We are going on in our study of Daniel and courage.  This morning we are coming to Daniel 4.

Last Sunday night in our Life Group - during our discussion - the question came up about Nebuchadnezzar being kinda of spiritually dense.  Why is that Nebuchadnezzar in one chapter is impressed with Daniel’s God and then in the next chapter learns to be impressed with the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - and yet Nebuchadnezzar never seems to connect the dots that those two Gods are really the one true God.  And just maybe that one true God is trying to get Nebuchadnezzar’s attention.  You ever wonder that?

“After all the things that God did right in front of Nebuchadnezzar’s face - demonstrating to Nebuchadnezzar who God is, why doesn’t Nebuchadnezzar get it?  Especially - after the dream about a statue in chapter two - how God is in control over everything - why then, in chapter three, why is Nebuchadnezzar putting up this 7 story golden image and demanding worship - essential unquestioned devotion to himself?  Why doesn’t Nebuchadnezzar get it?” 

Its a great question.  You ever wonder that about people?  Why don’t they get it?  Another great question:  Why don’t we get it?  Ever wonder that?  Ever wonder if God wonders that?  Why don’t they get it? 

With all that we know about God - with all the times that God has come through for us in our lives - with all that God has done for us - salvation and an eternal relationship with Him being huge on the list - especially  when we should be looking at eternal damnation.  With everything that God has shown us about Himself, how is that we continually default to a tug-of-war with God over who really gets to control our lives?

Last Sunday - remember the golden statue - the music - the really really hot burning fiery furnace?  The bottom line of last Sunday was a fundamental choice - the choice of who we value - who we honor - who we worship - who do we trust with our lives?  God - or something else.  Remember this?

The obvious answer to, “Who do we trust?”  Is who?  “God.”  Intellectually - in our heads - we get that.  Its a Sunday School answer.  Most Sunday School questions can be answered with God - Jesus - prayer - because its in the Bible.  Intellectually we understand:  Trust God.

But in our heart - deep down - when our faith hits the hard asphalt of life - we struggle.  Anybody with me on that?

When it comes to times when we need courage - to trust God - to stand for Him at work or at school - when we need courage when things are coming apart at the seams in our families - when we need to stick to doing what we know is right - in those times - not just intellectually - but in our hearts - at the core of who we are - we’re going to wimp out - to come up short - unless we’re trusting God with our lives.

That’s where we’re going this morning - how Nebuchadnezzar moved from an intellectual acknowledgement of God at work - observing and honoring - making religious declarations and pronouncements - to a heart level connecting of the dots - connecting with just who this God is - and coming to the point of trusting God with his own life.

Daniel chapter four is Nebuchadnezzar’s personal testimony.  Nebuchadnezzar telling us how he finally “gets” God.  

Before we jump into the chapter we need to first make sure we’re together on what God has been doing.  We need to make sure we’re seeing the process of schooling that God has been taking Nebuchadnezzar through.  Who God is 101.

In Daniel chapter one the account revolves around the question of what?   Whether or not to eat Nebuchadnezzar’s food - vegetables or food sacrificed to Babylon’s gods.  Remember this?  For these boys about 14 years old - newly arrived in Babylon - for Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego it was an issue of indoctrination.  Meaning:  Follow the one true God or be assimilated into Babylonian culture and society.  

At the end of the chapter - Nebuchadnezzar finds the boys - who’ve decided to remain faithful to God - Nebuchadnezzar finds these four boys to be 10 times more wise and understanding than anyone else.  So Nebuchadnezzar appoints them to his personal service - taking advantage of what God has done in their lives.

Point being:  Nebuchadnezzar is on the learning curve.  Intellectually he understands that their God takes care of His people - blessing them with wisdom and understanding.

Chapter two revolves around the dream Nebuchadnezzar had of a what?  A statute showing all the kingdoms that were coming down through future history - and ultimately God’s eternal kingdom which is supreme over all the other kingdoms.  Remember this?

None of Nebuchadnezzar’s wisest advisors can tell him the dream.  But God reveals the dream and the interpretation to Daniel.

So Nebuchadnezzar - again on the learning curve - intellectually understands that God is sovereign over the affairs of mankind.  But still Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t “get” that God’s sovereignty applies to him personally as well.  Because after all he’s Nebuchadnezzar supreme ruler over anything that’s worth ruling over.  That’s why - in chapter three he’s building this golden image and demanding worship.

In chapter three - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - now young men in their early twenties - get tossed into the what?  The really hot burning fiery furnace and God delivers them.  Nebuchadnezzar finally praises the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who’s delivered them.  Declares that everyone should treat their God - as well as his gods - with respect.

