DANIEL 4:1-18 TOOL OF GOD

Written by , Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
 

¹ King Nebuchadnezzar,
To the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world:
May you prosper greatly!
² It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. ³ How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.
⁴ I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. ⁵ I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. ⁶ So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. ⁷ When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me. ⁸ Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.) ⁹ I said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me. ¹⁰ These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. ¹¹ The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. ¹² Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.
¹³ “In the visions I saw while lying in my bed, I looked, and there before me was a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. ¹⁴ He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. ¹⁵ But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. “ ‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. ¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.
¹⁷ “ ‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.’
¹⁸ “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

As intriguing as this story may be, the reader needs to remember that the entire narrative about Nebuchadnezzar is meant to encourage the faith of the people of God who live under the rule of worldly powers. Although we in ourselves may be helpless in the face of overwhelming power, God is still greater than any power in creation. He does more than humble the proud and haughty; he removes them ever further from the security and absolute power they desire. We can rejoice and take courage from the fact that our God acts in this world for his glory, and therefore, for the good of those who obey him. Our fate is not in the hands of the worldly powers under which we live, but ultimately our future is determined by the all-loving and all-merciful God who created all things and in whom all things have their being – including the worldly powers that oppress us. No wonder St. Paul exhorts believers to pay their taxes for “the authorities are God’s servants” (Romans 13:8). Also, Jesus standing before Pilate says, “’You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above’” (John 19:11a). The message to us is that our God is in charge so we need not fear anyone.

O heavenly Father…We beseech thee also so to rule the hearts of those who bear the authority of government in this and every land, that they may be led to wise decisions and right actions for the welfare and peace of the world. Amen. (BCP. P. 329).

Attachment	Size
Download and Print This Devotion	104.24 KB