It is you, O king! For you have become great and strong. Your greatness is such that it reaches to heaven, and your authority to the ends of the earth. – Daniel 4:22 (NET)
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had been “frightened badly” (4:5) by a dream. He recounted the dream to Daniel, and Daniel proceeded to inform him as to the meaning and interpretation of that dream. Nebuchadnezzar had been frightened by his dream, whereas Daniel, was upset and alarmed at what it was that he was going to have to tell the king, going so far as to say “if only the dream were for your enemies and its interpretation applied to your adversaries” (4:19). The king had dreamed about a tree “whose top reached to the sky, and which could be seen in all the land, whose foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful, and from which there was food available for all” (4:20b-21a). This, Daniel said, represented Nebuchadnezzar. However, the command came to “Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its taproot in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, surrounded by the grass of the field. Let it become damp with the dew of the sky, and let it live with the wild animals, until seven periods of time go by for him” (4:23b).
Before we go any further, it should be pointed out that just before Nebuchadnezzar tells his dream to Daniel, he has just made the proclamation to the whole of his empire, in regards to Israel’s God: “How great are His signs! How mighty are His wonders! His kingdom will last forever, and his authority continues from one generation to the next” (4:3). Interestingly, within seconds it seems (at least as far as the Biblical narrative stands), Nebuchadnezzar is being given a dream that has him being cut down and temporarily removed from his place of authority. Having informed the king that he is the tree of his dream, Daniel tells him that “It is the decision of the Most High that this has happened to my lord the king. You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and you will become damp with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass by for you, before you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes” (4:24b-25). This must have certainly been a bit befuddling to the king, in light of his proclamation concerning this very same God. Also, this is the same Nebuchadnezzar that God raises up, and who seems to know that he has been raised up, to bring God’s judgment against His covenant people.
However, Daniel does not leave Nebuchadnezzar without hope. He continues his explanation of the dream, saying “They said to leave the taproot of the tree, for your kingdom will be restored to you when you come to understand that heaven rules” (4:26). Daniel’s prescription to Nebuchadnezzar, in light of his pending problem, was to “Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor” (4:27b). Immediately, we go on to learn that twelve months later “all of this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar” (4:28).
What were the circumstances under which these things were brought about? Well, “he happened to be walking around the battlements of the royal palace of Babylon” and “uttered these words: ‘Is not this the great Babylon that I have built from a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?’” (4:29-30) It appears that Nebuchadnezzar had forgotten the dream and Daniel’s warning, as well as His proclamation concerning the signs, might, wonders, kingdom, and authority of God. God’s response to this statement is swift, as “While these words were still on the king’s lips, a voice came down from heaven: ‘It is hereby announced to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you! You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and seven periods of time will pass by for you before you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever He wishes’.” (4:31-32) As God did not see fit to waste any time, we learn that “in that very moment this pronouncement above Nebuchadnezzar came true” (4:33), being fulfilled completely.
So what’s the point of going through this story? What are we to learn from it? Does it merely show us the power of God and the effects of human pride? Of course it does, but it goes beyond that. It fits within the scope of the larger narrative of the Scriptures. For example, there is a tremendous symmetry between this story of the king of Babylon and the tower of Babel. Could we not look at the tower of Babel, from the book of Genesis, and see humanity---in the wake of God’s great proclamation of His own power through the flood---building their tower and saying “is this not the great tower that we are building by our own strength and for our majestic honor” in defiance of God, as they dared Him to send another flood upon the earth? Naturally, the correlations between this story of Nebuchadnezzar and the story of the Scriptures goes far beyond that. In fact, it reaches back to the beginning, taking us to the creation.
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