It may be a bit longer than usual....
A Dream of a Chopped-Down Tree
Daniel 4:4-7 “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home taking it easy in my palace, without a care in the world. But as I was stretched out on my bed I had a dream that scared me—a nightmare that shook me. I sent for all the wise men of Babylon so that they could interpret the dream for me. When they were all assembled—magicians, enchanters, fortune tellers, witches—I told them the dream. None could tell me what it meant.
10-12 “‘This is what I saw as I was stretched out on my bed. I saw a big towering tree at the centre of the world. As I watched, the tree grew huge and strong. Its top reached the sky and it could be seen from the four corners of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant—enough food for everyone! Wild animals found shelter under it, birds nested in its branches, everything living was fed and sheltered by it.
13-15 “‘And this also is what I saw as I was stretched out on my bed. I saw a holy watchman descend from heaven, and call out:
Chop down the tree, lop off its branches,
strip its leaves and scatter its fruit.
Chase the animals from beneath it
and shoo the birds from its branches.
But leave the stump and roots in the ground,
belted with a strap of iron and bronze in the grassy meadow.
15-16 Let him be soaked in heaven’s dew
and take his meals with the animals that graze.
Let him lose his mind
and get an animal’s mind in exchange,
And let this go on
for seven seasons.
17 The angels announce this decree,
the holy watchmen bring this sentence,
So that everyone living will know
that the High God rules human kingdoms.
He arranges kingdom affairs however he wishes,
and makes leaders out of losers.
Daniel went on to tell Nebuchadnezzar that the dream was about him. That God was about to bring him down to size:
"It means that the High God has sentenced my master the king: You will be driven away from human company and live with the wild animals. You will graze on grass like an ox. You will be soaked in heaven’s dew. This will go on for seven seasons, and you will learn that the High God rules over human kingdoms and that he arranges all kingdom affairs."
Although Nebuchadnezzar was the most powerful ruler in the world, he had to learn the lesson that the Lord was THE sovereign ruler of everything.
Everything happened to the king exactly as the dream has shown.
One day the king was on top of the world, the next day eating grass with the animals.
How indeed are the mighty fallen.
Daniel 4:28-30 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Just twelve months later, he was walking on the balcony of the royal palace in Babylon and boasted, “Look at this, Babylon the great! And I built it all by myself, a royal palace adequate to display my honour and glory!”
31-32 The words were no sooner out of his mouth than a voice out of heaven spoke, “This is the verdict on you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your kingdom is taken from you. You will be driven out of human company and live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like an ox. The sentence is for seven seasons, enough time to learn that the High God rules human kingdoms and puts whomever he wishes in charge.”
33 It happened at once. Nebuchadnezzar was driven out of human company, ate grass like an ox, and was soaked in heaven’s dew. His hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a hawk.
There we see how pride is the biggest stumbling block to any human being. If we give our self the credit for what we have or achieve without acknowledging God's gifting, we are riding for a big fall.
I looked up the medical condition that Nebuchadnezzar had - it actually does exist - it's called boanthropy: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/opinion/nebuchadnezzar-and-boanthropy
God hates arrogant pride above everything else and, if not repented of, it will bring us down with a bump:
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18
History is a stark reminder that those who exalt themselves are suddenly destroyed.
In recent history we need only look at Saddam Hussein [found hiding away in a concrete bunker] and Gaddafi [found holed up in a sewer] - both ruthless rulers of their countries - suffered the ignominy of defeat at the hands of their fellow countrymen, who they had terrorised.
It's a stark warning - keep humble, realise that without Jesus we can do nothing.
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