The Witness of the King

Daniel 4

Outline

I. The Converted King Speaks 4:1-3

II. The Circumstances of the Dream 4:4-36

A. Shaken by a dream 4: 4,5

B. Summoning the wise men 4:6,7

C. Sharing the Dream with Daniel 4:8-9

D. Substance of the Dream 4:10-17

E. Seeking Daniels Interpretation 4:18-27

F. Sin of Pride brings divine Judgement 4:28-33

G. Salvation from God 4:34-36

lll. The Conclusion of the King 4:37

Purpose

The purpose of the Book of Daniel is to encourage the people of God in times of suffering. In Chapter 2 it was to encourage the people by showing God's Sovereign control of all events. There is a prediction that Israel will face a lengthy period of foreign domination. However God is in control and eventually they will enjoy the final victory when Messiah comes. The future is in God's hands. In Chapter 3 it was to encourage the people of God by illustrating how God protects His people in times of suffering. His divine omnipotence is displayed in the fiery furnace. Now in Chapter 4 the purpose is to encourage the people by revealing to them that nothing is impossible with God. God is sovereign over all powerful, influential, heads of state and that praying for the salvation of their souls is not a waste of time. This chapter is autobiographical. It is Nebuchadnezzar’s personal testimony of how he came to the Lord.

The Converted King Speaks 4:1-3

1) Nebuchadnezzar the king, To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.'

2) I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me.

3) How great are His signs, And how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And His dominion is from generation to generation.

1. the date of this chapter is about 570 BC. lt occurs toward the end of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, about 30 years after the Fiery Furnace of the previous chapter.

2. This chapter records Nebuchadnezzar’s third miraculous contact with God.

3. The fourth chapter is unique because it is written in the first person indicating that Nebuchadnezzar revealed this to Daniel who was led by the Holy Spirit to included it in the book.

If someone asked you when was the first tract ever written, you mention Daniel four. The king wants everyone to know about his salvation so he addresses the message to all people (racial groups - Syrians, Medes, Persians, Phoenicians, Arabic groups, Egyptians, Jews), nations (geographical entities) and languages (Chaldean, Syrian, Hebrew, Coptic, arabic, etc). His great and vast empire encompasses people, nations, and languages.

Here we have something that occurs over and over again. When a person trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior and has the assurance of their salvation, they usually want to pass it on to others. Think of salvation as the most valuable possession that you have and the privilege that has been given you to pass it on to others.

The king is enjoying peace and prosperity in his empire, but when he says “Peace be multiplied unto you” he is talking about spiritual peace. ln chapter two he had insomnia and fear. ln chapter three he had anger and agitation. ln chapter four, pride and madness. Now he knows true inner peace. He wants his people to have it as well.

Purpose of the tract:

2) I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me.

The “signs” are the dreams that God gave to him to lead him to Christ and the “wonders" are the interpretations of the dreams and the way they were fulfilled. Purpose of this testimony is to reveal to everyone how God worked in His life, as he says, “the Most High God has worked for me (personally).” When Jesus comes into your life He makes a difference. Compare Daniel 3:4-6 with what is recorded here and you will notice the change. He repudiates everything recorded in chapter three. He wants everyone to know that he has repented and is trusting in the Most High God. He gives God the credit. He glorifies the Lord. This chapter is a monument to the grace of God.

3) How great are His signs (wisdom of God), And how mighty His wondersl(power of God-omnipotence) His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom (Eternality of God), And His dominion is from generation to generation.(Sovereignty of God).

Nothing is impossible with God. God is sovereign over all the powerful, influential, heads of state and that praying for the salvation of their souls is not a waste of time.

Circumstances of the Dream

Shaken By A Dream

4) I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace.

This was a picture of prosperity. He was enjoying a significant period of political peace and security. Everything was going great. He had everything to make him happy, humanly speaking.

5) I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

Contrast this with verse 4; a dream shook him. What he saw terrified him. Did his money, powerful army, idols sustain him? Like the dream of chapter two, this was from God, and God was dealing with him. There is no permanent security apart from regeneration. He was the greatest king of his day, but he couldn't decree his fear away. He had millions in the bank, but he couldn’t pay off his fear. He had a great army, but he could not threaten or intimidate or defeat his fear. What should this tell us? There is no permanent peace in power, wealth, or human success. Security can only be found in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. What did he do about the problem?

Summoning the wise men

6) Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

Typical unbeliever. As long as there are other resources available, he will pursue them rather than turn to God or the Word of God (Isaiah 53:6).

7) Then the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream; but they did not make known to me its interpretation.

Sharing the dream with Daniel

8) But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and l told the dream before him, saying: 9) “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.

When all their resources are gone, they turn to God. Daniel had to be patient. He knew that the wise men would not be able to help. So, he waited in the background until they failed.

The Substance of the Dream

A. The Flourishing Tree

10) “These were the visions (dreams in my head) of my head while on my bed: “l was looking, and behold, A tree in the midst of the earth, And its height was great.

11) The tree grew and became strong; Its height reached to the heavens, And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.

B. The Hewed Tree

12) lts leaves were lovely, Its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, And all flesh was fed from it.

