Daniel 4:1-37
Introduction: We are continuing our series in Daniel to learn from his example of exile in Babylon and understand how it can be significant for us today. After King Nebuchadnezzar conquered and ransacked Jerusalem, life as normal was gone for Daniel – he couldn’t worship at the temple, he was taken captive to Babylon; he was called to live (and serve!) in a political and cultural climate that put immense pressure on him to fear or compromise. In exile, Daniel had to wrestle with core questions of faith like he never had before. There is profound application for our lives as we are also living in a kind of exile: a post-Christian, politically toxic, painfully divided, pandemic-centered world, where everything has changed. But the hopeful truth about Daniel is that his life in exile formed his faith and character in a way that would not have happened had life remained “normal” for him. Daniel was written to give us hope that this can be true of us too.
The Deep Question | When we are living through hard times, trials, a pandemic, or political upheaval (or all of the above), there is a question underneath all the other questions, a question underneath all our fears, anxieties and anger: Who’s in charge? Are political leaders in charge? Scientists? The pandemic itself? Am I in charge? What about my personal rights, my desires, my fears? Or is a good, wise and loving God still in control and at work? This passage was written to show us the power of knowing in the core of our hearts that God is in control – even when it doesn’t seem like it to us.
1. Who’s in Charge?
Nebuchadnezzar was one of the most powerful rulers in history – and he knew it (v4). But he experiences yet another dream that eludes his wise men and greatly frightens him. Only Daniel is able to provide the explanation that he seeks. In this dream, a giant and splendid tree – which in the Ancient Near East was a common symbol for a great kingdom – is chopped down by an order from heaven. But why?
v17 tells us: This is so that the living will know that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and give[s] it to anyone he wants and sets the lowliest of people over it. In other words, to show Nebuchadnezzar (and everyone else) who is in charge. The purpose of the dream is to inform those who think 1) ‘I am in charge’ that God is in charge – not you. 2) ‘Those with power and influence over my life are in charge’ that God is in charge – not them; God rules over all.
Although it looks like Nebuchadnezzar has the upper hand on Daniel and the Jewish people, this is not the case. God is Most High! God can reduce the mightiest ruler to a beast – crawling around and eating grass. God is saying ‘don’t be afraid of Nebuchadnezzar; don’t live in anxiety as if your life depended on political powers, cultural forces, or personal challenges… I am Most High. I am in charge’. This is a truth we need to believe deeply into our core. But did Nebuchadnezzar himself learn it? And how do we do it today?
2. How We Learn Who’s in Charge
If we’re being honest, the interpretation (and solution) to the dream is fairly obvious. But how did Nebuchadnezzar miss it? He was simply too prideful to admit that he wasn’t actually in charge. He only learned the truth when he was chopped down; humbled like a wild beast. Most of the time, that is truly the only way for us let go of our pride: to have it completely and utterly taken away – or, in other words, have our tree chopped down.
But Nebuchadnezzar had a chance – Daniel advised (and perhaps even desired?) that he humble himself before God. Of course, the Bible tells us that Nebuchadnezzar did not take this advice. But what might be the most humbling thing of all is the great lengths to which we will go in order to avoid humility (particularly in times of comfort or success), even when we intellectually understand the truth. Our hope is the great lengths that God will go in order to teach us who is in charge – not because He is hating us, but because He loves us and wants to save us from ourselves.
The best thing that can happen to us is whatever it takes for us to realize that God is in charge. Nebuchadnezzar was looking down on high from his palace. He then suddenly found himself in the grass looking down (humbled). But in v34 we see how he finally learned - “I looked up to heaven and my sanity was restored”.
Humility in the Bible is not learned by looking down on ourselves; that is another form of self-obsession. True humility is learned by looking up – to heaven.
The gospel is that the Most High King humbled himself to save us. He didn’t just humble himself to experience what man experienced, to come down to walk on the earth and feel the grass between his toes; He went down much further than that. Far more shocking, more unbelievable than a man becoming a beast, is God becoming a man to die. It’s the only way anyone could be saved. This is the most humbling message of all – in our sin we can do nothing to save itself, God must do everything. In his love, seeing we can do nothing, Jesus willingly humbled himself for us.
3. What Happens When We Learn This
Did Nebuchadnezzar truly learn humility? Archaeologists have found inscriptions on buildings where he claimed to be a just, meek and humble man. While we may never get an answer about Nebuchadnezzar, but from this story, we can see what happens to the person who truly learns humility.
(The end of) Vanity: We are no longer the center of the world; rather the focus is on God and others. ‘True humility does not know that it is humble. If it did, it would be proud from the contemplation of so fine a virtue.’
Sanity: If God is indeed Most High, then pride in ourselves is the greatest insanity – that is, thinking that we are in charge, or living as if any other human being or leader has control of the outcome. Sanity in this sense leads to praying (as we were meant to) that God will give us whatever will teach us humility.
Humanity: Humility humanizes us. Humble people humanize others. Pride separates and dehumanizes. So much in our culture today can only be described as savage – physical attacks, demeaning and degrading words, violence – pride makes us beasts not human beings.
Christianity as a belief system, when understood and lived correctly, is more humbling than any other BUT IS ALSO more humanizing than any other belief system. The logical end of secularism concludes that we are merely the most accomplished of beasts, while other religious-based belief systems feed human pride based on our personal piety and good works (the good are in, the bad are out; the moral are above the immoral). The Gospel, though, says that the humble are in and the proud are out. Everyone is in equal need of Jesus. To be a Christian is to believe that our only hope in life is that the Most High God humbled himself to save us. A lack of humility in a sinner saved by grace is a slap in the face of the Most High God – the one who is in charge who humbled himself to save us.
REFLECT OR DISCUSS
What about the message is most relevant to you today? What encouraged you? Challenged you?
Do you agree that the question underneath our anxiety, fear and anger in troubling times is the question “Who’s in charge?” Why or why not?
What difference would it have made for the Jewish exile to know that Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t really in charge over them? What difference would it make for you to believe that God is in charge over your most challenging circumstance right now? How can we remember God is in charge when it seems like other things are ruling over our lives?
How did Nebuchadnezzar learn that he wasn’t in charge? Why do most of us have to be “chopped down” in order to finally look up to God in humility.
How does the gospel humble us more than any other belief system? How does the gospel humanize us more than any other belief system?
How can humility help with our sanity, our mental health, in such challenging times?
Where are you most struggling with pride? How is this affecting your life and relationships? What might a step toward humility look like for you?