Wednesday: Lifting Eyes Toward Heaven
Read Daniel 4:34-37. How, and why, do things change for the king?
God allows Nebuchadnezzar to be stricken by a strange disease, but eventually He readily restores him to a sound mental state. Interestingly, everything changes when, at the end of the seven years predicted by the prophet, the ailing king lifts up his eyes to heaven (Dan. 4:34).
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“For seven years Nebuchadnezzar was an astonishment to all his subjects; for seven years he was humbled before all the world. Then his reason was restored and, looking up in humility to the God of heaven, he recognized the divine hand in his chastisement. In a public proclamation he acknowledged his guilt and the great mercy of God in his restoration”. — Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 520.
No question, great changes can happen when we lift our eyes to heaven. As soon as his understanding comes back, the king gives evidence that he has learned this lesson.
But this story is not as much about Nebuchadnezzar as it is about the mercy of God. The king has missed three previous opportunities to accept the God of Israel as the Lord of his life. Such occasions are available to him when he recognizes the exceptional wisdom of the four young Judean captives (Daniel 1), when Daniel interprets his dream (Daniel chapter 2), and when the three Hebrew men are rescued from the fiery furnace (Daniel chapter 3). After all, if that rescue doesn’t humble him, what will? In spite of the ruler’s stubbornness, God gives him a fourth chance, finally wins the king’s heart, and restores him to his royal office (Daniel chapter 4). As the case of Nebuchadnezzar illustrates, God gives one chance after another in order to restore us to a right relationship with Him. As Paul writes many centuries later, the Lord “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4, NKJV). We see in this story a powerful example of that truth.
| What are ways that you have been humbled by God? What did you learn from the experience? What changes might you need to make in order to avoid having to get taught the lesson again? |
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We may be tempted to think that once Nebuchadnezzar had acknowledged God and written some nice things about him, the he lived to a ripe old age living the life of a saved Christian. I am aways wary of good endings because it leaves one with the sense of, "We have arrived!", when in fact you have simply passed a way-point on the journey of life.
In the academic world, when you complete a degree, typically you have a graduation ceremony where you dress up in medieval clothes and listed to boring speeches about the value of education and finally you receive your testamur, which is essentially just a bit of paper with your name and qualification on it. When all the hoopla has died down, you are left with the question, "What do I do now?"
There is a very good reason why quite a few academic institutions refer to graduation as "commencement", an indication that you have passed a way-point on the journey of life and the next instalment is about to begin.
We know very little about Nebuchadnezzar after the events recorded in this chapter. but can only hope that he did continue to acknowledge God.
The message of how to continue in life is expressed in this poem, written by Minnie Louise Haskins and quoted by King George VI in his Christmas speech in 1939 at the commencement of World War II.
That is a map for life, not a destination.
Profound!
At the expiration of the term, or at the end of seven years, he lifted up his eyes unto heaven, and his understanding returned; that is, he recovered the use of his reason, and became sensible of his dependence upon God; he acknowledged against whom he had transgressed by his pride; he humbled himself before him; acknowledged the greatness of his power, and the justice of his wrath; applied to him in prayer, and obtained mercy.
And I blessed the Most High, — I rendered praise to that supreme, infinite, and eternal God, the Maker of heaven and earth, and the upholder, preserver, and sovereign Lord of the universe, on whom all creatures are dependent, and to whom all intelligent creatures are accountable for their conduct; the highest angels not being above his command, nor the meanest of the children of men beneath his cognizance. And all the inhabitants of the world are reputed as nothing — The greatest monarchs, as well as persons of an inferior rank, are as nothing in his sight; and he disposes all things in heaven and earth by an irresistible power and authority. Observe, reader, a due consideration of God’s infinite greatness makes the creature appear as nothing; creatures are nothing to help, nothing to hurt, nothing in duration, nothing solid and substantial, nothing without dependence upon, and influence and support from God. God is I AM, and there is none else; verily, every man in his best estate is altogether vanity, Psalm 39:5; yea, less than vanity, and nothing, Psalm 62:9; Isaiah 40:17. And he doth according to his will — Being the Lord of hosts, and the only absolute and universal monarch of the world; none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? — He is irresistible and uncontrollable.
