Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it (Dan 4:10-12).
This tree was in the center of the known world and appears to have been by itself, removed from any forest and unlike any other tree ever seen by man. Reaching to heaven and viewable from the greatest distance, it provided food and shade for animals and birds. In fact it provided food for all flesh. It was evidently an evergreen with fair leaves and edible fruit. A fine shade tree.
Most people like trees! I am reminded of a TV Christmas classic in which an orphan girl ends up in a Catholic home of Nuns. She is lonely and decides to make friends with a nice evergreen tree. They both grow up together and eventually the tree is chosen to be the annual Christmas tree at Rockefeller Centre in New York. A moving story in which the tree is effectively humanized much like a dog or cat and we are treated to the "glorious death" of the tree for a beautiful cause.
In Scripture, a tree may represent a man: And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (Psa 1:3).
The wicked man of great power is "like a green bay tree" (Psa 37:35). David said "I am like a green Olive tree in the house of God" (Psa 52:8). The Psalmist said: "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon" (Psa 92:12). The olive tree represents both Israel and the Gentiles (Rom 11:16-24).
A tree can picture a nation (Eze 31:3-14; Mat 24:32-33). The mustard tree in Mat 13:31-32 represents Christendom today (not the true church but Christianity at large). In Dan 4:10-12 the tree primarily represents Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom.
At first glance, Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a mighty tree might have looked like a permanent state of himself and his kingdom. "Just look at me! I'm that tree!" But his tree and all of its might and majesty was to be short-lived.
Many a person flourishes for a short time like Nebuchadnezzar and a good bit of energy and study is devoted to learning the best way to go about it. In his book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill (1883-1970) was commissioned to interview the one hundred most successful business men of the world and reduce their success to thirteen principles. It essentially concluded "What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." Set your goals and repeat them every morning.
The idea tracks the famous poem, "Invictus", by British poet William Ernest Henley. The title is Latin for "Unconquered". It was first published in 1875 and concludes with: I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. Along that same line of self-help thinking, in 1936 Dale Carnegie wrote his famous book: How to Win Friends and Influence People. He died in 1955 but left a thriving legacy that continues today as the Dale Carnegie Training public speaking courses.
The idea of "self-help" is a two-edged sword: constructive and destructive. To do our best is good and constructive. But to think that we are self-sufficient is folly.
Nebuchadnezzar's tree and people who follow his train of thinking can perhaps become great for a while. Their tree is great and green. But time waits for no man and drags behind it the dismantling of personal health and fortunes as well as the greatest cities and civilizations. How wise we are to realize that our time on earth is for a season and shall come to an end. We are plainly told … it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Heb 9:27).
The greatest tree of all time was foretold by the prophets, displayed in Israel and preserved in the Bible. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Gal 3:13)
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (1Pe 2:24). Have you been to the Tree?
Christ's redeemed ones will eat from a tree provided by Him: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Rev 2:7) See you at the tree!
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