Daniel 4 (Bible Study) (The dream and the conundrum)
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To the nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth:
2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
3 How great are his signs,
how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;
his dominion endures from generation to generation.4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. 5 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. 6 So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. 7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers[b] and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me. 8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)
9 I said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me. 10 These are the visions I saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.
13 “In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger,[c] coming down from heaven. 14 He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.
“‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times[d] pass by for him.
17 “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’
18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.”
Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! 20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds— 22 Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.
23 “Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’
24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”
28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”
31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”
33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.
34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.
His dominion is an eternal dominion;
his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35 All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: “What have you done?”36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
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Daniel 4
Introduction
This chapter is the last of God’s interventions in the life of Nebuchadnezzar and each time God apparently cuts deeper into his heart spiritually. This is the ultimate blow to the king’s sin and pride. Daniel and his friends are not in danger in this chapter. Daniel merely repeats the interpretation of the Holy Messenger from heaven. The focus in Chapter 4 is completely on the king of Babylon and how God deals with him.
‘The Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth’ (Dan 4:17).
The dream
Nebuchadnezzar’s last recorded dream is of a huge tree that overshadows the whole world. Like the dream of Chapter 2, the king is identified with the tree (4:22). Likewise both dreams are about God’s sovereignty over a person’s position and power. The enormous tree is brought down and stripped and its fruit scattered (4:14). The message is clear, God is in control over even the greatest of kingdoms.
This dream predicts the personal fall of Nebuchadnezzar depicted as the great tree. This is a foretelling that God is to intervene in the life of Nebuchadnezzar personally in order to draw him from strength to weakness and then to the realisation that God’s strength is made perfect in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). The tree, though felled is not uprooted. “But let the stump and its roots . . . remain in the ground” (4:15). The stump is “bound with iron and bronze” (4:15) as indication of its captivity, but it nevertheless remains. Thus, the cutting is ultimately a pruning—it is severe, but it is not meant to destroy the tree. Regeneration is possible. This is not simply punishment for sin, this is discipline, a trial of pain designed to correct and redeem. Ultimately, this will be the story of Nebuchadnezzar ‘growing back.’
’Ransomed, healed, restored forgiven.’ ‘Praise, my soul, the King of heaven; to his feet your tribute bring.’
The Conundrum
In his interpretation of the dream, Daniel provides a conundrum, it this dream a foretelling of what will happen or what may happen if the King does not repent. In Dan 4:26 he says that what will happen is certain. He also says that the command to retain the stump and roots “means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules” (4: 26). On the other hand, in the following verse, (4:27) Daniel pleads with the king to repent immediately to avoid the fall ahead. “Renounce your sins . . . and . . . it may be that then your prosperity will continue” (4:27). This indicates that the kings reaction to the dream and his decisions that follow will have real consequences.
Application: Throughout Scripture, there is an emphasis on both the sovereignty, control and power of God over all history and the reality and responsibility of our free choices (our free will). (Compare Peter’s fall and restoration in Luke 22:31ff). The conundrum is this, God’s sovereignty and our free will may appear to contradict each other, but it is only together that they really explain what happens in daily life. We are both safe in God’s plan and responsible for our actions and decision to follow his will.
Look at the similarity of this warning to the king and Jesus ‘warning to Peter. They are both told that they will be put to a test that they will fail. Their sinful hearts will be revealed and they will be broken. Further, in both warnings of failure there is a promise that they will repent and be restored. NB Jesus said “When you turn back (not if). Jesus saying ‘I have prayed for you,’ reveals that repentance is dependent on help from God. Yes, we are responsible for our choices but God opens our eyes so we can make right choices. We cannot generalise, but this message teaches us that sometimes trials in life can refine and humble us and make us holy. Most of our troubles are about being human. Some troubles are directly used by God to humble, chasten, and grow us. We must not assume the troubles are a punishment. Even if it is discipline or chastening, it is not retribution for what we deserve. It is loving discipline, working together for good, to help us. If we did get what we deserved, we be wiped out!
Did Nebuchadnezzar heed God’s warning?
Notice that dream itself is obvious in its meaning. What appears to be happening is that Nebuchadnezzar does not want to face it. This dream is delivered and interpreted to the king by the “holy one,” the messenger. In Dan 4:15-16, the messenger calls the tree “him” and “he” making it clear that it is the king. The dream tells him that he is going to lose his sanity (4:16), and even tells him what the meaning of it all - God is the sovereign Lord. Despite this clarity, the king calls in his wise men (4:7,18) for an interpretation. Significantly, he did not call in Daniel at first, he avoided him despite knowing he would be able to interpret. The implication is that Nebuchadnezzar is trying to escape the outcome. It follows, that the king does not heed Daniel’s warning. Twelve months later he has not changed, he is in exactly the state of mind God has warned him against (4:30). Like previous encounters, the king resisted God’s message. The dream of chapter 2, the fiery furnace deliverance of chapter 3, and the dream of chapter 4 were not enough. God had to break him before he was humbled.
