Daniel 4:19-37 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke
Advent 2 – Stories of the Promise Sunday, December 8, 2019 “The Story of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar: Repent!”
That’s really in the Bible? Did you perhaps think that about the story found in our First Lesson this morning, the basis for our sermon today? Last week in our worship services, we looked at a story from the Old Testament that was probably quite familiar, not only to you, but even in some measure to a lot of people who don’t know a lot about the Bible, the story of Noah. Our story for today seems to be in a very different category. It falls in line with a number of stories or passages of Scripture that are quite surprising to people when they first run across them. Some of these passages contain rough or even crude language, and it maybe surprises people that such language would appear in Scripture. Other accounts just seem like they contain themes or thoughts that just don’t feel like they belong in the Bible. And this particular story isn’t really the same as that, but it maybe seems a little strange, a little different than most Bible stories we know, and, probably a little less familiar, too. Let’s review the story. It comes from a period in the history of God’s people called the Babylonian Captivity. When God’s people settled into the Promised Land, they were one united country, the nation of Israel. But eventually, that nation split in two, and the southern nation was called Judah. Israel to the north was ultimately destroyed by enemies, and in the south Judah was not destroyed, but its people were taken away from that land for many years. The nation that defeated and captured them was Babylon. Now, there are some fairly familiar Bible stories that come out of the Babylonian Captivity. That’s when the three men were thrown into a fiery furnace but God kept them alive. It’s also when Daniel was thrown into a den of hungry lions, but God also kept him alive until he was pulled out of the pit the next day. It's the same Daniel who is one of the chief figures in today’s story. He is a believer in the true God and a high-ranking advisor to the king of Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar. And God blessed Daniel with insight into a particular issue the king had. The king had a dream, and he believed that the dream revealed something to him, but he didn’t know how to understand it. He brought in wise men, but no one could interpret the dream until Daniel. Our lesson records how Daniel shared the meaning of the dream with the king and what happened after that. The dream was a warning to the king. He was represented in the dream by a tree that grew very large and tall. In the dream, the tree was cut down, and its stump was bound with iron and bronze and left with the wild animals. The warning was that God would drive the king away from people, force him to live like the wild animals before he would eventually be restored. Daniel told the king: “Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.” The king did not take Daniel’s recommendation to heart, and God followed through on the threat that he had made. King Nebuchadnezzar was walking around on the roof of his palace and remarked about what a glorious nation and residence he had built. And God drove him away from people, by some sort of insanity that came over him which caused him to live like the animals and to be as unkempt as they are. And this went on until, finally, the king looked toward heaven and received back his sanity. And the words that came from his lips were words acknowledging the greatness of God who does as he pleases and has eternal dominion. It’s an interesting story, if a bit unfamiliar. It also seems like it might be a bit difficult to apply to ourselves. I haven’t had a dream that has bothered me because I assume that through it God is trying to tell me something about my life. I haven’t been directly warned by God that I would face some sort of insanity as his judgment against my behavior. And I have never been close to wielding the same sort of power or being in the same sort of position as the king of Babylon, the most powerful ruler in the world at that point in time. Yet as surprising as it might be that such a strange story is in the Bible, it is there because it does teach us important lessons. It is there because it teaches us about our gracious God and about our human
imperfection. In our service today, we’ve already identified how our focus is on repentance, and so it is natural for us to look at what this account teaches us about repentance. And certainly one of the lessons we learn is that refusing to repent is a result of arrogance or haughtiness. The specific sin for the king that received this particular judgment from God was his arrogance in believing and claiming that he was personally responsible for the greatness of Babylon and that the land served his own personal glory. That’s what arrogance is. For the king, it was a failure to recognize that God was greater than him and more worthy of glory and honor. Instead, repentance really is a form of humility. It says that God is above, that God is in charge, that God has a right to make demands of me and to hold me to his standard. It acknowledges that, yes, he even has a right to punish me when I fail to live up to that standard. You don’t need to be a king of Babylon to lack humility or to struggle with repentance. Isn’t there always a part of us that wants to say, “I can do what I want, and no one, not even God, has a right to stop me”? We like the idea of being able to take credit for the good things in our lives, the things we enjoy, the things that others notice. We are slow to criticize ourselves, and we give ourselves the benefit of the doubt, but we assume the worst of others and refuse to give them the benefit of the doubt. We even at times listen to what the Bible says about sin, and we think, “I hope that person is really listening to this right now, I know they need it.” And we are much less prone to stop and think about how much I am the same as they are, and how much I need what the Bible says. We are called to repent. We are called to acknowledge that God says we are sinners through and through and that he must be right because he is God. We are called to acknowledge that we are almost certainly guilty of sins that we don’t even remember, not to mention all the ones that we could easily think of if we would just do a little honest soul-searching. And to repent means that we reach the point of sorrow over what we have done and a desire to do better, to make changes in our lives to bring us in line with God’s demands and expectations. God brought Nebuchadnezzar to that point. But was there anything more to the story of Nebuchadnezzar? Did Nebuchadnezzar become a believer? Will we see him someday in heaven? We won’t be able to really answer those questions based on what God’s Word says. We know that the king acknowledged God and his power, but we don’t hear him say anything about God’s love and mercy. We don’t hear him say that he was trusting in God for salvation. We need to make sure that when we look at repentance we also look to our Savior for forgiveness. Yes, this story reminds us in a powerful way of our need for repentance, but we ultimately need even more than that. We heard in today’s Gospel the message of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-12). We heard how he called people to repentance. We also heard him speak clearly about a mighty one coming after him, about a truly worthy one who would gather his wheat, his people, into his barn. We heard him talk about Jesus Christ and the salvation that he has earned and won for us. We cannot think of repentance in the narrowest of terms. We are called to repent…and to trust. When we acknowledge our sin, we look for forgiveness to the one who never sinned. We consider our arrogance and we compare it to how Jesus served and lived and trusted his heavenly Father in all humility. His is the perfect life. His was an innocent death, and by this he gives us the forgiveness of sins and the life and salvation that comes from such forgiveness. Repentance and forgiveness go hand in hand. Repentance is not a bad thing, even though we might sometimes think of it that way. It may be difficult at times, and sometimes it is the painful reminders in our lives that hint at our needs. But ultimately, repentance is a good thing. It prepares us to appreciate what Jesus has done for us. It prepares us to humbly receive the forgiveness that he won for us. It prepares us to see him as he is: as our Lord and Savior. Maybe you’re surprised today to read of such a strange-sounding story in the Bible. Whether or not that is the case, may the story of Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel remind you to repent. May it remind you to take to heart the words of John: “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near!”
The Text: Daniel 4:19-37 (EHV) Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! 20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds— 22 Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth. 23
“Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’ 24
“This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.” 28
All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he 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
Even as the words were on his lips, 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 the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth 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 the ox. 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?” 36
At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.