I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. (Dan 4:4-5)
This Nebuchadnezzar was number two by that name. He is the most famous because the Prophet Daniel wrote of him in the Bible. This assured that Nebuchadnezzar would become a household name in many parts of the world for all time to follow. The man was ruthless and cruel and would stop at nothing to extend his political power. He was also a very gifted man in warfare and government organization.
He reigned for forty five years and in today's story, he was resting from long years of war. Chapter four appears to be several years after chapter three. He had subdued his enemies and organized his occupation of the captured territories. Some would say that he "had everything by the tail." However the occupation of a vast territory assures that you will always have people studying ways to break the yoke. While his army controlled effectively, he could not control his dreams, especially the dreams sent by God.
Many a man has reached a point in life when he is at rest in his house and his business is flourishing. But like a sudden clap of thunder, lightning strikes unexpectedly. James said: …ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that (Jas 4:14-15).
Another wisely said: Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips (Pro 27:1-2).
One dream can alter the status of an empire. Talk about fragile! I once saw a film clip of NAZI Germany's Adolf Hitler pacing the floor with his hands clasped behind him. He had just had a disturbing dream. According to the narrator of the film, the dream caused him to delay his building of his jet fighter. Dreams sometimes cut past logic and science and organizational structure. How about this dream…
And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.
And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshiped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
(Jdg 7:13-15)
Nebuchadnezzar "...was afraid that something bad would befall him, though he knew not what: thus God can make the minds of the greatest men uneasy amidst all their glory, pride, and pleasure:" (Gill). The dream "made him afraid." I have heard some say that God does not use dreams today. That is foolish talk. God can use anything He pleases to use. It may be a dream; it may be a knock at the door, it may be a letter in the mail; it may be a visit with the doctor. God warns, strives, urges, and pleads with people to turn to Him. For many centuries God's offer has been:
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom 10:13) and … Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.(Act 16:31).
What a blessing when God troubles a man. I have visited many old people in hospitals whose lives were dissipating with cancer or some other degenerative disease. They had never had time to think about God but in that state, they began thinking about meeting God and what they ought to do to get ready. At last they surrendered and called on the Lord to forgive them of their sins and asked Christ to be their personal savior. A man asked me to come to his house after being sent home to die.
He invited his whole family to come and watch him give his heart to the Lord. I conducted his funeral the next week. I'll never forget it. We gathered on the front porch. When he prayed it was late dusk. Chickens had flown up into a cedar tree in the front yard. Two hens were perched on a table against the wall on the porch. When he finished praying the hens on the porch and in the cedar tree began singing. It happened! All the adults on the porch had grown up with chickens and knew that hens do not sing at dusk. That included me. God does things.
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