Daniel 4:19-27, Part 2

Gideon Levytam: Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now, teaching God's Word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective, here is Gideon Levytam.
Gideon Levytam: the study of Daniel, chapter 4. In other words, he's saying, while the tree is going to be cut down, hewn down, there's a bottom part, the stump, the bottom section of the tree is going to be remaining. He says in verse 15, leave the stump, and of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron. In other words, protect it. Protected, even though the whole tree has gone down, fallen, broken into pieces, he said the lower part you keep it protected. With, it says here, with a band of iron. That's, by the way, is the second section, the second segment of the description of the, of the dream that Nebuchadnezzar telling Daniel, the servant of the Lord. And so, in verse 15b and verse 16, judgment is going to fall upon the stump. And I want you to notice three-fold judgment is going to fall upon the stump. The whole tree falling down, but whatever is left over going to be protected, something still is going to happen to this stump. And so, it says in verse 15b says, let it be wet with the dew of heaven. In other words, what does that mean to be left wet with dew? That means it's going to be left outside. The dew comes really at night and early morning. In other words, it's going to be that tree stump. It's going to be left outside and going to get wet with the dew. Second judgment is going to be upon that stump is in verse 15c, the third part. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. In other words, the stump, the left over of the tree is going to be left with the animals outdoors, wet overnight, outdoor, outside with the beasts. And thirdly in verse 16, let his heart be changed from men's and let the beast's heart be given unto him, and let seven times pass over him. In other words, what he's really saying, that now you can see how he's really directing himself to the king. As he's dreaming. Can you imagine the tree which represent men? Now he's going to behold his glory is going to fall down. There will be a little bit left of it, the stump in the bottom, and now what's going to happen is that this man who's going to be cut down to such a low position, let him receive now no longer men's heart, but like it says here, a beast's heart be given unto him, and let seven times pass over him. In other words, when it talks in the Bible, especially in the book of Daniel, when you talk about times, times it has reference to years in the book of Daniel. And so, can you imagine what he's really saying? That that stump is going to remain with the dew, going to remain outdoor with the beasts, and he, which represent really men, his heart is going to be changed from men's heart into beast heart, and he's going to be left in such a condition for seven years, seven years. Well, that's the second section that has to do with the dream that Nebuchadnezzar gave to Daniel. Thirdly, now notice, in verse 17, that's the third part, portion of the dream, what is the purpose? Why does God give Nebuchadnezzar that dream? What's the lesson? That's the theme of the whole book of Daniel really. In verse 17, we have the purpose. Number one, God is ruling. It says in verse 17, this matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand is by the word of the Holy Ones, to the intent. Why? To the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men. That dream was really given to Nebuchadnezzar and to all those who would hear that dream, that people would understand that God is really ruling in the affairs of men. We sometimes don't realize that, that in everything that we have in our lives, that happened to us in our life, really God is in control. God is ruling. Nobody said, nobody can say that men is really ruling. Any position that men has today had been giving him to him by God. God is the one that rules. Turn to Psalm 2, verse 4, 5 and 6. I don't know if you know, but Psalm 2 has four voices, speakers. In Psalm 2, verses 1-3, is the voice of defiance. And that's the voice of the world against God. In verse 4-6, is the four of derision. And that's the voice of God the Father. In verses 7-9, is the voice of declaration. And that's the voice of God the Son, who says I will declare a decree, the Lord said unto me. And verses 10-12 is the voice of God the Holy Spirit, who is appealing for men to make decision. It's the voice of decisions. So, there are four voices: the voice of defiance, of derision, of declaration, and the voice of decision. But the second voice is the voice of God the Father. And notice what he says. In verse 17 of Daniel chapter 4, that men might know that God ruleth in the kingdom of men. Well, notice what it says. In verse 4, 5 and 6, He that sitteth in the heaven shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet he says, I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Men, I said to God, God, we do not want you to rule over us. God says, yet I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. God has still his King, and namely we know who is his King. We know that Yeshua the Messiah is God, have anointed him above all his fellows, and