“Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue that inhabit all the earth: May your peace abound! It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me.” (Daniel 4:1-2)
All we’ve read about King Nebuchadnezzar has led us to this: the final time we’ll see him alive and reigning in Babylon. Let’s review some things we learned previously:
- God gave Nebuchadnezzar victory over Judah (1:1-2). (Sermon)
- God put Daniel and his friends in Nebuchadnezzar’s court with a Kingdom mission to glorify Him. (Sermon)
- God made Nebuchadnezzar “the king of kings” (2:37) — a great king (suzerain) ruling over many other kings (vassals). (Sermon)
- Last time, we saw how similar Sennacherib’s pride was to that of Nebuchadnezzar — but how God chose to judge the former and have mercy on the latter. (Sermon)
- God is showing His sovereignty to Nebuchadnezzar and his court with one sign per chapter:
- Chapter 1: Daniel and his friends’ health and energy, despite their meager diet
- Chapter 2: The dream Daniel describes and interprets by God’s miraculous enablement
- Chapter 3: One “like a son of the gods” saving Daniel’s friends in an otherwise fatal furnace
As you read chapter four, you’ll see two more signs: One is a second dream that Daniel will interpret; the other is its fulfillment, which Nebuchadnezzar will never forget!
From a devotional perspective, we could look at Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony here as that of a man who benefited from the godly witness of his believing coworker. From a biblical perspective, we could see in it a picture of the salvation and grace God would extend to the whole world through Jesus Christ.
From any perspective, it celebrates the triumph of God’s sovereign grace over the most willful and least deserving people. “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.” (John 1:5)
As you read Daniel 4 in preparation for Sunday, consider the following:
- In verses 1-3 and 34-37, Nebuchadnezzar praises God for the painful discipline that cost him seven long, (otherwise) wasted years of life. Do you believe that, as God’s discipline runs its course, you’ll be able to praise God as cheerfully as Nebuchadnezzar did? If not, do you at least believe that God is willing and able to build your faith?
- Consider the admirable faith and discipline Daniel and his friends showed in chapter one: Without their loyalty to God, they wouldn’t have pleased Him. Without their hard work to make the king’s court, the king wouldn’t have kept them around.
In light of that:
How does the necessity of both their faith and their high position inform our view of the Great Commission today? - Remember the flood of Noah’s day? Compare God’s reason for sending it in Genesis 6:5-7 with Genesis 8:21 — where He declares that He will never do that again.
Judging only by those two passages:
How did the intent of man’s heart change between those two chapters? How did God’s approach to man change? What does this teach us about the nature of sovereign grace? (Cf. Ephesians 2:1-10.) - Consider that a powerful heathen emperor — who sacked God’s temple — was humbled by God in such a way that he penned his own praise-filled section of inspired Old Testament Scripture! How likely an outcome was that?
Which unbelievers in your life do you think least likely to be humbled and saved? Be encouraged by this chapter and pray fervently for them!