Today we come to Daniel 4 – a story involving another dream by Nebuchadnezzar. As has been the case throughout Daniel, the central message of this story centers around the sovereignty of God even over the most powerful human king on the earth. The story is a clear revelation to us of God, and, in turn, demonstrates to us the way we should respond to such a God. There are numerous lessons throughout this text – both regarding God and our response to Him.
But before we begin to look at those lessons, we should first understand the story itself. In an ironic twist, this story actually begins with a declaration of praise to God from the mouth of Nebuchadnezzar (4:1-3). Amazingly, it becomes clear that this story is being recounted at the will of Nebuchadnezzar so that God’s mighty works would be known. To begin, the king recounts how, in the midst of his ease and prosperity, a dream began to unsettle him. He was so unsettled that he called all of his wise men, and none of them could interpret the dream. Finally, he calls Daniel – fully convinced that the “spirit of the holy gods” is in him and fully convinced that Daniel can interpret the dream (4:4-9).
After calling Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar finally lays out the contents of the dream. In it, he saw a giant tree that reached the heavens and was visible to the whole earth. This dream even provided food and shade and rest to the whole earth. But then he saw a “watcher” from heaven give orders to cut the tree down and leave nothing but the stump bound in iron and bronze. Bound in this way, the stump was left like a beast of the field – exposed to the elements and the weather. Moreover, in the dream, the angel even begins to speak of the stump as a person and declares that his mind will be taken and replaced by the mind of a beast for “seven periods of time.” In the dream, the watcher makes clear that these things will happen so that “the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.” Then Nebuchadnezzar asks Daniel for an interpretation (4:10-18).
In response to this, Daniel is greatly distressed and alarmed. He even expresses a desire that the dream be true of Nebuchadnezzar’s enemies rather than Nebuchadnezzar. However, as a faithful follower of God, he makes clear to Nebuchadnezzar that the dream was sent from God to show the king the future. He makes clear that the tree is Nebuchadnezzar – who at this point ruled over the greatest kingdom in the world. Because of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride, Daniel declares that God is going to punish him and make him live and act like an animal until he realizes that God alone is all-powerful and sovereign. Having said that, though, Daniel also exhorts Nebuchadnezzar to humble himself voluntarily and obey God’s laws so that the sentence might be postponed (4:19-27). In spite of that warning, however, the next section tells us that one year later, in response to a particularly strong demonstration of pride by Nebuchadnezzar, the prophecy given in the dream is fulfilled. God punished Nebuchadnezzar by giving him the mind of a beast, and Nebuchadnezzar lived with the animals for “seven periods of time” (4:28-33).
But the story does not end there. At the end of the allotted time, Nebuchadnezzar looks to heaven, and his sanity is restored. In that moment, Nebuchadnezzar blessed the Lord as the only all-powerful and sovereign ruler of all things. At that point, Nebuchadnezzar was actually restored to power, and he ruled his kingdom again. However, though his position was restored, the story ends by making clear that Nebuchadnezzar’s attitude has radically changed as he now knows who rules all things (4:34-37).
But simply knowing the facts of the story is not enough. What does this story teach us? Why is it here? It seems that the story is given to us to make two very distinct points – one, most centrally, regarding God and one concerning our response to him – as well as to ultimately remind us of, and point us to, Jesus Christ. So let’s unpack the story a bit.
With any Old Testament story, it is easy to simply reduce the story to an ethical level. That is, what actions should be imitated in this story? What actions should not be imitated in this story? While there is no doubt that many Old Testament stories – including this story in Daniel 4 – can be helpful to us on that ethical level, I would argue that this ethical level is never the only level at which the story can help us. Moreover, I would also argue that very rarely, if ever, is this ethical level the primary level at which the story can help us. Rather, it is often the case that the Old Testament stories first, and foremost, tell us something about God, and only then do they tell us how to act in light of this aspect of God. So, as Bible interpreters, we should always first ask, “What does this text tell me about God?” Then we can ask, “How should I act (or not act) in light that truth about God?”
