Daniel The Man who Feared God 2016

Submission (34-37)

1. 
   What happened at the end of the days?
   
   1. 
      The seven year period of his being consigned to the life of a beast came to an end.
      
   2. 
      He raised his eyes to heaven and his reason (or sanity) was restored.
      
   3. 
      Is there a causal relationship here?
      
      1. 
         His upward look coincided with the return of his reason. The two events are presented as logically connected, not chronologically connected. We can translate the ‘and’ as ‘that is’ or ‘while’ or ‘as’ rather than as ‘and then’.
         
      2. 
         It is not that he decided to look to God and then his reason was restored. That would make no sense, as an irrational person cannot act rationally by his own power or abilities.
         
         1. 
            It is incorrect to interpret this, as some do by saying that it is only as man looks to God that he can he be fully rational.
            
         2. 
            This is similar to a faulty view of repentance, which holds that man makes an initial grasp for God and God then acts to draw the person. Man is dead in sins and cannot act rationally until God brings the conscience to life through conversion.
            
         3. 
            In the same way Nebuchadnezzar was irrational and could not have acted rationally (i.e., to look to God in heaven) unless God first restored his reason. He was so beast-like that he was insensible to his condition. Oxen and other beasts of the field do not think about their condition before God; they just act to satisfy their basic needs.
            
         4. 
            Even men who have not been afflicted with punishment of Nebuchadnezzar are not willing, under their own volition, to look to God. Man is by nature irrational and suppresses the truth, because of sin, and only God can change the heart and mind of a man to look to him.
            
      3. 
         The causal relationship is the opposite of what people suggest. It was only when God restored his reason so that he was able to realize his condition (he would have seen his long hair, long nails, nakedness or ragged apparel, and his emaciation) that he looked to God.
         
      4. 
         The Aramaic word (תּוּב) that is translated as ‘returned’ in the ESV, is translated as ‘restored’ in the NIV. This is a good (possibly better) translation as it emphasizes that Nebuchadnezzar was passive in the change of his situation. God restored his rationality.
         

2. 
   What brought to an end the judgement on Nebuchadnezzar (compare verse 34 with verses 25 and 33)?
   
   1. 
      The ‘trigger’ that ended the punishment was not that he came to know or to acknowledge that God was sovereign. He was in an irrational, insane state and could not have come to that conclusion on his own.
      
   2. 
      The ‘trigger’ was the end of the appointed time of punishment.
      
   3. 
      It was after his sanity was restored and he realized how God had humbled him that he acknowledged God as sovereign.
      
   4. 
      The sequence of events was:
      
      1. 
         God decreed the punishment and the duration of it.
         
      2. 
         God punished.
         
      3. 
         God lifted the punishment at the end of the set time.
         
      4. 
         Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged God as Lord and that his sovereign disposition of the kingdoms of men is in accordance with his omniscient will.
         
   5. 
      What is the key cause underlying Nebuchadnezzar’s acknowledging God as Lord?
      
      1. 
         Nebuchadnezzar’s change from insanity to sanity and from denial to confession was the result of God’s gracious action in providence.
         
   6. 
      Of what is this temporal sequence, a good analogy?
      
      1. 
         When we considered verse 25 we noted that this sequence of events provides an analogue for the process of salvation.
         
      2. 
         This sequence is:
         
         1. 
            God’s decrees are ultimate. All events and times are in his hands.
            
         2. 
            Men who are dead in sin (i.e., insane, out of their minds, irrational) are not able to acknowledge God as Lord and Saviour.
            
         3. 
            God changes their hearts.
            
         4. 
            Men stop acting live brute beasts, they lift up their heads in dignity as image bearers of God, and they praise him.
            
      3. 
         Salvation is a gracious gift from God. There is nothing in us that enables us to save ourselves any more than Nebuchadnezzar could have overcome his insanity on his own.
         

3. 
   What did Nebuchadnezzar do upon having his sanity restored? (34, 37)
   
   1. 
      He worshipped God.
      
      1. 
         Nebuchadnezzar not only gave thanks to God, but also confessed his sins and praised/worshiped God.
         
      2. 
         Three synonyms are used for worship in verse 33: blessed/praised, praised/honoured and honoured/glorified (ESV/NIV). Three synonyms for worship are also used in verse 37: praise, extol (exalt) and honour (glorify).
         
