This is a unique chapter in the book of Daniel. First off, it was written by King Nebuchadnezzar. So we are possibly reading the words of a pagan king proclaiming the truth of God’s glory and power. Secondly, this chapter is written in a sandwich form. It begins with a proclamation and ends with a similar proclamation. In the middle is the story, another dream.
Writer and commentator, Dale Davis, said, “The stress then in Daniel 2 is that God reveals, in chapter 3 that he rescues, and in chapter 4 that he rules. Daniel 4 hammers home the point that God rules the kingdom of men, and human rulers serve only at his pleasure.” God’s power and rule are on display repeatedly throughout the chapter. This is not an accident. The writer is telling you that the God of Israel rules over all other powers.
We are tempted to read this chapter, identify the main theme, and say, “I’ve heard this before.” It is, after all, the main theme in the book of Daniel. As a church, we must stop and ask why we still need this chapter in our lives today.
First, we need to be reminded that the rulers of the earth are temporary and only given authority by God. That is a great comfort as we look at the news on our phones. Second, Nebuchadnezzar’s problem is so often ours. We struggle to give God the glory He deserves. It is a question of worship. As a church, let us know that God rules and controls earthly kingdoms and our lives; let us submit to Him graciously. Therefore, recognizing God's sovereignty leads to humility and reliance on Him, reminding us that all earthly power is under His dominion.
Give God Glory
4:1-3
As we live in our Babylon, far from our true home, let us take comfort in the words of a pagan king. God’s Kingdom is eternal, and His works are mighty. Let’s stop to think about what Nebuchadnezzar has seen. Daniel revealed his dream and interpreted it. He saw three young men saved from a fire. He gave glory to God and worshipped for these things.
Most theologians are sure that this chapter happens many years after the events of chapter 3. It is possibly toward the end of Nebuchadnezzar’s life. There were likely untold other stories of how God revealed himself to the king. Time and time again, God was the superior King and kingdom. Toward the end of his life, Nebuchadnezzar seemed to understand that.
We don’t know if this is a confession of faith. We do know that his words are true. Throughout all of scripture and history, God is seen as the supreme ruler over all creation. To His people, there is no question as to His power. What a great message for people in exile. Beloved, take comfort in this reality. God’s dominion is forever! No king will take away what God has decreed.
In the first three verses, he rightly gives God the glory. His words are humble for a mighty king. In a day and age where, to rule, one must speak as though they were a god, Nebuchadnezzar displays great humility. The story that follows will show us why. He begins and ends with a conclusion.
When we give God the glory in our lives, it comes from a place of humility. We cannot pridefully take credit for all of our successes, and be humble, giving God glory at the same time. Let us give to God the glory that He rightfully deserves. We must start here.
We give God the glory over all political allegiances. We submit to God above all. Therefore, we don’t glory in our politicians or our country. As a church, our praise and worship belong to only one King and Kingdom. So, as we navigate life in our Babylon, let us do it giving true allegiance to God.
These words also teach us that God rules above all worldly powers. This should provide us great comfort in a world of competing authorities. Such leaders may claim great authority and may do great injustices, but they will ultimately bow before a greater King. We can hope for that as we look at the news.
We give God the glory in our lives. This is where the rubber meets the road. We must recognize God’s rule and sovereignty over our daily activities. We have nothing that we can hold up that God has not graciously given to us. As we walk throughout our day, let us submit to God’s rule and build habits of relying on Him and giving Him glory.
We give God glory by praying for things first, instead of only praying when it seems out of our control. This seems subtle. I have found myself praying only when something seems to be bigger than I can handle. It is like saying, “God, I will handle these things and take credit for them, but this other thing, You must help with that.” Such thoughts are not humble but full of pride. Let us learn to rely on God for everything from meals to jobs. Everything we have is a gift from Him. Giving God glory results from a humble heart.
Give God Your Humility
4:4-27 (17,25-27)
Like chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar had another dream. It bothered him deeply. Unlike Chapter 2, he called all of his wise men and told them what the dream was. They were likely too scared to interpret it for the king. After all the magicians failed, Daniel was called in.
In his dream, the king saw a great tree that provided shelter and food for all the creatures. Then an angel (watcher) shouted that the tree be cut down and the fruit scattered. Only a stump of the tree was left. The dream ended with the stump remaining and the king acting like an animal for a time. It is easy to see why the magicians were scared to tell the king an interpretation.
(17) This angel proclaimed that the cutting down of the tree was so that all would know God rules over all worldly kingdoms. This phrase is repeated throughout the chapter. This is in part the main theme of the whole book. The purpose of chopping down the great tree was to remind Nebuchadnezzar that God ruled over even the mightiest king.
Nebuchadnezzar realized that only Daniel could give a proper interpretation because God had blessed him with the gift for such things. He remembered Daniel’s ability. With a sense of timidity, Daniel interprets the dream. Nebuchadnezzar was the tree. He was to be cut down and made to act like an animal, for “seven periods of time,’ possibly seven years.
(v. 25-27) After the interpretation was through, Daniel told the king that this dream was a warning to be humble. Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom was vast and powerful. It was easy for the king to feel that he had ‘arrived’ as a monarch. You could say the power was going to his head. He knew of the power of Daniel’s God. And yet took credit for his empire.
