Thoughts From Bob

 Daniel 4

Nebuchadnezzar has a serious mental Health Problem and Daniel reports on it.   RGS Jr.

^.1Nebuchadnezzar the king,

        To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

        Peace be multiplied to you.

²        I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me.

³    How great are His signs,

    And how mighty His wonders!

    His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

    And His dominion is from generation to generation.

⁴        I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. ⁵I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. ⁶Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 

At this point  I interrupt  and skip a portion of the scripture   and  bring the  words of Daniel to his friend the king.  Notice at the beginning of this chapter the  king  acknowledges his belief in  God.  RGS Jr

¹⁸        “This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”

•19      Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. So the king spoke, and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you.”

Now,  we get Daniel’s interpretation of the  dream, and he is saddened to tell the king what will happen. RGS Jr.

            Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream concern those who hate you, and its interpretation concern your enemies!

• 20 “The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and whichcould be seen by all the earth,²¹whose leaveswere lovely and its fruit abundant, in whichwas food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home-²²itis you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth.

•23      “And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him’; ²⁴this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: ²⁵They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.

•26      “And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules. ²⁷Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

Daniel prophesies a season  of seven years of what amounts to a total nervous breakdown of the mighty King Nebuchadnezzar  RGS Jr.

²⁸        All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. ²⁹At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. ³⁰The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”

•31      While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! ³²And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”

Daniel reports that a voice came from  heaven,  and it is God reminding the  king that he can not brag that it was his power that built the mighty  kingdom but it was only because God allowed it to be built.

This is a MIGHTY WARNING TO THOSE IN OUR LANDWHO FORGET THAT THE  United States of  America is  a strong and great  nation  only because  GOD GAVE US HIS FAVOR!

When we take the words under God out of the pledge of allegiance, Deny the display of the Ten Commandments in our  schools and public places  and then take the phrase in  God we trust out of our  money we are asking for  the same sort of  disaster to fall on  us.

RGS Jr.

³³        That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.

³⁴        And at the end of the ^£time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever:

    For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,

    And His kingdom is from generation to generation.

³⁵    All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;

    He does according to His will in the army of heaven

    And among the inhabitants of the earth.

    No one can restrain His hand

    Or say to Him, “What have You done?”

³⁶        At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. ³⁷Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

God is in charge!

After seven years  his  mental health was restored and  he once again gives  God the  credit and the  glory and   honor. RGS Jr.

This is the end of Chapter 4   and While his death is not recorded by  Daniel the next  portion of  Daniel’s story begins with a story about his  son.  His son was probably born after  Daniel came on the scene  and  I don’t think it was an accident that the son of  Nebuchadnezzar was named  Belshazzar after a prophet  that  the king respected very much.

Don’t miss the next exciting story and realize now that Daniel is  working for the  next king in the 5^th  chapter.

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