Daniel 4: 1-3
(1) Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the Earth. "May your peace abound!
The feature that makes this chapter unique in the whole Bible is that it is the only chapter that is composed under the authority of a pagan.
But from what he proclaims here for the world to hear, my question is whether this king actually put his faith in the Lord God of the Jews, and is no longer a pagan, but a believer.
(2) "It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me.
"It is my pleasure," he wants everyone everywhere to know about the wonderful things this Most High God is able to do, and has done, even for him.
The signs (ahoti) are "attesting miracles," natural phenomena that because of their magnitude or timing decisively give evidence of God's intervention.
The wonders (timhoti) are supernatural manifestations of divine intervention in the course of nature.
(3) "How great are His signs and how mighty are His wonders!
His praise for the greatness of these signs, and the mightiness of these wonders, indicate that he is astounded and dumbfounded with the immensity of the revelation he has been given of who this Most High God is. He has finally realized that God alone is the source of power, in both nature and mankind, and that neither he as the king nor any other earthly ruler had any authority except by God's permission.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His dominion is from generation to generation.
And that, unlike human rulers, the unlimited authority of God as Sovereign over the universe goes on forever and ever, with no end.
Next we will see what it is that has capped this king's knowledge of this Almighty God, after all the other revelations we have seen Him give to him.
O my Father, You are not willing that any would perish, because You have made this whole race of humankind to be Your own family. And You are working in the life of this king in this pagan land to show him who You are, and he is finally getting the picture.
O Father, You are using this time at the beginning of Your chosen Israelites' period of slavery in this far country to lay the foundation for the working out of this nation's future king to allow them to return to their own nation after the 70 years that You have set them aside.
Father, You always do everything You want to do, and You have planned out the whole course of this human era on this Earth. Your great Plan of the Ages is working out before our eyes, when we just open our eyes to see!
Everything that is going on around us today in this time and place in history is playing out just as You have planned and told us about in Your written word, so we can expect it, and trust You through it all. We know that the wrath that You pour out on the world of men will not affect Your children. You have already poured out the wrath we deserve on Your Son Jesus on the cross in our place. There is no double -indemnity with You, what He paid for us is paid in full forever.
Even if there are thousands who fall by our side, and ten thousands at our right hand, it will not touch us; we will simply stand at ease and see the destruction of the wicked and evil around us (Psalm 91: 7-8). We need only to stand still and see how God is exalted as He judges the heathen in the Earth (Psalm 46: 10). Just as You told King Jehoshaphat, Father, we are also to realize that the battle is not ours but the Lord's and we do not need to fight it; we are simply to set ourselves, to stand still and fear not nor be worried; the Lord is with us, and He will win the war (II Chronicles 20: 17).
My Father, continue to use us Your children to broadcast Your Good News to the whole world, to draw all Your children to the birth into Your family, and let no rebel have any excuse for refusing Your generous and gracious provision.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting Glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, please come, Lord Jesus!