he is still ruling in the affairs of men. And so, verse 17 of our chapter tells us, number one, that God is ruling. Never mind what men would say. Ultimately, God is ruling. Secondly, notice it says in verse 17 also, not only that God is ruling, but God gives the kingdom to whomsoever he will. That is so strange. You mean God gave the kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar? You mean God gave the authority to Saddam Hussein up to a certain time to rule over Iraq? Do you mean God let certain kings to be, he's the one who is giving to them the authority to be where they are? Yes, beloved. Turn to Romans chapter 13 is a very interesting chapter. When we study the book of Romans, we have been impressed in chapter 13 with the fact that God is ruling. Romans 13:1, let me read it, let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. You know, I would not write it like that. That for example, when Russia, the USSR, the former Soviet Union had been for 70 years a communist country. I would not say God have allowed them or he placed the rulers to be in that position. Look what the Bible say. When the apostle Paul wrote the book of Romans, who was in control of the Roman Empire? You see what had happened at that particular time, Paul is saying, let every soul, and he's speaking to believers, be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. And you know, we learn that already in the book of Daniel, chapter 4, where we are, and verse 17, that men may know that God rule. That's number one. But he's not only rule. And he gives the kingdom to whomsoever he will. Do you know what? The reason that Nebuchadnezzar have been in that position is because God gave him that position. The very reason that Israel have been taken captives into Babylon is because God brought upon Israel, our people, the Babylonian to take them into captivity because of disobedience. God is the one that gives powers to whomsoever he will. But that is not only. That, we learn the third lesson here, in verse 17, is that God set up even the lowest or the humblest of men. He set him up. He lift him up. Notice in verse 17, not only that the Most High God ruleth in the kingdom of men, number one, not only that he gives it to whomsoever he will, number two, but notice number three, and he set us up over it, the basest or the lowest or the humblest of men. In other words, what we learn here, that God resists pride. And he want the people that he place in whatever position he've given them, that they will recognize that they've received everything from God and be humbled and broken before the Lord and not proud. But that was not the condition of Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar was a proud man. He was a vicious man. He was a man that needed to learn lessons from God and that's what God was teaching him here in chapter 4 of the book of Daniel. So, he tells us the third segment, verses 10-12 the tree, verses 13-16 the decree against the tree. And verse 17, the purpose of the dream and the purpose of the decree to cut down the tree is either that men will know that God ruleth in the kingdom of men. And so, now the plea in verse 18. As Nebuchadnezzar telling to Daniel, now he gives the plea for the interpretation and he says in verse 18, this dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now thou, oh Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, for as much as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation. But thou are able for the spirit of the Holy Gods, notice the plurality, the spirit of the Holy Gods is in thee. So, here he's pleading with Daniel. He says, Daniel, I've called all the wise men of Babylon, they couldn't help me. And you are the only one who can help me. Please, Daniel, help me because the spirits of the Holy Gods, he is still idol worshiper. He's still not come to faith in the true and living God. He still doesn't get a hold of it. He says, Daniel, you are able to help me. And I, please help me. So, he's appealing to Daniel in verse 18 to give him the interpretation. So, now let's move on. From verse 19 to verse 27 is the fourth division of this chapter. Introduction, verses 1-3, the failure of the wise men, verses 4-9, the dream, verses 10-18. Now, verses 19-27 is the interpretation. Look what Daniel's reaction to the dream. I'm reading verse 19. It says, then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, he was astonished for one hour. And his thoughts troubled him. The King spoke and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation thereof trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and says, my Lord, the dream be unto them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. Daniel, he saw the dream, he received the, the dream if you will, and God gave him already the interpretation thereof. He knew what he was speaking about. And Daniel, you can see the beauty of Daniel. He somehow with all his relationship with Nebuchadnezzar, in fact, he seems like he liked him. He wanted the welfare of King Nebuchadnezzar. And so, we see Daniel when he see and the dream, when he hear the dream and he, God already showed him what is the result, what's going to happen. Daniel, it says here, in verse 19, that for one