Daniel 4:4-18 Second Dream
Nebuchadnezzar has a second dream from God. This one he is at least willing to tell to get an interpretation. His people still can’t figure it out.
This is the second time that King Nebuchadnezzar receives a dream from God. The first time, he was so worried that whomever interpreted it would do so with a bias that he wouldn’t even tell them what his dream was. NO MAN could fulfill his need for understanding of this dream. But God did through Daniel. God showed Daniel both the dream and its meaning.
With this dream, he isn’t afraid to tell what he saw. But his magicians, enchanters and wise men couldn’t tell him the meaning. So, he turns to the one man he knows that can. I read ahead and looked at Daniel’s interpretation. With that in mind, which we will look at tomorrow, I believe that his ‘wise men’ were afraid to give him any interpretation. Daniel will even hesitate.
We are hearing about the king’s dream and what he went through to find the answer. We are not hearing about it as he is experiencing these things. Our account is part of the decree that we started reading the last time we were together. It is the results of the lesson he will experience that began with this dream.
This dream is one of much exalting and then severe humbling. The tree that reaches to the heavens, houses all the birds, feeds all the people, and gives shade to all the animals is easily recognizable. ANY of the magicians and such would gladly tell the king it was him. Nebuchadnezzar was chosen by God to fill this role in history. He was made great through God’s plan.
When the emissary from Heaven appears and calls for the tree to be chopped down and its stump bound with iron and bronze, we get into trouble. Who wants to tell their king that he will be ‘chopped down’? And then there is the portion about the one in the dream losing his mind for “seven periods of time.” Try telling this to the king and see how long you keep your head!
We will hear Daniel interpret the dream next time, but I want to think about what Nebuchadnezzar went through to get to that point of interpretation. I have no doubt that the king easily saw himself in the early part of this dream. He was a proud king and also proud of all his accomplishments. He would be GLAD to be that tree; in the beginning.
As the dream changed, Nebuchadnezzar became anxious. “Surely, I’m NOT this tree! The one that is chopped down by a decree from Heaven. And what does this binding of the stump mean? Why is it “bound up” and what are the “seven periods of time?” These are the questions I can hear him asking as he lay on his bed that night.
When Nebuchadnezzar called for an interpretation, he didn’t go directly to the one man who he KNEW would have on for him. He went first to the magicians and such from his own kingdom. “Surely they will give me a favorable answer.” But they remained silent. They either couldn’t or wouldn’t give him an answer.
Finally, the king calls for the one man whom he KNOWS will not only have an answer but that he can trust to give him the answer. That man in Daniel. Daniel has already proven himself as a valuable asset to Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. NOT by being a ‘yes man’ but by being honest and holding nothing back from the king. Daniel speaks the truth that God reveals to him. And this dream IS a message from God; which the king already knows.
Why didn’t Nebuchadnezzar go directly to the source to begin with? Why did he ask his people to interpret a dream that he KNEW was from God? They had no ‘lifeline’ to God. Daniel is the one who always provided that for the king. He wouldn’t have needed to look any farther. Maybe he was hoping for a different interpretation from his people. Maybe he already had a fair idea of what the dream meant.
How many times do we hear something from God’s word, it pricks our hearts, then we hope for a better interpretation; one that doesn’t involve having to change? I will admit to doing this at times. But wishing doesn’t make it so. When God speaks about something to our hearts, it’s a FIRM message. That message is most often, “repent and change your ways before it’s too late.” Wishing for a different answer won’t protect us. Only changing our behavior as a result of the ‘information’ will change our future.
We have to be willing to listen AND change in the beginning of our instruction period. Otherwise, we will wind up going through the hard time like Nebuchadnezzar did and talking about it afterwards.
Father God, help me TRULY LISTEN the first time. I want to avoid as MANY hard lessons as possible. I want to be open to hearing what You would say to me. I want a heart that is tender to You instruction at ALL times. I know I can only get this way through repeated experiences of listening. You could miraculously give me a perfect heart but I wouldn’t learn anything long term that way. I NEED the struggle to create the strength. Keep building me Holy Spirit! Even when it hurts. One day, I will be the woman You created me to be! Thank You for not giving up on me.
