Bible Study
Book of Daniel
Chapter 4, Part 12
V. 1 – Nebuchadnezzar sent out a message of peace to all the people of his vast kingdom. We know that he conquered Egypt, Assyria, and Judah, over 1,000 miles of territory, so this decree had a long way to go. The king had found the Lord and was at peace now and wanted the people to enjoy the same feeling. His army was keeping things in peace throughout his kingdom, so what did he mean by “Peace be multiplied unto you.” He meant spiritual peace: The peace that comes from knowing God.
God originally placed Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan idol worshipper, in this position of authority in order to bring vengeance against Judah for worshipping idols and bowing down to other gods. Nebuchadnezzar who had come to realize the power and might of God through the interpretation of the image dream and seeing the four men walking in the fiery furnace unscathed and not even smelling like smoke when they came out, had probably come to worship God among his own gods. We can know this by his personal testimony of God’s works in his life. This God was no longer just Daniel’s God, or the God of the Hebrew, He was now the king’s God as well.
V. 2, 3 – Nebuchadnezzar did have the wisdom and understanding that YHWH is “the Most High God” and that He works signs and wonders. He admitted that God had done these things for him, yet still had not overcome the pride issue in his life. He still believed himself to be the greatest man that ever live and that he had built the kingdom of Babylon himself. He was still not ready to give God the glory for the kingdom development or release this kingdom to the Lord’s hands.
In verse three we see where Nebu split the kingdoms. Look at it in his own words, “How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation (v. 3). To me this implies that God’s kingdom and dominion are never ending, and neither are Nebuchadnezzar’s.
V. 4 – Nebuchadnezzar now begins the telling of his second frightening dream. He was resting (sleeping) in his castle. He was content that he was wealthy, healthy, and could do anything he wanted. In today’s vernacular, one might say, “You da man!” When he went to bed that night it was with the opinion that things could not get any better. What he failed to consider was that they could get mighty worse.
V. 5-7 – “I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.” For the second time now we read that a dream troubled the king. He was afraid. Remember the first dream took place during the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign as king and it troubled frightened him so much he couldn’t sleep. Nebuchadnezzar sent out a decree to call all the wise men to him for interpretation, but would not disclose the dream. After this second dream he sent out another decree that all the Chaldeans, Magicians, astrologers, and soothsayers should come to him. This time he divulged the dream to them. It’s funny to me that the king once again resorted to the inept “wise men” who had let him down the first time instead of Daniel whom he knew could tell him the interpretation because he had the “most High God” working through him. As expected, the wise men failed the king again and could not make known the interpretation of the dream. Don’t you wonder if they were thinking Daniel would come save them again so they should just not make a statement that might insult the king leading to their deaths? I wonder that.
One thing to consider is that these guys were dealing with a lunatic. Nebuchadnezzar is written in history as having a mental illness. No one specifically states a name for his condition, however, so I won’t speculate about it here.
V. 8 – In steps our hero: Daniel. By now, the king knows for sure that only the God in Daniel can tell him the interpretation of his dreams. Notice the king’s words, “But AT LAST Daniel came before me. What a relief to the king’s sore mind. Now that Daniel is on the scene, Nebuchadnezzar can relax.
I really want you to see and understand the rest of this verse. The way it’s written confuses people and I want us to know fully what’s being said. “But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, According to the name of my god, and IN whom IS THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLY GOD…” (Some interpretations use “gods” as the word for God. The correct translation is God.) What Nebuchadnezzar has declared to all the nations, tribes, and tongues is two-fold. First, he renamed Daniel “Belteshazzar” according to the name of his god, “bel (also called Baal or Marduk)”. Second, the king’s revelation to the then known world is that Daniel is filled with the Holy Spirit of THE God. Personally I think this was an admission that the king’s gods who were supposed to work through his wise men were useless, but Daniel’s God could do all things. He called the wise men first to give his gods a chance to answer his dream and once again they failed him. That’s when he called on Daniel.
V. 9 – “O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods (the Holy Spirit) is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.” Nebuchadnezzar called Daniel “master of the magicians” not because of his official position in the kingdom, but because Daniel is the master interpreter who speaks the word of God, through the Holy Spirit in him, to the king.
V. 10-12 – Now the king begins to reveal the visions he’d had “in his head, on his bed” that were troubling him. Before we look at the dream, let’s get a little background on why God was using these elements to speak to Nebuchadnezzar in the dream.