hour, he was astonished. He could not speak for one hour. He was so astonished. He was so taken by it. And he knew what there will be the results of it for King Nebuchadnezzar. So, he was reluctant. He did not want to tell the interpretation to the King because of the consequences that are going to come out of it for the King. And so, he's for one hour, he was astonished. His thoughts troubled him. He was really troubled. He didn't want this evil to come upon the King. It says here that the King spoke to Belteshazzar. He says, let not the dream or the interpretation thereof trouble thee, Belteshazzar. He said to him, I do not want you to trouble. I want you to tell me the interpretation. And what Belteshazzar, which is Daniel, he's saying here. He answered, he says, my Lord. Look at the reverence, the respect that he had for this King. My Lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. He did not want that that will be the result that will fall upon King Nebuchadnezzar. And so, he wished that whatever the dream had been, that it will not come upon Nebuchadnezzar, but will fall upon his enemies and upon those that are coming against him as it says, those that hate him and the enemies of Nebuchadnezzar. But in verse 20-26, he gives the interpretation finally. And so, you notice now, in verse 20-26, and I'm just going to give it to you in two ways. Number one, verse 20, 21 and verse 22, Daniel give the meaning of the tree. What is the meaning of the tree? Number one, he described the tree in verse 20 and 21. The tree that thou sawest which grew and was strong, whose height reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof unto all the earth, whose leaves were fair and the fruit thereof much. And in it was meat for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelled, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation. He describes the tree in those two verses, verse 20-21. But now, verse 22, he gives the tree really represent Nebuchadnezzar himself. And so, he says in verse 22, it is thou, oh King. It reminded me of another man that says it is thou. David. If you remember, when David went and he committed the sin against Bathsheba and he fell. And what did he with Bathsheba's husband, the wife of Uriah, of course, Uriah the Hittite, he sent him to the front to be killed. And then God sent the prophet to speak to the King. And Nathan said to him, he told him a story about a man that was wealthy and another one that was poor. And then instead of using his own sheep, he took somebody else's sheep, or a lamb. And then David was so upset. He was so angry with that person who took the little lamb that belonged to somebody else. And what he said to him, it is thou art that man. And so, here Daniel does the very same thing. He says, the story that you told me about this great tree that everyone enjoyed, if you will, to be sitting, feeding from that tree. This is the tree that God describe you, King Nebuchadnezzar. Thou art, oh King, the one that grew up. Notice verse 22, and became strong. For thy greatness is grown and reached unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of all the earth. Nebuchadnezzar, you are the one that grown so much. You are the one that developed so much. You are the one that grown and reached to heaven, unto heaven, and thy dominion. In other words, he was a king, he was ruling, he was a monarch. His dominion was unto the ends of the earth. In other words, he was the only ruler, if you will, of the then known world, if you will. That is interesting. If you just go one page back, Daniel chapter 2, verse 37 and 38, probably two pages you need to go back. It says, listen, thou, oh King, art king of kings. For the God of heaven has given thee a kingdom, power and strength and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, in other words, everywhere, wherever people were, the beast of the field and the fowls of the heaven, he has given into thine hand, and has made thee ruler over them all. That's what happened. God made Nebuchadnezzar ruler over all the affairs here in this world. God had given him all wherever man is dwelling, wherever the fowls of the heaven, wherever the, the beast of the field, God had given them all to King Nebuchadnezzar. And if something had been given by God, why is it that you assume that you are so great in yourself, that you so pride yourself, as if you have gained everything? And that's how we are, isn't it true? This is how we are. That's not only King Nebuchadnezzar. That's the human race. It's the pride that rises up in the heart of man. I want you also to turn to Jeremiah chapter 27. Jeremiah chapter 27, verse 6 and 7. Jeremiah was prophesying already about King Nebuchadnezzar in his writing to the Jewish people. Jeremiah is saying in verse 6 and 7 of chapter 27. Look what he said, and I'm reading. And now I have given, God is saying, all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant. And the beasts of the field have I given also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him. And not only him, and his son, and his son's son, until. What until? Until the very time of his land come, and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him. In other words, here is the