The last time we shared a devotional from Alisa who blogs at On the Housetops she was looking at the Book of Daniel, and today we present a piece she wrote last summer about another section of that book. The title below contains a link which will take you to where this first appeared.
Daniel 4: The Most High Rules
I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me.
How great are His signs,
And how mighty His wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And His dominion is from generation to generation.Daniel 4:2-3, NKJV
If you had asked me to guess who wrote the above verses, I probably would have listed some of the prophets or righteous kings of Judah. Or if I saw the reference, I would have guessed Daniel himself. But any of those names would have been wrong.
Nope, these words were first penned by the great king of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar. The same guy who destroyed the holy city of Jerusalem, would lose his temper on a whim, tried to throw Daniel’s friends into a furnace, and tried to put himself in the place of God a chapter earlier.
What brought him to this point where he finally acknowledged the LORD’s sovereignty?
Was it Daniel’s interpretation of his dream in chapter 2? Or the miraculous deliverance of Daniel’s three friends in chapter 3?
No… in spite of such great signs, Nebuchadnezzar remained his same, prideful self.
So what happened?
The king himself chronicles it for us:
I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace.
Daniel 4:4
In other words, life was good. The king was enjoying a lavish and prosperous existence, without any needs or wants.
Until something disturbed the peace…
I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
Daniel 4:5
So, Nebuchadnezzar looked for answers, but the world held no answers for him:
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.
Daniel 4:7
Instead of throwing a fit like he did back in chapter 2, the king turned to Daniel – to the person in his life who knew God. Nebuchadnezzar knew that if anyone could give him the answers he was looking for, it was Daniel.
Belteshazzar [Daniel’s Babylonian name], 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.
Daniel 4:9
Let me pause here for a moment. If there is someone in your life who desperately needs God, but doesn’t want to turn to Him, don’t give up hope. Even if life is going well for them right now, there may be coming a time when, like Nebuchadnezzar, they realize they’re missing something. And if you have spoken truth into their life before, there’s a good chance they’ll turn to you for the answers they know you have, even if they rejected them previously.
Returning to the passage…
Verses 10-16 give us a glimpse into the dream Nebuchadnezzar had. In his vision, he saw a great tree: it was tall, beautiful, and fruitful, and it provided food and shelter for the whole earth.
Suddenly a “watcher” (an angel) came down from heaven and decreed that the tree should be chopped down, leaving only the stump “bound with a band of iron and bronze” (v. 15).
In the middle of the angel’s sentence, the subject suddenly switched from the tree to a person, speaking of a man who would eat grass and be given the heart of a beast for “seven times.”
The angelic decree concluded with the reason that it was being given:
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.Daniel 4:17
Daniel knew what the strange vision meant – and he knew that it wasn’t good news. But with the king’s prodding, he revealed the truth: the great tree represented Nebuchadnezzar, who would lose his mind and live like an animal for “seven times” [typically interpreted to mean 7 years], until he realized “that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses” (v. 25).
However, the stump being left behind symbolized that Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom would return to him once he regained his senses.
Can you imagine hearing such a prediction? Wouldn’t you want to know if there was anything you could do to prevent such a fate from happening?
Daniel begged the king to repent – perhaps if he turned away from his sins, there could be a lengthening of his prosperity, at the very least.
Well, the warning was given, but no mention is made of whether Nebuchadnezzar took it to heart.
A whole year passed, and the vision was probably long forgotten.
But one day, as the king strolled about his palace and applauded himself for his great success in life, a voice thundered from heaven, “the kingdom has departed from you!” (v. 31)
And that very hour, “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” (v. 33).
At the end of the fore-ordained time, the king’s understanding returned, and he immediately praised the God whose kingdom lasts forever, and whose will cannot be hindered.
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
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?”Daniel 4:34b-35
Nebuchadnezzar was reinstated to his throne, and this is the last we hear about him in the book of Daniel. So his final legacy in the Biblical account is that of someone who was brought low in his pride, but whose eyes were opened to who the true King really is.
Takeways
I find it amazing, this journey that Nebuchadnezzar took. From being full of pride and success, to being brought down to the lowest of the low. But then God opened his eyes, and he finally realized who God is. It took a lot of signs, a lot of humbling, and many years, but he finally got it.
What hope that gives us as we think about those in our lives who aren’t saved. Never give up hoping and praying for them!
I also find the whole theme of this chapter encouraging. Over and over, it is proclaimed that “the Most High rules” and that God gives the kingdom to whomever He chooses.
He gave Judah into Nebuchadnezzar’s hands.
Then he took Babylon out of Nebuchadnezzar’s hands.
Then to top it all, he gives it back to Nebuchadnezzar, who had just been completely out of his mind!
So as we look at the political landscapes of today, remember that. We can do our part to vote, but ultimately, “the Most High rules and gives the kingdom to whomever He chooses.”
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,
Like the rivers of water;
He turns it wherever He wishes.Proverbs 21:1
But God is the Judge:
He puts down one,
And exalts another.Psalm 75:7
The devotionals we present here are chosen largely because they fit a certain formula. Yesterday however, I spent some time reading a blog written by a former Christian radio personality which relies heavily on personal anecdotes, pop music lyrics, and photographs. Different from what we do here, but really well done. If you’re looking for some different reading today, might I suggest Alan‘s blog Fuel for the Race.
, the dogs were terrified at first! Thankfully, they are now friends. People throughout history have clamored for power and authority. Unfortunately, many have been terrified and terrorized as a result. Perhaps you know someone who likes to be introduced with “behold your king.” Perhaps it is you.
Christianity 201 