Nebuchadnezzar Meets his Match (Daniel 4)

This sermon was preached on 11/12/2011

In the fourth chapter of Daniel we have the account of the final stage in the story of God’s pursuit of Nebuchadnezzar. The pursuit has lasted for several years, because the first mention of it in the Book of Daniel took place when Daniel and his three friends were teenagers. Now they are adults who have been working for the Babylonian regime for several years. Indeed a further eight years are mentioned in Daniel 4 (the seven times in verse 16 plus the year in verse 28). This is a reminder of the longsuffering of God.

What has the Babylonian emperor learned about God so far? The book begins with Nebuchadnezzar thinking that the God of Israel is weak (the emperor shows this attitude when he places the captured vessels from Jerusalem inside the temple of his god). In the next chapter, however, Nebuchadnezzar finds out that the God whom he imagined he had defeated is truly in control of his life; in fact, the emperor discovers that this ‘weak’ God is in charge of the whole of history. He does not know everything yet about the true God, but he has realised that the God of Daniel is the sovereign God.

Nevertheless Nebuchadnezzar tries to fight against this God, and we noted that in chapter 3 the emperor rejected God’s revealed will to him about the demise of his empire. In determined contrast against what the Lord had said, Nebuchadnezzar built an image which claimed the endlessness of his kingdom. He vented his anger against God by punishing his servants, Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego. Yet even in that situation, the emperor discovered that his expressions of power were impotent in comparison to the God of the Hebrews. Instead of burning to death, the three men were joined by a fourth, whom Nebuchadnezzar recognised was divine (and whom we know was a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son of God). So whatever else, he may have deduced, he was taught that God was with the Hebrews.

What happened to Nebuchadnezzar is a picture of what often happens in the lives of those whom God is pursuing. They try to run from God, but whatever they do, they keep on discovering more about God. Nebuchadnezzar discovered that the Lord was the supreme sovereign, that he knew all the secrets of men’s heart (he knew the details of the emperor’s dream), that he was always present with his people (even when the emperor revealed his diabolical opposition to God’s faithful people). Nebuchadnezzar twice had confessed the greatness of the true God and had even responded in ways that indicated a reluctant acceptance of his authority (when he exalted Daniel and his three friends respectively to important positions); in doing this, he is like those people who try and adjust their lives because they had been in contact with God.

Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony

But more has to happen before Nebuchadnezzar truly experiences God’s grace and becomes a new creation of God. The details of how this took place are recorded in Daniel 4. What we have recorded there is Nebuchadnezzar’s personal testimony. We are usually interested in listening to the testimonies of important people. So what does the emperor have to say?

The first detail to note is that Nebuchadnezzar wants everyone to know what has happened to him (v. 1). Having read the chapter we know that he had gone through a most unusual experience when for a while he went insane and behaved like an animal. Can we imagine a prominent person wanting to tell everyone that such a thing had happened to him? The advisors would have told their masters to hide such information. But Nebuchadnezzar did not make that conclusion because what had happened to him was the road on which he found blessing for his soul. And therefore he was prepared to tell everything publicly, to everyone.

The second detail we should note is Nebuchadnezzar’s attitude towards all the people to whom he is bearing testimony. Remember that he has been a very cruel man, inflicting great punishment on all the nations he has conquered. How does he regard these conquered peoples, now that he has met God in a very profound manner? The answer to the question is also in verse 1. The once-cruel king now wants all of them to know peace in abundance. What an amazing change of attitude! Yet that was the effect of meeting with God on Nebuchadnezzar.

These two details of universality and peace are the marks of a person who has been changed inwardly by Jesus Christ. Such an individual wants everyone to know what God has done in his life and he also wants everyone to know the peace of God in a personal way. So-called dignity and loftiness of position cannot prevent a person who has experienced God’s mercy from speaking about it and wanting those who are above him and those who are below him to come and know this God for themselves.

Then we should observe a third detail, which is that he speaks about God with exalted language. One of the things that grace does with a person’s tongue is that he begins to use appropriate adjectives. Nebuchadnezzar does not merely speak of God; instead he says he is great and mighty. The emperor freely confesses what he had initially opposed and then found very hard to accept, which is that God is the only being who has an endless kingdom. Out of the emperor’s mouth come beautiful statements of praise.

You can tell a convert by his speech. I recall reading a story of a church meeting where individuals were telling one another, and God, what Jesus meant to them. Some of them had been Christians for years and they could describe their experiences in profound and accurate theological language. Eventually, a recent convert rose to speak. All he could say was, ‘O Lord, what a wonderful Saviour!’ It was the unanimous opinion of the meeting that he had said more than they rest of them, because he spoke from his heart! Here is mighty Nebuchadnezzar and he is now speaking beautifully about the God of grace.

The sequence of events

What had happened to bring this about? Fortunately, Nebuchadnezzar himself tells us. He says that God interrupted his life by using the same means that he had used in Daniel 2 when he spoke to the emperor in a dream. On this occasion Nebuchadnezzar definitely recalled the details of his dream, so he asked all his wise men to tell him the meaning, which they could not do. Why was that? After all, they could have made up a meaning. I suspect God, who was now on the case of Nebuchadnezzar, prevented them from interfering with his message. God often does this with the gospel. Sometimes a person hears the gospel but it comes into his mind mixed with a hundred other ideas. Then suddenly all that he finds in his mind is only the Word of God. Like Nebuchadnezzar, he does not know what it means, yet he cannot think of anything else. But because God is at work, along comes someone who does.

Daniel then appears. Nebuchadnezzar has not fully realised who Daniel is. At this stage, the king thinks that Daniel is only a more competent magician, an individual who has deeper insight into the spiritual world. Remember he is telling us what he thought before the final change came on him. He thinks in this way before God deals with him savingly.

