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Review

This is the fifth sermon in this series, looking at how Daniel and his

friends managed to thrive spiritually in a culture, very much like ours which seems to getting more

Godless by the week. They not only thrived personally, but made a huge impact on the empire they

were serving.

So far, we have seen that they truly believed that

God is in control of whoever is in control.

And, they ordered they life by Solomon’s advice in Proverbs 3, where he said:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways

submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

The Time Span

Today we will be looking at the story found in Daniel 4. This is the last story about their interaction and

impact on King Nebuchadnezzar.

We don’t really know for sure when this story took place. King Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon for 44

years. Daniel and his friends ended up there during his first year. So, these first four chapters cover 44

years of history – that’s not very much information.

It would seem logical to me that the first three chapters were clustered towards the earlier part of his

reign – maybe spanning his first eight to ten years.

Daniel 4 seems to have happened later, after most of his numerous building projects were completed –

maybe somewhere around 30 years in.

Let’s consider the implications of this for a moment.

When you read the book of Daniel, it seems like he had one exciting life, moving rapidly from one

significant event to another.

We know he and his friends were taken from Jerusalem and walked to Babylon as captives. We know

they were in school for three years and we have a couple details that cover ten days of that time –

probably close to the beginning of their time in school. We know they passed their final exams with

flying colors – and they impressed the King. The record states:

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… No one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael,

and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. Whenever the

king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and

balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than

any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. (Daniel 1:19-20, NLT)

Sometime after that, we see two days of their lives revolving around the King’s forgotten dream.

We saw them coming together in prayer when confronted with a difficult situation and the possibility of

execution. Again, their actions made a huge impact on the King who said:

“Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have

been able to reveal this secret.” (Daniel 2:47, NLT)

Sometime after that, maybe even a few years, we have the record of one pretty exciting day involving

an image of gold and a fiery furnace. Their choice to honor God, even at the risk of losing their lives,

made a huge impact on the King, who said:

“Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his

servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than

serve or worship any god except their own God … There is no other god who can rescue like this!”

(Daniel 3:28-29, NLT)

Up to this point, we have details about maybe 14-15 days out of 10 years – that’s less than a day and a

half a year for ten years and then there is silence for another 20 years or so.

Their lives were probably no more exciting than any of ours – just day after day doing their jobs, maybe

having some leisure time now and then. Just like us, they probably had good days and bad days, made

some good choices and some not so good. They might have been sick once in a while, hurt themselves,

got sunburned, and so on.

In other words, they had a pretty ordinary life, most of the time.

Why is this important?

When we read the book of Daniel, it may seem like they had an exciting life and were always in the

middle of some action. We somehow conclude that our life with Christ should be like that.

In reality, their life was more like ours than we generally think. What we can learn from the recorded

events is that they trusted God even in the dull, boring times. They lived with integrity even when it

wasn’t seen or reported. They had a habit of honoring God – otherwise, in the times of testing, they

would have failed and we would have had a very different story.

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The book of Daniel covers a span of about 66 years – they had a lot of

ordinary, routine life with a handful of big, life-changing events – kind of

like us!

Daniel 4 – The Story

Daniel 4 is unique in that it was mostly written by the King – in the first person:

King Nebuchadnezzar sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language

throughout the world: “Peace and prosperity to you! “I want you all to know about the

miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his

signs, how powerful his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations.”

(Daniel 4:1-3, NLT)

This chapter is the King’s testimony of how God affected him and how he felt about it.

He had another dream – remember, it had been 20 – 25 years since the last one so this was not a

common occurrence.

And, while he did not understand the dream, it carried an urgency that made him want to know what it

meant, so he called together the professionals – of whom Daniel was the chief.

Daniel must have been out on business somewhere because the rest of the team showed up before he

did and they were as stumped as the King was. Then Daniel shows up, and the king says:

“Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no

mystery is too great for you to solve. Now tell me what my dream means.” (Daniel 4:9, NLT)

He then told him the dream – the big tree that was cut down, eating grass, etc. – and then says this:

“Belteshazzar, that was the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now tell me what it means,

for none of the wise men of my kingdom can do so. But you can tell me because the spirit of the

holy gods is in you.” (Daniel 4:18, NLT)

This chapter reflects years of interaction between the King and Daniel, who must have served with

loyalty and integrity. It shows us that the King trusted Daniel’s wisdom and recognized its divine origin.