13) “l saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.

14) He cried aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it, And the birds from its branches.

The “watchers” are reconnaissance angels. They are God’s angels who report to the Lord at angelic convocations. Their report demands judgment to fall upon Nebuchadnezzar.

The flourishing tree is about to become a stump. This is comforting to know that all about us in the angelic sphere, there are watcher angels. No evil thing is hidden. No evil thing goes unpunished.

15) Nevertheless, leave the stump and roots in the earth, Bound with a band of iron and bronze, In the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, And let him graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth.

16) Let his heart be changed from that of a man, Let him be given the heart of a beast, And let seven times pass over him.

17) ‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, ln order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.

Seeking Daniel's interpretation

18) “This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”

The King senses that the dream had some import to his rule, and having exhausted all human resources, he once again sought the interpretation through Daniel.

19) Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. So the king spoke, and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you." Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream concern those who hate you, and its interpretation concern your enemies!

Daniel was shocked into silence. No one wants to be a bearer of bad news. Daniel knew that the interpretation was going to be applauded by Nebuchadnezzar’s enemies.

Interpretation of the flourishing tree:

20) The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth,

21) whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home-

22) it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth.

Pride destroys us. Persons filled with pride no longer operate based on facts. They are self-centered and more focused on themselves than the Lord or others. The Gospel requires freedom. A person must believe in Christ. lt is a free, conscious choice. However, pride is a sin that causes spiritual blindness: a disorder of indifference to spiritual things. It is worst than cancer, for it attacks the soul.

Interpretation of the hewed tree:

23) And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and

saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him’;

24) this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:

25) They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.

26) And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules.

For seven years, Nebuchadnezzar will be under this judgment. He becomes a stump. Notice the “bands of iron and brass wrapped around the stump.” This is to keep it from splitting, thus making it possible for the tree to grow again. lt is a picture of the Grace of God keeping Nebuchadnezzar alive until he is freed from the sin of pride that now blinds him. The grace of God is preserving him and the nation while he is under this judgment.

27) Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity."

Notice Daniel’s courage in the presence of the king. He told him the truth. Interestingly we can see the downward plunge into pride and blind arrogance. From a leader who cared for his people to one who in chapter two became bigheaded (the golden head of the image in chapter two). His stability faltered, and he became less benevolent and less loyal to his subjects. This is clear in chapter three. Not just his rage unleashed against three defenseless men, but he sacrificed top military personnel to appease his anger. Some men died that day, putting Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace. This degeneracy of mind overflowed to all his subjects so that Daniel says he needs to “show mercy to the poor.” Even the poor are being oppressed. God knows what it will take to break this man's exaggerated opinion of himself. Will it be “The Hard Way or the Easy Way?"

Sin of Pride brings divine Judgment

28) All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.

29) At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon.

The is a principle that is worth exploring: Grace always proceeds judgment. How many opportunities were the king given to repent? He was warned in chapter two by the interpretation from Daniel. He was warned by the deliverance of the 3 Hebrew guys in chapter three. He was warned by the tree vision of this chapter and Daniel’s pleading with the king to repent, or this horrible judgment will come upon him. Notice that he had twelve months to take to heart the warnings.

30) The king spoke, saying, “ls not this great Babylon, that l have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?"

31) While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!

32) And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses."

33) That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.

Down came the tree. Gone was the glamour of his rule. The splendor of his court was replaced with the great outdoors. Grass became a poor substitute for the delicacies of the royal banquet table.

Doctrine of Trees

Trees are used in scripture to convey spiritual lessons. Here is a brief list of some of the trees we see that have teaching value.

1. Tree's in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 2:9

And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Some trees are “pleasant to the sight.” They appeal to our emotions—the forest’s scenic wonders, like the California Redwoods or Pennsylvania and New York during Autumn. Breathtaking beauty. Other trees are “good for food.” They appeal to our stomachs, such as fruit trees. However, the next two trees represent spiritual truths. The tree of life was planted in the Garden to sustain and perpetuate man and woman physically. The tree of knowledge of good and evil was in the garden to test their volition. Would they obey the Lord?

When they sinned, they were cast out of the Garden of Eden. They were cut off from the tree of eternal life. So God put another tree in his plan. The cross of Jesus Christ. Peter speaks of it as a tree:

1 Peter 2:24

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live or righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

2. Tree represents mature believers, Psalm 1:3.

3. A believer who shares their faith is likened to a tree, Proverbs 11:30.

4. Flowering and fruitful trees represent God's blessing and favor, Daniel 4, Ezekiel 36:30.

5. Hewed trees (stumps) represent God's discipline. Trees which die and wither often represent God's discipline, Daniel 4, Isaiah 2:12-13,17; Matthew 21:19,20.

6. People living under the influence of evil are described as dead trees, Jude 12.

Salvation from God 4:34-36

34) And at the end of the time l, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation.

“l lifted my eyes to heaven” is an idiom for expressing faith in God. He looked up to heaven and believed. His testimony is just wonderful: A King who turned to God.

35) All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?"