The bottom line:  In all this Nebuchadnezzar never really “gets it” that God - THE God - is speaking to him - wanting to get personal with him - wanting Nebuchadnezzar to give THE God sovereignty - total control - over his heart.

Let’s jump into Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony.  We’ll do some unpacking as we go along and then come back and grab some application at the end.

Daniel 4:1:  King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth - everybody in the empire and beyond - Peace be multiplied to you!  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!  His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

Nebuchadnezzar begins with God - the Most High God - what the Most High God has done.  Which is way different than anything we’ve seen from Nebuchadnezzar before.  Then - notice - what the Most High God has done for me.  That’s personal.

These first three verses are Nebuchadnezzar’s Greeting and Introduction to his personal testimony.  Where he’s going in all this.  The most powerful man on earth explaining to everyone that he can share with - what he now knows to be true about God.

Starting in verse 4 is Nebuchadnezzar’s explanation of how God finally got a hold of his life and brought him to this personal trust in God.

Verse 4:  I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace.  I saw a dream that made me afraid.  As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me.  So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.  Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation.

At last Daniel - meaning after everyone else epically failed - At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, “O Belteshazar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the vision of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.

Verse 10:  The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these:  I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.  The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth.  Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all.  The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven.  He proclaimed aloud and said thus:  ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.  Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches.  But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the earth.  Let him be wet with the dew of heaven.  Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth.  Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. 

Verse 17:  The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end 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.’  This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw.  And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because 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 gods is in you.”

Let’s pause and notice 3 things about Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream.

First:  Nebuchadnezzar is prospering.

Which is hard to process living here in Merced - that degree of prosperity and security and luxury.

Between chapters 3 and 4 there’s a span of history that’s taken place during which Nebuchadnezzar has obliterated his enemies.  In 587 he took out the Egyptians.  Jerusalem fell in 586.  Pretty much every empire around has been ground under Nebuchadnezzar’s heel.  He is basking in the security and prosperity of being the sole force in the world to be reckoned with.

There’s no one greater.  He’s flourishing.  He’s prosperous.  He’s at ease - content - in his palace.  He’s got it all at his fingertips.  He is at the top of his game.  Nebuchadnezzar is on top of the heap of mankind.  Everyone else is looking up.  Pretty heady stuff.  And Nebuchadnezzar has the ego and pride to go along with his position. 

Second:  Nebuchadnezzar again goes to Daniel.

In verse 5 Nebuchadnezzar says he’s having dreams and fancies and visions.  Oh my.  In Aramaic - which is the language that chapters 2 to 7 are written in - in Aramaic the word for dream means… dream.  Visions means… visions.  Fancies means…  well, something more like fantasies.  What the mind conceives.

At night - do you ever have something come to mind and then you spend the next several hours going over and over the worst possible outcome of what could happen as a result of that?

Meaning that as Nebuchadnezzar has this dream he’s envisioning and fanticizing all kinds of wild ideas about what all that might mean.  Which is really stressing Nebuchadnezzar out.  He’s not just alarmed.  He’s terrified.

Once again all of his wise men fail him.  So Nebuchadnezzar again turns to Daniel.

We have to appreciate the honesty of Nebuchadnezzar.  As he’s sharing his testimony, he makes it clear that he’s glad Daniel showed up not because Nebuchadnezzar was impressed with God or because he personally knew God but because intellectually he knows that Daniel is somehow in touch with the gods - plural.  Daniel is some kind of holy person.

Third:  We need to see God’s Love - evident here behind the scenes of what’s going on.  God acting in love is God’s undeserved choice of sacrificial commitment to us.  Which is how God has chosen to act towards Nebuchadnezzar.

This isn’t some ordinary dream - the mind wrestling with stuff left over from what went on during the day.  This dream is God at work revealing to Nebuchadnezzar what God will do and why.  God working to bring Nebuchadnezzar into a relationship with Him.

Thinking about that.  What has Nebuchadnezzar ever done to deserve that kind of attention from God?  Nada.

God could have been so done with Nebuchadnezzar - this arrogant Gentile king.  But, He isn’t.  Nebuchadnezzar hasn’t chosen God.  God - for reasons known only to God - God has chosen to love on Nebuchadnezzar.  To reveal Himself to Nebuchadnezzar.  To lead Nebuchadnezzar to relationship with Him.

Which is what John writes of us:  “This is what love is:  it is not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.”  (1 John 4:10 GNB)

God chooses to love us.  Not the other way around.