It also seems like, up to this point, the King knew about and respected God, but did not yet have a

personal connection with Him.

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Daniel was stunned by the dream and he sat in sorrow for a time, not

speaking until the King encouraged him to share it and not be afraid of

even bringing him bad news. This brief exchange shows the depth of

their relationship – Daniel was more than just a trusted counselor, he was

a loyal friend.

Daniel then shares the meaning of the dream – basically bad news. The King would become an animal

for seven years eating grass like a cow, and then be restored to his kingdom. And again, we see the

tenderness of Daniel as he advises the King by saying:

“King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from

your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.”

(Daniel 4:27, NLT)

This is not something you would generally say to someone you did not have a good relationship with –

especially when that someone had been prone to kill people who came with unwanted messages. This is

something you would say to someone you cared about, a good friend.

It must not have make that big of an impression, however. Twelve months later, the King was walking

outside in his roof-top garden admiring the beautiful city he had built. And he said:

“Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as

my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.”

While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, “O King

Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. You will be

driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass

like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most

High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.”

That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society.

He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his

hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws. (Daniel 4:30-33, NLT)

This lasted for seven years – that would be like from now until May, 2024.

I have often wondered why someone didn’t kill him during this time; or at least take over the kingdom –

he must have had some enemies.

How in the world did he survive those seven years to come back and finish his life ruling the kingdom?

That, all by itself, is a miracle – an indication of divine intervention. This is just conjecture on my part,

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but I think Daniel, the kings loyal friend, was active in protecting the king

and preserving the kingdom for him.

At the end of the seven year, King Nebuchadnezzar picks up the

narration again in the first person:

“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I

praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is

everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him.

He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one

can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’

“When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and

nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than

before.

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just

and true, and he is able to humble the proud.” (Daniel 4:34-37, NLT)

This was the greatest king of the most powerful kingdom in the world at the time. And this happened

because four men chose to trust God in everything and order their lives by His instructions – all while

having no idea they were an important part of God’s plan to reach the king.

Thriving in Babylon

So, what can we learn from these chapters about living our lives now? Why are all these stories

important?

First, they tell us that our lives are not just about us, but about fitting into the bigger picture of God’s

plan.

Here in Daniel we get to see something that we rarely see or even think about. We see several incidents

where these men trusted God explicitly, always choosing to do things His way. And then we see how

these seemingly disconnected incidents made a difference in the life of the ruler of the most powerful

kingdom in the world at that time – bringing him into a relationship with God.

In the same way, our lives fit into a bigger plan. God knows that plan and what pieces need to be in

place for it to keep moving forward. Which brings us to the second point.

The only way we can be successful in completing our part in the big picture is to trust God with the

details of our life. Looking again at Proverbs 3:5-6:

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Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own

understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make

your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

The most important word here is all. God is asking for total trust, the kind of trust that will lead us to

submit to Him, to do what He says, in everything. His promise then, is to make clear to us what direction

we are to go.

In the book Desire of Ages, it says:

Those who accept the one principle of making the service and honor of God supreme will find

perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their feet. (Desire of Ages, page 330)

And the last point is we can do the most good when we are in it for the long haul. Daniel interacted with

the King for 44 years. Do you think it even crossed his mind when he was young that through his

influence, the King would someday honor and worship God?

There are people who move in and out of our lives – some for a short time and others for longer. And

then there are those who we keep crossing paths with year after year, day after day. These include

family members, colleagues at work, friends from childhood, high school, and college.

There may be an eternal reason why God keeps bringing us together with that irritating in-law, that

obnoxious neighbor, or that self-seeking colleague in the next booth over. Maybe, God is trying to use

your life and relationship with them to reach them with His love.

We may never know all the parts we have played in other people’s lives until Heaven. We may never see

how God is using us to accomplish an important plan of His until some conversation during eternity.

But one thing is for sure, we will only be successful in parts we don’t know we are even playing unless

we are trusting God to lead us day by day.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways

submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

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Notes

The inspiration for this sermon series came from the

book, Thriving in Babylon, by Larry Osborn. In it, he

explores in depth what it means to live a Godly life in an

ungodly society based on Daniel’s life and experience in Babylon. To purchase a copy of

this book, click here. To purchase an iTunes copy, click here. To purchase a Kindle copy,

click here. And, to purchase a Nook copy, click here.

