INTRODUCTION
Perhaps the best-known boxer of the twentieth century was Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay. In 1964 he fought Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight championship. A few days before the fight Ali gave a famous speech that summed up what he thought of himself: “I am the greatest. I am the greatest.” And history shows that he beat Liston, believing that he was the greatest.
I. A PROUD KING
Muhammad Ali is not the only person who had a high opinion of himself. Let’s join King Nebuchadnezzar at his favorite spot on the roof garden of his palace. He stands there in awe at the city spread before him. The city wall runs for twenty-seven kilometers around his capital. The sacred processional way, one kilometer long, has walls decorated with 575 mythological beasts. The temple of the high god Marduk, the E-sagila of Etemenanki, is ninety meters tall. Seeing all this, he says, I made this. Read: Dan 4:30.
This is a critical point in the book of Daniel in the struggle between King Nebuchadnezzar and God. Three points sum up that struggle: size, power, and pride. Daniel 1: Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem, or so it seemed. However, the truth was that the Lord gave Jerusalem into his hand. Read: Dan 1:1–2a. Because the Most High rules the kingdoms of men. At the start of his time we meet two kingdoms: the kingdoms of this world and the Kingdom of God. And we learn that, despite appearances to the contrary, God is sovereign. But at this stage Nebuchadnezzar hasn’t met God. He doesn’t realize that it’s not his own power that has taken Jerusalem.
Daniel 2: Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a frightening metal idol. Its size is “great” and “huge.” It conveys power, representing successive human superpowers. Its head of gold represents Babylon. But the entire image is obliterated by the rock of the kingdom of God, which fills the whole world. So far, the first two episodes in Daniel show us that God is sovereign. But Nebuchadnezzar still doesn’t get it. Because at this stage, he’s only heard of the Lord. Nothing more.
Daniel 3: Being a head of gold doesn’t satisfy Nebuchadnezzar. So he erects an idol made entirely of gold. It’s his statement. He calls on all the world to bow before it and accept that he rules the kingdoms of this world. He demonstrates his power by throwing Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace, asking, “Who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” (Dan 3:15b, RSV). But Nebuchadnezzar sees the three emerge unharmed. And it begins to dawn on him that another king is at work. Something bigger than himself. Something to be reckoned with. He’s beginning to get it. But nothing more.
Daniel 4: The king has a dream. Read: Dan 4:10–17. Note these points. First of all, size: the tree is enormous—its top reaches to heaven. Second, power: all the animals—that is, the inhabitants of the world—depend on this tree. This explains Nebuchadnezzar’s pride. Read: Dan 4:30. In previous episodes, Nebuchadnezzar was at first ignorant of God when he conquered Jerusalem; then heard of God, when Daniel interpreted his dream; then saw the workings of God, when the three friends walked alive in the flames.
But in Daniel 4, he experiences God when for a period he is humbled. That experience will demonstrate that he is not the greatest. And something else. He will know the difference between the kingdoms of this world, and the Kingdom of God, and their opposing views about size, power, and pride. He will know that the Most High rules the kingdoms of this world.
When we listen to the daily news about corruption and injustice, that might be less great than it seems. We can only interpret what we see in the world by seeing God at work. The world is clear and unambiguous. That’s why the book of Daniel takes four episodes before Nebuchadnezzar. It shows how he only slowly realizes that the Most High rules the kingdoms of this world. And only gets there in chapter 4, which he narrates.
In chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream tree representing him as the head of the kingdom of Babylon, is huge. But in the Kingdom of God, size does not count.
II. A HUMBLE SAVIOR
Consider what Jesus says about His kingdom. Read: Matt 13:31–32. Jesus calls the mustard plant a “tree.” Now, that is an exaggeration: it’s not a tree. But Jesus calls it a tree because in the Old Testament a tree sometimes represents a kingdom, as here in Daniel 4 (e.g., Ezek 31:3–9). In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the kingdom of Babylon is like a tree that reaches to heaven and has birds in its branches. And Jesus said the kingdom of God is like a mustard tree with birds in its branches.
But the Kingdom of God’s mustard tree is insignificant next to Nebuchadnezzar’s huge tree. Because the Kingdom of God will take us by surprise; it may not be like a tall tree in a garden plant. For the Kingdom of God is not simply through human empire. It is a humble venture built on faith, not size.
But it’s not just size. It’s power too. Standing on his palace roof, Nebuchadnezzar is exulting himself. Nebuchadnezzar saw the power of his kingdom, in a moment of time. As someone once said: a man who rules the world is a modern pharaoh. He surveyed the power of Babylon, just like modern Pharaohs—China, Anítez, Zoltos, Mugabe, France, Britain, and the United States. And thought the same. “All this has been given to me.” Read: Luke 4:5–7. But Christ replied that His kingdom is based not on size, nor on power, but on simple faith in God. Read: Luke 4:8.
Whenever Jesus speaks about His kingdom, He never uses images of power. He never says, “Now the kingdom of heaven is like a Roman legion; a battering ram; Caesar in all his glory.” Rather, He talks about wheat and weeds, a mustard seed, leaven, fishnet, and landing that catch (Matt 13). These humble illustrations show clearly what His kingdom is not.
It’s easy for us to criticize Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and love of empires. For none of us is a monarch building an empire. But we’re all building something. An education, perhaps. Or maybe, a career. But how are we building? According to which principles? The principles of the kingdoms of this world, or of the Kingdom of God?
III. THE MOST HIGH IS SOVEREIGN
God judges size. Not only power. But also pride. God judges pride throughout Daniel. God reduces idols, pride gets destroyed, formidable states humbled, boasting towers uprooted, massive trees chopped down. They all meet their fate because they never learn the lesson that Nebuchadnezzar finally did: humility. That the Most High is sovereign. And that power is given to Nebuchadnezzar. That opportunity is given to Nebuchadnezzar. Read: Dan 4:25b. Nebuchadnezzar was the proudest of all. He had to become like a cow so he could be a human after all. Humility got the way out of the kingdoms of this world. But without humility, there would be no kingdom of God. Read: Phil 2:5–8.
Nebuchadnezzar met God when he was stripped of pride, over his own image. God met him through him. He no longer talks of size, or power, or pride. He is content with a single testimony of his personal experience of God. Read: Dan 4:34. We need to remember that as individual believers, and also corporately as the church.
CONCLUSION
As agents for Christ’s kingdom, can we see with Nebuchadnezzar’s perspective? Our success as witnesses for the Gospel cannot be measured by worldly size—for example, the number of church members we have. Nor, for example, influence we have with governing structures. Furthermore, our success is measured by the principles of the Kingdom of God. Is there integrity? Is there morality? Is there humility? And is Christ reigning in our lives? The Most High does indeed rule the kingdoms of this world—but do we allow Him to rule us?
Laurence A. Turner, PhD, is a principal lecturer emeritus in Old Testament at Newbold College of Higher Education, Bracknell, UK, and adjunct e-learning higher degree research supervisor at Avondale University, Cooranbong, NSW, Australia.
