Bible Study: Daniel 4
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Introduction
Introduction
Good Morning
Let’s share any prayer requests and praises.
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Let’s pray
Text: Daniel 4:1-3
Text: Daniel 4:1-3
1 King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you!
2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.
3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.
Question: What signs or wonders has God done in your life?
Question: What signs or wonders has God done in your life?
Two key moments God saved me and others from death in a miraculous way:
Carbon monoxide poisoning of family when I was a child.
Nearly being smashed by an 18 wheeler.
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Every believer experienced the miracle of being born again and being transformed.
Text: Daniel 4:4-9
Text: Daniel 4:4-9
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace.
5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me.
6 So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
7 Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation.
8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying,
9 “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.
Question: Have you experienced an unbeliever coming to you for advise because they have seen God working in your life?
Question: Have you experienced an unbeliever coming to you for advise because they have seen God working in your life?
I have seen it happen many times at funerals and memorial services.
Unbelievers who are atheists or agnostic start asking many questions to believers.
I have seen this with my brother-in-law during Mercy’s Grandfather’s memorial service.
Text: Daniel 4:10-18
Text: Daniel 4:10-18
10 The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
11 The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
12 Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13 “I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven.
14 He proclaimed aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches.
15 But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth.
16 Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him.
17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’
18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
Just as Daniel in the past interpreted the king’s dream...
He is called again to interpret this dream.
Even though Nebuchadnezzar is a pagan and worship idols and false gods, he can’t deny miracles he has seen by the one true God...
And he can’t help but see the Holy Spirit resting on Daniel.
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As believers this is the reputation we want.
Not self glory but the glory to be to God.
We want both believers and unbelievers to see God in us.
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Think of it this way.
God is the source of true light like the sun.
We are mirrors that reflect His light.
We are not the source but God allows us to be uses to reflect His light.
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Daniel with his actions, both in the past and currently in this passage, is reflecting God’s light...
And that is how you have a pagan king praising the one true God of the universe and all creation.
Text: Daniel 4:19-27
Text: Daniel 4:19-27
19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies!
20 The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth,
21 whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived—
22 it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.
23 And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’
24 this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king,
25 that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.
26 And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules.
27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”
Question: Have you ever had anxiety or dismay over sharing God’s truth because you knew a person may be offended or hurt by it? What did you ultimately do?
Question: Have you ever had anxiety or dismay over sharing God’s truth because you knew a person may be offended or hurt by it? What did you ultimately do?
While teaching Sunday School as a youth minister, I encountered a student that identified as bisexual and laughed at our study of Romans 1.
Before knowing her background, when it was her time to read she read the end of Romans 1 that challenged her worldview.
With a quick prayer for wisdom and discernment, I was able to share the full Gospel message with the class and the student was very emotional and even can back to future lessons.
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As with Daniel in verse 27, we are to warn others with both truth and love.
Text: Daniel 4:28-33
Text: Daniel 4:28-33
28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,
30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you,
32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”
33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.
Question: Has your pride ever gotten you into trouble?
Question: Has your pride ever gotten you into trouble?
Before I was saved, I had pride in the religion I was a part of, the Coptic Orthodox Church.
I thought that I was better than others because of the church I was a member of.
I looked down at people that I can now see had real genuine faith will I was believing a lie.
God humbled me.
I realized I was a liar myself and not even a true Christian.
I saw God have mercy on me due to no merit of my own doing.
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Also in the past before I was saved, I was arrogant and believed the Bible to just be a flawed record written by man without and divine quality.
I made fun of what I thought was contradictions in the Bible.
Again, God humbled me.
He showed me the reliability, inerrancy and infallibility of God’s Word.
Again, God had mercy on me.
Text: Daniel 4:34-37
Text: Daniel 4:34-37
34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and 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;
35 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?”
36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me.
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Take a look at verse 35 and you will see that the King of Babylon knows that the one true God is completely sovereign and we do not even have the ability to question Him for we can’t see or know what He sees and knows.
This is similar to Paul words for those who question God’s goodness and motives as found in Romans 9:18-23:
18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”
20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”
21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—
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Take a look too at verse 37 as Nebuchadnezzer speaks truth...
Those who walk in pride He is able to humble...
Often times God does this to wake us up to His truth.
So, we as believers must remember to stay humble and thank God for watching over us.
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
Please join me one more time in prayer.