Daniel 4 Part 1

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

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Daniel 4 deals with the second dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had. It’s interesting the way God revealed things to and through Nebuchadnezzar that can actually benefit us today if we are willing to apply ourselves to the message. I’m not even talking about any prophetic sense related to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream but in the overall meaning for the king and for us. Ultimately, this dream leads to Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling.

In Daniel 1 – 3, we saw an increased appreciation by Nebuchadnezzar of Yahweh. However, it is clear that Nebuchadnezzar has much more to learn due to his inherent pride. He needs to learn that God and God alone is sovereign over the affairs of humanity, including kings.

Daniel 4 highlights several lessons for Nebuchadnezzar (and us) that we should also take to heart. Nebuchadnezzar was THE sovereign of his day over all Gentile kingdoms (including Jewish Israel), but God proves He is sovereign over even that. Ultimately, Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling paints a picture of the humbling that will visit this world at the physical return of our Lord at the end of the Church Age. When He returns, He will destroy all human governments!

“The contest between God and Nebuchadnezzar is a broad illustration of God’s dealings with the entire human race and especially the Gentile world in its creaturely pride and failure to recognize the sovereignty of God.” (Walvoord)

Daniel 5 proves this, when we see Babylon’s fall, by Darius the Mede.

“Daniel 4 provides one of the Bible’s greatest lessons about pride, particularly for those who look at their own accomplishments and give themselves all the credit.” (Tanner)

Daniel 4 opens with King Nebuchadnezzar’s “benediction” to the entire world, proving that God had allowed Nebuchadnezzar to become the ruling monarch of his day. He extolled the greatness of the Jews’ God, Yahweh. Calling Yahweh the “most High” means Yahweh is simply higher than any other known god to Nebuchadnezzar. Though Nebuchadnezzar had great respect for Yahweh, it does not mean he became a monotheist in practice. The king’s praise of Yahweh opens and closes this chapter.

The dream highlighted in this chapter likely came during the later years of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign because by Daniel 5, Nebuchadnezzar is dead and his grandson rules the kingdom. Historians note there were 7 years when he did not engage in any military campaigns. This may have been the seven years when he was in the wilderness and it is also possible that it was during this time that the king had the hanging gardens built and other beautifications to Babylon completed.

The text tells us while the king “flourished” and “rested” (v 4), he had a dream. The dream made him afraid and troubled him greatly. He called all the wise men and demanded they provide the interpretation. This time, the king TELLS them the dream and simply wants an interpretation, but they couldn’t do it. Daniel came in and the king tells him his dream (vv 10 – 17).

The dream consists of:

• A great, tall tree
• It grew to great heights and became strong
• It could be seen from anywhere on earth
• Everything about the tree was beautiful
• It was food for everything, including birds, beasts and humans
• God was providing a picture of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom

During the dream the king sees a “watcher” – probably the way a polytheist would describe an angelic messenger. Earthly kings used watchmen to keep their ears and eyes open throughout their kingdoms. Nebuchadnezzar simply believed this to be an agent of the gods doing the same thing. The watcher says to cut down the tree and remove branches. Leaving the stump means it would grow again to some degree.

The tree cut down represented the king out of his mind. It would last for seven periods of time and commentators disagree over how long a period of time this is, but it means “years” in Daniel 7:25 and could mean that here. Daniel 4:17 reveals purpose for this judgment:

• To teach all people that the Most High God (cf. 3:26) is sovereign over all the affairs of humankind (v. 17; cf. vv. 25, 32; 2:21; 1 Sam. 2:7-8; Job 5:11)

God tried to teach His complete sovereignty to Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2-3), but the king had not learned his lesson. Verse 17 states God’s supremacy over all Creation – the theme of the entire book of Daniel. The king asks Daniel to interpret the meaning of the dream. The soothsayers were unable to offer any type of explanation or interpretation. Nothing at all.

The important lesson for us is that we Christians need to guard ourselves against all forms of idolatry and pride. If we do not, they will become our downfall. These two things, especially pride, are very insidious and can easily sneak into a person’s life unaware. To allow pride to proliferate is anathema to God. In each temptation, trial or difficulty we face, the goal must be toward greater humility. God will provide the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13 and I’ll have more to say about this in a future article), if we are willing to humble ourselves, seek it, find and use it.

If we allow ourselves to get to the point where Nebuchadnezzar got, our pride may well be our undoing as it was his. However, God is gracious and righteous and even though Nebuchadnezzar was not Jewish or “Christian,” God still chose to illuminate him regarding his pride and God’s supremacy over all Creation. He didn’t have to do that, but He chose to for Nebuchadnezzar’s benefit (as well as ours), and God’s own glory.

Walking the narrow path after entering the narrow gate is, as Jesus says, difficult. It’s not easy because the biggest problem for the Christian is the battle with Self (pride). Understanding that Self exists and wants to be supreme will hopefully lead us to making right choices where God is concerned.

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective