God controls events of human history to carry through of his intents. God’s regulation over human occurrences is demonstrated many times in the Bible. One of the clearest examples is recorded in the first four chapters of the book of Daniel. Daniel and three of his friends were taken confined by Nebuchadnezzar. male monarch of Babylon. In Babylon they are trained to be particular retainers of the male monarch. When Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and seemingly forgot it. he demanded that his wise work forces tell him what he dreamed and give its reading. on punishment of decease if they didn’t. When Daniel heard about this state of affairs. he and his friends prayed to God to larn about the dream and its reading.
When God revealed the dream and its significance to Daniel. Daniel thanked God by stating. “Blessed be the name of God forever and of all time. for wisdom and might are His. . . . He removes male monarchs and raises up male monarchs ; He gives wisdom to the wise and cognition to those who have understanding. . . . I thank You and praise You. O God of my male parents ; You have given me wisdom and might. and have now made known. . . the king’s demand” ( Daniel 2:20-23. NKJV ) .
The dream was about a adult male with a caput of gold. his thorax and weaponries of Ag. his thighs of bronze. his legs of Fe. and his pess partially of Fe and partially of clay. Daniel told the male monarch that God had revealed to him the dream and its reading. He declared that different parts of the adult male represented assorted lands. The caput of gold represented Nebuchadnezzar. His was the greatest land. After him would come lesser lands. represented by the inferior decorations. until the coming of the greatest – an everlasting land – represented by a rock. untrimmed by human custodies. The rock would strike the image and broke it in pieces. It would so became a great mountain and make full the whole Earth.
Nebuchadnezzar was thankful to Daniel for stating him his dream and its reading. He declared. “Truly your God is the God of Gods. the Lord of male monarchs. and a revealer of secrets. since you could uncover this secret” ( Daniel 2:47 ) . The male monarch so promoted Daniel to be ruler over the whole state of Babylon. and main decision maker over all the wise work forces of Babylon. Furthermore. Daniel’s three friends were placed in places of power in the state of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar was a most powerful male monarch. He was besides really egotistic. He built an image of gold. 90 pess tall. Why he built it is non declared in Bible. However. it may be because the dream. wherein he was represented as possessing a land portrayed with a caput of gold. motivated him to laud himself in that manner. He called for everyone to fall down before the image and worship it. But Daniel’s three friends refused. Nebuchadnezzar threatened them. stating that they would be put into a furnace of fire if they didn’t prostrate themselves before it. They still refused. stating that God would present them. but even if he didn’t. they would non idolize the image. Nebuchadnezzar. full of rage. had them set into the ardent furnace. Afterward. nevertheless. when he looked into the furnace. he was greatly surprised.
There was a 4th individual. one like a boy of the Gods. walking among them and none of them were burned. When Nebuchadnezzar called for them to come out of the furnace. he discovered that they were non singed. nor did they hold even the odor of fire on them. Therefore he said. “Blessed be the God of Shadrach. Meshach. and Abed-Nego. who sent His Angel and delivered His retainers who trusted in Him. . . that they should non function nor idolize any God except their ain God!
Therefore I make a edict that any people. state. or linguistic communication which speaks anything awry against the God of Shadrach. Meshach. and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces. and their houses shall be made an ash pile ; because there is no other God who can present like this. ” ( Daniel 3:28-29 ) He so promoted them in the state of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar therefore came non merely to acknowledge. but besides to appreciate the Most High God. Nevertheless. Nebuchadnezzar was still filled with great pride.
In his ain words. Nebuchadnezzar told how he came to be humbled by God. He had another dream which none but Daniel could construe. The dream was about a great. strong. and high tree with lovely foliages and abundant fruit. In it the birds lodged. under it animals found shadiness. and from it all flesh was fed. But a voice from Eden commanded the tree to be cut down. Even so. the stump and roots were to be left. edge with Fe and bronze in the grass of the field. Before being told the significance of the dream. Nebuchadnezzar recognized that “This determination is. . . in order that the life may cognize that the Most High regulations in the land of work forces. gives it to whomever He will. and sets over it the lowest of men” ( Daniel 4:17 ) .
When told the dream. Daniel was disturbed because he knew it was against the King. The tree represented the male monarch. Although the male monarch was great. he would be cut down but non destroyed. His bosom would go like that of an animate being and he would eat grass for seven “times” ( likely seven old ages ) . However. Nebuchadnezzar was assured that the land would be his after he came to recognize that Heaven regulations. Daniel so advised the male monarch. “break off your wickednesss by being righteous. and your wickednesss by demoing clemency to the hapless. Possibly there may be a prolongation of your prosperity” ( Daniel 4:20 ) .
The dream began to be fulfilled a twelvemonth subsequently while Nebuchadnezzar was walking in his castle. He said. “Is non this great Babylon. that I have built for a royal home by my mighty power and for the award of my stateliness? ” ( Daniel 4:30 ) . It was so that a voice from heaven said. “King Nebuchadnezzar. to you it is spoken: the land has departed from you! And they shall drive you from work forces. and your brooding shall be with the animals of the field. They shall do you eat grass like cattle ; and seven times shall go through over you. until you know that the Most High regulations in the land of work forces. and gives it to whomever He chooses” ( Daniel 4:31-32 ) . And so it was.
Nebuchadnezzar ate grass like an ox. his organic structure was wet with the dew of Eden. his hair grew like eagles’ plumes. and his nails like bird’s claws. At the terminal of the clip. Nebuchadnezzar’s understanding returned to him. as did his land. award. luster. counsellors and Lords. He so blessed the Most High. stating. “His rule is an ageless rule. . . . He does harmonizing to His will in the ground forces of heaven and among the dwellers of the Earth. No 1 can keep His manus or state to Him. ‘What have You done? ’” ( Daniel 4:34-35 ) . He so praised and honored the King of Heaven. stating that his plants are true and his ways merely. Furthermore. he said. “those who walk in pride. He is able to set down” ( Daniel 4:37 ) .
God regulations. He sent dreams to Nebuchadnezzar. Through Daniel. God made their readings known. In this manner God caused Daniel to go swayer over all Babylon and his friends to be elevated to rulership places. God changed Nebuchadnezzar’s bosom and made him to be a truster in the Most High God. He besides humbled and so restored Nebuchadnezzar to his land. He thereby caused His name to be heralded by the King throughout all Babylon ( Daniel 4:1-3 ) . Nebuchadnezzar came to cognize that God ruled. Yet he likely did non understood the extent or intents of God’s regulation. He may non hold realized that in all these things God was continuing the Israelites in their imprisonment.
When we see upseting conditions in our universe ( merely as the Israelites saw and were disturbed by the autumn of Jerusalem and the overthrow of their state by the Babylonians ) we should recognize that God “reigns over the states. God sits on his sanctum throne” ( Psalm 47:8 ; See besides Jeremiah 18:7-10 ) . He still regulations in the land of work forces. And while we may non cognize the extent of God’s regulation. we should recognize that God is working out his ain intents through modern-day human events.