limits. Nebuchadnezzar, his son, and his son's sons, and that's it. And that's what happened, by the way, when we're going to get to chapter 5, you will see what's happened to Babylon. But God had given Nebuchadnezzar everything. He could have never been in that position unless God had given, today I was listening to the radio, and to the news on the television, and the two sons of Saddam Hussein had just died. When they had power, that's just how the heart of men is. They abused it, and they have caused a lot of sufferings upon their own people. And now they were hiding in some apartment building somewhere when their time came up. And today it was their time or yesterday, whenever it was. Isn't it amazing? Isn't it amazing? When God gives somebody power in his hand, and how we abuse power, one of the worst thing for us, we need to be so careful. Because power corrupt. That's what power does. When men receive power, and he's not subject to God, what does men do with power? His ego, he takes it, and he uses it in his own ways, in his own will, it doesn't matter what it cost everybody else, how much sufferings, how much weight he had placed upon somebody else. That's what power does, it corrupts men, if he is not careful to recognize who is the giver, who he given him this power. And so, he's saying to us, and I'm back now in Daniel, in verse 20-22, he's just showing to us that thou, oh King, are the one that grown, become very strong. For thy greatness is grown and reached unto heaven, and thy dominion unto the end of the earth. You know what, you have become so great, King Nebuchadnezzar. But then now notice what happened. Now he tells him about the decree that the watchers gave a decree to hew down the tree. And then he tells us the meaning of that decree in verse 23-26. And he says, first of all, verse 23, the decree is given by the watcher. And whereas the King saw watcher and holy one coming down from heaven and saying, hew the tree down, destroy it, leave the stumps of the roots thereof in the earth, even with the band of iron and brass in the tender grass of the field. And let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field till seven times pass over him. He gives us, first of all, in verse 23, the decree was given by a watcher. He tells us, you know what, you have seen an angel, the angel gave a decree, something going to happen to that tree, it's going to be hewn down, and the stump and the roots thereof are going to remain on the earth for seven years among the beasts, with the dew of heaven, wet, outdoors, on the grass. Then notice in verse 24, the decree came from God ultimately. This is the interpretation, oh King, and this is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my Lord the King. Ultimately, even the angels as servants gave the decree from God himself. The very same God, King Nebuchadnezzar, who gave you power, who have elevated you and lifted you up, and given you authority over all ruling over men here in this world, is the very same God who gave the decree to cut the tree down. And now in verse 25, the judgment for Nebuchadnezzar. There are four things that he gives us in verse 25 about the judgment. Notice that. Number one, that they shall drive thee from men. Nebuchadnezzar, the decree that came from God about the tree which is you represented. Number one, that they, men will drive you from people. You will be driven out. That's number one. Number two, it says, thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. Notice this time he doesn't say about the tree. He said thy dwelling. They shall drive you, King Nebuchadnezzar. In other words, the second judgment or the second part of the judgment is that your dwelling place shall be with animals now, Nebuchadnezzar. Thirdly, it says in this same verse, verse 25, they shall make thee to eat grass like ox. Nebuchadnezzar, you know what's going to happen to you? The decree that came from God, they're going to drive you outside from men. You're going to live with the animals. And thirdly, you are going to eat grass like an ox. And fourthly, the fourfold part of this judgment, they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, seven times shall pass over thee. You're going to be wet. You're going to live outdoor for seven years. Seven times. That's what's going to happen to you. Driven from men, living with the beasts, eating like an oxen, and wet outdoor for seven years, Nebuchadnezzar. And notice, it is interesting. It says until. Many times the Bible say the word till or until. In other words, God had placed a limit of a certain judgment. You remember what Yeshua said for example, to his people Israel? Ye shall not see me henceforth.
Gideon Levytam: You have been listening to the Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levytam. Gideon teaches God's Word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry, write to Holy Scriptures and Israel, Box 1411, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0. Or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM, and Saturdays at 1:00 PM at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall, 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program, visit holyscripturesandisrael.com. God bless you. Shalom, shalom.