Pride and self-conceit are sins that beset great men. They are apt to take that glory to themselves which is due to God only. While the proud word was in the king's mouth, the powerful word came from God. His understanding and his memory were gone, and all the powers of the rational soul were broken. How careful we ought to be, not to do any thing which may provoke God to put us out of our senses! God resists the proud. Nebuchadnezzar would be more than a man, but God justly makes him less than a man. We may learn to believe concerning God, that the most high God lives for ever, and that his kingdom is like himself, everlasting, and universal. His power cannot be resisted.
When men are brought to honour God, by confession of sin and acknowledging his sovereignty, then, and not till then, they may expect that God will honour them; not only restore them to the dignity they lost by the sin of the first Adam, but add excellent majesty to them, from the righteousness and grace of the Second Adam. Afflictions shall last no longer than till they have done the work for which they were sent. There can be no reasonable doubt that Nebuchadnezzar was a true penitent, and an accepted believer. It is thought that he did not live more than a year after his restoration. Thus the Lord knows how to abase those that walk in pride, but gives grace and consolation to the humble, broken-hearted sinner who calls upon Him.
Today's lesson states "God allows Nebuchadnezzar to be stricken by a strange disease, but eventually He readily restores him to a sound mental state. Interestingly, everything changes when, at the end of the seven years predicted by the prophet, the ailing king lifts up his eyes to heaven (Dan. 4:34)."
I believe this is an accurate description of what was going on in Daniel 4 specifically and more generally of how God 'operates' when dealing with humanity.
1. God allows. God is fully committed to giving his creation freedom of choice. There are only 2 options to choose from: (a) the way of (abundant) life or (b) the way of perishing. While we are absolutely free to choose either of these 2 options, we can't dissociate the consequences of our choice (Galatians 6:7,8; James 1:14,15). And while God would prefer that we choose life (2 Peter 3:9) and will do anything He can to non-coercively try to 'draw' us to want to choose life (Romans 2:4), at the end of the day He will also, with much sadness, respect our choice to harden our heart against this drawing (eg as per Genesis 6:1-3).
2. God restrains (Revelation 7:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:6,7). Ever since Adam and Eve made a poor choice in Genesis 3:6, our world has been under a state of 'sin'. Functionally, sin at its core is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Lawlessness precludes the order that is necessary for abundant life and in so doing cannot but produce chaos - the mechanism of perishing (death by corruption or self-destruction). Adam and Eve's sin didn't just impact the human species - it impacted all of nature. Unless God restrains these inherent impacts, humanity would have perished on that very day. God knew what he was talking about in Genesis 2:17. And so, in grace to all, God restrains the forces and circumstances that would otherwise reign in order to give everyone a chance to make an informed choice either for life or perishing (2 Peter 3:9). Unfortunately this can lead people to have an unfounded sense of arrogance and pride that they are sustaining themselves - as Nebuchadnezzar had - a false sense of self-security.
3. God also releases (Romans 1:18,24,26,28). God is always balancing restraint and release of restraint. Sometimes it is because Satan has "incited" God to release restraint (see Job 2:3). Sometimes it is sadly respecting a persons's hardened heart (eg Pharaoh). And sometimes it is to allow a person a 'wake-up' call to realise what the path they are going down looks like without God's gracious restraint - as in the case of Nebuchadnezzar.
God's ways are not like our ways - they are conceptually different higher/better/more perfect than ours (Isaiah 55:8,9). Ever since the loss of Eden, God has been trying to help us, step-by-step learn how His ways of being and doing are different to our ways. The problem is that our (subconscious) mind naturally and automatically makes assumptions of similarity rather than assumptions of difference when trying to comprehend God's character, nature and ways of being. Thus our default tendency is to view God through the perceptual filter of our way/s of doing things.
Jesus was the consummation of God's efforts to display first-hand how radically different He and His ways are to our background understanding that has been conformed to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2). His love is different to ours. His grace and mercy are different to ours. And so is His 'justice','judgment' and so on.
For those who are interested, when reading scripture and contemplating God's attributes, go beyond your default tendency to subconsciously assuming similarity (and past knowledge) and instead ask the Holy Spirit to help you consciously consider and see what is different. It will be well worth it if you do.