   2. 
      Was it true worship?
      
      1. 
         True worship can only come from a converted heart. For example, actions that involve petition of God are not true prayer if they do not come from a believing heart (Is 1.11-17; Prov 15.29; 28.9; Jn 4.23).
         
      2. 
         The fact that the three synonyms are used seems to emphasize the nature of this worship as being something that did truly honour God—the three-fold repetition emphasizes completeness. The usage of the synonyms may hint at a converted heart. We will consider the question of whether or not Nebuchadnezzar was converted, below.
         

4. 
   What attributes of God’s greatness does Nebuchadnezzar extol? (34, 35, 37)
   
   1. 
      God is the Most High.
      
      1. 
         We first saw this expression used for God in Daniel 3.26. At that point Nebuchadnezzar was probably referring to God as only the supreme god in a pantheon of gods—a god in the same species as the other gods, if more powerful—and not as the Creator God—the God in a unique genus or class, totally different from the gods of the pantheon.
         
      2. 
         We noted when considering that reference to God that the term ‘Most High (Highest) God’ or ‘Most High’ occurs 13 times in Daniel, more than in any other book except in the Psalms; and that six of the occurrences in Daniel (4.2, 17, 24-25, 32, 34) are spoken by Nebuchadnezzar.
         
      3. 
         It is possible that he now uses the term ‘Most High God’ in an absolute sense—as the Creator God—as he is recounting his encounter with God.
         
   2. 
      God is Eternal.
      
      1. 
         What is the irony in this statement? Nebuchadnezzar had been flattered throughout his reign with expressions like, “O king live forever,” (2.4; 3.9). Now, as Nebuchadnezzar is approaching the end of his life and has realized his mortality, he has come face-to-face with the only person who is eternal—God.
         
      2. 
         Humans, as created beings, have a beginning but no end so they have an eternal future (even those who are consigned to Hell). Humans are contingent beings, so their eternal future is made possible only through God’s sustaining power. In contrast, God is the only truly eternal being. He had no beginning, has no end, is self-sustaining, and exists beyond/above time.
         
      3. 
         The gods of the pagan pantheons all had a beginning of one kind or another (materialized or were born).
         
         1. 
            It is hard for us finite creatures to get our minds around the concepts that are necessary to properly define God.
            
         2. 
            The unique attributes of the Creator God include, beside eternality (God has no beginning or ending) and self-existence (he just is), include:
            
            1. 
               Necessary existence – God cannot not be
               
            2. 
               Simplicity – God is indivisible he does not have parts; the Trinity does not divide God into parts, each of the persons of the Trinity is fully and completely God
               
            3. 
               Incorporeality – without innate physical or bodily expression; God is spirit (Jn 4.24)
               
            4. 
               Morality/truthfulness – unable to do wrong of any kind; not just containing a derived good (as in angels or glorified men)
               
            5. 
               Infinitude, omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience.
               
         3. 
            Eternality is the representative attribute that Nebuchadnezzar uses to sum up all the other attributes. Nebuchadnezzar, by declaring God as eternal, was confessing that God was different from all the god’s of the Babylonian pantheon. None of these invented gods had any of the essential attributes of God.
            
         4. 
            None of the gods of the pagan pantheons had the true attributes of the Creator God. the pagan gods were essentially portrayed as super-men.
            
   3. 
      God is the Universal and Eternal King
      
      1. 
         The king confessed that since God is eternal, so is his dominion. There is no revolution, no decay, and no succession in his kingdom. As he continues to live, so his reign is perpetual. Of his government there is no end (Is 9.7).
         
      2. 
         The extent of God’s kingdom is universal—through all time, in all places, and over all creation, so Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God’s authority over everything and everyone (all men “the inhabitants (or peoples) of the earth”).
         
      3. 
         God regards the nations and the kings of the earth as inconsequential in their pride and hubris.
         
         1. 
            This does not mean that God does not care for, or concern himself with, his creation.
            
         2. 
            Rather, it means that men and nations have no authority over God and that God does not need them to exist or to be complete.
            
