The King Who Became a Beast
All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 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?” 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. 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.” 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. 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. 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?” (Daniel 4:28-35)
Perhaps one of the stranger stories recorded for us in the Bible is the story of a man who became a beast. The story begins at a time when King Nebuchadnezzar is on the crest of a wave. He is contented and prosperous, and well he should be. At the height of his glory, Nebuchadnezzar was king over the greatest empire the world had ever known. If there had been a Fortune 500 list in those days, he would have been first on the list. The king had every reason to feel secure, safe, and satisfied – God had ordained his kingdom and conquests. The problem enters of course when Nebuchadnezzar fails to give God the glory for the blessings he enjoyed. The Lord sends Nebuchadnezzar a dream which pictures Nebuchadnezzar as a large tree, providing shelter for a multitude of animals. God had allowed Neb. to prosper with the purpose of carrying for other nations. But in His pride Neb. failed to give God the credit and the glory for his accomplishments. The predictable results follow as Nebuchadnezzar suffers the consequences of his pride.
It’s a long way down from being the king of Babylon to becoming a beast in the field. The reason God made Nebuchadnezzar act like an ox that eats grass, with hair as long as eagle’s wings and nails like a bird's claws was to show us the bestiality of pride. When man tries to become like God he becomes like an animal. Pride puts man in a class with the beasts of the field. The man roaring like a lion in his home at his wife and children, demanding that his authority be recognized. The woman roaring like a wounded bear – at her children and her family – outraged that her authority is not respected and honored. Nebuchadnezzar lived as a beast in the field for seven years before he came to his senses and repented of his pride. His story is given to us so that we can learn from his mistakes. What can we learn from Nebuchadnezzar?
God’s righteousness causes him to intervene when we believe we don’t need him anymore. Because God is entirely righteous, he will not stand idle while his children live in sin. Sooner or later he will intervene. And how does that intervention come? Using the image of the king’s dream, we can say that God always starts by shaking your tree. Whenever we think we can live without God, he reaches down from heaven and begins to shake the things in which we place our confidence. It’s his way of saying, “It’s time for you to stop listening to your own counsel and heed the wisdom of my voice.”
God’s judgment is painful because he is cutting away the sin that pulls us away from him. Let’s suppose you feel strange pains in your body so you decide to see a doctor. He runs a few tests and says, “I’m sorry you’ve got cancer. But we can do surgery to remove the cancer.” So you say, “I don’t want the surgery. It will hurt too much to let you cut me open.” “If we don’t do the surgery, you’ll die,” replies the doctor. God’s disciplinary judgment is rarely easy and never painless. In Nebuchadnezzar’s case, it was utterly devastating and totally humiliating. Sometimes God has to cut the tree down in order to save it. But that cutting process may go on for many months and it may be done in a most public fashion.
God’s discipline lasts until we learn the lessons he wants to teach us. It may feel as if God is shaking your tree right now. And you want to know how long it will last. The only possible answer is, I don’t know. The trials of life are ordained by the Lord for our benefit. He alone knows when they will begin and end. But of this much I am sure. God will never shake your tree one moment longer than necessary. And he will never stop one second before his divine purpose in your life has been accomplished.
God’s purpose in humbling us is not to destroy us, but to draw us back into fellowship with Him. This is the ultimate piece of good news from Nebuchadnezzar’s story. If we stand back and look at the entire narrative, we see King Nebuchadnezzar in three scenes: Prosperity, Judgment, and finally Restoration. It is tempting to focus only on the judgment, especially given the bizarre nature of his seven-year affliction. But God’s purpose was not to bring a heavy handed judgment upon him. But to restore him to place of sanity as he recognized God as God.