Just the opposite of the legalist who want to point to their hands. Look at me. Look at what l have done. No one can hinder the divine plan of Grace. In Daniel 3, the king called attention to his hand:

3:15) “Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which l have made, good. But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"

Repentance is a change of mind. He had a change of mind.

35) All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He had said, “ls not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?"

He had a change of mind. He understands the Grace of God. He does not earn, deserve, or merit this blessing. Notice God's matchless grace, which not only saves but restores to Nebuchadnezzar his kingdom.

36) At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me.

The Conclusion of the King 4:37

37) Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

Application: Do you have a loved one who is stubborn and has not believed in Christ?

How Daniel must have felt at the end of these seven years when Nebuchadnezzar stood up and testified, "l lifted up my eyes.” How long has it been since Daniel started witnessing to Nebuchadnezzar? My best guess is over 25 years. Daniel joined the State Department in 603 BC, and Nebuchadnezzar ruled for 43 years. At any rate a very long time. Nebuchadnezzar had squandered opportunity after opportunity to trust in the God of Heaven. l think he is typical of all unsaved people. We can learn many lessons from the way God deals with him. lf you have an unsaved love one who you are concerned about, l pray some of these principles may be a blessing to you:

1. We should not be surprised when our unsaved loved ones refuse to believe in Christ the first time they hear the Gospel.

They have a bad heart:

Isaiah 53:6

All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

They have a bad record:

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

God must take the initiative if man is to be saved. When man fell, he lost the ability to return to God in his own strength. Therefore God must reveal Himself. He does so in many ways which we sometimes forget:

2. Our hands may be tied, but God's hands are never limited. Daniel and his three friends were the only witnesses in Babylon, but they had no opportunity. God put the dreams into Nebuchadnezzar’s mind. Remember, no one is beyond God's reach. You may be shut off or hindered from reaching your loved one, but not God. When you run out of resources, remember God has never run out of resources. It seems that there is more reason to believe someone will be saved than there is to think they will not. Nothing is impossible with God.

3. Another encouragement we receive from this is how God was at work in Nebuchadnezzar’s life. But who knew?

Until Nebuchadnezzar spoke about the dream, no one knew about how God the Spirit was dealing with him. We see nothing going on; our prayers seem unanswered. Sometimes we have no opportunities, and it seems “our hands are tied.” This does not mean that God is not at work. We must walk by faith and rest in the Lord. Too often, we walk by sight. We see no changes, no softening, no drawing near to God, and we can be tempted to conclude there is no hope. Wrong! Time out! 2 Peter 3:9 says:

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."

God never stops seeking. He never quits on anyone, and neither should we. It requires patience, doesn’t it? Waiting upon the Lord is what we must do. Joshua waited for 40 years before the promise God made to him was fulfilled. David waited 20 years to be king while Saul’s rule was completed. We need God's help to be patient.

How can we demonstrate to our loved ones who resist coming to Christ the importance of believing in Christ if we are unwilling to trust the Lord? We point to our loved one and say, “he is in unbelief,” yet sometimes we lose heart and lack faith. We should pray for our loved ones with a confident expectation of their salvation, for our God is able.

4. Setbacks. Opportunities for faith come and go.

Imagine what Daniel must have felt after He interpreted the nightmare of chapter two and the king testified about how wise Daniel's God was. Imagine how close he was in chapter three when he saw the power of Daniel's God through the fiery furnace. Yet, for years his heart remained in unbelief.

5. God pursued Nebuchadnezzar based on grace and not works. His rejection of the God of heaven did not earn him God's rejection.

Think about it? Did you believe in Christ the first time you heard or the first opportunity you were given? Yet you are saved. Which means you had another opportunity. Your rejection did not earn you God's rejection. God pursued Nebuchadnezzar by grace as He does to all of us.

Acknowledgment

At my side, as I prepared this commentary on Daniel, are my notes taken at Practical Bible Training School listening to my professors Dr. Marion Lowe, my teacher in the Old Testament, and Dr. Floyd H. Barackman, friend and teacher of Theology. These men wrote no book on Daniel, but they are ever-present in my understanding of Daniel. For historical background, The Cambridge Ancient History Vol. 3 - 5 was beneficial. Dr. Leon J Wood’s books on (1) The Survey of Israel’s History, and his own Commentary on Daniel, significantly contributed to my understanding of the persons and events in the Book of Daniel. No commentary begins with a blank sheet of paper, and my debt to these works when not footnoted is always present.

Below is a list of sources used in preparing these messages:

Brown, F., Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. (1977). Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Cambridge Ancient History. Vols. 3-5, 2^nd ed. edited by John Boardman et al. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970–1991.

Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology. Vol. 4. Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1948.

D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible Dictionary (3rd ed.), Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Leon J. Wood, A Commentary on Daniel, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1973.

Leon J. Wood, A Survey of Israel's History, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1973.

Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Babylon, Babylonia. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 247). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1987). The works of Josephus: complete and unabridged (p. 286). Peabody:

Kitchen, K. A., & Mitchell, T. C. (1996). Chronology of the Old Testament. In D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible Dictionary (3rd ed., p. 186). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.