The Conversion of the King of Babylon

Daniel was called before Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, to interpret a dream that no diviner, Chaldean, medium or astrologer could decipher.  Death was threatened to them all if no one would interpret the dream.  God gave Daniel the interpretation and great acclaim followed, as did great and miraculous things.  (Daniel 1-3)  Later, Daniel was called back to interpret another dream, but this time it foretold the fall of Nebuchadnezzar as king, his outcast from his people, and the Lord of Heaven calling him to worship only Him.

I imagine Daniel knew this would not go well with the King, as it was not a very flattering interpretation.  His Kingship would be taken.  He would be outcast to eat grass with the cattle.  And he was to command the King of Babylon to convert and worship the true Most High God.  The King would suffer “until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men, and he gives it to anyone he wants.” (Dn. 4:25)  Daniel gave the interpretation to the most powerful ruler on earth, the king of mighty Babylon, with no hesitation.

Nebuchadnezzar did not execute Daniel.  All that Daniel had interpreted (Daniel 4) came to pass.  The King was humbled, dethroned, and humiliated to feed on grass with cattle and live with wild animals.  But, the interpretation God gave Daniel had a promise at the end, that if the King acknowledged God, his kingdom would be restored.  And after the “seven period time” of humiliation ended, Nebuchanezzar wrote this:

“For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation.  All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does what He wants with the army of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth.  There is no one who can hold back His hand or say to Him, What have you done?” … “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of heaven, because all His works are true and His ways are just.  And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.” (Daniel 4:34-37)

The King of the greatest kingdom on earth had come to know the One True God.  This is the conversion of the great King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar.  Mrs. Ruby used to say about Daniel that the lions didn’t eat him in the Lion’s den because he was 100% spiritual.  Lions eat flesh, but Daniel did not smell of flesh, he was 100% obedient to God even while serving high office in Nebuchadnezzar’s palace.  He was obedient even prior to that when he was a slave in that same kingdom and his faithfulness to God would have gotten a death sentence.  Daniel was 100% spiritual.

I believe the same God that Daniel worshiped, and the God Nebuchadnezzar came to worship, is alive today.  Will we live our lives 100% obedient to God’s commands?  Will I set aside all the things of this world to faithfully serve the Lord and strive to be 100% spiritual?  That should be our goal, so that if the day come when I stand before the most powerful rulers of the earth and am asked to interpret a dream, God would give me the answer, I would be bold enough to proclaim it no matter what the consequences, and God will do His great things….even bring the rulers of the earth to worship and praise His name.

God is calling His people to great and amazing things…we should live our lives 100% obedient to Him.  We should strive to be 100% spiritual.