Though we may face many trials, and though many of those trials may be of our own foolish doing, God’s purpose is not to destroy us, but to purge us from our sin that we might be brought into close fellowship with him. In that sense Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity was a wonderful mercy from God, preparing the way for better things to come. Learn from Nebuchadnezzar’s example and thank God for the blessings you enjoy in your little kingdom.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
Perhaps one of the stranger stories recorded for us in the Bible is the story of a man who became a beast. The story begins at a time when King Nebuchadnezzar is on the crest of a wave. He is contented and prosperous, and well he should be. At the height of his glory, Nebuchadnezzar was king over the greatest empire the world had ever known. If there had been a Fortune 500 list in those days, he would have been first on the list. The king had every reason to feel secure, safe, and satisfied – God had ordained his kingdom and conquests. The problem enters of course when Nebuchadnezzar fails to give God the glory for the blessings he enjoyed. The Lord sends Nebuchadnezzar a dream which pictures Nebuchadnezzar as a large tree, providing shelter for a multitude of animals. God had allowed Neb. to prosper with the purpose of carrying for other nations. But in His pride Neb. failed to give God the credit and the glory for his accomplishments. The predictable results follow as Nebuchadnezzar suffers the consequences of his pride.
It’s a long way down from being the king of Babylon to becoming a beast in the field. The reason God made Nebuchadnezzar act like an ox that eats grass, with hair as long as eagle’s wings and nails like a bird's claws was to show us the bestiality of pride. When man tries to become like God he becomes like an animal. Pride puts man in a class with the beasts of the field. The man roaring like a lion in his home at his wife and children, demanding that his authority be recognized. The woman roaring like a wounded bear – at her children and her family – outraged that her authority is not respected and honored. Nebuchadnezzar lived as a beast in the field for seven years before he came to his senses and repented of his pride. His story is given to us so that we can learn from his mistakes. What can we learn from Nebuchadnezzar?
God’s righteousness causes him to intervene when we believe we don’t need him anymore. Because God is entirely righteous, he will not stand idle while his children live in sin. Sooner or later he will intervene. And how does that intervention come? Using the image of the king’s dream, we can say that God always starts by shaking your tree. Whenever we think we can live without God, he reaches down from heaven and begins to shake the things in which we place our confidence. It’s his way of saying, “It’s time for you to stop listening to your own counsel and heed the wisdom of my voice.”
God’s judgment is painful because he is cutting away the sin that pulls us away from him. Let’s suppose you feel strange pains in your body so you decide to see a doctor. He runs a few tests and says, “I’m sorry you’ve got cancer. But we can do surgery to remove the cancer.” So you say, “I don’t want the surgery. It will hurt too much to let you cut me open.” “If we don’t do the surgery, you’ll die,” replies the doctor. God’s disciplinary judgment is rarely easy and never painless. In Nebuchadnezzar’s case, it was utterly devastating and totally humiliating. Sometimes God has to cut the tree down in order to save it. But that cutting process may go on for many months and it may be done in a most public fashion.
God’s discipline lasts until we learn the lessons he wants to teach us. It may feel as if God is shaking your tree right now. And you want to know how long it will last. The only possible answer is, I don’t know. The trials of life are ordained by the Lord for our benefit. He alone knows when they will begin and end. But of this much I am sure. God will never shake your tree one moment longer than necessary. And he will never stop one second before his divine purpose in your life has been accomplished.
God’s purpose in humbling us is not to destroy us, but to draw us back into fellowship with Him. This is the ultimate piece of good news from Nebuchadnezzar’s story. If we stand back and look at the entire narrative, we see King Nebuchadnezzar in three scenes: Prosperity, Judgment, and finally Restoration. It is tempting to focus only on the judgment, especially given the bizarre nature of his seven-year affliction. But God’s purpose was not to bring a heavy handed judgment upon him. But to restore him to place of sanity as he recognized God as God.
Though we may face many trials, and though many of those trials may be of our own foolish doing, God’s purpose is not to destroy us, but to purge us from our sin that we might be brought into close fellowship with him. In that sense Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity was a wonderful mercy from God, preparing the way for better things to come. Learn from Nebuchadnezzar’s example and thank God for the blessings you enjoy in your little kingdom.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
posted by Larry | 3:42 PM
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