God’s who’s talking to Nebuchadnezzar - God who’s loving on Nebuchadnezzar - God has placed Daniel there - a man who knows God - put Daniel there to interpret the dream.

Going on - verse 19 brings us to The Interpretation of the dream.

Verse 19:  Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him.  The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.”  Belteshazzar answered and said, “My Lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies!  The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of heaven lived—it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong.  Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. 

Verse 23:  And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’  this is the interpretation, O king:  It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beast of the field.  You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdoms of men and gives it to whom He will.

Verse 26:  And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules.  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.”

Let’s go back and do some unpacking.

First:  We need to grab the coming devastation.

When Daniel hears the dream he hesitates.  The dream is so shocking - so alarming - the implications for Nebuchadnezzar so devastating - that Daniel hesitates.  This is really disturbing - terrifying.  Maybe something he might wish this on his worst enemies but not on his king.

Have you ever had to tell someone something that you knew was going to devastate their lives - be so hurtful - so painful - that you really didn’t want to tell them? 

Second - we need to see God’s Purpose.

Nebuchadnezzar is told - verse 26 - your kingdom shall be confirmed for you - your kingdom will be given back to you - from the time that you know that Heaven rules - after you finally recognize that Heaven rules. 

When I was in High School - not so long ago - every Friday during football season - at noon - in the gym - we had a rally.  Which went pretty much the same every week.

The cheerleaders would do their routines.  The band would play.  The coach would get up and introduce the football team and make some speech about how we were going to devastate our opponent.

Then we’d be led in some cheer - like “We’re number one.”  Then that night we’d go out and get creamed.  With respect to the guys who really put their heart into the game - a really good winning season for us was 500 - splitting loses and wins.

Every been to rally like that?  Main point:  “We bad”  Which ironically was true.

Steve Zeisler - teaching on this passage - Steve Zeisler said this:  “Throughout history those with great power over nations have imagined that nature bowed to their greatness.  They have often believed, as have their subjects, that they were divine in their makeup and authority.  One of the oldest and worst ideas is that you can be like God in defiance of God.  This idea was spoken first by the serpent in the garden and has been take up over and over again in history.” (1)

Isn’t that an easy trap to fall into?  To think that its our own abilities and cleverness and strength that’s got us here.

Nebuchadnezzar’s problem was that he thought he was number one.  Neb Rules!  But, its God that rules from Heaven.  That’s God’s purpose - His point:  “Heaven Rules!”

Third:  Notice God’s Mercy.  God’s restraint.  God acting in mercy meaning that we do not receive from God what we deserve.

God appeals to Nebuchadnezzar.  Daniel - God’s man - after he’s given the interpretation - makes an appeal - verse 27:  “Break off your sins”  “Repent while there’s still time.”  Stop your sinful behavior.  Instead live righteous - rightly - before God.  Stop sinning in how you’re treating the poor.  Let go of your ego-centric arrogance and humble yourself before God and others.

God establishes limits.  Nebuchadnezzar’s schooling is for a set period of time - seven periods of time - probably years.  For 7 years Nebuchadnezzar is going to be put out to pasture.  But after that, he’s going to be restored - even restored as king.

There must have been a long list of people who would have moved quickly to take advantage of the situation - while Nebuchadnezzar was a man out standing in his field - take advantage of the opportunity and put themselves in power.

But God establishes limits - protects Nebuchadnezzar - gives reassurance of restoration.  Gives the kingdom back. 

All of which is God’s mercy towards this Gentile king who God would have been justified in roasting forever in Hell.  But God because He is rich in mercy - God through Daniel appeals to Nebuchadnezzar.  Turn to me.  God knowing Nebuchadnezzar’s heart - setting limits on his discipline - so Nebuchadnezzar will learn and turn to God.

Verse 28 brings us to The Fulfillment of the dream.

Verse 28:  All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.  At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”  While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken:  The kingdom has departed from you, and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field.  And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will.”  Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar.  He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.

Verse 34:  At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason 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 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?”

Notice that its no longer Daniel’s God - or a god among many gods - but The Most High.  Nebuchadnezzar had unquestioned sovereignty.  Question his right to do whatever he wanted and you’d be torn limb from limb - your houses made into a rubbish heap - and they you’d get thrown into a really really hot burning fiery furnace.  What Nebuchadnezzar is testifying here is that he finally “gets it.”  God is the One who alone has unquestioned sovereignty.  Even over Nebuchadnezzar’s life.

Verse 36:  At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me.  My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me.  Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, 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.

