Good Is The Word Series

Franz Liszt, the great musician, was also quite a diplomat. Being

famous in the field of music led to his being constantly put on the

spot by women who expected unmerited praise for their singing. He

finally developed a stock reply when some young amateur would

inquire, "Maestro, do you think I have a good voice?" "Ah, my dear

young lady," Liszt would reply with vibrant sincerity, "Good is not

the word." The word might have been awful, but he not only

avoided saying it and offending the person, he allowed them to

interpret it according to their own pride, and they would be pleased

with him because they would assume it was a compliment.

It is surprising how cleverly one can lie while speaking nothing

but the truth. Good is not the word. This reminds me of the pastor

who was put on the spot by one of his members. She had baked a

cake for him and his family. She apparently left something out for it

tasted horrible, and they had to throw it away. The next time he met

the woman she asked him how they liked the cake? He didn't want

to tell her the truth, but he also did not want to lie, and so he said,

"You can't imagine how fast your cake goes at our house." If she

had asked him if it was good he could have used the reply of Liszt,

"Good is not the word."

What has this got to do with old Nebuchadnezzar? Several

things, for it reveals the subtlety of language and the ease with which

words can be misinterpreted. We will consider this further a little

later. The immediate connection is with the fact that for

Nebuchadnezzar good was the word. He was not using this positive

word to diplomatically convey and opposite impression of what he

really thought. He says he thought it good to pass on his personal

testimony of what God had done in his life. Good was the word, and he

meant by it that he felt it to be a positive value for all to hear of his

experience with God. This is the author's own explanation for the

existence of this chapter. He thought it was good. This adds to the

evidence that this king was a true believer, for what unregenerate

man would consider it good to record such a humbling experience,

and especially one so mighty as Nebuchadnezzar? All the facts of

history and psychology are against it. Humiliating incidents in the

lives of ancient rulers were suppressed and blotted out of the records

if possible. It was certainly not the practice to make public

proclamation of them by special letter from the king himself.

Ernest Tatham in his book Daniel Speaks Today says, "It is

impossible to read this narrative without gaining the fullest

conviction that Nebuchadnezzar, as a result of his remarkable

humbling, became a truly regenerate man." I agree with this

conviction. Good was the word for Nebuchadnezzar. It seemed good

to him to share his conviction about the greatness of God, and of how

he came to that conviction. When God works so persistently and

works miracle after miracle to win a man, and the man himself

acknowledges that God has succeeded in winning him, it is time to

face the fact about that man's conversion.

Verse 3 reveals a man whose eyes have been open to the marvels

of God's nature and power. Here was a king who could sing the

hymn How Great Thou Art with conviction. His concept of God may

have been far from perfect, but it was as exalted as a human mind

can conceive. God was the almighty and everlasting sovereign whose

kingdom had no end. He begins with the conclusion and then goes onto

tell the story of how he arrived at that conclusion. In verse 4 he

gives us the setting. He was lazily lounging in his plush palace like a

typical oriental king. Prosperity beyond our imagination surrounded

him. He had won wars all over the world, and now all was under his

control. Peace and prosperity was his, and he was living the life of

luxury in his palace.

Had God not introduced a problem into his life there is no reason

to believe that he would had ever given God another thought. He

had everything life could offer, and he felt no need of God. Jesus

said that it is almost impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom

of God. With man it is impossible, but with God all things are

possible. The reason it is impossible for man is that his pride and

wealth combine to make himself-sufficient. He sees no need for God,

and the idea of crying out for help is so undignified that he call for