Bible Memory Verse:<\/p>\n
“…He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth…” Daniel 4:35 King Nebuchadnezzar was at home in his palace, contented and prosperous. He had a dream that terrified him. None of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers or diviners could interpret the dream. Finally Daniel came into the king’s presence and the king explained the dream to Daniel. There was a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed. Daniel was greatly disturbed for a time and his thoughts terrified him. Then Daniel said, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies! The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the beasts of the field, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds of the air–you, O king, are the tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness extends to the distance parts of the earth. The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live like the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and he gives them to anyone he wishes.”<\/strong><\/p>\n At the end of this time Nebuchadnezzar said: “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’<\/strong> In chapter two of the book of Daniel after Daniel was able to tell King Nebuchadnezzar his dream (remember his dream about a statue) & interpret it, King Nebuchadnezzar said, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and Nebuchadnezzar learned that God is God and that only He deserves to be glorified & praised and exalted. God wants the same for us–He wants us to go to heaven. The Bible says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23<\/strong>. Maybe we aren’t as bad as King Nebuchadnezzar, but we have all sinned. No one can go to heaven unless they have never sinned–be perfect. The only way to be perfect is to have your sins forgiven. The only way your sins can be forgiven is to accept the free gift that God gave us when He gave His only Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay for our sins. We need to repent, which means to change our minds so that we try to obey Jesus. Is there anyone who has never asked Jesus to forgive them of their sins, who would like to now. If so, pray this prayer with me:<\/p>\n Dear Jesus…Thank you for loving me so much that you died on a cross to pay for my sins…I want to get to know You…Forgive me for the wrong things I had done that hurt you so much…I want Your Holy Spirit to come into my heart to be with me…Thank You that someday I live with You in heaven forever. Once you have Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you are His child. You should talk to Him (praying is talking to God) and read His Bible every day. The Bible are the words that God wrote. He told other men His words and they wrote them down.<\/p>\n \n Bible Memory Verse: “…He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth…” Daniel 4:35 “…everything he does is right and all his ways are just. Those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” Daniel 4:37 Who have we been talking about for the last few<\/p>\n
\n“…everything he does is right and all his ways are just. Those who walk in pride he
\nis able to humble.” Daniel 4:37
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\nWho have we been talking about for the last few weeks? What book in the Bible tells about the prophet Daniel? What king have we been talking about? The lesson this week is from the fourth chapter in the book of Daniel<\/strong> and it is mainly about King Nebuchadnezzar.
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\nKing Nebuchadnezzar saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. The messenger called in a loud voice: “Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron chains and bronze, remain in the ground.
\nLet him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by him.
\nThe decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.”<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Then Nebuchadnezzar said to Daniel: “Tell me what the dream means for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
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\nYou, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, let him live like wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’
\nThis is the decree that the Most High has issued against my lord the king: You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. Therefore, o king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be then your prosperity will continue.”<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Twelve months later as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power & by the glory of my majesty?”<\/strong>
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\n<\/strong>Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. King Nebuchadnezzar lived like this for seven years.
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\nAt that same time my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor was returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisors and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Something amazing had happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.
\nIn chapter one of the book of Daniel we learn that Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Jerusalem and taken the articles from the temple of God and carried them off to the temple of his god in Babylonia. He must have believed that his god was stronger than God because he had conquered the people of God. It was a common belief in that day that the strongest god was the god of the strongest king.
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\na revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” <\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>In chapter three, when God rescued Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fiery furnace, King Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted him and defiled the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses burned into rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>In chapter four, the chapter we learned about today, King Nebuchadnezzar had great respect for Daniel, because he thought Daniel’s wisdom was because he had the spirit of the holy gods–gods with a little g–not the one true God. After having the mind of an animal for seven years, King Nebuchadnezzar came to know the one true God. Daniel was, no doubt, always praying for King Nebuchadnezzar. Because of the example of Daniel’s life and because of his prayers, someday I think Nebuchadnezzar will be in heaven.
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\nIt is amazing to see how God could change this wicked, ruthless king into a king who would praise and glorify Him. It took seven years of misery for King Nebuchadnezzar to come to know God. But how much better that was than to always have a good time on earth and to spend eternity in hell.
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\nQUESTIONS:
\n1. Who did Nebuchadnezzar ask to explain the meaning of his dream before he asked Daniel?
\n2. Why could Daniel explain the meaning of the dream?
\n3. Why was Daniel terrified when he understood the meaning of the dream?
\n A. Because the tree was so huge
\n B. Because the dream pertained to King Nebuchadnezzar
\n C. Because an angel spoke in a loud voice
\n4. What did the tree represent?
\n5. Why was the tree great and strong?
\n6. In the dream, who came down from heaven to announce what was going to happen to the tree?
\n7. The stump of the tree was bound with iron & bronze. What did this mean was going to happen to King Nebuchadnezzar?
\n8. What did Daniel advise King Nebuchadnezzar to do so that this wouldn’t happen to him?
\n9. What was King Nebuchadnezzar doing when the dream was fulfilled?
\n10. Why was King Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom restored to him, even greater than before?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"