Page 116 - Daniel

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Nebuchadnezzar’s Pride and Punishment

his chapter, one of the longest in the book of Daniel, is more than
Ta profound story of how God can bring a proud man low. It is also
the climax of Nebuchadnezzar’s spiritual biography that began with his
recognition of the excellence of Daniel and his companions, continued
with the interpretation of the dream of the image in chapter 2, and was

furthered by his experience with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Structurally, chapter 4 is parallel to chapter 5 and sits at the center of
the chiasm formed in the Aramaic section of the book. chapters 2 and 7

highlight the certain coming of God’s kingdom following the rise of four
successive Gentile powers. chapters 3 and 6 focus on the need for God’s
people to remain faithful despite opposition and persecution as they
await His kingdom. And chapters 4 and 5—featuring the kings God
identifies as the starting (2:37–38) and ending (5:30–31) kings of the
first Gentile empire—serve as reminders that even Gentile rulers will

eventually acknowledge that ultimate power and control over nations
rests with the God of heaven.
Daniel, who was a man of prayer, undoubtedly prayed for

Nebuchadnezzar, whom he had served for so many years. While the
king’s experience in chapter 4 was not what Daniel had anticipated, the
outcome must have approximated this godly man’s fondest hope.
Although some like Leupold, after Calvin, “doubt whether the king’s
experience led to his conversion,” it may well be that these events
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brought Nebuchadnezzar to the place where he put his trust in the God

of Daniel. Even if merely a lesson in the spiritual progress of a man in
the hands of God, this chapter is a literary gem.
In the light of Daniel’s revelation of the scope of Gentile power

beginning in chapter 2, the king’s experience seems to take on the larger
meaning of God’s humbling of Gentile power and the bringing of the
world into submission to Himself. When compared to other Bible