So when Daniel appears, Nebuchadnezzar tells the dream to him. It was of a very large luxuriant tree that was chopped down, stripped of its branches, leaves and fruit, and only its stump was left. Surprisingly, the stump was then bound with iron and bronze bands. Even more surprisingly, the emperor is told in his dream that the stump represents a man who will live like a beast for seven years (v. 16). He is also told why this man will undergo this strange experience: it is that people will be informed that God rules over mankind and gives authority to whomever he wishes (vv. 13-19).

Daniel was dismayed and alarmed by what the dream means. In his response, he is a vivid example to all who serve the true God and how they should react to what his word says is the fate of those whom God judges. The punishment on Nebuchadnezzar was only going to last seven years, yet it affected Daniel deeply. Although it was the word of his God, Daniel could not accept it only in an indifferent manner. He did not respond by saying that the emperor had ignored previous warnings and therefore deserved what was coming to him. No, Daniel was affected in his emotions as he considered the temporary judgement of God on an individual. How much more should we be affected when we read about the eternal judgements of God on those who know not the Saviour!

Daniel is encouraged, however, by Nebuchadnezzar to tell him the meaning of the dream. He discovers that the dream is about him, that although he is currently at the height of his power and in the best of health, heaven has decided that he is going to become deranged and live like an animal for seven years. Yet there this the prospect of restoration, not only in his mind but also of his kingdom.

Daniel realises that the dream is a warning from God to Nebuchadnezzar. Therefore he urges the emperor to ‘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’ (v. 27). If he changes his ways, then he will have a prosperous reign without having to go through the awful experience that he has been warned about in his dream. When we turn to the Bible, we discover that it is full of warnings. Sometimes the warnings are historical, as in the preaching of Noah to his generation. At other times, they are verbal in the sense that a verse will indicate what will happen to people if they persist in a certain direction. And there are times when warnings are accompanied by divine promises that God will bless us if we change our ways.

The response of Nebuchadnezzar

What did Nebuchadnezzar do with the warning he was given? Maybe he ignored it, and nothing happened for a year. Perhaps he said to himself every day for 365 days, ‘What a lot of rubbish was spoken by Daniel!’ That is one very common response, but ignoring the warnings is not the answer. Or maybe he did what was worse, and succumbed to fatalism and spent each of the 365 days waiting for God’s threatened judgment to come, telling his advisors there was nothing he could do about it. I think he did the first option, but there are many who adopt the second option and imagine that somehow having a fatalistic outlook is pleasing to God. The response God wanted was repentance, and it was the response that Nebuchadnezzar did not want to give. But God was determined to ensure that he would eventually respond correctly.

So the moment came suddenly. In a second, the mighty emperor, full of self-praise, started to live like a cow, and he remained that way for seven years, with uncut hair and fingernails. His power which conquered the known world was no match for heaven’s power. In the end there was not even a contest. Only a fool ignores the warnings of God. Nebuchadnezzar, who asked Daniel for spiritual help, persisted in acting like a fool. What is a fool according to the Bible? A fool is someone who doubts that God can intervene in his life. Such a person is the man in Jesus’ parable who imagined he could go on increasing riches for the foreseeable future; in one night, he lost it all. Fortunately, foolish Nebuchadnezzar did not die, but the reason he was not killed was because God was still pursuing him. His experience tells us that God can go to extraordinary lengths to win us to himself. But it is an awful thing to undergo even God’s temporal judgements.

Nebuchadnezzar testifies, however, to the amazing fact that the Lord who brought him down then brought him up (vv. 34-35). Instead of using his mouth to eat grass, he now uses it to praise God. His words are a marvellous expression of repentance and we can consider them briefly.

As he gives his testimony, the first thing that Nebuchadnezzar tells us is that he lifted up his eyes to heaven. This may seem a small thing, but it was not in his life before because he usually spent it looking in a mirror at himself. Now he is drawn to look at God, which is what happens at conversion.

Then he informs us that his reason returned to him. The judgement of insanity was taken from him and he is now in his right mind (like the demoniac from Gadara whom Jesus healed). And the first thing that a person in his right mind does is speak to God. We can sense Nebuchadnezzar’s enthusiasm about this because he uses three words to describe his response – he blessed, praised and honoured the Lord.

What did he say to God? First, he praised God that he has an eternal kingdom (unlike Nebuchadnezzar); second, he said all humans are insignificant (including Nebuchadnezzar); third, he affirmed that God is completely and permanently sovereign over supernatural and human creatures; fourth, he announced that God kept his promise to restore the throne to him (v. 36) and prospered him even more. The last point is significant: now Nebuchadnezzar knows how to treat increased prosperity. No longer does he praise himself; instead he continues to praise God (v. 37).

Three lessons

There is one other detail in Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony to notice and it is found in his final statement (v. 37). He affirms that it is a good thing to be humbled by God for our sins. The price he paid was not too high. But it is a reminder that we don’t know the price that we may have to pay if we persist in rejecting God’s pursuit of us.

Nebuchadnezzar’s conversion is as striking as the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. And there are several similarities between them. Both despised the Master of God’s people (Paul despised Jesus); both tried to destroy God’s people; both saw Jesus in those they persecuted (Nebuchadnezzar saw him with the men in the fiery furnace and Paul saw him in the face of dying Stephen). If Nebuchadnezzar and Saul of Tarsus can be saved, then there is hope for any sinner, no matter what sins they have committed.

The third lesson is that sometimes it is our successes that need to be removed before we will submit to God. What things are we pleased with in our lives? In themselves, they may be harmless, but if they come between us and God’s grace, he may choose to remove us from them for a while, as he did with Nebuchadnezzar. But then we will discover, as he did, that it is better to have God’s blessing on the things we are good at instead of doing them without his blessing.