Most everything you find in this color is a hyperlink that will lead you to more complete

references, different translations, or pertinent websites.

The following commentaries were useful in researching this sermon series.

• The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 4

• The Theology of Work Project Commentary

Previous Sermons in this Series: Click on the title to open a PDF copy of it.

• Babylon (Thriving in Babylon, Introduction)

• A Stranger (Thriving in Babylon, Daniel 1)

• A Servant (Thriving in Babylon, Daniel 2)

• Witnesses (Thriving in Babylon, Daniel 3)

Scripture References

Proverbs 3:5-12 (NLT): Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. 8 Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.

9 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. 10 Then he

will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.

11 My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. 12 For the

LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

(Proverbs 3:5-12, NLT)

Daniel 4 (NLT): King Nebuchadnezzar sent this message to the people of every race and nation and

language throughout the world: “Peace and prosperity to you! “I want you all to know about the

miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me. 3 How great are his

signs, how powerful his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations.

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4 “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace in comfort and

prosperity. 5 But one night I had a dream that frightened me; I

saw visions that terrified me as I lay in my bed. 6 So I issued an

order calling in all the wise men of Babylon, so they could tell me

what my dream meant. 7 When all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers

came in, I told them the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant. 8 At last Daniel came in

before me, and I told him the dream. (He was named Belteshazzar after my god, and the spirit of

the holy gods is in him.)

9 “I said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in

you and that no mystery is too great for you to solve. Now tell me what my dream means.

10 “‘While I was lying in my bed, this is what I dreamed. I saw a large tree in the middle of the

earth. 11 The tree grew very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to

see. 12 It had fresh green leaves, and it was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in

its shade, and birds nested in its branches. All the world was fed from this tree.

13 “‘Then as I lay there dreaming, I saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. 14 The messenger shouted,

“Cut down the tree and lop off its branches! Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Chase

the wild animals from its shade and the birds from its branches. 15 But leave the stump and

the roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze and surrounded by tender

grass. Now let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the wild

animals among the plants of the field. 16 For seven periods of time, let him have the mind of a

wild animal instead of the mind of a human. 17 For this has been decreed by the

messengers; it is commanded by the holy ones, so that everyone may know that the Most

High rules over the kingdoms of the world. He gives them to anyone he chooses – even to the

lowliest of people.”

18 “‘Belteshazzar, that was the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now tell me what it

means, for none of the wise men of my kingdom can do so. But you can tell me because the spirit

of the holy gods is in you.’

19 “Upon hearing this, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) was overcome for a time, frightened

by the meaning of the dream. Then the king said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, don’t be alarmed by the

dream and what it means.’

“Belteshazzar replied, ‘I wish the events foreshadowed in this dream would happen to your

enemies, my lord, and not to you! 20 The tree you saw was growing very tall and strong, reaching

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high into the heavens for all the world to see. 21 It had fresh green

leaves and was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived

in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. 22 That tree, Your

Majesty, is you. For you have grown strong and great; your

greatness reaches up to heaven, and your rule to the ends of the earth.

23 “‘Then you saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, “Cut down the

tree and destroy it. But leave the stump and the roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron

and bronze and surrounded by tender grass. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven. Let

him live with the animals of the field for seven periods of time.”

24 “‘This is what the dream means, Your Majesty, and what the Most High has declared will

happen to my lord the king. 25 You will be driven from human society, and you will live in the

fields with the wild animals. You will eat grass like a cow, and you will be drenched with the dew

of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most

High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses. 26 But the stump

and roots of the tree were left in the ground. This means that you will receive your kingdom back

again when you have learned that heaven rules.

27 “‘King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from

your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.’

28 “But all these things did happen to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later he was taking

a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon. 30 As he looked out across the city, he said,

‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my

royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’

31 “While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, ‘O King

Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. 32 You will be

driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass

like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most

High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’

33 “That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human

society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way

until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws.

34 “After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I

praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is

everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. 35 All the people of the earth are nothing compared to

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him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and

among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to

him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’

36 “When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and

nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than

before.

