Daniel 4 - Mark Ralf

Daniel 4 –

1. The Scroll – headlines…

BOOK: The scroll – Is the king a loony? & Have your say…

This is our story today…

Who is the most powerful ruler in the world today?

· They feel so powerful they often ignore God.

· Despite their power – are there things they cannot do?

· Nebuchadnezzar felt he was God’s equal – totally in control

· When confronted by Daniel’s God, he learned how puny he was in comparison.

· In the end he gave public praise to God.

Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar are a real contrast here.

· Daniel was NOT a young man.

· The book of Daniel covers 70 years of his life.

· ASK Daniel was approx 76 in Ch 4, 86 in Ch 5 and 93 in Ch 6. Throughout his life, Daniel’s faith shines brightly – as he stands for God – in complete contrast to Nebuchadnezzar.

Do we want to bring honour to God like that too?

· How do we react in situations where it is tough to be a Christian – the promotion you deserve (but didn’t get), the speeding ticket you got but didn’t deserve, the time you did what was right (but it turned out wrong) – these are the times when our faith is under the microscope.

· Daniel has practiced for years being a faithful follower of God – he wasn’t about to change the habit of a lifetime.

2. STRUCTURE

· 4:1–18 A dream about a tree

· 4:19–27 Daniel’s warning of judgment

· 4:28–37 Nebuchadnezzar humbled then restored

· Then and now – what’s the difference

· Applying this today

3. A CLOSER LOOK AT DANIEL 4

v1–18 A dream about a tree

Let’s remind ourselves about Nebuchadnezzar:

· He is King of Babylon. (605-562 B.C.)

· He was father of at least three sons, including Evil-Merodach, his successor.

· He achieved the extensive rebuilding of Babylon, including the Ishtar Gate, a ziggurat, canals, the "hanging gardens," and other architectural achievements that were among the wonders of the ancient world; the new Babylon was vast for its day - about 200 square miles.

· Best known for Capturing Jerusalem (c. 587 B.C).

· He lived in the lap of luxury

· He is at the height of his powers

· V4 Nebuchadnezzar at home, in his palace – contented and prosperous

· Look at v2-3 there is no hint of the goodness or greatness of God, thus heightening the reader’s expectation that a great reversal is about to take place.

· Look at Luke 12:16–19 – when we reject God and believe ourselves to be in-charge and at the height of our powers, we should expect a reversal. God is getting our attention – trying to draw us back to himself.

· Back to N. He has a terrifying dream. Despite the lessons of ch. 1–3, and his confessions of faith 2:47 and 3:28–29, it was to his magicians that he again turned

· The tree is a picture representing a world empire which reached to and provided for all

· But a heavenly decree was pronounced; it was to be reduced to a stump

· In v15b-16 the picture gets personal. let him … let him … let him

· The king becomes an animal, v15-16

· There are even medical conditions for this now: Insania Zoanthropia – a rare mental disorder in which the person acts like a beast

· Note in v8 and v18b that Nebuchadnezzar instinctively describes Daniel’s spiritual life in terms of his own religious framework (spirit of the holy gods).

· All his previous confessions have not delivered him from belief in lots of gods. He is like lots of people today – lots of religious experience but no biblical conversion.

4:19–27 Daniel’s warning of judgment

Why was Daniel perplexed? V19

· It was because he knew what it meant – not because he didn’t.

· Knowing the king would be humiliated did not give him pleasure – here he reflects the heart of God.

· So what was the interpretation?

· The heavenly decree was of judgment against Nebuchadnezzar ( v24 ), set in the context of God’s absolute sovereignty ( v25 the most high).

· The king who acted like beast toward the people of god and to the oppressed will become like a beast. The whole idea is to humble the king to repentance – so he learns that the God who puts down also raises up.

