Good morning,
Daniel 4 deals with the Nebuchadnezzar’s pride. He dreams about a great tree. Daniel interprets the dream. Nebuchadnezzar is deposed, humbled, made to live as an animal, and then his kingdom is restored.
Daniel 4
Nebuchadnezzar’s Pride
Nebuchadnezzar reports God’s dealing with him (4:1-3)
Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.2 I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.3 How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
The Lord’s dealing with Nebuchadnezzar was remarkable. The Lord had given him the dream of the great statue in ch. 2, and Daniel interpreted the dream. Then God gave Nebuchadnezzar the experience of these three men in ch. 3; and in ch. 4, the Lord gave him “signs” again in a remarkable way. In v. 3, we see how much Nebuchadnezzar had learned about God and about His coming kingdom on earth.
(The Rice Reference Bible, 1981, pg. 916)
Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of a great tree (4:4-18)
4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace:5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.6 Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.7 Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.8 But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my God, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,9 O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.10 Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:12 The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;14 He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:15 Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: 16 Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.18 This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
When the others had failed Daniel was finally summoned (vv. 8-9). When people’s hearts are not right with the Lord they usually are not anxious to face a man of God. A description of the prophetic dream was given to Daniel (vv. 10-12). The dream was about a great tree, located in the most conspicuous place on earth. It grew until it reached heaven and could be seen by all the earth.
Then suddenly and unexpectedly there came an order that the tree be cut down, the branches removed, the leaves shaken from the branches and the fruit scattered (vv. 13-14). The stump was then subject to all the elements and to the beast of the field while the tree is referred to as a person (vv. 15-16). Clearly the tree represented a person who was to have his heart changed from a man’s to a beast’s and he was to remain like this for a period of seven years. The king now waited for Daniel to interpret this dream. He was trying to figure out how Daniel could interpret his dreams and the wise men in his kingdom couldn’t (vv. 17-18),
(https://www.family-times.net/commentary/nebuchadnezzars-second-dream/)
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
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