nebs was a lost cause. But not
God. He kept on knocking.
Don’t give up on those God’s given you.
It’s not God’s will for any to perish, 2 Peter 3:9.
He takes no pleasure in the death of the
wicked, Ezekiel 33:11.
Did Nebs find God personally?
Will we see Nebby in Heaven?
King Nebuchadnezzar found humility.
God resists the proud but gives grace to humble. James 4:6, Matt. 23:12, 1 Peter 5:5, Prov. 3:34.
By
grace are you saved... Ephesians 2:8.
Notice among his last words:
I,
Nebby, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are
truth, and His ways justice.
Also look at how he opened his official proclamation:
2 I
thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God
has worked for me.
3 How
great are His signs,
And how mighty His wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And His dominion is from generation to generation.
Maybe I’m wrong, but with last words like that, it
seems we’ll probably see Nebby in heaven.
The question we all must ask ourselves, is: “Will I be
there to find out?”
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, we pray to be like You,
persistent, ever knocking, ever vigilant, as Godly examples to all those around
us, unafraid and unashamed to speak the Truth in love, even when, especially
when, it’s hard. In order that, one day soon, when we see Your face, we’ll hear
You say those glorious, wonderful words, “Well done”. And so none of us, and
none of those You’ve given us, will hear those dreadful words, “Depart from Me,
I never knew you.”
Lord,
You dazzle us, amaze us, and shock us, with Your great and patient enduring
love. What can we say but thank You, ten thousand times ten thousand would
never be enough. Lord, we love You forever.
Amen.
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