In several commentaries I read it said that Nebuchadnezzar, during the rebuilding of Babylon , took a trip to Lebanon to watch them fell the massive cedar trees that would be used in the construction of the kingdom. While he was there, he cut down a tree himself to show the people he could do it. These were the great cedars of Lebanon and the king felt powerful bringing one down. He so impressed with himself that he had an artist do a stone carving with his imprint on it depicting him cutting the tree down. God would use this prideful boast to His own purpose soon.
Watch now as the Lord unfolds the vision. “I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.” (Neither the greatness nor height of the tree kept it from being cut down.) “The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: (Nebuchadnezzar’s greatness was known all around the world and he was seen as a formidable foe.) The leaves thereof were fair and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.”
Nebuchadnezzar was like that tree. He had become strong. I don’t know what his physical stature was, but his political and military stature were huge, and his authority could be felt (seen) throughout the world. He was dressed in the finest clothing. He provided shelter to his people and they were well-fed from his abundance. They came under the shadow of his protection.
Bible Study
Book of Daniel
Chapter 4, Part 13
V. 13 – “I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven.” “A watcher, a holy one” could only mean an angel sent by God to deliver His message of the curse that was about to befall the king. What was the curse? It was the judgement of God that the “tree” (Nebuchadnezzar) would be cut down; all of its strength would be removed, and only the main root (heart) and the stump would be preserved. Nebuchadnezzar brought this judgement upon himself when he raised the image and elevated himself to a stature higher than God, or so he thought.
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
That’s why Jesus said, “And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24).
Dr. F. J. Huegal, chaplain, missionary, wrote in Our Daily Bread in December1986, “Pride is the only disease known to man that makes everyone sick except the one who has it.”
If we are to take one major lesson from this fourth chapter of Daniel it is that pride destroys. If you are proud of your position in life rather than of your loving God, you are out the will of God for your life. We are given position and titles not for our own benefit or advancement, but as a means to help others. This week take time to read verse 27 and meditate on what Daniel was advising that Nebuchadnezzar practice. We would all benefit if each of us lived this way.
V. 14 – “He cried aloud” means that his voice was full and every word was spoken with clarity and emphasis so that no one could mistake what was being said. “Cried” here means “to shout, yell.” God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to have no doubt about what was coming and the significance of it to his life and kingdom.
Remember this; when this particular vision took place in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel was almost 50 and the king was almost 70. He’d been in control a long time and now that was being challenged.
“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…” I’m sure the king had no trouble understanding that the tree referred to here was himself. He saw himself in the first part of the dream where he was the provider and protector of all the kindom peoples and livestock. Everything in his kingdom flourished and grew abundantly. The vision in this second part is what Nebuchadnezzar said, “Made me afraid” (V. 5). Once again he’s watching as an enormous tree is felled; only this time the tree is the king.
I need to say here that the king didn't cover and protect everyone in his kingdom. There were many poor people that he overlooked.
V. 15. 16 – “Nevertheless leave the stump of (and) 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…” There are two schools of thought about why God had the stump banded. (1) it was to preserve the stump in case anyone would try to remove it and also to show that Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom was still intact, (2) it was traditional to bind a madman in chains of iron or brass. This band was a depiction of the king’s mental collapse. He was still the king, but now he was nuttier than ever.
One thing to note here is that his kingdom went on without him for the seven years, but it began to deteriorate and would never be the same magnificent dynasty it had been before Nebuchadnezzar’s “cutting down to size” by God. If, after falling into temptation, we repent and ask God to forgive us, we can be reestablished into our positions of authority, but they will never be quite the same.
We are told several times In Leviticus to be holy for God is holy. Leviticus 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:26 t name a few. It is repeated in I Peter 1:16. Keeping ourselves holy allows us to remain in right standing with God.
”and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth…” The New King James Version reads, “Let him graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth.” The king who walked so uprightly, so proudly, would now lose what sanity he had, fall to his knees and live like, and among, the animals of the field for seven years.
“Let his heart (mind) be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart (mind) be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.” The seven times have to be years in my opinion as his hair grew to be long as feathers. This could not happen in seven months.
V. – 17 “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.” The “watchers” are the angels God has placed in charge over the kingdom of Babylon.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown said in his commentary, “How awful to Nebuchadnezzar to know that angels plead against him for his pride, and that the decree has been passed in the high court of heaven for his humiliation in answer to angels' demands!”