         3. 
            Any authority that men have is delegated from God (Gen 1.26).
            
      4. 
         To what does God’s rule extend, in addition to being over the peoples of the earth?
         
         1. 
            The hosts (powers) of heaven, since he is ‘King of Heaven’.
            
         2. 
            The expression ‘king of heaven’ is used only here in the entire Bible. What may it mean?
            
         3. 
            This may refer to the solar system and galaxy. Nebuchadnezzar, connected the sun, moon, stars and planets with gods. He may have been saying that the rule of God included the dominion of the gods.
            
         4. 
            It could also be that Nebuchadnezzar had a vestigial understanding of the existence of angels.
            
            1. 
               We noted, when we considered the identity of the fourth person in the furnace (3.25), that Nebuchadnezzar used the term ‘son of the gods’ by which me may have meant an angel.
               
            2. 
               Nebuchadnezzar may have been aware of the account of Job, and knew that even Satan had to ask permission of God to afflict Job.
               
            3. 
               Nebuchadnezzar, therefore, may be speaking of the angelic realm (including demons who are fallen angels) in his reference to the extent of God’s dominion.
               
         5. 
            With our fuller revelation, we know that God’s reign does include all the rational creation (Ps 103.20-21; Mt 6.10; 8.16; Rom 8.38; Eph 1.21; 1 Pet 3.22).
            
            1. 
               The demons try to resist God, but even they are compelled to obey him by compulsion (Lk 8.32).
               
         6. 
            The title ‘King of Heaven’ likely also means the same thing as ‘God Most High’.
            
            1. 
               God is the supreme God, the only true God.
               
   4. 
      God is Sovereign
      
      1. 
         Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that God’s will and power are irresistible and his sovereignty incontestable. No one can stop him from acting, and no one can question why he acts as he does (Job 36.23; 40.6-9; Is 29.16; 43.13; 45.9; Rom 9.20-21).
         
      2. 
         While God is a law to himself, this does not mean that he is capricious and wildly erratic or impulsive. Rather he acts consistently in accord with his personal will that is based on perfect wisdom and justice.
         
      3. 
         Nebuchadnezzar, in acknowledging that God is sovereign, is professing that nothing happens by chance, but that every event unfolds in accordance with God’s absolute will through his providential governance of the universe.
         
         1. 
            The universe is not the product of chance cosmological, geological, or biological events. Nor is the universe the product of capricious actions on the part of demigods who create the universe as their toy and mankind as their slaves. Rather the universe and mankind have an absolute teleology. God’s hand is evident in the design of the universe and man’s purpose—to glorify God—is clearly manifested in his innate being.
            
         2. 
            Nebuchadnezzar dismisses the powers of the gods of the Babylonian pantheon to influence men or to control nature as mere fantasy.
            
         3. 
            Nebuchadnezzar denies that objects or forces in the natural realm (e.g., sun, moon, stars, and planets) could have any causal influence over men (this of course does not deny the proximate nature of physical forces such as gravity that can create tides, or solar flares that can influence earth’s temperature).
            
         4. 
            Nebuchadnezzar deprives the Chaldeans (astrologers/wise men) of Babylon and the self- proclaimed guardians of ‘truth’ today—scientists and professors in the academies—of their power to advise and control the minds of their intellectual pawns.
            
   5. 
      God is Righteous.
      
      1. 
         All that God does, is done well. God’s righteousness includes:
         
         1. 
            Acts of love and mercy
            
         2. 
            Providential governance over the affairs of men and history
            
         3. 
            Issuing laws governing behaviour of his creatures
            
         4. 
            Dispensing or withholding temporal blessings
            
         5. 
            Decreeing who will be among the elect and who will be among the reprobate
            
         6. 
            Judging the actions of men and angels/demons
            
         7. 
            Rewarding those who believe in Christ, and
            
         8. 
            Punishing eternally the rebellious.
            
      2. 
         Most people are content to let God’s righteous judgements be executed against extreme examples of wickedness in other people. However, many people (including many Christians) question his judgements on those who they think to be ‘good’, or on themselves. You will hear them say something like, “Why me? I don’t deserve this! What have I done wrong?”
         
      3. 
         Being a righteous God, he cannot countenance pride that challenges his position, authority and glory. He therefore must humble the proud.
         
