Day 257 (Daniel 4-6) — The Bible Recap

The opening of Daniel 4 is a letter from King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and it shows an unexpectedly humble side of the man who destroyed Jerusalem. He is praising Yahweh, the God Most High, for thwarting his plans. Then he recounts another perplexing dream. He calls in his usual interpreters, but none can explain it until Daniel arrives. Some commentators think Nebuchadnezzar was testing his other advisors; others see it as evidence he still wasn't fully committed to Yahweh, still seeking help from familiar but wicked resources.

In the dream, a massive tree grows strong, its reach extending across the whole earth. Then a messenger of Yahweh commands that the tree be chopped down, stripped of its branches and fruit, but that its stump—representing a man—be left to soak in the ground for seven years. Daniel's response is direct: "Yikes, I wish this dream were for your enemies, but it's not." He tells Nebuchadnezzar that he and Babylon are the tree. His reign will be cut down, and he will live among the beasts for seven years. Daniel offers advice on how to delay the judgment: turn from sin and show mercy to the oppressed, because God might postpone the chopping.