Daniel pleads with the king in v27: Please accept my advice…

· Renounce your sins by doing what is right – acknowledge God

· Renounce your wickedness by being kind to the poor – those in need (everyone compared to King Nebuchadnezzar!) Just like the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18:21-35, we show we desire mercy from God and understand it by showing mercy to others.

· This was part of the lesson N would learn

4:28–37 Humbled and healed

So did N listen? – of course not!

· After a period of opportunity to repent, God’s fulfilled his promise.

· God wanted him to repent, he didn’t rush but N was too full of himself.

· Nebuchadnezzar was remarkable. He built so much and achieved so much - the Hanging Gardens (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world) were just to remind his Median wife Amytis of her homeland.

· Let’s read from v29 “Twelve months later…… … and his nails like the claws of a bird.” (v33)

Nebuchadnezzar is put out to pasture!

· The judgment is a complete humiliation of the king;

o his authority ( 31 )

o his sanity ( 34 )

o all immediately ( 33 ) removed.

o He went from superhuman to subhuman

V31, v33: The words were still on my lips, the voice from heaven, and “immediately it was fulfilled”

And still God holds out hope – just as he does for us – v32 “until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign – the king must accept he is not king.

Eventually, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God v34 by raising his eyes to heaven. Followed by praise. Here Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God is over all, all the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing – even the King of Babylon.

4. WHAT ARE WE TO MAKE OF THE STORY?

· We cannot immediately transfer this passage to today.

· We are not a people in captivity.

· There are few overtly ungodly laws and only a few world leaders think of themselves as God.

· Today’s Kings have less power. Most despots know they will only be in power for a while. There is more responsibility on us today – we vote for our leaders and they should be accountable to us.

· Our politicians and leaders still behave as if there is no God – but we have more control over bringing them to account. When did you last write to your MP or the government stating your Christian views about the matters of the day?

Is the world a more evil place that during the time of King N?

· It may seem to you that control of things has slipped into the hands of those of have no fear of God. But when we look at the state of the world, consider this: God has His people everywhere, in places and positions that most of us would never imagine – just like Daniel.

Daniel was an advocate for the poor. (the jewish exiles working on N’s building projects) - he urged Nebuchadnezzar to change his ways by “showing mercy to the poor” (v27).

· God ensured he had a way of achieving his purposes. Having the right person in the right place at the right time – just as he did with Daniel, Moses, and Joseph.

5. WHAT IS PRINCIPLE IN THIS STORY?

· King N had to learn the hard way

· Honour me or risk facing my discipline and my final judgement unprepared.

· N turned to God and acknowledged the God was in charge – do we need to do that?

· In every area of our lives - Status, work, money, relationships?

6. CAN WE BE A DANIEL?

So Dare we be a Daniel?

· Setting our heart on God – whatever the consequences.

· Standing out for God – whatever the circumstances

· Pleasing God is more important than pleasing men.

· OR ARE WE LIVING LIKE NEBUCHADNEZZAR?

Daniel had firmly held beliefs and acted on his convictions.

· The first is a matter of the intellect while the second is a matter of the will.

· A person may argue for his beliefs but he will die for his convictions.

An old Old hymn says: “Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone, dare to have a purpose firm, dare to make it known”.

The little girl was only weeks old when she contracted an eye disease. The doctors accidentally prescribed the wrong treatment and she became permanently blind. Despite her blindness she composed more than 8,000 hymns during her lifetime. ??? Fanny Crosby. She was asked “do you feel any bitterness toward the doctor?” She replied, “No, you see, it may have been a mistake on the doctor’s part but not on God’s part”.

Her God was Daniel’s God – the God who is in control of all things.

She died in 1915, aged 95. She wrote 8000 hymns - 5 are still in Mission Praise. Her most famous – To god be the glory!

Comparing their lives

· Nebuchadnezzar lived for himself and believed he was God’s equal

· Daniel and Fanny Crosby’s life was “To God be the glory”

· Are we living a Nebuchadnezzar life or a Daniel life?

Let us pray.