Daniel 4:13-17
13 “In the visions I saw while lying in my bed, I looked, and there before me was a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven.

18 This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

In this passage from the Book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar relates a strange dream to Daniel (called Belteshazzar while in Babylon). Daniel has already proven himself to be an able dream interpreter for the king in chapter 2, and so Nebuchadnezzar calls on him again.

Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t give much weight to the concept of Israel’s God at this time; he has his own gods, after all, and thinks more of his own kingly might. But he does at least recognize that Daniel is blessed with some sort of divine power to interpret these dream images. Unfortunately, this time the dream images of a humbled tree, sent directly from God, will not prove quite as favorable (verses 19-27), and Nebuchadnezzar will have to face their truth in only a year’s time (verses 28-34).

Sometimes we give God as little consideration as King Nebuchadnezzar did before his second dream was fulfilled. Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in concepts of our own earthly strength (physical, emotional, financial, etc.) that we forget Who has the real power. But God demonstrates in His treatment of the Babylonian king that He is not afraid to correct us when we are in the wrong!

Daniel 4:30-35
30 He [Nebuchadnezzar] said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. 34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”

Earlier in the Book of Daniel, we see King Nebuchadnezzar asking Daniel for an interpretation of a strange dream, in which a beautiful, fruitful tree is cut down, bound up with metal, and exposed to the wild elements for several years. Daniel interprets the dream as having specific meaning for Nebuchadnezzar himself, warning the king that if he continues on his wicked, sinful path, he will receive the same treatment as the tree, being “cut down” from his throne and humbled.

The king, however, largely disregards Daniel’s warning until about a year later, when he’s walking around on the roof of Babylon’s royal palace–verse 30 is Nebuchadnezzar’s self-congratulatory murmur. This apparently is the final straw for God, Who has put up with the Babylonian monarch’s pompousness for long enough (verse 31-32 is God’s direct response).

And, just as Daniel’s warning had said, Nebuchadnezzar is stripped of his crown and put out to pasture, living among the wild animals until “seven times” pass (either seven years or seven lengths of indeterminate time). This most humbling condition finally gets through to the king, who states in verses 34-35 that he now realizes the true omnipotence of God. No longer is Nebuchadnezzar pridefully crowing about “his” accomplishments; he realizes that God has the actual power and control.

Why Does God Give This Harsh Punishment? Pride!

God’s actions toward Nebuchadnezzar can seem overly harsh and punitive, but we have to keep in mind that the Babylonian king thought himself akin to a god in some ways. After all, he had been the one to cast Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the furnace for not worshipping the image of gold he had personally set up. All his actions up until this point had been self-serving and self-important, and directly contradicted God. And, in a last insult to God, he had not heeded the warning sent in a dream and interpreted by Daniel. Thus, God had to do something a little more drastic to get through to him.

We can be just as stubborn as Nebuchadnezzar sometimes. We can get all caught up in OUR big plans, OUR talents and abilities, OUR self-sufficiency, etc., and forget all about God and the fact that He is the one who really has control. So God has to discipline us, not just to show off His power, but to keep us from pride’s lofty heights, which only lead to terrifying falls (as I have experienced personally). As tough as this act of God might be to endure, the king finally learns his humble lesson, and goes on to glorify God instead of himself. We have to learn how to put aside our own pride and glorify God (rather than our own accomplishments) in the same way.

Daniel 2:20-23

Daniel answered and said: “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21 He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. 23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Daniel praises God in this poetic form for giving him the answer to King Nebuchadnezzar’s troubled dream, which he and his friends had prayed about before going to sleep.

Earlier in chapter 2, the king had been so frustrated by his dream, and the inability of his wise men to know what it was and what it meant without him telling it to them, that he had ordered their deaths, as well as the deaths of Daniel and his friends. Nobody knew what to do, and everybody was saying “No man on earth can do what he asks!” But Daniel knew the “God in heaven” he served could do anything.

Thus, Daniel goes home and asks for God’s wisdom and mercy, so that “he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon” (v. 18). They go to sleep, and in a dream, Daniel receives the answer he’s been waiting for. Then he wakes and praises God for this. (The dream works in totality, by the way, completely telling and interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream for him and pleasing the king.)

Prayer Works, and Not Just in Bible Stories

Now, when we pray to God, we should not do so only as a last resort, but because we know God can handle and solve anything. Daniel knew he could trust God to bring him through this dire situation; we have to know it, too. God is there for us in every tough situation that life brings us, medically, personally, financially, and every other way. Some examples from my personal experience follow:

God = Great Physician, Literally!

A little girl in my boyfriend’s extended family is living her 4th year of life, when even before her birth doctors were saying her heart would never function correctly enough to help her live 3 months. And even through risky procedures the doctors did not believe would solve the problem, she has pulled through, showing healing and inexplicable recovery in more than 50% of her heart. Our church got together and prayed for this little girl several times, and each prayer time was followed up swiftly with good news. We know that the doctors’ hands were guided by God, but when doctors had given up, it seemed Someone else hadn’t.

God = Best Counselor and Comforter Ever Known

Recovering from severe, suicidal depression has taken me the better part of 3 years, since February of 2009. But prayer has been a continual lifeline for me in that. Not only was I praying for my own recovery, but my family and my boyfriend’s family was, too, as well as members of my church. And I could feel that love and support, and an inexplicable sense of well-being, even at 2:00 in the morning when I felt very alone and unable to talk to anyone. In those moments, I talked to God, and could feel burdens lifting and mindset shifting. And after a while, I knew I was going to get better, someday. 🙂

God = Job Creator Extraordinaire

I had become desperate for a job, for money coming in, and my current physical injuries keep me from working. I have very little work experience because of the economy and my physical condition. One night a couple of weeks ago, I prayed, “God, I’m doing a great job of blogging, but I’m not making any money off this, and I probably never will. Help me to know what to do next; send me something that helps me choose a direction for my career.” Not 24 hours later, I opened an email from a woman who wanted to know if I’d be interested in writing sponsored posts and doing ads for her client’s company. I cried happy tears: God had listened, and answered! It was a starting place, somewhere to begin making a bit of money here and there, which just landed in my lap (well, more literally, in my inbox).

Like Daniel, we have to be willing to pray, and also be ready for the answer. We know that our God is an awesome God, as the song says, but are we really believing His power? After all that I’ve seen and experienced, I can say definitively that I believe.