         1. 
            Until this point, Nebuchadnezzar likely had the same attitude toward God as all sinners do (i.e., they say, “What right does God have to challenge me?”. He would have been happy to accept victories and accolades but would have been upset if his plans failed to materialize or he became ill. After confronting severe judgement from God for seven years he was humbled enough to acknowledge that all that God does—even sending difficult times or inflicting punishment—is righteous.
            
         2. 
            However, now, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that it was for his own sin of pride that he received the chastisement. Nebuchadnezzar did not consider humbling of the proud to be a sign that God is unrighteous, but rather that he is righteous.
            
      4. 
         There are some professed atheists today (e.g., Dawkins) who accuse God of injustice, cruelty, and vain pride. They need to hear what Nebuchadnezzar says. God is righteous and humbles the proud.
         
         1. 
            It is a very dangerous and precarious thing for a creature to question his creator and to suggest that he does anything that is less than good and holy.
            
   6. 
      God is worthy of Worship.
      
      1. 
         Understanding the true attributes of God, Nebuchadnezzar was constrained to worship God.
         
      2. 
         Why did Nebuchadnezzar use three words to ‘praise’, ‘extol’ (‘exalt’), and ‘honor’ (‘glorify’) to express his actions in worship?
         
         1. 
            He may be using these terms to give the sense of completeness.
            
         2. 
            He wanted us to understand that his worship of God was sincere, not a mere formality.
            
      3. 
         When men come to truly understand who God is, there can be only two possible reactions:
         
         1. 
            Abject fear – Trembling with loathing and hatred. These creatures know that God is who he says he is, but they do not want to honour him as creator, law giver, sovereign governor, and saviour.
            
         2. 
            Adoring fealty – Love for who God is and what he has done, which overflows into praise. If we truly know God in a saving way, we cannot do anything less than pour out our hearts in thanksgiving and wonder (Rev 4.11).
            

5. 
   What did God give Nebuchadnezzar? (36)
   
   1. 
      Essentially, a second chance.
      
   2. 
      He gave him back his sanity and his kingdom:
      
      1. 
         He was restored to health and mental capacity.
         
      2. 
         He was restored to his throne.
         
      3. 
         His majesty and splendour were restored.
         
      4. 
         His counsellors/advisors and his nobles returned to him.
         
      5. 
         God gave him more honour than he had before.
         
   3. 
      Why did God give Nebuchadnezzar a second chance?
      
      1. 
         God was teaching Nebuchadnezzar a lesson, not destroying him.
         
      2. 
         God is supremely patient, not wishing that any should perish (2 Pet 3.9).
         
      3. 
         God intended that Nebuchadnezzar would give his report, as recorded in Daniel 4.
         
         1. 
            God wished to have all mankind hear of the humbling of the greatest king in history.
            
         2. 
            God willed to have the account come from the king himself.
            
         3. 
            God wanted to show that his reign is over all the kings of the earth.
            
      4. 
         It is possible, and likely, that Nebuchadnezzar truly repented of his sins (pride, idolatry, and rebellion) and that God used the humbling experience to bring him to the point of repentance. We will consider this more fully below.
         

6. 
   What do we discover about Nebuchadnezzar’s response to God’s dealings with him?
   
   1. 
      What are the episodes in Daniel that show God dealing with Nebuchadnezzar?
      
      1. 
         In chapter 1 Nebuchadnezzar takes articles from the Temple in Jerusalem as plunder and takes Hebrews as captives. In his first encounter with the Jews he likely found them to be weak, unprincipled, and essentially no different from the other nations he had subjected.
         
      2. 
         At the end of the chapter, ~603BC, he discovers that some of these captive people (Jer 27.20) had religious principles and refuse to compromise their relationship with their God by becoming involved in the pagan practices of eating food sacrificed to idols. He discovered one of them in particular, Daniel, was a capable man of principle—not the hick from the backwater province of Judea that he expected.
         
      3. 
         By the end of his first major encounter with God (end of chapter 2), in 603 BC, Nebuchadnezzar had discovered that the God of the Jews is able to reveal mysteries. He had come to realize that the God of the Jews is unique and powerful in comparison to the gods of the Babylonian pantheon.
         
