Introduction
I believe that God asks every one of us “what is it going to be?” Are you going to choose to live the way that I want you to live or are you going to choose any which way you way to live your life?
Today in our passage of Scripture, God asked Nebuchadnezzar that exact question through a dream that Daniel interpreted for him. Nebuchadnezzar, are you going to break off your sins by being righteous and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor or are you willing to settle for the judgment that I have reserved for you? You make up your mind. You have the freedom to decide.
Scripture
So, let’s see what we can find and apply to our life as Daniel Explains the Second Dream to King Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 4:19–27 (NKJV)
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!
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. 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.
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. 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.”
Point#1
WHEN GOD ASK YOU “WHAT IS IT GOING TO BE” IN YOUR LIVE, GOD IS NOT MAKING A SUGGESTION, HE IS NOT GIVING YOU A RECOMMENDATION, HE IS ISSUING YOU A DECREE.
24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:
Maybe the problem is that Christians living in our day and time don’t understand what a decree means. So, I looked it up. God’s decree is his eternal plan, according to his will and for his glory, which will come to pass. A decree is something that God says is going to happen that will happen.
For example: it is appointed to man once to die and then the judgment. That is going to happen. If the rapture does not occur in our lifetime, each one of us here will see death and the next thing awaiting us is the judgment. That is a decree. It is God’s plan according to his will and his glory and it will come to past.
Back to the Scripture, the decree that is giving to Nebuchadnezzar is break off your sin by being righteous and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed or you will be living in the field as a wild animal and eating grass for seven years. In other words, you are going to go crazy.
How many of you here today would say that if this is the decree God is giving me and I know God’s decrees will come to pass, that I would choose to change my life? How many of you will chose to live like a beast in the field?
That’s interesting the response I received, because God decrees if your name is not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life at the end time that you will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. And yet my Bible tells me that only a few make sure their name is written in the Lambs Book of Life. It says wide is the way of destruction and many take it. You would not want to be an animal in the field for seven years, but you would allow yourself to be thrown in the Lake of Fire for all eternity. It doesn’t make sense; I would do what God says to get my name in the Book of Life. Amen. And what is that? To accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior by grace through faith accepting His gift in my life.
Let me debunk a fallacy before I go on to my next point. Because the Judgment is decreed, the Lake of Fire decreed, it makes no sense to say doing the “god thing” is one way to live your life but there are other ways to live your live. Let me make this perfectly clear, God is the only way to live your life.
Point #2
DANIEL CHANGED IN OUR STORY, BUT NEBUCHADNEZZAR NEVER CHANGED. HE REFUSED TO ADMIT THAT THE WAY THAT HE LIVED HIS LIFE WAS WRONG. YOU PROBABLY KNOW SOMEONE WHO REFUSES TO ADMIT THAT THEY ARE WRONG. GOD’S QUESTION-WHAT IT IS GOING TO BE- WILL JUST BOUNCE OFF OF THEM.
Let me show you how Daniel changed throughout the story.
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.”
Daniel was taken as a young boy about sixteen years old from Israel, the king wanted to force him to eat the king’s diet, he made him attend the Babylonian University to learn its culture and their gods. In a real sense, can’t you see that Nebuchadnezzar is an enemy of Daniel and his beloved homeland of Israel.
Here we come to Chapter 4 and Daniel is interpreting the Second Dream and instead of rejoicing that something bad is going to Nebuchadnezzar, he is genuinely troubled that the King might chose the wrong answer. And in vs 27, Daniel gives King Nebuchadnezzar good sound Biblical advice- chose righteousness; abandon your sinfulness.
Daniel had to have changed. He had to forgive Nebuchadnezzar for exiling him, attempting him to eat the King’s diet, forcing him to go to the Babylonian University, for putting a hit out on him because the wise men of Babylon could not tell the King his first dream and interpretation.
And interestingly, somebody does one small thing to us, and we cannot forgive him or her. But Daniel, he forgave all those things. And he truly loved the King he served. And aren’t we commanded to love our enemies?
Now, Nebuchadnezzar, he never changed. He was prideful in Chapters 1, 2 and 3. And even after the decree was issued in Chapter 4, he was still prideful. This verse is after the decree.
Daniel 4:28–31 (NKJV)
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!
Nebuchadnezzar has one of those spirits that it is all about me - I do remarkable things and I am never wrong. That spirit exists today. Some of you may have grown up with a mother or father who was always right. Never admitted to doing something wrong. And maybe you are married to such a person.
I can tell you that person who exhibits that king of spirit, a decree of God will just bounce right off them. They will quickly discount it that God is not talking to me.
Point #3
DON’T BE FOOLED THINKING YOU GOT AWAY WITH SOMETHING. IF GOD ISSUES A DECREE IN YOUR LIFE, HE MAY WAIT A PERIOD OF TIME FOR YOU TO COMPLY, BUT HE WILL EXECUTE JUDGMENT IF YOU DON’T COMPLY.
The decree was issued repent of your sins and turn to righteousness or yow will be removed from your throne, or you will eat the grass of the field and live like an animal for 7 years.
One month passed and nothing happened, a half a year passed, and nothing happened and Nebuchadnezzar probably thinking I got away with it. Eleven months have passed and surely God has forgot about it. But on the 12-month, God executed judgement.
Daniel 4:31–32 (NKJV)
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.”
Let me show you what the New Testament says about it.
2 Peter 3:9 “9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
Thought to Ponder
Has God asked you, “What is it going to be?”
It is all important what you do with that question.
Nebuchadnezzar learned the hard way.
