Well, we finally made it to chapter 4 in the Book of Daniel. This chapter deals with sinful pride. People who are filled with pride exalt themselves and demean others. That pride is sinful because it belittles and sometimes oppresses others. Sinful pride can cause rulers to subject people and rule them with an iron fist. Down through history, sinful pride has led to unjust laws, wars, and the conquest and destruction of nations and entire races of people. PRIDE. It's because of its destructive nature that God hates sinful pride.
We have already seen that King Nebuchadnezzar was full of sinful pride. He exalted himself above everyone else, including God. So, the Lord had to teach him a much-needed lesson. Nebuchadnezzar had to learn that God is sovereign and that He will humble all those that are guilty of sinful pride. This chapter shows us how the Lord went about teaching Nebuchadnezzar this great truth.
So, here we go again with Nebuchadnezzar and one of his dreams. He had a troubling and frightening dream that God caused him to have. God was using this dream to humble the king. If Nebuchadnezzar wanted to please and be pleased by the only true God, he must walk humbly day by day. He had to renounce sin and live righteously. He had to rule in mercy and compassion and execute true justice throughout the empire. So, the Lord is teaching him a great lesson from this dream.
Read Daniel 4:1-3. It almost sounds like this was coming from anyone else other than King Nebuchadnezzar. He is actually giving praise to the Lord. This was actually composed by King Nebuchadnezzar himself and he was recapping this event for all to know. So, what he is talking about in this chapter, in this proclamation, has already happened. He wanted this to be circulated throughout the Babylonian empire.
We need to know also that this is the only chapter in the Bible that was written by a pagan, that is, a person who didn't believe in the Lord. But Nebuchadnezzar wanted the citizens of the nation to know that he had suffered a serious illness for seven long years. But the Most-High God had miraculously healed him and restored him to the throne. It's not known for sure but he might have made this proclamation to explain why he'd been absent from public functions for so long and why he was now able to return to the throne. He might also have wanted to give a strong public witness to the Most-High God who had both humbled and healed him.
So he makes a threefold proclamation. He praised the Lord's great power in working miracles. He proclaimed that God's kingdom is eternal. And he proclaimed that God's dominion, His control and rule over all, endures from generation to generation. This was a strong proclamation for any King to make especially for one as powerful as Nebuchadnezzar. Keep in mind that he was an old man when he gave this testimony for God.
Read Daniel 4:4-5. The king began to share how his encounter with the Lord took place. He was living in the palace, he was comfortable, he was prosperous, and he was perfectly content with his life. In reality this is a pretty clear picture of pride when someone revels in the comfort and prosperity that they have and they neglect their responsibility to serve others. This was obviously a time of peace and plenty for the empire. But then suddenly, one night while the King was asleep in his bed, he had a dream that terrified him.
Read Daniel 4: 6-9. When morning finally came, the king once again called for all the wise men of Babylon to appear in court to interpret the dream. Sound familiar? So, his advisors arrived first, before Daniel, but once again they were unable to interpret the dream. Finally, Daniel arrived. Remember that Daniel was the chief advisor to the king. As soon as he entered the court, the king addressed him as Belteshazzar, a name that was derived from the King’s false god BEL.
The king appears to have a great respect for Daniel, because Daniel had now served the king for many decades, perhaps more than 30 years. Through these years, the king had become convinced that the spirit of this so-called God was in Daniel and spoke through him. He was certain that Daniel was inspired by the gods and that his counsel was far superior to that of the occult advisors. So, the King asks Daniel to interpret the dream for him.
Read Daniel 4: 10 - 12. The king revealed to Daniel four significant images about the dream that stuck out in his mind.
? First, Nebuchadnezzar saw a huge, towering tree in the middle of the earth. This tree grew enormously big and high, so high that it touched the sky itself. It was visible to the entire earth. It bore a massive amount of fruit, enough to provide food for all to eat. It also provided shelter and food for all the animals and birds of the earth.
Read Daniel 4:13- 15a.
? Second, Nebuchadnezzar saw a messenger come down from heaven to interpret this peaceful scene. This messenger issued four commands. Cut down the tree and cut off its branches. Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Chase away the animals from beneath it and the birds from its branches. Leave the stump of its root in the ground and bind it with iron and bronze.
Read Daniel 4:15b - 16.
? Third, Nebuchadnezzar heard the messenger switch from talking about a tree to talking about a man. This shocked the king, because this man was to live outdoors among animals and be exposed to the elements. His mind was to be changed to the mind of an animal and he would become insane, acting like an animal.
Read Daniel 4:17.
? 4th, Nebuchadnezzar heard the messenger declare the reason for this man's punishment. The man was to be a testimony before the whole world, a testimony that God is sovereign and that he alone controls the world's rulers and kingdoms. In addition to that, God gives the kingdoms to whoever He chooses, even to the lowliest of people. So, all of these self-sufficient and proud rulers of the earth needed to know that God could remove them at anytime.
Let me go off on a tangent for just a moment and say that I have been praying for this for at least a year and a half. I have been praying that all of the leaders and rulers of the United States of America would renounce their sin of pride and all of their wicked behavior. And that if they didn't do that, that God would remove them from office. That is what is happening here. All leaders and rulers should renounce their sin of pride and all other wicked behavior. They should live righteously and rule in mercy and compassion. They should execute true justice and walk humbly upon the Earth in the knowledge that they're being held accountable by the Most High God, and that God could remove them from their position at any time.
Read Daniel 4:18. Nebuchadnezzar indicates that this was the end of his dream. And notice the confidence that he has in Daniel being able to interpret the dream. He urged Daniel to explain the meaning because his occult advisors did not have the ability to do so. Here again, Nebuchadnezzar reemphasized his belief that the spirit of the gods was in Daniel.
Once again, we are going to stop here in Scripture for tonight. But what can we see from this passage? It's pretty clear from this passage that God is stressing that He is sovereign. He rules over the entire world and He controls every event that takes place. That means that God has control over our lives and everything that happens to us, including all of the hardships as well as the catastrophic events.
During these times we need to be aware that God is still in control. He has all the knowledge and all the power, and He loves us with an incomprehensible love. So, He will use His power to strengthen us to be able to bear the suffering and to walk victoriously through it. Even when we come to the ultimate crisis of death, the Lord will use His power to once again make us triumphant - victorious over death. The Bible says that quicker than the blink of an eye, the Lord will transfer us from this life into His very own presence, into heaven itself.
So with inflation taking charge right now and the prices of everything going sky high, we can be assured that God is still in control. The Lord is sovereign. And remember that Romans 8:28 reminds us that He is working all things out for the good for those who truly love and follow Him.
Some people may hear and see my actions and say don't you even care? The answer is “yes” I care and I am as concerned as anyone else. But my God is in control of it all and I trust in Him for the best of outcomes.
I can say that confidently because “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” 2 Tim. 2:12
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8:38-39
Isaiah 12:2 - 2 Indeed, God is my salvation; I will trust him and not be afraid, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my song.
He has become my salvation.”