By contrast, the dream was a wake-up call to remember that all of the power and glory the king enjoyed were from God. They were gifts meant to reflect glory to God. Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar’s sin here was pride. Daniel directly warned him to separate himself from his sin. By doing so, he will be saved from the judgment of the dream.
As we contemplate what to do with this story of a dream, I want to draw our attention to two key thoughts. First, the text is warning the reader that pride is a serious sin. Pride is not a small thing, but a serious offense to God’s glory. Pride says, I did this, I take the glory. Second, the text reminds us that all worldly leaders are under the control and allowance of God. No king truly rules freely. God could stop them at any time.
Pride is the sin that we don’t often want to think about. If I asked, who in this room struggles with pride, few if any would raise their hands. But if I asked, who in this room knows someone who struggles with pride, most hands would be raised. However, the truth is a bit trickier. Pride can be both obvious and subtle. People tend to pride themselves on their humility. It can appear when with friends, at work, in finances, with fashion, and in many other areas.
This text challenges us to examine our hearts and lay them before the King. Ask the Spirit to examine your heart, attitudes, and thoughts. Where God illuminates pride in your life, confess it before God. Take this warning from Scripture. Let us separate ourselves from the sin of pride in all areas of our lives. Far from home, we must recognize God’s presence and mighty hand working through our lives and our world.
This text also helps us to rely on God’s power above worldly powers. This means our greatest pride and joy are in our citizenship in God’s Kingdom. We are a part of a global kingdom, a global family. It is ruled by a sovereign King, ruling all of creation for eternity. Take a moment today and celebrate that. Our humility begins when we realize the power and majesty of God. We suddenly realize how small we, our kingdoms, and our problems are.
We live in a world of prideful rulers. You don’t have to look far. Their pride is not often subtle. Make no mistake, these leaders want worship. We, as a church, cannot give it to them. We don’t need to fear them. Beloved, this text reminds us that our King will bring down such rulers. Don’t give them your worship or your fear. Our God reigns. Take comfort in that this morning. So in our Babylon, let us humbly rely on our King and give our worship to Him alone.
Give God Your Repentance and Receive Restoration
4:28-37 (28-32, 34-37)
1. Nebuchadnezzar, much like you and me, didn’t listen to God’s warning. He continued to look at his comfort, ease, wealth, and power as his alone. So even as he was thinking about his glory, God judged him just as He said He would. Nebuchadnezzar was struck with what we can only describe as insanity. The mighty king was humbled to the point of living outside and eating grass. His counterfeit glory and splendor were stripped away.
Don’t skip over verse 32. Instead, let us take a moment and steep in the grace of God given to this pagan king. First, he was warned about this in a dream. Even after Nebuchadnezzar ignored the warning, God gave him a way to be restored. The word “until” is conditional. Once Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges that God is the true king, then he will be restored. There is a way back, and it comes through submitting to the power and authority of God. See God’s grace here. He doesn’t need to offer a way back, but He does. He offers a path to repentance and restoration.
God will judge our sin. That is a promise and warning we have in this text and throughout scripture. But God always promises a way back to Him. Even when we were dead in our sins, Jesus came and died for us so that we might be brought into God’s family. Jesus came and provided a way for our shame to be removed before the Father. He made us a family. Let us praise God for the great gift of forgiveness and a spiritual family.
We should see the gospel leaping from the pages here. Just as God provided a way back to Him for a pagan king, He provided a way to be His family through Jesus. Yes, He judges sin, and yes, He offers grace and forgiveness. God provides wholeness for those who lay down their pride and follow the risen King. The King who left His throne to walk among His people. The King, who endured the humiliation and shame of the cross. The King, who allowed all the sins of the world to be placed on Him. The King who conquered sin, shame, and death. Let’s give all the glory to that King, King Jesus.
2. (34-37) (Restoration)
After his time of humiliation, Nebuchadnezzar looked up to heaven. It was then, looking toward God, that his sanity returned to him. There is something profound in this. Looking to heaven was the first stage in repentance. Once his sanity returned, he could only do one thing: praise God. Sanity is seeing God for who He is and praising Him.
Now that Nebuchadnezzar praised God rightly and repented, he was restored. The king chronicled how his kingdom was restored, and he achieved more greatness than before. That isn’t a statement about God promising material wealth, but evidence that God had truly restored the king. And thus his closing words praise the God of Heaven. Restoration leads to praising God.
May we, in our struggles, turn our heads toward God. Let us not be too proud to pray. When we rightly orient our lives toward God, then we think clearly. And when we think clearly, we praise God. As we do, we experience restoration in our relationship to God and others. God’s promise to His exiled people, Israel, and you and me, is that when we repent and humble ourselves, He is near and will restore us. His judgment will not outlast His mercy.
Conclusion
As we conclude, let us take the offer from the Scriptures to humble ourselves before God. Take not our glory in business, relationships, school, or success. Instead, let us look up to heaven and proclaim God’s glory to the world. After all, the world is deep in darkness. We have the light of the gospel. As we humbly proclaim Jesus, let us give people the hope that they can rely on Him to overcome all worldly powers. Even death yields to the power of Jesus. So let us go throughout our week in expectant hope that God is in control. Let people see that in our words, deeds, prayers, and actions. Trust in the one who restores those who humbly seek Him. And know, He will humble the proud of this world.