Application: God sends us warnings that self-centred living is doomed to fail. How does He warn us - about the dangers of pride and the necessity of making Him Lord of all. Surprisingly, we get God’s warnings in the same ways Nebuchadnezzar did. (a) We have the Word of the prophets. Nebuchadnezzar had Daniel’s revelation from God. We have Daniel’s and a more—the entire Bible! We have more extensive and vivid warnings about sin than the king. We have information about God and the nature of the universe. We have Daniel, Moses, David, Isaiah, all the prophets, all the Gospels, Paul, Peter, and John. He have the prompting of the Holy Spirit of the risen Christ.
(b) We have the example of godly people. Nebuchadnezzar saw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s integrity and faith, and how God worked in their lives. We, have many examples of people whose lives are a lesson to us, lives we should be emulating, but do we? (c) We have the witness of our own hearts and consciences. Paul says in Romans 1 and 2 that we all suppress the truth of our utter dependence on God. Inside, everyone has a basic knowledge of the reality of God and our responsibility to serve and trust him.
Why is Daniel 4:17 significant?
‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’ (4:17)
This is a lesson of grace. It is saying that anyone who is successful is simply a recipient of God’s unmerited favour. Even people “at the top” in the world’s hierarchy of power, wealth, and influence are really no better than anyone else. This is the gospel in Daniel. What we have is the result of grace, not of our “works” or efforts. Success is an unmerited gift. This goes against the grain in our world. Those who are entrepreneurial or those who have climbed the ladder feel that they did it and they earned it; they got there by their own effort or ability. To say that all success is an unmerited gift of the sovereign God seems nonsensical in our modern world. But it’s true. We are successful because we were born here and now rather than in a hovel in Ireland in the mid-1850s. We are successful because of our intellect, education, connections, health and talents given to us by God. We are successful because of the drive and ambition God instilled and inspired in us.
If we truly grasped the principle, it would transform how we live and work.
Two things about Nebuchadnezzar’s character: (1) his fierce, egocentric touchiness and anxiety (remember his rage at Shadrach et al for “not paying him attention”) and (2) his cruelty and abusive use of power. If he learnt the truth of Dan 4:17, it would have transformed his character.
Reflect on Daniel 4:19-27. Daniel calls the king to repent and reform his social policies.
It has taken Daniel many years of excellence in his work, integrity in his character, and relationship building before he can speak in this way. Daniel has earned the right to challenge the king to repent. He studied and worked and served in Babylonian society. He does not stay outside that society, lobbying and writing diatribes. He has engaged in the culture, but he has maintained his distinctiveness as a believer. And he is good at what he does. If we are to have an impact on our culture, Christians must have that same work ethic, personal integrity, building relationships and living a Christ-like life as Daniel did.
Read Daniel 4:34-37. Was the king “converted”? Compare the confession of 4:34 with the confessions in 2:47 & 3:28-29.
Nebuchadnezzar finally admits that God’s kingdom is an eternal kingdom, enduring from “generation to generation” (4:34). Nebuchadnezzar is not simply saying that God “is forever” but that he has made a covenant with his people and will be faithful to save them on the basis of his promise. If this is his new belief, it is a real advance over a general sense that God is powerful. He may be saying that we must be in a covenant relationship with this King of kings.
In his confession he admits that human beings are “as nothing” (4:35). He now sees that “all” the peoples of the earth (even himself) are dependent on God for everything. This humbling is a prerequisite for understanding grace.
Nebuchadnezzar now admits that God’s judgments are always righteous and must never be questioned. ‘He does whatever he pleases . . . no one can say ‘what have you done?’” (4:35, 37). Here the king is talking about the judgment he had received from God. In other words, “I deserved everything I got and more!” A confession of sin and an awareness of grace.
Notice the joy, this confession is full of gratitude. In fact, the Dan 3 confession he threatens to destroy anyone who insults the God of Israel. This confession shows an awareness of sin and grace—and the emotion is far more joyous and grateful.
We cannot be sure that the king was “converted.” In verse 34, Nebuchadnezzar testifies, “I raised my eyes toward heaven, and [then] my sanity was restored.” The order is significant. He was not restored until he raised his eyes toward heaven. The implication is that he looked toward God in humility and dependence with what little mental capacity he had left, he looked upward in hope, and this seems to have been the cause of his sanity returning.
Psalm 121:1: “I lift up my eyes to hills—where does my help come from?”