37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just

and true, and he is able to humble the proud.” (Daniel 4, NLT)

E.G. White Writings

Desire of Ages, page 330: There are many whose hearts are aching under a load of care because they

seek to reach the world's standard. They have chosen its service, accepted its perplexities,

adopted its customs. Thus their character is marred, and their life made a weariness. In order to

gratify ambition and worldly desires, they wound the conscience, and bring upon themselves an

additional burden of remorse. The continual worry is wearing out the life forces. Our Lord desires

them to lay aside this yoke of bondage. He invites them to accept His yoke; He says, "My yoke is

easy, and My burden is light." He bids them seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,

and His promise is that all things needful to them for this life shall be added. Worry is blind, and

cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has

His way prepared to bring relief. Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us, of

which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service and honor of

God supreme will find perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their feet.

(Desire of Ages, page 330)

Desire of Ages, page 668: All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if

we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and

minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own

impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When

we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience.

Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will

become hateful to us.

As Christ lived the law in humanity, so we may do if we will take hold of the Strong for strength.

But we are not to place the responsibility of our duty upon others, and wait for them to tell us

what to do. We cannot depend for counsel upon humanity. The Lord will teach us our duty just as

willingly as He will teach somebody else. If we come to Him in faith, He will speak His mysteries

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to us personally. Our hearts will often burn within us as One

draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch. Those who

decide to do nothing in any line that will displease God, will

know, after presenting their case before Him, just what course to

pursue. And they will receive not only wisdom, but strength. Power for obedience, for service, will

be imparted to them, as Christ has promised. Whatever was given to Christ--the "all things" to

supply the need of fallen men – was given to Him as the head and representative of humanity.

And "whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those

things that are pleasing in His sight." 1 John 3:22. (Desire of Ages, page 668)

Prophets and Kings, pages 514-521: Exalted to the pinnacle of worldly honor, and acknowledged even by

Inspiration as "a king of kings" (Ezekiel 26:7). Nebuchadnezzar nevertheless at times had

ascribed to the favor of Jehovah the glory of his kingdom and the splendor of his reign. Such had

been the case after his dream of the great image. His mind had been profoundly influenced by

this vision and by the thought that the Babylonian Empire, universal though it was, was finally to

fall, and other kingdoms were to bear sway, until at last all earthly powers were to be

superseded by a kingdom set up by the God of heaven, which kingdom was never to be

destroyed.

Nebuchadnezzar's noble conception of God's purpose concerning the nations was lost sight of

later in his experience; yet when his proud spirit was humbled before the multitude on the plain

of Dura, he once more had acknowledged that God's kingdom is "an everlasting kingdom, and

His dominion is from generation to generation." An idolater (Page 515) by birth and training, and

at the head of an idolatrous people, he had nevertheless an innate sense of justice and right, and

God was able to use him as an instrument for the punishment of the rebellious and for the

fulfillment of the divine purpose. "The terrible of the nations" (Ezekiel 28:7), it was given

Nebuchadnezzar, after years of patient and wearing labor, to conquer Tyre; Egypt also fell a prey

to his victorious armies; and as he added nation after nation to the Babylonian realm, he added

more and more to his fame as the greatest ruler of the age.

It is not surprising that the successful monarch, so ambitious and so proud-spirited, should be

tempted to turn aside from the path of humility, which alone leads to true greatness. In the

intervals between his wars of conquest he gave much thought to the strengthening and

beautifying of his capital, until at length the city of Babylon became the chief glory of his

kingdom, "the golden city," "the praise of the whole earth." His passion as a builder, and his

signal success in making Babylon one of the wonders of the world, ministered to his pride, until

he was in grave danger of spoiling his record as a wise ruler whom God could continue to use as

an instrument for the carrying out of the divine purpose.

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In mercy God gave the king another dream, to warn him of his

peril and of the snare that had been laid for his ruin. In a vision of

the night, Nebuchadnezzar saw a great tree growing in the midst

of the earth, its top towering to the heavens and its branches

stretching to the ends of the earth. Flocks and herds from the mountains and hills enjoyed shelter

beneath its shadow, and the birds of (Page 516) the air built their nests in its boughs. "The leaves

thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all … and all flesh was fed of

it."