When the angels, also called “holy ones” brought their petition before God in council along with the cries of the poor and oppressed, it was decided what would be done to the king. The angels then came and passed judgment against Nebuchadnezzar. They did not make the judgment. That was done by God in heaven; they just carried out the decree.
It says that this happened so that “the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men.” It’s God who set up Nebuchadnezzar and allowed his kingdom to grow. It’s God who reduced Nebuchadnezzar to a four-footed beast of the field, and it’s God who can do this same thing to anyone who defies God and walks in pride. The king’s abasement was done before the people, princes and commoners alike.
God “setteth up over it the basest of men” in positions of authority. As we saw earlier, God set Nebuchadnezzar on the throne of Babylon to bring judgment against Judah for their idol worship. Now this king worshipped idols of his own. Although he attributed the power to build and maintain the kingdom to himself, God showed humanity who really is in charge.
V. 18 – The dream/vision ended and the king spoke to Daniel, “declare the interpretation.” He make it known to Daniel that he had already given this vision to his wise men and they could not tell him its meaning. And here is Nebuchadnezzar’s confession, “but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.” The New King James Version says, “but you are able for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.” Nebuchadnezzar knew from before that Daniel could interpret his dream. He also acknowledged that the interpretation would come through Daniel from God.
One of the commentaries I read said that chapter four of Daniel is a book within a Book and that it’s Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony.
Next week we will delve into the interpretation.
Bible Study
Book of Daniel
Chapter 4, Part 14
V. 19 – Daniel is now on the spot again. He interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's first dream correctly and is expected to do that again. Difference is, the first dream was a blessing to the king. This dream is a curse.
“Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.” (The word “astonied” means astonished, dazed, bewildered.)
Daniel was shocked at the revelation he had received from God as Nebuchadnezzar recounted his dream to him. The expression on Daniel's face must have fallen, changed, because the king made the comment that the dream should not “trouble” Daniel. The information Daniel had bothered him because he knew that what he was about to say would change the kingdom forever. He was appointed the messenger of God to reveal the judgment of God on he greatest ruler that had ever lived. It did not please this head of state to have to tell his boss what God was about to do to him.
Daniel tried to soften the blow by telling the king he hoped the curse was for his enemies and those who hated him. He and Nebuchadnezzar knew better. This was a direct warning to the king, straighten up, repent, turn to the Lord God, or eat like an animal until you can honor God.
V. 20-22– Notice something here. Daniel is making this interpretation personal to the king by repeating the interpretation of the first dream. In essence he's saying, “King, you are the tree which grew so strong and straight that you reached the heavens. Your leaves are lovely, your fruit sweet, and your branches are a home to many. Your dominion reaches to the ends of the earth.” Nebuchadnezzar had ruled wisely and because of that, great cities were erected. His kingdom grew is size and might to become the greatest kingdom to that time (Jeremiah 27:6-8). Sadly, what he failed to understand is that God had placed him in that position (Jeremiah 27:5). His pride caused him to claim all the credit for what had been accomplished.
V. 23 – Daniel now points out to the king that God had sent “a watcher, a holy one (an angel)” to speak prophetically to him. “…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…” The king was not to be totally destroyed and his kingdom was to remain until the seven years had passed and Nebuchadnezzar finally admitted God was the “Most High.” This dream would soon become a reality in Nebuchadnezzar’s life.
V. 24 – Nebuchadnezzar being a king knew that once a decree was written and signed by the king, it could not be revoked unless another decree was written to cancel out the first. Daniel made it very clear to the king that the Most High had issued a decree against him. Daniel again makes this personal with the words, “…my lord the king.” In effect, Daniel is saying that Nebuchadnezzar was a powerful earthly king but the Most High was the greatest King of all, the King of kings. If He said it, it must surely come to pass.
V. 25 – “That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field…” Nebuchadnezzar was like many other great leaders who allowed pride of possession and dominion to go to their heads, a mental case. Some think he was bi-polar. God would now use this mental weakness to abase this leader who had abounded at the cost of many. There is actually a scientific name for the condition the Lord laid on the king. It is called “boanthropy” or imagining oneself to be an animal and acting accordingly. From the research I did, this is not a condition unique to the king. There are many documented cases of this illness in the medical history books.
