Humbled By Gods Greatness Daniel 4

The last few weeks we have been on a journey through the book of Daniel.

We followed Daniel and his three companions from when they where captured to staying true to God in their life choices, interpreting dreams and becoming leaders, thrown into furnaces. There has been a lot Going on in their lives and we have been following a life of a King who is at this point the most powerful ruler of their day. This guy has taken over Egypt, Isreal, and the majority if not all of the middle east. He has power, he is brutal, he thinks of himself as number one.

This area of the world was known for their worshiping multiple gods.

and up to this point the King has recocnized that the God of these Jews was real and he seemed to just add their God to the collection of the many gods he worshiped.

well all of that changed and we are going to loook at this Kings recognition of the one true God!

We are looking at Daniel chapter 4

Lets open to Daniel 4:1-2

Daniel 4:1–2 ESV

King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.

A Change of Heart

Here we see in the opening of this chapter that the King has something to declare to everyone!

He is not just writing this as a christmas letter to his family, he is not just telling his court something he figured out, he is not just telling his kingdom about it..

This is a letter to all peoples that “dwell in all the earth”.

Look how his heart has changed!

notice he is not saying something like “If you dont listen to my great awakening, I am going to tare you limb from limb”.

No he says “PEACE be multiplied to you!”.

This guy has changed.

This guy has had somthing happen that caused a huge change in his life!

Lets take a look and see what happend.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

4  I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me.

Disturbed in his sleep again!

The King is having disturbing dreams again.

They are causing alarm for him.

so what does he do about it?

English Standard Version Chapter 4

6 So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation.

Again just like before he calls all his “Wise men” to interpret his dream, and again these guys are useless in this.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, 9 “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.

“At last Daniel came in before me”

it is almost as if it was a releif of anxiety that Daniel shows up.

He also is refering to him in this written form as daniel and explaining who he was to him at the time of the dream as belteshazar.

look at vr 9 “because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you that no mistery is too difficult for you”.

He is here saying that he recognizes that Daniel is different. Danuel has somthing that no one else has. He has the spirit of the holy gods..

Things are not quite clear to the king yet!

10 The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. 11 The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

13 “I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. 14 He proclaimed aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. 17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’ 18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Da 4:9–18.

So verses 10-18 show us what the kings dream is and he is asking Daniel to tell him what it means.

Daniels reaction to this dream is interesting.

it says

19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Da 4:19.

Dissmayed is what the ESV says other translations say distressed

in the lexicon it says Ethpôʿal meaning to be appalled

So to say the least Daniel was taken back by this when he heard the dream. this didn’ seem to be something he wanted to tell this guy.

the king saw his reaction and said “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Da 4:19.

look how Daniel handles giving the news.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies!

I wish this was what was going to happen to those that come against you.

I wish i was telling of revelation about your foes.

I wish.. But this is what the dream means.....

loook at 20-27

English Standard Version Chapter 4

20 The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, 21 whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— 22 it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. 23 And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ 24 this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, 25 that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. 26 And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

Here is what is going to happen… Please take my advice and repent before this has to take place.

Daniel knew this was going to be a bad thing for the King.

He knew God was going to make him suffer until he recognized God as the highest authority!

well all this took place and the King went through the hard time

lets continue reading.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.

God came good on his revelation to the king.

God warned him this was going to take place.

34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;

35  all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,

and he does according to his will among the host of heaven

and among the inhabitants of the earth;

and none can stay his hand

or say to him, “What have you done?”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Da 4:34–35.

Recognize the Most High God as Sovereign

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Sovereignty)

Sovereignty

Ancient Near Eastern pantheons, such as those of Mesopotamia and Egypt, often include a high god who occupies the throne; this god is attended by a multitude of gods responsible for different elements of the universe. Frequently, the sun god (or the moon god) is the ruling god, and the earthly king is regarded as a son of the high god.

The prophets, particularly Isaiah, emphasized that Yahweh never lost power and sovereignty, and never would be replaced by another. As the Creator God, He would remain powerful and sovereign even when the nation of Israel lost political power—like during the exilic period. In contrast to the other ancient Near Eastern perceptions of their deities, Yahweh’s power was not reduced when the temple was burned.

Three things I want to point out.

1st Gods Kingdom is Eternal

English Standard Version Chapter 1

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

English Standard Version Chapter 41

Fear Not, for I Am with You

41 Listen to me in silence, O coastlands;

let the peoples renew their strength;

let them approach, then let them speak;

let us together draw near for judgment.

2  Who stirred up one from the east

whom victory meets at every step?

He gives up nations before him,

so that he tramples kings underfoot;

he makes them like dust with his sword,

like driven stubble with his bow.

3  He pursues them and passes on safely,

by paths his feet have not trod.

4  Who has performed and done this,

calling the generations from the beginning?

I, the LORD, the first,

and with the last; I am he.

2nd God is Great!

English Standard Version Chapter 29

11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. 12

Finnaly Gods Greatness makes Him unique

English Standard Version Chapter 7

18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23

This is what King Nebbuchadnezar Found out!

I want to close by reading verses 34 & 35 again

34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;

35  all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,

and he does according to his will among the host of heaven

and among the inhabitants of the earth;

and none can stay his hand

or say to him, “What have you done?”

ultimately Jesus brought the everlasting Kingdom!

Are you part of it?