As the king gazed upon the lofty tree, he beheld "a Watcher," even "an Holy One," who

approached the tree and in a loud voice cried:

"Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the

beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: nevertheless leave the stump of

his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let

it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:

let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven

times pass over him. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word

of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom

of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men."

Greatly troubled by the dream, which was evidently a prediction of adversity, the king repeated

it to "the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers;" but although the

dream was very explicit, none of the wise men could interpret it.

Once more in this idolatrous nation, testimony was to be borne to the fact that only those who

love and fear God can understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. The king in his

perplexity sent for his servant Daniel, a man esteemed for his integrity and constancy and for his

unrivaled wisdom. (Page 517)

When Daniel, in response to the royal summons, stood in the king's presence, Nebuchadnezzar

said, "O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is

in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the

interpretation thereof." After relating the dream, Nebuchadnezzar said: "O Belteshazzar, declare

the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make

known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee."

To Daniel the meaning of the dream was plain, and its significance startled him. He "was

astounded for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him." Seeing Daniel's hesitation and distress,

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the king expressed sympathy for his servant. "Belteshazzar," he

said, "let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble

thee."

"My lord," Daniel answered, "the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation

thereof to thine enemies." The prophet realized that upon him God had laid the solemn duty of

revealing to Nebuchadnezzar the judgment that was about to fall upon him because of his pride

and arrogance. Daniel must interpret the dream in language the king could understand; and

although its dreadful import had made him hesitate in dumb amazement, yet he must state the

truth, whatever the consequences to himself.

Then Daniel made known the mandate of the Almighty. "The tree that thou sawest," he said,

"which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all

the earth; whose leaves were fair, and (Page 518) the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for

all; under which the beast of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven

had their habitation: it is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is

grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

"And whereas the king saw a Watcher and an Holy One coming down from heaven, and saying,

Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even

with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of

heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him; this is

the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord

the king: that they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the

field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of

heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the

kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will. And whereas they commanded to leave

the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have

known that the Heavens do rule."

Having faithfully interpreted the dream, Daniel urged the proud monarch to repent and turn to

God, that by rightdoing he might avert the threatened calamity. "O king," the prophet pleaded,

"let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine

iniquities (Page 519) by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility."

For a time the impression of the warning and the counsel of the prophet was strong upon

Nebuchadnezzar; but the heart that is not transformed by the grace of God soon loses the

impressions of the Holy Spirit. Self-indulgence and ambition had not yet been eradicated from

the king's heart, and later on these traits reappeared. Notwithstanding the instruction so

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graciously given him, and the warnings of past experience,

Nebuchadnezzar again allowed himself to be controlled by a

spirit of jealousy against the kingdoms that were to follow. His

rule, which heretofore had been to a great degree just and

merciful, became oppressive. Hardening his heart, he used his God-given talents for self-

glorification, exalting himself above the God who had given him life and power.

For months the judgment of God lingered. But instead of being led to repentance by this

forbearance, the king indulged his pride until he lost confidence in the interpretation of the

dream, and jested at his former fears.

A year from the time he had received the warning, Nebuchadnezzar, walking in his palace and

thinking with pride of his power as a ruler and of his success as a builder, exclaimed, "Is not this

great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for

the honor of my majesty?"

While the proud boast was yet on the king's lips, a voice from heaven announced that God's

appointed time of judgment (Page 520) had come. Upon his ears fell the mandate of Jehovah: "O

King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall

drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee

to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High

ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will."

In a moment the reason that God had given him was taken away; the judgment that the king

thought perfect, the wisdom on which he prided himself, was removed, and the once mighty

ruler was a maniac. His hand could no longer sway the scepter. The messages of warning had

been unheeded; now, stripped of the power his Creator had given him, and driven from men,

Nebuchadnezzar "did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his

hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws."

For seven years Nebuchadnezzar was an astonishment to all his subjects; for seven years he was

humbled before all the world. Then his reason was restored and, looking up in humility to the

God of heaven, he recognized the divine hand in his chastisement. In a public proclamation he

acknowledged his guilt and the great mercy of God in his restoration. "At the end of the days,"

he said, "I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned

unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him that liveth forever, whose

dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom (Page 521) is from generation to

generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according

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to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of

the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What

doest Thou?