What happens is, the person begins to think he is an animal, an ox or a cow usually, and begins to crave that lifestyle. Eventually, the person begins to live his life on all fours, roaming fields and meadows for grass and greenery that the animals would eat. Boanthropes rarely spend any time indoors preferring to be out no matter the elements. Apparently, if challenged, the “animal” will attack humans. Their nails grow long and very thick and their hair grows very long as well, according to how long they suffer the illness. Fortunately for our arrogant King Nebuchadnezzar, God has set the length of time that he will suffer as seven years. Seems a long time to me!
Nebuchadnezzar’s servants would have had to keep him within the boundaries of the palace grounds. I don’t know if somehow they applied a fence around the area or how they confined him, but they would not have allowed the king to roam at will knowing how many people would have had hunting “accidents” when they saw him.
V. 26 – Here Daniel assures the king that although he will suffer this mental illness, his kingdom will not be destroyed. No other man was to ascend to the throne while the king was away. The only thing God wants destroyed is the king’s pride. Once the king can humble himself and acknowledge that the Most High God of Daniel is the living God and the only One worthy of praise (Psalm 83:18), he will repent and be healed. He will understand that this King is the Ruler over the affairs of men and will realize that God is the one who increased him so magnificently.
V. 27 – Now let’s look at Daniel’s heart for the king. We know that Daniel is in a position of high authority in the kingdom, therefore, he has the right to advise the king, yet he does this with humility. “Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee…” Those of us who are under the authority of others can learn a great lesson here. we must always respect our leaders. When we address someone who is in leadership over us, we should demonstrate respect to them. I don’t mean only if you like the person either, but all the time.
When we see them in sin, we should gently warn them, but never assume anything. Daniel was second in authority only to the king. He knew what the operation of the kingdom consisted of. He could clearly define Nebuchadnezzar’s shortcomings from first hand knowledge. Most of us never attain that position with our leaders. Where Daniel knew the kings sins and iniquities, we can only surmise what our leaders do. Worse yet, we can listen to gossip and falsely judge according to what others say, or make up.
I’ve been in positions of leadership, both in the secular and Christian communities, for many years. I have always told the people working with me that if they have a question about anything I do, come to me. If I do something and you ask Sally about it, you will ger her perspective, not necessarily the truth of what happened. Be like Daniel, “…wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
Daniel, knowing what was coming between Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom, warned the king to change his ways. “…and break off thy sins by righteousness (be in right standing with God), and thine iniquities (injustices) by shewing mercy to the poor…). Daniel was telling the King, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). For the king to be forgiven, he had to confess that he’d been sinning against God and man. He sinned against God with blasphemy and with worshipping false gods. He sinned against man by not protecting those God had given into his care.
From this we can understand that the king was not benevolent to the underdog, so-to-speak. There were many poor people in his kingdom that did not come under the protection of this “strong tree”. Remember this: Nebuchadnezzar had been set in this position by God not only to defeat and capture the Jews of Jerusalem and Judah, but to preserve the Jewish nation. He wasn’t doing that.
Now notice that Daniel doesn’t say Nebuchadnezzar would not have to become a boanthrope. He says that if the king will change his ways, maybe God will extend his time of prosperity before he had to suffer the humiliation of living like a beast of the field. Ahab is and example of that, “Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house (I Kings 21:29).
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7). Also read Ezekiel 18:21.
Bible Study
Book of Daniel
Chapter 4, Part 15
V. 28 – “All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.” All of what came on him? It was all that God’s messenger had told him. He was about to become a beast.
V. 29 – When did this happen to the king? It was at the end of twelve months. (Ecclesiastes 8:11), ‘Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. II Peter 3:9 ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’). God had given Nebuchadnezzar a twelve month grace period in which to ponder what he had been told God would do. During that time he had plenty of opportunity to repent and give the glory to God. He had been told what would befall him if he didn’t change the way he treated God and His children, but the king persisted in walking in the sin of pride and of a haughty (arrogant, conceited) spirit. Let’s read the verse that put the wrath of God directly onto Nebuchadnezzar.
V. 30 – “The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” This question was saturated with pride. Is it any wonder the Lord judged this king? “The Babylon I have built by MY power for the honor of MY majesty.”
What might Nebuchadnezzar been looking at as he made his fateful declaration? Perhaps it was the Hanging Garden of Babylon. I found this description of it for you in a message by Pastor David Dykes:
"These were massive gardens he built for his wife Amytis. She came from Media where there were mountains and vegetation, so Nebuchadnezzar constructed an artificial mountain and planted gardens that hung down the side of this structure it made it appear these gardens were growing in air. An ingenious system had been devised to hoist water over 300 feet from the Euphrates to water these gardens."