Phil, I agree with your points of how God acts in this world. He is always for us, never against us. He does, indeed, allow things to happen without directly causing the events. He restrains forces of evil and He "releases" the evil as well, when it suits His purposes. (See particularly Rev 7:1)
However, that's not all He does. I see the God who spoke worlds into existence and spoke in tones of thunder from Sinai as a God still intimately involved in human affairs and thus actively intervening to assure that as many are saved as possible. He is even involved in the governments of this planet. (See Acts 17:26, as well as much of the book of Revelation) All that involves more than "allowing" something to happen, "restraining" something from happening and "releasing" something to happen.
Christ, as the Representative of the Godhead, was Immanuel, God with us. Just as He entered the stream of humanity in real time, so God now upholds all of life on this planet (Acts 17:25, Heb 1:3) and intervenes as His providence sees best. We may not always interpret His acts correctly, but I don't believe that means that He does not act directly in human affairs - both in miracles of positive intervention to save and negative intervention to protect His children. The God who struck the Sodomites with blindness can still do the same today, when necessary. The God who slew the enemies of the Israelites can still do the same today. (See 2 Chr 20:12-30) The God who used fire to kill the soldiers disrespecting Elijah can still do the same today when it suits His purposes. (2 Kings 1:1-17) There are, of course, many more acts of direct intervention, but this supposed to be a comment, not an essay. 😉
May I also suggest that God holds himself 100% responsible for what he causes to happen whether by permission or direct command. God Himself followed this rule when he accused David of killing Uriah "by the sword" even though he was killed by enemy soldiers, after David caused him to be placed in danger. (2 Sam 12:9) When the Old Testament ascribes certain acts to God that He did not directly do, it was the result of this principle. Thus when he "allows" bad things to happen, He is still responsible. When He "allows" destruction, He is still responsible, according to His own word. So I don't see that the argument that God only allows, restrains and releases adds anything to a positive picture of God.
It seems to me that limiting God to merely allowing, restraining and releasing makes our God too small as well as too distant. I see the Bible as revealing an omnipotent yet self-sacrificing God actively involving Himself in the affairs of this world. Through the activities of the Holy Spirit and the angels, He is still very much Immanuel, God With Us.
Inge, thank you for clearly explaining what I also believe!
Thanks Inge for your feedback. I will try to touch on the main points you have raised as relates to what I wrote.
I don't recall stating that the 3 attributes that I mentioned were all that God does - I was trying to keep my post as brief and focused as possible, spring-boarding from the specific assessment by the lesson regarding God's intervention with Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4. Hence, I am glad you are seeking clarification with your feedback.
Yes, I agree with you that God also creates and sustains and does other positive interventions in the course of salvation.
I also agree that God directly and actively involves himself in human affairs. I conceptualise allowing, restraining and releasing as active rather than passive involvement. I do not believe God is in any way passive.
Perhaps where I differ is that I do not find evidence that God is the source/generative agent of destructive events even though He is involved in a course of events that result in destruction occurring. I believe destruction is not part of His nature, character or ways. I believe God is exclusively the source of abundant-life-generating and maintaining actions. Lawlessness (a phenomenon that inherently involves disconnection from God and the way of abundant life via instead embracing an alternative non-viable 'way' as per Proverbs 14:12) is what fosters and facilitates destruction. And lawlessness is not part of God nor generated by God - it is antithesis to Him.
The only connection that I find between God and destruction is His commitment to allowing people the free choice to embrace the way of destruction and when they have hardened their heart in that direction, releasing them to the destructive forces that He had previously been restraining (from exerting their full impact) in the hope of that person having a window of opportunity to embrace the way of abundant life in their 'heart's desire'. Even when God intervenes to protect the innocent against the lawless, I believe it is these same principles that are involved.
On the related issue of responsibility, I see that the responsibility lies with the person who chooses lawlessness and in so doing 'chooses' (even if they think they can avoid it) any and all associated consequences associated with lawlessness. You previously have mentioned the notion of God 'pulling the plug' on a person's 'life support mechanism' who chooses lawlessness and therefore being responsible for doing so. As I understand the phenomenon of lawlessness (the law of sin and death referred to by Paul in Romans 8:2), God does not pull the plug - the person themselves pulls the plug (alluded to for example in John 15:5). God has been trying to restrain them from 'pulling the plug' but there comes a point where their freedom to do so must be respected (otherwise God would become coercive) and so God ceases to restrain that person. Thus the person now continues on in their own 'pulling of the plug'.
