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Nebuchadnezzar — From Arrogant King to Worshiper of God

A person’s identity changes when God enters their lives. God’s presence helps us see who we really are in Him and provides us with the guidance and strength we desperately need to follow our calling and fulfill our destinies. As we focus on Jesus, we increasingly become more and more like Him in every way.

Some of the events that occurred during Israel’s captivity in Babylon are chronicled in the Book of Daniel. In particular, it details the lives of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These four young leaders became powerful instruments in God’s hands through which He commanded the attention of Nebuchadnezzar. Little by little, God revealed to this proud, pagan king His will and ways and drew the king’s heart toward Himself.

The first thing God used to get Nebuchadnezzar’s attention was a series of troubling dreams. Nebuchadnezzar demanded his mystic counselors tell him both the dream and its interpretation. Upon hearing the king’s decree, they pleaded with him to tell them his dream. This infuriated Nebuchadnezzar, and he gave an order to execute all the wise men of Babylon. When authorities came to kill Daniel and his companions, Daniel humbly went to Nebuchadnezzar and asked him for time, and the Lord revealed the king’s dream to him in a night vision.

After Daniel correctly described the dream and gave its interpretation, “...King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him” (Daniel 2:46). God was trying to get ahold of Nebuchadnezzar’s heart. Remember that the Lord loves everyone and doesn’t want anyone to spend eternity separated from Him.

Shortly after the king’s dream was interpreted, Nebuchadnezzar got the idea to build a golden image that towered approximately 90 feet into the air. He gathered his officials together and announced that everyone in his kingdom would fall down on their faces and worship this image when they heard the music begin to play. You probably remember what happened next! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down and worship the figure. In turn, the king became infuriated and had them thrown into the fiery furnace. But what happened next could only be described as miraculous.

Here, we see the presence of God Himself showing up right in the midst of the fire with Daniel’s friends. The visual manifestation of the Lord in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s lives brought transformation to Nebuchadnezzar — his fury faded, and his anger abated when he saw Jesus in the flames. When the Hebrew youths came out of the furnace, the fire had no effect on them! This miracle impacted the king so powerfully that this once arrogant, pagan man began praising God in front of all his officials, publicly acknowledging that there is no other God like Jehovah! All these responses are tangible indicators that God was at work transforming his heart and mind.

But as time passed, the king’s pride and arrogance began to get the better of him, and he became enamored with his own greatness. God responded by giving Nebuchadnezzar another prophetic dream — this time describing what would happen in the not-so-distant future. The Lord enabled Daniel to interpret this dream, telling the king that the great tree whose height reached the heavens and could be seen throughout the earth was Nebuchadnezzar himself. Because of his great pride, God cut him down to size and drove him out from among men to live among the beasts of the field, sentenced to eat grass and live like an animal for seven years until he acknowledged “...that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he chooses” (Daniel 4:25).

When Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he urged the king to stop sinning, humble himself, and practice mercy. Sadly, Nebuchadnezzar didn’t repent or change his wicked ways, reaping the consequences of his own evil behavior. History documents that he lived like a beast among the animals for seven years, just as the Lord had predicted.

After seven years among the animals, the Bible tells us Nebuchadnezzar’s understanding returned to him, and he “...blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever” (Daniel 4:34). This wicked, arrogant king was transformed into a worshiper of God! With his own mouth, he declared that there is no one who has higher authority than the Most High God. This was a true transformation and demonstrates that God will go to any lengths and bulldoze every barrier to touch a person's heart and transform them into a new creation! That’s what He did with Nebuchadnezzar, and that’s what He’ll do with you and those you love!

STUDY QUESTIONS:

1. If anyone seemed an unlikely candidate to give God praise and worship, it would certainly have been King Nebuchadnezzar. Yet, what does God call him repeatedly in Jeremiah 25:9, 27:6, and 43:10?

2. What present-day, high-profile officials can you think of that seem extremely unlikely to honor God and turn their lives over to Him? What does First Timothy 2:1-4 say we are to do for these leaders? Are you doing it? (As you answer, consider what God says about those in authority through the apostle Paul in Romans 13:1-7.)

3. Take a few moments to reflect on Nebuchadnezzar’s words in Daniel 2:47, 3:28, and 4:34-37. According to Luke 6:45 and Matthew 12:34, what do these words from the king’s mouth tell us about the king’s heart?