Mad King 1

1-3 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. 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.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR was one the the greatest kings ever. As a prince he had begun rapidly conquering and bringing under subjection all nations round about him. After his father's death, he ruled wisely and greatly valued education and knowledge.

As he had conquered nations, he had collected up some of their wisest men and then trained them to work in his court. As we know, Daniel the prophet of God, was among those he had brought to Babylon for this purpose.

The King had supervised the building of what was probably the most beautiful city ever built this side of the flood. Its hanging gardens were a wonder of the world and have never been duplicated. He had made great walls around the city so thick that two chariots could drive side by side on top of them. The river channeled to flow through the city provided water and there was a system of storage for food that would make the city able to withstand the longest siege. Truly, Babylon was a great city and its King a great king.

But as happens with all monarchs as they become rich and powerful, he became proud and tyrannical. He began to oppress his subjects and bring cruel burdens and severe taxation upon them so he could become even richer.

In Daniel 4 we have an amazing event written, not by Daniel, but by King Nebuchadnezzar himself! It tells about a lesson that he had to learn the hard way. When he wrote this, he was the richest and most powerful man on earth. He was smart too, and highly educated. He had lots to be proud about we would admit. But God changed him from being a proud monarch boasting about himself, to a humble child of God.

“Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. 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..”Daniel 4:1-3

Already God had taught a few important lessons to Nebuchadnezzar. In the dream of the image, God had shown him that God is the one who sets up and brings down kings and kingdoms.

But the lesson had still not completely sunk in. So now we see Nebuchadnezzar awakening from another disturbing dream. He could remember this one so again he sent for the wise men.

“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. 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.” Daniel 4:5-7

It is a fact that if God sends a prophetic dream to a person who is not a follower of God, they will have to find a true worshipper of God to interpret it. The psychics and astrologers will not be able to do it. They do not understand spiritual truths. It was that way back then; and it is that way today.

Those who neither loved nor feared God could not understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. They could not approach unto the throne of Him who dwelleth in light unapproachable. To them the things of God must remain mysteries.

8,9 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, 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.

So again the King sent for Daniel and told him the dream that had made him to feel afraid. Now this King was a mighty warrior, he did not scare easily, but when God chooses to scare someone, even the bravest man trembles!

“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. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:

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. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;

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: 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:” Daniel 4:10-15

In a vision of the night he saw a great tree growing in the midst of the earth, towering up to the heavens, and its branches stretching to the ends of the earth. In it the fowls of the air dwelt, and under it the beasts of the field found shelter. As the king gazed upon that lofty tree, he beheld a "watcher, even a holy one," a divine messenger, similar in appearance to the One who walked with the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace.

This heavenly being approached the tree, and in a loud voice cried, "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; nevertheless, leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass."

“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. 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.” Daniel 4:15-17

The King told the strange dream to Daniel and then asked him for the meaning. But Daniel didn’t answer right away. For 1 hour he was ‘astonied’. He didn’t know what to say. It was not an easy thing to tell to the king. Sometimes God’s people have to tell people things that are not easy to say. But they are true and have to be said.

Finally Daniel said; "This dream be to your enemies!" Slowly Daniel explained the dream. ‘The great tree that you saw where the birds nested and the beasts found shelter is you and your government.’ The tree in the dream making shelter for birds and beasts was what a government is supposed to be. Governments are meant to serve the interests and needs of the people; not the other way around!

DANIEL 4-

THE MAD KING!