Daniel 4: 19-27
King Nebuchadnezzar is continuing to write his proclamation to go out to the nations of the whole world. He has told his dream to Daniel, and Daniel must give him the bad news.
(19) "Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar,
Nebuchadnezzar is still calling Daniel by his Hebrew name, but in this official proclamation, he must also use his Babylonian name.
was appalled for a while as his thoughts alarmed him.
Daniel is facing a dilemma here. Should he tell this unrighteous king that this awful thing is going to happen to him, and risk his wrath?
The king responded and said, 'Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.'
The king realizes that it must not be a very good interpretation, so he assures Daniel that he really does want to know the truth, and not to worry about it.
Belteshazzar replied, 'My lord, if only the dream applied to those who hate you and its interpretation to your adversaries!
So Daniel hedges his bets, and says that he doesn't want what he will tell him to happen to him. He wants to keep his head!
(20) 'The tree that you saw, which became large and grew strong, whose height reached to the sky and was visible to all in the Earth
(21) 'and whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt and in whose branches the birds of the sky lodged--
(22) 'it is you, O king; for you have become great and grown strong, and your majesty has become great and reached to the sky and your dominion to the end of the Earth.
He tells him that the beautiful, bountiful tree is none other but King Nebuchadnezzar himself, because he is the powerful, bountiful benefactor to people who live in all the nations of the world.
(23) 'In that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from Heaven and saying, "chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump with its roots in the new grass of the field, and let him be drenched with the dew of Heaven, and let him share with the beasts of the field until seven periods of time pass over him,"
He reminds him that it is an angelic watcher, a holy one, who comes from Heaven, who is calling for the destruction of this beautiful, bountiful tree.
(24) 'this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:
Daniel is only telling him what it means. It is the Most High God in Heaven who has decreed this upon my lord the king.
(25) 'that you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.
He tells his liege how it will work out: that he will be like an animal for seven years, until he realizes that he is not king because of his own power or abilities, but because the Most High God in Heaven chose him, and He must receive the credit for what this king has accomplished.
(26) 'And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules.
Daniel assures his king that his kingdom will be returned to him, when he just recognizes that he only rules under Heaven's authority, not his own.
(27) 'Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.'
So Daniel gives him good advice, to show humility toward Heaven by having mercy on his subjects, and not be so harsh with them; so that maybe all this won't have to happen after all.
Daniel loves and respects his king, even as he recognizes his king's failures and weaknesses in being overbearing with his subjects. As king, Nebuchadnezzar has the unlimited power of life and death over his people, and often goes too far in his edicts.
Daniel is advising him to take it easy, and recognize that he is accountable to a Higher Power over him; and not act like he is the be-all and end-all of everything. And then maybe the Most High God will relent.
This is good advice. What will this despot do with it? Will he humble himself? Will he just ignore it and go his merry way? Or will he punish Daniel for even suggesting that this could happen to him?
Daniel has done all he could. He took a chance, and told him what the Lord God was going to do to him, and advised him as to how he could possibly avoid this judgment. He put it in the most positive language he could; encouraging his king in praising him for all the good things he had accomplished, and giving him the warning from Heaven, and how to avoid it.
Now it's up to Nebuchadnezzar.
O my Father, You are good, and You are God. You wanted this pagan king to recognize You, so You revealed Yourself to him in ways that he could see past the culture he knew.
Father, You always reveal Yourself and Your ways so that we can understand who You are. You know each of us, and You draw to Yourself all who are willing to hear.
O Father, send out Your children! Send us out so that Your message will reach every living person in the whole world. My Father, use us. Use our efforts, strengthen our might and lengthen our reach, so that all will hear, all will understand how much You have loved us, and provided our salvation through Your own Son.
Father, draw to Yourself all of Your unborn children, to bring them to the birth into Your own family. And show Yourself to all who decide to rebel against Your goodness, and refuse Your gracious, generous gift. They will have no excuse.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Son of the Living God, 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, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
