Old Testament: Dan 4.10–12

To read the Bible in a year, read Daniel 3–4 on December 4, In the year of our Lord Christ 2024

By Don Ruhl 

Have you prejudged someone, that he or she would never be interested in the truth? The case of Nebuchadnezzar shows that we never know who will turn to the Lord. 

The Lord revealed a dream to Nebuchadnezzar of things that would transpire in a year, things that would humble him. 

He evidently forgot the dream, and the events came to past, because he had not humbled himself in the previous year. When he finally saw and experienced what happened, he learned just who our God is. 

He began by praising God, telling what he saw:

“These were the visions of my head while on my bed:
I was looking, and behold,
A tree in the midst of the earth,
And its height was great.
The tree grew and became strong;
Its height reached to the heavens,
And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.
Its leaves were lovely,
Its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
The beasts of the field found shade under it,
The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches,
And all flesh was fed from it.”

– Daniel 4.10–12

If you had a dream with that imagery, would you not be very curious about what all that meant? Nebuchadnezzar was curious, and he sought for the answers from Daniel. 

Daniel did not disappoint but told the king what he needed to hear, even if it was not what he wanted to hear. 

My point though, is that you never would have expected this king to turn in belief toward the God of Israel, for Nebuchadnezzar was the king who attacked Israel and conquered it. 

Questions: 

• Have you witnessed someone turn to the Lord whom you never expected to turn? 
• What did you learn from that experience? 

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Don preaches with the Savage Street Church of Christ in Grants Pass, Oregon. 

Listen to his sermons here: GrantsPassChurchOfChrist.com