Having said that, the central point of this story in Daniel 4 is not an ethical point (telling us how to live) but a theological point (telling us about God). In fact, the theological point that is being made about God is a point about His very character and position as God – namely, that He is absolutely all-powerful and sovereign over all things. The central goal of the story is to highlight the utter “bigness” of God. The point is to highlight for us the greatness and majesty and ultimateness of God. This is a point that has continually been made throughout Daniel thus far (and will continue to be made until the end) with different points of emphasis. Let us look at how our story displays this to us.
First of all, we see very clearly that God was orchestrating these events. Nebuchadnezzar makes clear that this dream was not spawned by a particularly distressing time in his rule. Rather, he says, “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. I saw a dream that made me afraid” (4:4-5a). In the midst of his ease and prosperity, he has a dream. Where does the dream come from? Daniel, in his interpretation, answers the question by declaring, “It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king” (4:24). God sent the dream. In the midst of Nebuchadnezzar’s great ease, God decided to act and give Nebuchadnezzar the dream. So, first of all, it is obvious that God was at work, carrying out His plan.
Moreover, as we go through the story, we see that God is revealing His absolute power. Even in Nebuchadnezzar’s initial praising of God we see this as he declares, “It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders!” (4:2-3a). Nebuchadnezzar is extolling God’s power. Even as the story continues, we see clear demonstration of God’s incredible ability in the fact that – just like in chapter 2 – only God’s servant is able to interpret the dream. In a very real sense, this is a contest similar to the contest of chapter 2 and Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal and Israel’s constant contests with the false gods of other nations in which God demonstrates his superior power. God, as opposed to all the false gods of the magicians and enchanters, provides the interpretation. Even in the dream itself, and its fulfillment, the key ingredient is that the power of God is being demonstrated. God promises Nebuchadnezzar will become like an animal, and that actually comes to pass. God promises that Nebuchadnezzar will have his kingdom restored to him when the allotted time is done, and that actually comes to pass. More specifically, God is making clear that His power is superior to Nebuchadnezzar’s power – an important point in light of the fact that Nebuchadnezzar, at this point of his reign, is really the apex of earthly power. We see this clearly in the fact that when the dream prophecy is fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar, he is actually in the process of extolling his own power as he says, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” (4:30). In response to that blatant declaration of power, God immediately demonstrates His superior power by taking Nebuchadnezzar’s sanity and putting him in a position of utter humiliation. This is not even the picture of a fair fight but a completely lopsided contest in which the God of all power humiliates the one who presumes to rival Him. God’s ultimate power is clearly on display.
Moreover, the story makes clear that God’s sovereignty is on display. I want to briefly make a distinction here between power and sovereignty. Power is merely the ability to do something, but sovereignty is actually something more – it entails both the ability and the right to do something. It is possible to have the ability to do something but not the right, and it is also possible to possess the right without the ability. In this passage, it is being made clear that God has the ability to do what He pleases as well as the right to do what He pleases. Understanding that distinction, we see God’s sovereignty on display throughout the chapter. Once again, we can tell even from Nebuchadnezzar’s opening blessing that this was a central lesson he learned as he declares, “His [God’s] kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation” (4:3b). Moreover, we see in the text that the central purpose of the dream, and its fulfillment, was to make clear to Nebuchadnezzar (and, in turn, us) “that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (4:17,25,32). This is an issue of sovereignty – it is God who rules over men and decides who He wants to rule on the earth and actually puts those people into place. This reality is seen most clearly in Nebuchadnezzar’s final blessing at the end of the story as he declares, “I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’” (4:34b-35). This is a clear declaration by the king of Babylon that God does whatever He pleases – both in heaven and on the earth. God’s sovereignty is on display throughout this story.
In short, the declarations about God in this text are clear and obvious. This story makes very clear that God is absolutely all-powerful – in control of, and sovereign over, all things. He is the supreme power in the universe, and He is the supreme ruler in the universe. He can do whatever He pleases. He has the right to do whatever He pleases. And He does do whatever He pleases.