      4. 
         By the end of chapter 3 (between 603 and 562 BC; likely in 587 BC, the year before the fall of Jerusalem), Nebuchadnezzar had learned that God can perform miracles to save his faithful servants from the hottest fire his servants can kindle.
         
      5. 
         By the end of chapter 4 (probably around 564-563 BC; Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BC), Nebuchadnezzar had learned that God is sovereign over all kingdoms. He had finally, at the end of his life, come to believe in the prophecy that was revealed to him in the vision of the image which was destroyed by the rock—i.e., in the coming Messiah.
         
      6. 
         God used progressive revelation to present truth to Nebuchadnezzar over his long reign (43 years). It is likely that Daniel, as one of Nebuchadnezzar’s trusted advisors, used other opportunities to guide the king in the way of right behaviour and to present to him God’s righteous requirements.
         
   2. 
      How does Nebuchadnezzar l respond to these events?
      
      1. 
         At the end of chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar confesses, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries ...” (2.47). By the end of this first major encounter with God, he has come to realize that the God of the Jews is unique and powerful in comparison to the gods of the Babylonian pantheon.
         
      2. 
         At the end of chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar confesses, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.” (3.28). He declares the worship of Jehovah/Yahweh to be protected, but still as just one among the many gods in his pantheon.
         
      3. 
         At the end of chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar confesses, ‘I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”’ (4.34-35). It appears that at this point he is now ready to acknowledging that God has absolute authority over all of creation, and even, probably, that God is the only true God.
         
   3. 
      It took three dramatic miracles to bring Nebuchadnezzar to his knees before God: revealing his inner thoughts, protecting three men in a fiery furnace, and turning the king out to live as a beast.
      
      1. 
         All of these miracles were performed directly under the observation of Nebuchadnezzar himself.
         
      2. 
         Two of them touched him personally, both had a bearing on his mind, and one affected his body.
         
   4. 
      God used these miracles with the greatest king the systems of men has ever produced, the head of gold, as a lesson to all other kings. That lesson is that God reigns as sovereign.
      
   5. 
      As Daniel said (2.21) God “changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” This is the lesson that Nebuchadnezzar, and all kings (and every ruler), must learn.
      

7. 
   Was Nebuchadnezzar’s worship real, or true? And, was his confession a saving confession?
   
   1. 
      We saw that Nebuchadnezzar twice (34 and 37) used two sets of three synonyms for worship.
      
      1. 
         This repetition of words appears to be the result of a real change of heart and true affection and reverence for God.
         
      2. 
         The form of these verbs indicates continued action, suggesting that Nebuchadnezzar performed them continually.
         
      3. 
         In parallel with this outpouring of praise, he humbles himself and confesses his sin. There is nothing left of his self-praise that we found earlier in the account.
         
      4. 
         God cannot be worshiped correctly unless men are truly humble.
         
   2. 
      Unless God tells us directly, we cannot know whether Nebuchadnezzar’s confession was based on true and genuine repentance, we have to leave the final disposition in God’s hands. We will find out when we enter eternity. However, there are appear to be a number of reasons to believe that his confession was a saving confession of faith. What might the reasons be?
      
      1. 
         The fact that Daniel records this edict/pronouncement seems to show that the message must be heard—the king was humbled and truly repented—by all nations on earth.
         
      2. 
         It is difficult to believe that Nebuchadnezzar could make this confession about God’s attributes, publish his praise of God, and ask Daniel to record it in this account, if his intentions were only to deceive. Daniel would likely have been able to judge if the king was being deceptive.
         
      3. 
         Nebuchadnezzar wished to have all people in his kingdom, and beyond, pay attention to his announcement and to be subject to the true God—the God of Israel, the Most High God.
         
      4. 
         We see growth and progression in Nebuchadnezzar’s knowledge about God (2.47; 3.28; 4.34, 35).
         
      5. 
         Nebuchadnezzar is contrasted with his grandson Belshazzar (5.22).
         
      6. 
         Nebuchadnezzar confessed that what God had done with him was just (37). It is hard to believe that the proud king would admit this unless his heart had been changed.
         
      7. 
         Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God’s sovereignty and sincerely credits other attributes to him.
         