And its not just humans that God is restraining the cascade of lawlessness. Nature also entered lawlessness on that unfortunate day in Genesis 3 - and hence God has been restraining those forces ever since. But as you have noted re your reference to Revelation 7:1, God is also progressively releasing the restraint of nature (and has done so across history at specific instances) resulting in the natural impacts of lawlessness being unleashed.
In all of the above, I see God as neither too small nor distant. I see the opposite. It used to seem that God waved a 'magic wand' (so to speak) each time something good or bad happened. I have since grown in my understanding of the mechanisms of natural law that are involved in both the law of the Spirit of life and the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). So I now understand that God is 'across' all of that and actively 'orchestrating' an incredible complexity of factors and forces inherent to every situation - be it a human situation or a situation of nature. We would not consider an orchestral conductor to not be an integral part of a symphony - in fact we would view the conductor as key to its performance. That is not a perfect analogy, but it is the best I can find to illustrate that aspect. So I agree that God is Yahweh Elohim (the personal all powerful self-existent one) in the OT and Immanuel in the NT - with us all the way.
I am sure there will still be some misperception of where I am coming from, so feel free to ask or present further points from your perspective either here or along the way.
Thank you for the opportunity to dialogue with you...
Phil, if Adam was “absolutely free” to “choose” between “options”, how can God, who supposedly *presented options*, deemed them rebellious and cast them out of the garden, after exercising their “freedom”? Is that God’s way? God did not place that tree as an option. It was forbidden and placed as a test. How and when did God “commit” Himself to *freedom*? This should help in our understanding...
Hi Kenny
Thanks for your questions.
In every situation in life there are an array of possible 'options'. They are not contrived or arbitrary, they are embedded within the reality of that situation. For example, every few seconds, you can take a breath of you can not take a breath. If you take a breath, there will be a directly associated chain of events that will follow. If you do not take a breath, there will also be a directly associated chain of events that follow. All God was doing was letting them know the choice they were free to make and particularly alerting them to the 'bad' choice they could make because of the cascade of self-destructive consequences that would be unleashed if they were to make that 'bad' choice.
I know the typical/dominant reading and understanding of Genesis 2:17 portrays God as "forbidding" Adam and Eve from eating from that tree (and hence the term "forbidden fruit"), but this is not what the text is saying if we look closely at it in a Hebrew interlinear, the text supports a non-prohibitory but rather an authoritative (not authoritarian) warning/instructive interpretation. However, when we compare Satan's dialogue in Genesis 3:1, there is clear insinuation of prohibition and restriction. This is how Satan wanted Eve to view God's instruction and unfortunately she 'fell' for it and as a result took a first step into doubting God that paved the way for subsequent steps that culminated in eating the fruit (though the eating of the fruit itself wasn't really the problem - it was just the consequential outcome of the real problem).
How and when did God commit Himself to freedom? Since forever. Freedom is in inseparable aspect of Agape love - the principle which is the foundation of abundant life and every single aspect of the reality that is and supports abundant life.
You are right. These awareness are what has helped my understandings - though it is very different to the understandings I previously had.
It is impossible to get close to God without being humble. When we truly recognize who God is, what He has done for us and how much love He's got for us, even while we are stubborn, hard and cold, we are left with no pride. Because He does not insist in anger, remorse, jealousy, all these pure human feelings! From God we can only wait for what is pure, just, correct, loving. To get close to God we have to ban self, and let Him fill the heart with new things, good things, forgiveness, compassion, mercy, love.
The LORD gave Nebuchadnezzer a dream to warn him and when he did not change, the LORD executed his judgement on Nebuchadnezzer and he became a maniac. After 7 years the LORD restored his wisdom.
The reason the LORD did this was so that people would know that sometimes the LORD allows us to reap the consequences of our choices and sometimes He intervenes in people's lives to reveal His character. Dan 4:17
Are there other examples? Yes Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt Gen 19:26, Ananias & Sapphira dropped down dead Acts 5:5, 10. Lev 26 the LORD says "I will do this..." time and again. Lev 26:18 And if you will not yet listen to Me for all this, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
"A year from the time he had received the warning, Nebuchadnezzar, walking in his palace and thinking with pride of his power as a ruler and of his success as a builder, exclaimed, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?”
