Daniel 4 (2)

Introduction
In today’s verses, we can already see that Nebuchadnezzar is a changed man, or at least, one who is in the process of becoming a changed man. God has been working on him by His grace, wooing and nudging him to a new understanding of God, and a new appreciation of His greatness. It will take a little more than wooing and nudging to get the king where He wants him, and that’s what this chapter records. His journey is somewhat like that which Job made, who grew from one level of relationship with God to an even deeper level, as God led him by His trials, grace, and truth.

Read Job 42.1-6.

Read Daniel 4.4-9.

Think it Through
1.  Compare verses 4-7 with Daniel 2.1-5. What differences do you see? Does it seem to you that something was happening within Nebuchadnezzar’s heart? Explain. Let’s think about dreams for a minute: God is sovereign over all things, at all times, even while we are asleep. When dreams come to us, they do not come without His knowledge and permission. While dreams no longer serve as vehicles for authoritative revelation from God – that is, they are not normative for all believers (Heb. 1.1, 2) – still, dreams may be significant for those who have them. In light of this, is it a good idea to think or talk through our dreams? Keeping in mind that dreams are not normative, what benefit might we gain from paying closer attention to our dreams?

2.  We notice (vv. 8, 9) that Nebuchadnezzar referred to Daniel by his Hebrew name first, only after that explaining that he had another name “according to the name of my god”. What does this indicate about Nebuchadnezzar’s level of respect for Daniel? How did he describe Daniel here? How did he refer to Daniel’s God? Let’s remember that he was thinking back to before what he described in the rest of this chapter, and the conclusion he reached at the end. How can you see that his view of God was growing? How should what we see in Nebuchadnezzar encourage us in working with the people in our Personal Mission Field? Evangelism, it is clear, is not an event, but a process. Explain.

Meditate
“We are not capable of glorifying God on our own; only in the Spirit is this made possible. In him we are able to thank God for the blessings we have received. To the extent that we are purified from evil, each receives a smaller or larger portion of the Spirit’s help that each may offer the sacrifice of praise to God. If we offer glory to God, in the Spirit, we mean that the Spirit enables us to fulfill the requirements of true religion.” Basil the Great (330-379 AD)

“But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.”  Acts 2.16-18

As You filled Daniel with Your Spirit, Father, and those first believers as well, fill me today, and I will…

Pray Psalm 51.10-13.
One way you can be sure you are filled with the Spirit is in your readiness to speak to others about Jesus. As you pray these verses, ask God to give you an opportunity to bear witness for Christ today.

Psalm 51.10-13 (Passion Chorale: O Sacred Head, Now Wounded)
Create in me a clean heart, renew me from within!
Take not Your Spirit from me because of all my sin.
Salvation’s joy restore, Lord, and keep me in Your hand;
Thus shall I tell Your strong Word to sinners in the land.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006.