Understanding the clear revelation of God in this text, we must not stop there and assume that this text is merely intended to fill our minds with facts about God. Rather, even in Daniel’s day, God’s actions – by revealing His character – were intended to bring about a certain response from everyone involved. In short, as we have seen before, the things that God reveals about Himself are intended to lead us to certain actions. Moreover, if we truly believe the revelations about God in the depths of our hearts, they will actually cause us to act in certain ways. So let us see what reactions this revelation of God was intended to produce in the text.
First, we should trust in this sovereign God. No doubt, the truths about God that we have discussed so far make it seem as if our proper response to God is to sit down, shut our mouths and stop asking questions because God is in control. While there is a sense in which we need to know our place and let God be God, we also need to understand that this sovereign God is also perfectly good and righteous, and therefore, He is to be trusted. Though we have been focusing on the humbling effect of God’s sovereignty on Nebuchadnezzar, can you imagine the incredible comfort this event would have been to God’s people in captivity? This almighty king of Babylon who destroyed their land and their temple and carried them away as captives is overwhelmed and embarrassed by their sovereign God. Even in a far-away land, their God is in control. No doubt, this would have renewed their confidence and strengthened their faith. This incredible God who can remove someone’s sanity with a snap of his fingers and restore it equally as easily – can he not be trusted to care for his people? Even Nebuchadnezzar, in the final verse of the chapter, makes an amazing statement as he says, “Now I, Nebucahdnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (4:37). Here is the incredible reality of God’s power and sovereignty: not only can He do anything He wants and not only does He do whatever He wants but everything He does is right and just. Knowing this, one of the key appropriate responses is to trust in Him. Trust in the Father that what He does is good and right and best. Trust Him in the giving of life and health (or in the not giving of it). Trust Him in the giving of a spouse (or in the not giving of it). Trust Him in the selling of a house (or in the not selling of it). Trust Him in the giving of children (or in the not giving of them). Trust Him in the providing of a job (or in the not providing of it). Trust Him, because He is absolutely all-powerful and sovereign.
Second, we should humble ourselves before this God. This is probably the most obvious response from our text. Based on what is told to Nebuchadnezzar, the dream – and its fulfillment – happened to him so that he would know “that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (4:17,25,32). Presumably, this means that the king did not know these things or at least was not behaving as if he knew these things. When the promise of the dream actually comes to pass, it is in response to an overwhelming display of pride on the part of Nebuchadnezzar as he rejoices in the fact that Babylon was built by his great power and the glory of his majesty. Ultimately, Nebuchadnezzar is punished for his pride, and it appears that he learned his lesson as he closes the chapter by declaring, “those who walk in pride he [God] is able to humble” (4:37). This story is a living demonstration of a reality that is highlighted again and again in Scripture: God hates pride. More specifically, God hates those who fail to give credit where credit is due. More specifically, God hates those who assume that the source of something that God gave them lies in themselves rather than in Him. Proverbs 3:34 says very explicitly, “Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.” The New Testament quoting of this passage says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Ultimately, God’s goal is that He be praised, and pride inherently works to gain praise for yourself – just like Nebuchadnezzar – rather than God. Therefore, God hates it. In light of the fact that He is all-powerful and sovereign Lord of all things, everything we do should contribute to His glory rather than our own. Pride is the central human sin because it refuses to give God what is rightly His because it desires to be God. In light of His position, we should humble ourselves and recognize our frailty and neediness and dependence so that we might delight in God and all that He is for us and in us. Ultimately, everyone will praise Jesus Christ and, in turn, God the Father – either because they humbled themselves or they were humbled by God – just like Nebuchadnezzar.