"At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honor

and brightness returned unto me; and my counselors and my lords sought unto me; and I was

established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me."

The once proud monarch had become a humble child of God; the tyrannical, overbearing ruler, a

wise and compassionate king. He who had defied and blasphemed the God of heaven, now

acknowledged the power of the Most High and earnestly sought to promote the fear of Jehovah

and the happiness of his subjects. Under the rebuke of Him who is King of kings and Lord of lords,

Nebuchadnezzar had learned at last the lesson which all rulers need to learn – that true

greatness consists in true goodness. He acknowledged Jehovah as the living God, saying, "I

Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and

His ways judgment: and those that walk in pride He is able to abase."

God's purpose that the greatest kingdom in the world should show forth His praise was now

fulfilled. This public proclamation, in which Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged the mercy and

goodness and authority of God, was the last act of his life recorded in sacred history.

(Prophets and Kings, pages 514-521)

Theology of Work Commentary (click here)

Theme C: Humbling and Overthrow of the Pagan King (Daniel 4): For an explanation of the themes in

and structure of Daniel, see the section "The Big Picture of the Book of Daniel".

Daniel 4 and Daniel 5 are to be read in concert, chapter 4 introducing theme C of the chiasm, and

chapter 5 reprising it. The topic of both is the humbling or overthrow of the pagan kingdom. The

magnificence of Babylon serves as the common setting for the humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar in

chapter 4 and the demise of King Belshazzar in chapter 5.

In chapter 4, both Babylon’s magnificence and the king’s arrogance reached their zeniths. Yet

once again, the king was troubled by his dreams. He saw an enormous tree whose “top reached

to heaven” (4:11), which provided fruit and shelter for all the animals. But at the command from

a “holy watcher, coming down from heaven” (4:13), the tree was cut down and the animals

scattered. In the dream the stump became a man whose mind was changed into that of an

animal and who was constrained to live among the animals and plants for an extended time

(4:13-16). The king commands Daniel to interpret the dream, once again requiring Daniel to give

unpleasant news to an emotionally unstable monarch (4:18-19). The interpretation is that the

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tree represents Nebuchadnezzar himself, who will be punished

for his arrogance by being driven insane and made to live like a

wild animal until he will “know that the Most High has

sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals and gives it to whom he

will” (4:25). Despite the stark warning, Nebuchadnezzar persisted in his pride, even boasting, “Is

this not magnificent Babylon, which I have built as a royal capital by my mighty power and for

my glorious majesty?” (4:30). As a result, he was punished as the dream foretold (4:33).

But perhaps Daniel’s confrontational interpretation made a difference, for after a long time in

the wilderness, the king repents, glorifies God, and both his sanity and his kingdom are restored

to him (4:34-37). Daniel’s stand did not persuade the king to renounce his arrogance before

disaster struck, but it opened a door for the king’s repentance and restoration after the fact.

At times our respectful, principled stands may lead to transformation in our workplaces, too. A

consultant at an international management consulting firm – call him Vince – tells a story of

confronting someone with a bit too much self-importance.

Vince was put in charge of a team of promising young employees at one of the firm’s clients, a

large industrial company. At the start of the project, a senior partner from the firm began to give

a pep talk to the team. One of the client team members – call him Gary – interrupted him. Gary

began to question the validity of the project. “Before we embark on this project,” said Gary, “I

think we should evaluate whether consulting firms like yours actually add value to their clients.

I’ve been reading some articles that say this kind of study may not be as useful as it’s cracked up

to be.” The senior partner found a way to continue his pep talk, but afterwards he told Vince,

“Get Gary off the team.” Vince – mindful of Jesus’ command to forgive a brother seventy-seven

times (Matthew 18:22) – asked permission to see if he could get Gary to change his attitude. “It

just doesn’t seem right to damage his career over one mistake, big as it was,” he said. “You have

two weeks,” the partner replied, “and you’re putting yourself on the line, too.” By God’s grace –

according to Vince – Gary did come to see the validity of the project and flung himself into the

work wholeheartedly. The senior partner recognized the change and, at the end of the project,

singled out Gary for special recognition at the closing banquet. Vince’s stand made a difference

for both Gary and his company. (Theme C: Humbling and Overthrow of the Pagan King – Daniel

4)