Chapter 4 of the book of Daniel is a bit unusual. It is told from King Nebuchadnezzar's point of view, as if he were writing the story himself. So that is how I will approach this chapter as well. Let's begin:
I, King Nebuchadnezzar, was sleeping very comfortably when I was awakened by a disturbing dream. I didn't even wait until morning. I summoned all my wise men in the kingdom to interpret this dream for me right then and there. I told them about the dream that had upset me so, but none of them could or would interpret it for me. Perhaps my ruthless reputation preceded me, and they were fearful for their lives. Nevertheless, I finally called for Daniel. He had already demonstrated that he could interpret dreams, although he said it was God who interpreted them and that he was just the messenger. When Daniel arrived, I told him about my disturbing dream. I saw a gigantic tree with beautiful leaves and many kinds of delicious fruit. It provided food for the wild animals resting in its shade and for the birds as well. Then I saw an angel descend from heaven and cut down the tree. The angel also removed all the branches and destroyed the fruit. Only a stump remained, but the angel instructed leaving it with the roots still intact. Now, here’s the really strange part; the stump, which previously had the mind of a man, has now been given the mind of a wild beast, and the angel declared that this would last for seven years!
After I shared my dream, I looked up at Daniel. He appeared visibly shaken. I tried to calm him and told him not to let my dream cause him any fear. "Just tell me what it means," I said. Daniel finally responded, saying he wished this dream were about my enemies, not about me. He explained that the tree represented me, Nebuchadnezzar, and that my kingdom had grown strong and prosperous. However, you will be removed from your kingdom. You will be like an ox in the field, eating grass and sleeping on the ground. This will last for seven years, after which you will acknowledge that God rules over everything from heaven. Then you will be restored, and your kingdom will return to you. Daniel urged me to repent of my sins.
A year passed, and I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had long dismissed my dream as nothing more than a nighttime story, born out of fear and maybe something I ate before bed. In the last twelve months, nothing even close to what I dreamed about had happened. My kingdom was thriving, and I was living in the beautiful palace. I decided to go up to the roof and look over my kingdom. Once I reached the roof, a wave of overwhelming pride filled my heart. Look at all this, I thought. Then I shouted, "Isn't this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power, and all for my own glory?" Almost immediately, I heard a loud voice from heaven. "Oh, Nebuchadnezzar, the kingdom has departed from you, and you will be driven out from among men. You will live among the beasts in the fields for seven years. Once you understand that the kingdoms of this world are ruled by Me, The Most High, and given to those whom I choose, then, and only then, will the kingdom be restored to you." I don't need to tell you, I felt fear like never before.
Before I knew it, I fell to the ground and started crawling on all fours. I tried to call out to my servants, but the words only turned into growls. My heart began pounding out of my chest! I couldn't walk, I couldn't talk, and I felt driven to leave the castle. I plodded past the guards. I really wonder what they were thinking as I went from an upright ruler to scurrying by them on my hands and knees. As I crossed the bridge connecting my castle to the second set of guards, I lost my shoes, and my knuckles bled from dragging them on the ground. My robe caught on a bush as I turned toward a nearby field. By the time I reached the field, my royal robes were tattered rags, and my braided beard looked like a mop.
After seven years of living in the wild, eating grass like a wild ox, and being unable to bathe or groom myself, I became hideous to look at. My hair grew long and was so matted it resembled tattered eagle feathers. My nails grew long and grotesque, like ragged bird claws. Then, finally, after seven years, I lifted my eyes to heaven, and my senses returned to me. I praised and honored the Most High with my heart and my lips. (Romans 10:9) For once in my life, I realized that God is God, and I am not. He is in charge of everything. Nothing happens in the world that is not filtered through Him. My kingdom is not my own. It is His. All I have is His. Anything that I thought I accomplished was really His doing. (Colossians 1:16-17) Then it happened. My royal subjects, my counselors, and wise men sought me out in the fields. My kingdom was restored to me, and I spent the last years of my life constantly praising God for who He is, and continually thanking Him for all the blessings in my life.
Wow! What a story! We can learn many lessons from this chapter. Nebuchadnezzar himself highlighted a few of them, such as gratitude and praising God. Psalm 109:30 states this exact sentiment: "With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord, and I will praise Him." He also emphasized that God is in control of all things, so we must trust Him. We also see that being prideful is not Godly. James 4:6 says that God opposes the proud, and Proverbs 16:18 states that pride goes before destruction. Pride traces back to the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve were tempted by the devil, who said they could be as great as God if they ate from the fruit, and the rest is history. James 4:6 says God resists the proud. I don't know about you, but I’d rather have God on my side than against me! Next time, we will see if Nebuchadnezzar's son follows in his father's footsteps.
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