Old Testament - Daniel 4 - November 3, 2022

11/3/2022 – Daniel 4

Having seen Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego go into the fiery furnace, and come out of it without being hurt at all, caused the king to feel the power and goodness of the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego…the God who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him. The king certainly recognizes David’s power. He speaks of David in v 9 as “master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee...” The spirit of the Lord can come to all of us if we need it and if we seek it.

Nebuchadnezzar asked David to interpret the dream he had that he could not understand. Daniel was troubled at this request because he knew that the message of the dream was not good--(v 19), but he knew he needed to be patient as it will be given in the Lord’s time, not when the king commands it. But after one hour David was able to give the king the interpretation: That “the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.”  David must now tell the king of the harsh judgments of God that were to come upon him, the king, and that is what he did: After great growth, the king would fall upon very hard times. He would be cast out, he would live in the wilderness as an animal eating grass to life. He would have these are times “till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men.…” (v 25)

David’s next step was to counsel the king to reform his life, to repent of his sins, and to show greater mercy to the poor---that the king could avoid the coming punishments if he changed his ways. One of the messages here was that we should not merely stop sinning, but we should move forward by replacing the activities of sin with activities of righteousness. (v 27)

The king could not wrap his mind around this awful ending David was predicting. He had a great kingdom and he carried great power. It was then that “there fell a voice from heaven, saying , O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; the kingdom is departed from thee.” (v 31) It was with the next hour that Nebuchadnezzar experienced the awful promised hardships.

It was after seven years of this sad and harsh living that “I Nebuchadnezzare lifted up mine eyes unto heaven,and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most high, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.” (v 34)  

It was when he truly knew that the Lord all powerful and was over all. After those terrible 7 years, the king knew that the things David had told him of Heavenly Father were true. And it was then that his former counselors searched for him and honored him and put him back on the throne. “Now I Neuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.” (37)

I am so glad that I have been able to build my testimony by following His commandments, and by seeking His help. I didn’t need the troubled life, to turn to God. I followed him, and I prayed, and I felt His guidance and love.


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