Nebuchadnezzar's "Blessing"
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Finding the hidden blessing when we are humbled by God.
Text: Daniel 4:1-27
Date: 11/05/2017, the Evening service.
Series: "Daniel: Divine Dominion and Deliverance" Part 11
Description:
In Daniel's last story concerning Nebuchadnezzar, the king will have another dream that disturbs him. When his Chaldean wizards are once again incapable of interpreting the dream, he turns to Daniel. But the interpretation does not bode will for Nebuchadnezzar, because it reveals how he is to be temporarily driven from his kingdom and forced to live in the fields like an animal. It is the culmination of a theme that Daniel has been developing throughout his book-- the sovereignty of God and His dominion over all kings and kingdoms, even one as great as Babylon. We will make our way through half of the chapter, including Nebuchadnezzar's telling of the dream and Daniel's interpretation. When we anticipate this great Babylonian king being humbled before God in this way, we will realize that far from being just a punishment-- this humbling is actually a blessing. For sometimes our greatest blessings can be found in hardship when God humbles the proud and thereby reveals the truth that all knees will bow before Him.
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Daniel 4:1-27.
A. Context
B. Nebuchadnezzar's dream and Daniel's interpretation.
1. The form.
2. The opening address, vs. 1-3.
a. A universal address.
b. The reason for the letter, Deut. 26:8.
c. The doxology.
3. The king's dream, vs. 4-18.
a. Nebuchadnezzar's revelry interrupted, vs. 4-5.
i. Nebuchadnezzar's self-serving reflection, vs. 4 Dan. 4:30.
ii. The concern over the dream, vs. 5.
b. The failure of the wizards, vs. 6-7.
c. Daniel's dramatic arrival, vs. 8-9.
i. Daniel's favored position, vs. 8.
ii. Nebuchadnezzar's impassioned appeal, vs. 9.
d. The vision of the tree, vs. 10-12.
i. The magnificence of the tree, vs. 11.
ii. The beneficence of the tree, vs. 12.
e. The instructions of the holy one, vs. 13-17.
i. Defining the "watcher", vs. 13, Zech. 1:10.
ii. The watcher's proclamation, vs. 14-15a.
iii. The watcher's sentence, vs. 15b-17.
¥ The details of the sentence, vs. 15b-16.
¥ The purpose and origin of the sentence, vs. 17, Dan. 2:20-21.
f. The appeal to Daniel, vs. 18.
4. Daniel's interpretation, vs. 19-27.
a. Daniel's trepidation, vs. 19.
b. The surprise meaning, vs. 20-26.
i. Repeating the dream, vs. 20-21.
ii. The bombshell, vs. 22.
iii. Daniel's interpretation of the watcher, vs. 23-25.
¥ The solemnity of the sentence, vs. 24.
¥ The application of the sentence, vs. 25.
iv. Hope for the future, vs. 26.
c. Daniel's daring advice, vs. 27, Ex. 20:12.
III. Conclusion, Matt. 5:3.