While the proud boast was yet on the king’s lips, a voice from heaven announced that God’s appointed time of judgment had come. Upon his ears fell the mandate of Jehovah: “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.”
In a moment the reason that God had given him was taken away; the judgment that the king thought perfect, the wisdom on which he prided himself, was removed, and the once mighty ruler was a maniac. His hand could no longer sway the scepter. The messages of warning had been unheeded; now, stripped of the power his Creator had given him, and driven from men, Nebuchadnezzar “did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.” Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 519-521"
Another miracle is that God preserved Nebuchadnezzars position for him for seven years.
I don't know much about Nebuchadnezzars kingdom. It seems to me his position was left vonerable for this period of his life. I do believe God preserved the nation for him. Another evidence of God's mercy, love, and longsuffering. Now God was within him, dwelt in him, what a marvilous testimony of Gods love, and what He can do in our lives when we surender of our will to Him. Nebuchadnezzar became willing to be willing, God did the rest. Marvelous evidence in chapter 4.
As I was reading this for the umpteenth time in my life a few questions arose because of the way the lesson asked its question about when and how things changed for the king.
Did things change for the king when he lifted up his eyes to heaven? Or was it because the end of the seven years that God had decreed were done and so he was able to do so?
Did his reason return before he lifted his eyes to heaven? Or after and if after then what was the lifting up his eyes about if without his reason restored?
The way the lesson read I got the feeling that things changed for him only after he lifted his eyes to heaven which happened at the end of the seven years. This would make it more of a prophecy than a sentence decree right? A prediction of how long it would take the king to finally acknowledge God?
Thank you for voicing your questions Kendall. I have been reflecting on precisely these same questions as you.
I see the situation as prophecy rather than a sentence decree - given the way I am re-learning how God operates. Previously I would have seen it as sentence decree.
I suspect that there would be some degree of reasoning involved otherwise Nebuchadnezzar would not have any capacity for perception. Perhaps the comment about reason being restored was referring to the restoration back to full reasoning.
One thing appears evident. God saw Pharaoh's heart (as per 1 Sam 16:7) and that it was irrevocably hardened, even though he was given opportunities to choose otherwise. It would seem that this was not the case with Nebuchadnezzar and hence why a progressive and cumulative set of opportunities were provided to assist the potential of Nebuchadnezzar's heart to be eventually manifest. God provided opportunities to both leaders - one was open to being 'drawn' by those opportunities, the other instead resisted the drawing and in so doing further 'cemented' the hardening process of his own heart.
Hi Phil,
Thank you for your reply. So I was laying out two different ways of seeing this. If one sees this as a prophecy then he would have had to retain some capacity for perception. This also presents to me another issue. In prophecy when time is mentioned we apply the day/year principle with consistency, however, that would not work here which is one reason I do not see it as a prophecy.
If ones sees this as a judgment and decree from God then IMO everything makes more sense. This is what I get from the biblical account. God pronounced the sentence and it was only when the sentence was complete did Nebuchadnezzar regain the capacity for perception. The language used in Dan 2:31-32 sound like the pronouncement of a sentence which is the other reason I do not see this as a prophecy.
When I see other times God pronounced judgment I see consistency. When the Israelites went into captivity they were there for the time God decreed they should be and nothing changed for them until the time God decreed was done. This is why I didn't like the way the author of the lesson asked that question. I think that nothing changed for Nebuchadnezzar until the time God decreed was over. Then and only then was he able to lift up his eyes. Only then was his reason restored so that he had the capacity to see his condition and look to God (a lesson there for us all).
One thing I've learned about how God operates is that He is sovereign. We don't judge God but many do. If you say well God wouldn't do this thing because it's bad then this is a judgement against God's behavior and character. Whatever God does by definition is good and just. There is no other standard by which we can judge God so I have no problem with God warning and then finally executing judgment. Whether God allows things to happen or whether He does them directly He is love and He is the standard.
And thanks also for your reply Kendall. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to explain the details of how and why you have the viewpoint you have. Thank you.