      8. 
         He worships God as the King of Heaven.
         
      9. 
         The account ends with a positive note. There is no return to rebellion.
         
   3. 
      We can conclude, therefore, that a proud, unworthy, idolatrous, blasphemous, persecutor did in fact probably find mercy.
      
      1. 
         He was not the first or the last.
         
      2. 
         The first was Adam—he was a king over the earth (Gen 1.26), his pride led him to rebel against his creator; he was not worthy of salvation; he was idolatrous, placing his self over God; he was blasphemous, questioning God’s purposes and calling God a liar; and he was a persecutor, brining death upon himself and all his descendants.
         
      3. 
         Examples of pagans, from Biblical history, who were included under God’s mercy and brought to salvation: Abraham (Gen 12.1ff), Naaman the Syrian (2 Kings 5), Cornelius the Roman centurion (Acts 10.31).
         
      4. 
         Nebuchadnezzar stands as proof of God’s supremacy and as a trophy of his grace.
         
      5. 
         Nebuchadnezzar also provides a warning to all who think that in their prosperity and accomplishments, they can go forward into eternity with their hearts hardened against God.
         
   4. 
      Was his knowledge perfect? Was he depending on Christ?
      
      1. 
         Calvin, dealing with faith and speaking of Naaman and others, says: “I … confess that their faith was in some part implicit, not only with respect to the person of Christ, but also with respect to the power and office enjoined upon him by the Father. In the meantime, it is certain that they were instructed in principles such as might give them some taste, however small, of Christ.”²⁵³
         
      2. 
         Nebuchadnezzar’s knowledge could have been more complete than we realize. His understanding of the coming Messiah may have been richer than Adam’s, Abel’s or Noah’s, and possibly even than Abraham’s (Jn 8.56).
         
      3. 
         In the last year of his life, after his being humbled as a wild beast, he may have turned to Daniel and asked him to enlighten him about the true God, righteousness, judgement and salvation.
         
      4. 
         He would not have known many specifics about Christ. But neither would Daniel (or the Jews as a whole) have had some specific information at that time. More would be revealed to Daniel later in his life (Daniel 7-12).
         
         1. 
            There was a general knowledge in the AME of the coming of a Jewish Messiah.
            
            1. 
               For example the Persian Magi were aware of Baalam’s prophecy (Num 24.17; Mt 2.1, 7, 16).
               
         2. 
            Daniel could have made known to Nebuchadnezzar the essence of the Gospel message from the Scriptures that were available at that point (e.g., Isaiah).
            
         3. 
            Daniel could have told Nebuchadnezzar of man’s need for substitutionary atonement as displayed through animal sacrifices, and would have told him that the expected Messiah was going to come (Gen 3.15; Is 9.1-7; Jer 23.5, 6).
            
         4. 
            His vision of the statue (chapter 2) showed him that a king from God was to come who would be over the kingdoms of this world.
            

8. 
   Why did God reveal to Nebuchadnezzar what he was going to do, and then carry it out?
   
   1. 
      God wished Nebuchadnezzar to know that he is the only true God and that all kings and their dominions are subject to him (2.21).
      
   2. 
      God wanted there to be no doubt left in Nebuchadnezzar’s mind about God’s true nature. By revealing explicitly what was going to happen, Nebuchadnezzar could not claim that events were the result of mere chance or fortune.
      
   3. 
      God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to come to saving faith so that God could be glorified in his sovereignty and salvation.
      
   4. 
      God planned to use the once proud king as an evangelist for his cause and kingdom.
      
      1. 
         God takes the most unlikely subjects of Satan’s kingdom and makes them children of the Kingdom of Heaven.
         
      2. 
         He turned the king of Nineveh into an evangelist and preacher of righteousness (Jonah 3.7-9).
         
      3. 
         He took the venomous Paul and turned him into the great Apostle.
         
   5. 
      God wanted to make it clear to all mankind that his grace is without bounds and that the salvation he offers is not dependent on birth, family-tribe, religious persuasion, or works; but on his mercy (Eph 2.8-10).
      

9. 
   What are some lessons that we can derive from this section?
   
   1. 
      Hardness – We have seen in the example of Nebuchadnezzar that it took three heavy-duty lessons to bring him to repentance (the vision of the statue and its interpretation by Daniel, the witness of the four men in the brick kiln on the plain of Dura, and his own insanity).
      
