Daily Devotion - Go Ahead And Eat Grass Since You Want To Act Like A Donkey
God puts prideful King Nebuchadnezzar in the dirt.
For more information about this daily devotion, please see my initial post. Thank you for reading; I pray that it would bless and strengthen you. If so, please consider recommending to a friend or loved one.
August 29, 2024 - The Humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar
Opening Prayer*: “Blessed are you, O Lord God of our fathers: your name is worthy to be praised and glorified for evermore. For you are righteous in all the things that you have done to us: yes, true are all your works, your ways are right, and all your judgments truth.”
*As a reminder, I would highly recommend saying these prayers out loud with reverence and in fear of the Lord. The things we say with our mouths train our brains and condition our hearts. The Bible calls the tongue the rudder of our lives. Remember also that you are talking to a real “someone,” who listens. This is why creeds and other verbal confessions of faith have been so important throughout church history and still are today. These are not superstitious, magical rituals, but regular, honest communication with our Heavenly Father and reminders to ourselves and others of what it is that we believe.
Reading: Daniel 4
Summary: King Nebuchadnezzar once again has a dream that he is unable to interpret and so he calls on his magicians and sorcerers for help, to no avail. As before, Daniel is the only one in the kingdom with the ability to interpret the dream. Daniel tells the king that the large, vibrant, mighty tree he saw in his dream represents himself, a powerful ruler over a vast kingdom.
Then comes the bad news. Daniel tells the king that the “watcher” who comes down from heaven to announce the chopping down of the tree is declaring the king’s swift downfall and humiliation with the confirmation that upon his repentance and acknowledgment of the one, true King, his kingdom would be restored to him (the stump would not be fully uprooted). The dream comes to pass exactly as Daniel said, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from among men and made to live with the beasts of the field and eat grass for seven years. The picture is that of a mad man who has lost his mind; his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws. In the end, Nebuchadnezzar confesses God as Ruler and King. His reason returns to him and his kingdom and majesty are restored; “more greatness was added to him.” The chapter ends with Nebuchadnezzar’s moving confession of the power, holiness, and wisdom of God.
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