Pastor Dykes also speculates that the king was feasting his pride on the site of the “Pyramids and the statue of Colossus at Rhodes.” Nowhere in his pat on his own back do we see the king give thanks or praise to God for all He had allowed this king to have. All his praise was of “self.”
So many times we are asked why God causes bad things to happen to people. I’m here to tell you, God does not cause these things. We very often cause them by our own willful flesh. The devil makes us offers and, when we accept them, he uses them to separate us from God. When we begin to behave in a willful, disobedient fashion, we move out of the will of God for our lives. God then takes His hands off us and allows what comes. Notice though, repentance brings us right into line with the Lord and we are delivered from the trial as we give Him the Glory. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (I Peter 5:5).
V. 31 – Nebuchadnezzar’s boasting caused the Lord to remove His hand from the king. He then heard a voice saying that all that had been prophesied of him in the vision must now come to pass.
V. 32, 33 – “And they shall drive you from men.” I believe this “they” refers to the watchers, the angels the Lord set around Babylon. They would now drive the king to his new home, the grazing fields of Babylon. This mighty king would spend the next seven years of his life mentally deranged and believing he was an animal.
“The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar…” God had been patient with this king for about 23 years waiting for him to recognize that the Lord was his provider. Now God was done. Nebuchadnezzar has sealed his own fate with the words of his heart. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh (Luke 6:45).
Last week I explained the king’s illness as boanthropy and said that it causes its victim to want to be outside no matter what the weather conditions. That’s why Nebuchadnezzar was covered with the morning dew. He stayed out in the fields all night long. His hair grew long and, because it was not groomed, became tangled so that it looked like feathers. His seven-year long nails came to look like a bird’s talons.
V. 34, 35 – “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according 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?”
Now we get to see Nebuchadnezzar’s repentance as he receives the revelation of Who the Living God of Daniel is. At the end of the appointed time, seven years, Nebuchadnezzar finally looked up to God instead of down on his domain! This king was now able to give glory to God. He finally understood that God has dominion over heaven and earth and that He can make all things happen. He acknowledged that God’s kingdom is the only everlasting one. It became clear to him that even the people are nothing without God. The Lord rules in heaven and on earth and His will is always done. No one can stop God’s plans, not man or devil. No person or angel has the right to ask God, “What are You doing?” He is omniscient and will always do what’s right.
V. 36, 37 – “At the same time, my reason returned to me…” As soon as the king looked to the Lord, he was restored. What does that tell us in the grand scheme of life? As long as we keep short accounts with the Lord, we are ok. Pride has less change to gain a foothold if we are in touch with the Master and give Him all the glory. I can understand how mega pastors fall into the sin of pride because I could easily do that myself. It’s great and encouraging hearing good words, it’s lovely to be told you are needed, but it’s dangerous to begin putting self in that position. It’s one thing for God, or for man, to say, “Rev, you do good work,” and another for me to say, “Wow, look at my good works!”
All preachers share the things they have accomplished, not for the purpose of self-promotion, but to allow others to see God is working in and through them. It’s when they begin to take the credit for the things done that the red flag should go up for you. I heard one pastor recently talking about a meeting he had where HE had healed 500 people. My heart skipped a beat and I thought, “Oh no, this poor guy!” But remember, it’s not only people in leadership positions in the church who are in danger of letting pride push God out. Anything you do that you take credit for is pride. If you bake cakes and begin to believe your own press that says you are the best cake maker anywhere and don’t give God the glory for it, you are in pride.
Nebuchadnezzar had his kingdom restored to him as soon as he repented and gave God glory. He was given an increase in “majesty” when he was restored.
The king, after approximately 30 years, “now” praises (worships), extols (praises with great enthusiasm), and honors (shows respect) God. The king has come to understand Deuteronomy 32:4, “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” The Amplified Version says it this way, “He is the Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are law and justice. A God of faithfulness without breach or deviation, just and right is He.” No matter in which version we read this verse, we comprehend that Nebuchadnezzar received the reward of his ways. This is one king who finally knows that God puts down pride.
I pray we all realize that we are as vulnerable when walking in pride and arrogance as this infamous king was. Let’s give all glory to God! Yes, encourage one another, but don’t take the credit for what you have become; you are what you are by the grace and mercy of God.
Rev. Suzanne L. Taylor
Copyright © 2007
