Daniel 4:1-37

“God save the King!”  This expression could apply very well to this chapter.  God used Nebuchadnezzar as an instrument of judgment on the children of Israel.  He was not a godly man and in today’s culture would have been labeled as a terrorist.  Hitler and Osama Bin Laden would be comparative characters from more recent history.  Yet, God has been graciously revealing Himself to Nebuchadnezzar through dreams and the testimony of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  He is about to get his final lesson in perhaps the most difficult and bazaar way imaginable.  God is glorified through the radical transformation of lives and Nebuchadnezzar is about to go through a very radical transformation.  This is God’s desire for every man and He is willing to go to great and extreme lengths in order to accomplish His will.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR IS PERPLEXED BY A PROBLEM: Another perplexing dream comes to Nebuchadnezzar.  This time it is a giant tree that is seen from all over the world and provides food and shelter for many.  This mighty tree is cut down but the stump is left.  Only Daniel is able to interpret the dream but it is not a very good interpretation for the king.  Daniel warns the king that he is about to be humbled by God so he urges the king to repent of his sin and humble himself before the Lord in hopes of escaping this terrible fate.  God warned Nebuchadnezzar of the judgment that was to come down upon him.  God is always faithful to warn mankind about His judgments.  Unfortunately, we often choose to ignore God’s warnings and end up suffering the consequences of our sin.  Tragically, many ignore God’s warnings of the wrath to come and it will be too late for them to escape for all of eternity.  God will often judge men as He did Nebuchadnezzar as a means of drawing them to Himself.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR IS PUNISHED FOR HIS PRIDE: Despite Daniel’s plea for Nebuchadnezzar to humble himself, he continued to walk in pride.  One night he was admiring his kingdom and patting himself on the back when his vision came true.  He literally went insane and was driven away from men.  He was chained to a tree like an animal and spent seven years eating grass like a cow and living like a beast.  God has very creative ways of teaching us humility.  Of course He would always prefer that we learn it through His Word and His Spirit; but if we refuse to humble ourselves, He has other means.  After the seven years passed, Nebuchadnezzar finally looked to the Lord and humbled Himself.  Pride is an abomination to God and He will go to great lengths to drive pride out of our hearts.  The only way any man will ever be able to come to God is through humility.  Proud people refuse to repent and will never place their trust in Christ.  They think that they are good enough and are not willing to place their faith in another.  God longs for us to humble ourselves before Him so that we can enter into a relationship with Him.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR IS PROSPEROUS THROUGH PURITY: When Nebuchadnezzar humbles himself before the Lord; his sanity returns to him and he is restored to his position as king.  This must have been a very strange situation for all the people who were running the nation in his seven year absence.  Finally, He recognizes the Lord and sovereign over his life and he is purified from his sins because of his repentance and faith.  God has been revealing Himself to Nebuchadnezzar for a long time and he finally comes to the point of submission.  Besides having his sanity back, he also has his power and prosperity returned to him.  The difference now is that he praises God for the blessings of life and He worships God as the one and only God.  Idolatry is a very real form of insanity that is a part of every man’s heart.  The only means of being restored to a sound mind and heart is by humbly repenting of our sin and trusting Christ alone to save us from our sin.  He will restore us to being genuine worshipers for the glory of God.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than a...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:3-7

I thank God   whom I serve, as did my ancestors,   with a clear conscience, as I remember you   constantly in my prayers night and day.    As I remember your tears,   I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.    I am reminded of   your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and   your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.    For this reason I remind you   to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us   a spirit not of fear but   of power and love and self-control. It is easy for us to forget many important things especially in the face of difficulty or danger.  Paul is in prison and Timothy is facing difficult times in ministry so there are important reminders that Paul wants to make sure that Timothy understands.  God has given us everything we need to face the difficulties He allows i...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:8-14

Therefore   do not be ashamed of   the testimony about our Lord, nor of   me his prisoner, but   share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,   who saved us and   called us to a holy calling,   not because of our works but because of   his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus   before the ages began, and which now has   been manifested through   the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,   who abolished death and   brought life and   immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But   I am not ashamed, for   I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until   that day   what has been entrusted to me.  Follow   the pattern of   the sound words   that you have heard from me, in   the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ...
Read more