Third, we should obey this God because He is sovereign Lord of all things. Essentially, this is an outworking of the previous point about humility because humility will recognize God’s right to command and submit to those commands. But this point is explicitly made in our text. Interestingly, after Daniel interprets the dream for Nebuchadnezzar, he actually gives him a warning as he says, “Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity” (4:27). This is interesting because it seems that Daniel is telling the king that obedience to God’s commands will stave off God’s punishment on his pride. How is it that obedience to God’s commands stands as the antithesis to pride? It is because obedience to God’s commands is inherently exercising humility. This is the reason that this point is so connected with the previous point about humbling ourselves. Obedience to God, in and of itself, springs from having humbled ourselves before His sovereign will. Conversely, disobedience to God always stems from some sort of arrogance and pride that refuses to humble ourselves before God. All sin is, at root, a declaration that God is not in position to tell us what to do and we do not have to obey Him. Instead, our desires and lusts and passions are supreme. But such a thought is absurd if we truly understand God’s rightful position as all-powerful, sovereign Lord of the universe. If this is position, there is no question whether he should be obeyed because He is King.
Fourth, we should extol and praise and glorify this God because of His exalted position. This is the culmination of Nebuchadnezzar’s entire experience. This entire chapter begins and ends with Nebuchadnezzar expressing praise to the God who rules all things. He praises God’s power and sovereignty “to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth” (4:1). Ultimately, our role in this world is to glorify and praise God. It is the central reason for our existence. God’s actions in this chapter were carried out so that worship might happen: worship by Nebuchadnezzar, worship by the nations whom he told about the incident, worship by the Jews who were in captivity, and ultimately worship by those of us who read this story so many years later. God is all-powerful and sovereign. More than that, He is perfectly holy and righteous so that all the actions He sovereignly carries out are right and just. The only proper response to such a God is worship.
One final thing that I want us to see from the text is the way it points us to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus himself made clear that the Old Testament, as a whole, pointed to Him. Though there is no explicit part of this text that is quoted in the New Testament with regard to Christ, this text nonetheless points us to Him in a few ways.
First, by reminding us that God carries out his plans without hindrance or failure, it reminds us that the eternal plan of God is to unite all things in Christ (Eph. 1:10). All the plans of God in this world, from creation forward, were carried out by, through and for Jesus (Col. 1:16). Before the foundation of the world, God predestined a group of people for adoption through faith in Jesus Christ. In time, he sent that Christ to die as a substitute for the sins of that group of people. And in time, he called those people to Himself so that they repented and believed. And in time, when those people believed, He justified them because of Christ’s sacrifice – declaring them righteous. And in time, those people will be incredibly glorified and delivered from all the sin and sickness and pain of this world. The God who sovereignly controlled the events of Daniel 4 is sovereignly controlling all things and all things are moving toward a world in which the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the seas (Hab. 2:14).
Second, it reminds us that sin has consequences and will be punished. For those who have never trusted in Christ, you need to heed the example of Daniel 4 and realize that God will not tolerate sin indefinitely. Ultimately, there is a price to pay, and if you refuse to humble yourself before Him and submit to the King, Jesus Christ, that price will have to be paid by you and the price that must be paid for sin is death (Rom. 6:23). But if you will humble yourself before the Lord, He will exalt you by connecting you to Jesus Christ – who has been raised from the dead and highly exalted above all things! If you repent of your sins and trust in Christ – humbling yourself – you will be saved. If you refuse to humble yourself, the sovereign Lord of all things will make clear to you, just as He did to Nebuchadnezzar, that He is King by pouring out His wrath on you.
Finally, by showing us that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, it reminds us that the One who humbled Himself was highly exalted and given “the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9b-10). The only way to gain God’s favor is by recognizing that you cannot gain God’s favor, humbling yourself and trusting in the Savior that God provided. His goal is to be glorified, so you will never be saved by pursuing a path that leaves any room for you to receive glory. The only path to life is the path of humility – following in the footsteps of our Savior and trusting that His footsteps are the only reason our footsteps will ever reach the Kingdom.
As we come to the table, let us rejoice in the glorious One who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Let us recognize His exalted position as all-powerful, sovereign Lord of all things. And let us trust Him, humble ourselves before Him, obey Him and worship Him appropriately. Amen.