Two things for us to grab on to.

First:  It took the full 7 years to get through to Nebuchadnezzar.

Comparing the timing of Daniel with what we know about the history of the Babylonian Empire and when all of what happened happened - its probable that Nebuchadnezzar had his dream about the tree in 583 BC.  Which is historically really interesting.  Interesting because - with the Babylonians - there was always something going on militarily - wars - conquests - something.  But between 582 and 575 BC - starting one year after Nebuchadnezzar dreamed the dream - for 7 years - there were no major military operations.  Nothing is going on in the empire.  Meaning no king - no conquests. 

The historical records outside the Bible suggest this took 7 years.  God said it took 7 years.  Nebuchadnezzar - in his testimony - with humility - admits that it took the full 7 years - for God to get through to Nebuchadnezzar’s heart.  But the point is that it take exactly the seven years that God said it would take - the limit God placed on the schooling.

Second:  Grab on to God’s grace.  God acting in grace means that we receive from God what we do not deserve.

A whole year goes by after Nebuchadnezzar is given the dream and God’s warning.  Maybe Nebuchadnezzar thought God had forgotten about him.  Whatever the reason - one year after the dream - 582 BC - Nebuchadnezzar is walking on the roof - overlooking his domain - basking in his own magnificence - and “poof” he’s pasteurized.

Boanthropy is real disease - a type of insanity where a person thinks they’re a cow or an ox.  They actually take on the characteristics of a beast of the field.  Humanism at its graphic worst.  Bask in our own self-focused humanity and we loose touch with what means to be created in the image of God.

But here’s God grace.  Seven years and God graciously gives it all back to Nebuchadnezzar who deserves nothing from God.  And now - with all his restored humanity - his restored kingdom - rather than boasting in himself - Nebuchadnezzar is giving the glory to God.  His testimony is of what God has done and of who God is.  God - in His grace - has given to Nebuchadnezzar a relationship with Him.  Heaven Rules!

Processing all that.  What can we learn from Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony that applies to us as we’re seeking to live courageously out there in Merced?  Two questions.

Question one:  Thinking about where your life is right now - where do you see God at work?

Imagine tourists visiting Babylon, “Who was that really weird guy we passed on the way in?  The one with the really bad manicure eating grass?”

“Oh, him.  That’s just the king - the supreme ruler of all the known world.”

You may be going through some really really harsh circumstances.  Illness, marriage, family, finances - circumstances where our hearts seize up - circumstances where it may be really really hard to see God in the midst of all that.  The stuff of life where courage is greatly needed and really hard to come by.

Hold on to this truth:  God is always loving and merciful and gracious.  That’s who God is at the core of who He is.  Even in the worst of the worst God still loves you.  Still is merciful  Still is gracious.  And it just might be that God can use those circumstances to school you - us - into understanding at the heart level the same thing that Nebuchadnezzar finally grabbed hold of.

In whatever we’re going through we need to learn to look for God at work.  Because God is there working.  What God want us to “get” is that we can know Him and experience at the heart level that in all the stuff of life - the good - the bad - the ugly - and the incredibly joyful - God really does love us - is still merciful - still gracious.  Always worthy of our trust.

Question two:  How will you respond to God?

There is a huge difference between verse 4:  “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.”  Huge difference between that and verse 34:  “But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever.”

In verse 4 are all those things that we turn to that are about us trying to suck it up and move forward in life.  What we possess - our skills and accomplishments - relationships - food - drugs - alcohol - porn - sex - smoking - sports - perks and pleasures - recreation - anger - the way we’ve been wounded - money or lack of - family - even religion.  Whatever we’re turning to rather than turning to God.  What ultimately is about us basking in our own cleverness and control.

In contrast verse 34 is all about God.  Self verse God.  There are only two choices in life. 

There’s a loving and merciful and gracious warning in Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony that we all need to pay attention to.  Where do you see your life?  How are you responding to God?  Verse 4 or verse 34?

Satan will use whatever we’re turning to rather than turning to God to rob us of our created in the image of God humanity - to cripple us - to weaken us - to lead us into failure over and over again.  Courage comes when step out into life knowing that we are created by God in His image - deeply loved by God who is always merciful and gracious to us.

God gives us courage when we’re willing to surrender our lives to God - trusting Him.  Then we begin to really live - to live God’s way - courageous in any circumstance - powerful - effective for God’s kingdom - bringing glory to Him.

_________________________

1. Steve Zeisler  “The End of Arrogance” sermon from Daniel 4:1-37

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.