      1. 
         All men are warned by the example of Nebuchadnezzar against being so hard-hearted so as to require the harsh chastisement that was necessary to bring Nebuchadnezzar to repentance.
         
      2. 
         God provided three lessons to Nebuchadnezzar as a great exemplar of his dealings with men.
         
         1. 
            He may not be as patient with other men and he may not lead them to saving faith. For example, he meted out ten plagues on Pharaoh who hardened his heart more and more after each plague.
            
         2. 
            We should not expect God to give three lessons to every man to bring him to salvation. If men won’t believe from the example and proclamation of Nebuchadnezzar, they won’t believe even if they had a miracle performed for them (Lk 16.31).
            
      3. 
         We should not be surprised if God has to chastise us, if we are his people, when we are disobedient. He disciplines those whom he loves and brings into his family (Heb 12.7).
         
   2. 
      Health – God has absolute authority over his creatures, including the provision of their health and wellbeing (Mt 6.25-34).
      
      1. 
         God removed Nebuchadnezzar’s reason and restored it in his time. During the duration of Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity God watched over him and provided for his physical needs.
         
      2. 
         Health (physical and mental) are gifts from God.
         
      3. 
         While we have health we should use if at every opportunity to praise God, not to indulge in the ways of the world or the passions of the flesh.
         
      4. 
         Give thanks to God for his mercy in providing you with physical health and mental abilities.
         
   3. 
      Honour – We are taught by the example of Nebuchadnezzar that God’s sovereignty is to be honoured.
      
      1. 
         Just as Nebuchadnezzar worshiped and confessed God to be the only God—the Most High God—so we are to make his glory and honour our sincere objective.
         
      2. 
         We are to honour God’s sovereignty by confessing that he does all things according to his own counsel and will (Ps 115.3); and that all that he does is just and good.
         
      3. 
         We must admit that even though we cannot see the whole picture of God’s great painting of redemption we must trust him. It will be a magnificent masterpiece (Gen 1.31; Rev 4.11). We must never say of God’s painting that there is a smudge here or too much black there. We must wait and see how everything fits together and then we can marvel at what he has accomplished (Rom 8.28).
         
      4. 
         At times we may not understand the processes God chooses to use, but we must trust him and believe that the product will be absolutely right and glorious.
         
   4. 
      Humility – Nebuchadnezzar was taught a lesson in humility.
      
      1. 
         We do not have to be the king of a great empire to need a lesson in humility.
         
      2. 
         Since God is the Sovereign, and we are his creatures, we must be humble before him.
         
      3. 
         All humans, by nature, are proud creatures who need to be humbled (Is 66.2; Dan 4.22; Mic 6.8; Lk 14.11; 1 Pet 5.6; Jam 4.10).
         
      4. 
         In particular, leaders (in government and the Church) must heed Nebuchadnezzar’s warning and be humble. They are praised by men and have a tendency to let this praise swell their egos. They need to be especially careful to hold in check their natural, sinful, pride and continually remind themselves that they are mere humans who have been granted responsibility to act and the gifts to serve only at God’s will.
         
   5. 
      Heaven – Heaven is a prominent theme in the chapter.
      
      1. 
         ‘Heaven’ appears 15 times in this chapter (using the ESV). In the rest of the book of Daniel the term appears 18 times (using the ESV). So almost half of all the occurrence are in this one chapter.
         
      2. 
         There must be a reason for such a frequent use of the word ‘heaven’.
         
      3. 
         It is likely that these numerous references to Heaven are an acknowledgement on the part of Nebuchadnezzar that God reigns above the entire creation.
         
         1. 
            God has established his throne in Heaven (Ps 103.19).
            
         2. 
            God is transcendent—the infinite, eternal, omnipotent God (Gen 49.25).
            
         3. 
            God’s presence in Heaven differentiates him from idols (Ps 115.2-4). God’s being in Heaven makes him an uncreated God. The other gods are created by men.
            
         4. 
            God is the Creator (Is 45.12, 18).
            
         5. 
            God is Judge (1 Sam 2.10; 2 Chron 6.23; Rev 19.11).
            
      4. 
         This is the primary message that the world needs to hear. God is in Heaven, let the whole earth be subject to him!