God and the King: Submitting to God’s authority

Over the last couple months, we’ve been studying the first few chapters of Daniel, looking at how God moved Nebuchadnezzar closer to salvation. In Daniel 2, God revealed Himself to the king the first time by using Daniel to interpret a dream. The king took his first step toward salvation by acknowledging that God was real, wise, and involved in the lives of His people. In Daniel 3, God revealed Himself to the king the second time by delivering Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the furnace. The king took his second step toward salvation by recognizing God’s power and ability to care for His followers. In Daniel 4, God revealed Himself twice more, with the final encounter leading to the king’s moment of salvation.

Daniel 4 begins with God giving the king another dream. This encounter started like in Daniel 2; the king called his wise men first, and they were unable to provide the interpretation. However, unlike with the first dream, where the king kept the dream’s content a secret, this time he shared the content freely in Daniel 4:10-17. Also unlike with the first dream where Daniel had to ask to see the king to save the lives of the wise men, this time the king personally summoned Daniel as a trusted adviser and because “the Spirit of the Holy God is in you” (v. 18).

Daniel’s reaction to the interpretation is also different from before. The first time, he interpreted the dream to save the wise men, including himself and his friends, from Nebuchadnezzar. This time, he wanted to save the king. In verse 19, before sharing the interpretation, Daniel wished that the dream was about the king’s enemies. Instead, the dream was a warning to Nebuchadnezzar, telling him that God would cause him to be driven from the kingdom to live with animals and eat grass like the oxen. In verse 25b, Daniel tells the king, “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.” At the end of the interpretation in verse 27, Daniel urged the king to “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.”

But in the end, neither Daniel, nor his friends, nor anybody else except God could save the king. All they could do was pray and let God do the rest — which is exactly what happened. God’s fourth and final recorded revelation to Nebuchadnezzar was given directly to the king.

About a year after the dream, Nebuchadnezzar was admiring his palace. Instead of heeding Daniel’s advice to break from his sins and live righteously, he swelled with pride, praising himself in verse 30, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” God didn’t even let the king finish before making good on the warning. Verses 31-33 tell us, “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! 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.’ That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar.”

Nebuchadnezzar lived in that animalistic state for what scholars believe was seven years before finally understanding and submitting fully to God’s authority and God’s alone. And we see that once Nebuchadnezzar submitted, God blessed and cared for him, just as with Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God restored his kingdom to him — and even expanded it to be greater than ever before. Daniel 4 closes with Nebuchadnezzar’s own words; “[God’s] dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. 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…His works are truth, and His ways as justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down” (v. 34-37).

God used Daniel in the first encounter to show Nebuchadnezzar His wisdom and involvement. We too can help nonbelievers understand that God knows about the world and takes an active role in believers’ lives. In the second encounter, God used Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to show His omnipotence. We too can help nonbelievers recognize that God can and will take care of those who trust Him. And finally, God used Himself in the last encounter to show His authority over the world, ultimately leading to Nebuchadnezzar’s submission and salvation through trusting Him. Now we can’t cause that final submission — that can only happen between God and nonbelievers. But we can act with compassion and concern like Daniel, and we can pray, watch, and wait to see how God draws them to Him.

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