Daniel 4 - 6 (15th September) - Stephanie

Daniel 4

King Nebuchadnezzar was very proud of himself. Babylon was one of the greatest nations the world ever had and he was claiming credit for the achievements which God gave to him. (Daniel 4:4 and 4:29 – 30)

James 4:6 says this, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” How quickly did that pride disappear when God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a scary dream which he understood not! Fear flooded his heart. Peace was absent. The fear was probably so evident in his visage that none of his counsel dared to interpret the dream falsely. (Daniel 4:7)

Reflections: What do you think makes a person proud? How do you tackle pride in your life?


Prov. 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

All that we have and all that we are come from God. He alone is God. No man should boast in his presence. (1 Cor. 1:29) Pride damages relationships. A proud man does not view God as God and man as man. His perspective is all wrong. We must be humble. We must be grateful to God and thankful for all the blessings He had given us. We must make time to thank Him and glorify Him even in public.

Some interesting details on the Tree in the King's Dream:

1) V 10-11 He saw a flourishing great tree above every other tree in the midst of the earth. The enormous tree was an apt description of Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. Babylon was above all his neighbours. Trees are often used in scriptures as symbols of kings, nations and empires.

2) V 12 – The tree was not just good for sight but it was also very useful as it provided food for all and shelter. It was a representation of how many other countries also seek shetler under the rule of Babylon. This was truely a great nation that God allowed to flourish.

3) The tree was hewn down at the call of a heavenly ambassador. However the stump was allowed to remain. The cutting down of the tree was a warning and a prophecy against Nebuchadnezzar’s self-exalting attitude. The stump implied that Nebuchadnezzar would not be utterly cast down but that he would rise again after he was humbled.

God in His grace and mercy, gave the king a glimpse into His future if he were to continue in his sin. God also was very patient in holding back His hand of judgment for twelve months, considering the clear, direct instruction for repentence. It was obvious that nothing could humble Nebuchadnezzar, except his temporal downfall as foretold by God through His servant Daniel.

Reflections: What keeps us from repenting even when we are clear about our sin and the consequences? Had the Lord been gracious in His dealing with you? Have you taken His grace for granted?

We are often careless with the truths that God gave us. We are responsible and there can be no excuse. To whom much has been given, much more shall be required. We must turn from our rebellion and pride and come humbly at the feet of Jesus. We must not delay and test the patience of God.

Daniel 5

In the midst of the wild and sinful banquet, a hand appeared and wrote on the wall. It must be a shocking and scary sight! The judgment day for Belshazzar and Babylon was up. The banquet had turned into a courtroom.

What we can learn from Daniel 5 is simply this, we must be humble and learn from the mistakes of others. Belshazzar was even more rebellious and proud compared to Nebuchadnezzar. We have the same tendency to fall harder when we disregard the mistakes of others.

Daniel 6

Daniel was a man of character. His faith and his courage can be clearly seen. He was a man of prayer. Daniel was a responsible man. In fact, he was so faithful that even his enemies could not find any fault in him. Daniel was firm and unwavering when declaring the words and judgment of God.

More than that, Daniel was a man who knows how to work with people in authority. His humble appeal to Melzar (Daniel 1:16), his friendship and loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:19) and now even Darius was angry with himself for getting Daniel into trouble (Daniel 6:14). The king even fasted for Daniel!

These godly qualities of Daniel were the same qualities that displeased Daniel’s enemies. They were ruthless and sought to get rid of Daniel.

Reflections: Are you like Daniel? If you are like Daniel, is it likely that you too will have enemies? What else does it take to be a man like Daniel? Do you relate well with people who are in authority?

Applications: We should all be like Daniel. As he stood firm in his time, we should all stand firm today. As he humbly related to others, so should we. Let’s learn from Daniel as we continue to read through this exciting book.

The Enemies of Daniel, are presidents and princes who spied on him, looking for his weakness. In their estimation, they thought that his undying faithfulness to God was his only weak point. Like a cunning fox, they assembled in the throne room of Darius and proposed that everyone in the city can pray to no one but the king himself.

Notice that they were careful to include Daniel in their petition, even though the man himself is not present in the assembly. (Daniel 6:7 “All the presidents of the kingdom.. have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree...”) However, they were very careful to leave him out in the meeting.

Darius, the man who was lifted up by his subordinates to a pedestal to be prayed to as a god, was humbled by the God of Daniel. Darius saw that God was not like any dead man-made idols. God is the living God! A wonderful declaration was made about the power of God throughout Darius’ kingdom, similar to one that Nebuchadnezzar made in Daniel 4:1-3. God was glorified!

Reflections: How would you respond to false accusations against you? Is there a confidence in God that He will defend you? Is thanksgiving and prayer a part of your life?

Application: God is our Defender and He knows our heart. We can trust Him that He is in control. Our lives are in His hands and He knows what is best for us. Let’s trust God and obey Him for His will is best. God will be glorified!