Stephen
Terry, Director
From
Pride to Humility
Commentary
for the February 1, 2020 Sabbath School Lesson
"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of
heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And
those who walk in pride he is able to humble." Daniel 4:37, NIV
As
time passes, memories fade, but God is constant. King Nebuchadnezzar had
crossed many bridges since the day on the plain of Dura when God had reminded
him that even kings could not overrule divine commands. The smoky smell of the
brick kiln had long since faded from his nostrils, and with it, the memory of
that incredible day. Since then, Jerusalem had rebelled and that revolt had
been harshly repressed, ending with the destruction of Jerusalem.
But
the warfare had not ended there. When the Egyptians had hurled the Babylonians
back from their border, other states had been encouraged by this to resist the
Babylonian king.[i] Therefore,
after subduing Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar spent several years laying siege to Tyre until they also submitted.[ii] However, the submission was only a token
surrender as Babylon only succeeded in taking the mainland portion of the city.
Most of the valuables were moved to the island, which was not taken until the
Greek ruler, Alexander the Great built a causeway from the rubble of the
mainland city out to the island, giving his army easy access to the defenders.
The prophet Ezekiel said concerning Alexander's conquest of Tyre.
"I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock." Ezekiel 26:4, NIV But
concerning Nebuchadnezzar, he made this prophetic proclamation.
"In
the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the
Lord came to me: 'Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon drove his army in
a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed
bare and every shoulder made raw. Yet he and his army got no reward from the
campaign he led against Tyre. Therefore this is what
the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder the land as
pay for his army. I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts
because he and his army did it for me,' declares the Sovereign Lord." Ezekiel
29:17-20, NIV
As
Ezekiel wrote, Nebuchadnezzar did turn his attention once again to Egypt and
fought the army of Pharaoh Ahmose II (probably Amasis
in the Babylonian Chronicle) at Mizraim. While the
Babylonian record of this event does not indicate a conquest of Egypt, there
may have been a plundering in line with what Ezekiel had written. This seems
likely because the flower of the Egyptian military had recently perished in a
disastrous intervention against the Greeks in Cyrene.[iii] While the Babylonian record seems to
indicate a sizable Egyptian force, it may have been thus weakened militarily
and not reflective of the true might of Egypt. Had Nebuchadnezzar pushed a
little harder all of Egypt might have fallen before the king. However,
remembering his previous decisive defeat, he probably hesitated to extend his
reach so deeply into hostile territory. Apparently content with his plunder, he
returned to Babylon.
This
was not out of character for Nebuchadnezzar. He battled against Judah on
several campaigns dealing with more than one rebellion before he decided to
fully conquer the province and place the area under direct Babylonian rule.
Also, as was previously mentioned, he contented himself with an incomplete
submission by the citizens of Tyre. He appeared to be
less interested in actual conquest than in an acknowledgment of suzerainty and
the payment of tribute. As the tribute flowed in, instead of
continuing to battle, he chose to develop Babylon, and as Babylon grew and
became great so did Nebuchadnezzar's pride.
The
Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Almost two thousand years had passed since anyone succeeded in creating
anything to rival the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar may have
sought not only to equal the earlier wonder but to surpass it if possible. Two
things are required to create such wonders. First there must be a period with
relative peace and safety. Second there must be a means to pay for the wonder's
construction. The Egyptians accomplished this by unifying Egypt to create the
Old Kingdom,[iv] thereby creating the peace and security and
creating access to the resources of the entire kingdom to create the pyramids
of Giza as well as several other monumental works.
Nebuchadnezzar
extended Babylonian power over much of the Levant. When he withdrew to Babylon,
he left little that could threaten his kingdom. Having been crippled by the
Greeks and then plundered by Nebuchadnezzar, his greatest rival, Egypt, could
no longer challenge his rule in any meaningful way. He had the peace and safety
to build a legacy, and the plunder he brought back to Babylon as well as the
ongoing tribute from conquered kingdoms provided the wealth to finance whatever
project he wished to begin. It had taken Babylon much longer to arrive at this
point than Egypt. While Egypt enjoyed the security advantage of being
accessible only across the narrow isthmus of Sinai, Babylon arose in a tenuous
environment of several competing city states in a relatively small fertile area
watered by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This perhaps accounts for an
Egyptian Empire spanning millennia as opposed to a Babylonian Empire which only
achieved its complete independence from Assyrian influence after the battle of
Carchemish in the late 7th century BC. That empire then only lasted a few
generations from Nabopolasser to Nabonidus.[v]
Nonetheless,
Nebuchadnezzar enjoyed a peace that allowed him to construct the Hanging
Gardens.[vi] A contemporary account written by Berossus
and quoted by Josephus in his Antiquities relates that Nebuchadnezzar created
the gardens in an effort to recreate the lush mountains of his queen's
homeland. Sadly the gardens were destroyed by earthquake after only a few
centuries. Unlike the Giza pyramids, nothing physically remains to enlighten
our understanding of this great wonder. Whether it was before, during or after
this great project that the scenes of the fourth chapter of Daniel occurred cannot
be known but only speculated.
The
chapter is presented as having been written by Nebuchadnezzar himself. As in
chapter 2, it begins with a troubling dream.[vii] The king had dreamed of a beautiful and
fruitful, enormous tree. Per command, the tree was cut down, and the stump was
fettered with metal. Then a pronouncement was given that the tree, shorn of its
finery, would be wet with dew and among the animals. It also proclaims that the
tree, which is obviously symbolic at this point, would lose its sanity for
seven years. While the tree may have been pleasing to behold, its fate was not.
Unlike
the earlier dream in chapter two, Nebuchadnezzar freely recounts for his wise
men the substance of his dream. However, in spite of this, they are unable to
provide him an interpretation. Fearing the implications nuanced throughout the
dream, Nebuchadnezzar was terrified and called for Belteshazzar
(Daniel) to interpret the dream. Daniel had been elevated to high position
because of his earlier success with dream interpretation. His call for Daniel
is indicative of the importance that the king attached to this dream. He
recounts the entire dream to Daniel and closes his account with a statement of
faith in Daniel's ability to provide an interpretation. In spite of the king's
faith in him, Daniel does not immediately enlighten the king. Instead, the text
tells us that he was "perplexed" for a time. We are not told how long that time
was, but perhaps we can infer from chapter two that Daniel requested a day to
make prayer for understanding as he did then. Considering Daniel's habit was to
pray regularly,[viii] and that habit appears to have been well
known by others, such a request would not seem out of line with his usual
practice.
In
any event, Daniel does provide an interpretation. He states that the tree in
the dream was Nebuchadnezzar and those things that happened to the tree would
happen to him. Perhaps we should acknowledge at this point that while the
biblical narrative identifies Nebuchadnezzar as the affected ruler,
extra-biblical, more closely contemporary Aramaic texts identify Nabonidus as the ruler in question.[ix] Some have inferred from the period of
insanity referenced in the dream an explanation for Nabonidus'
failure to remain present to rule from his throne in Babylon. However, the
common understanding of his absence is related to his interest in archeology
and preservation of historically significant buildings and artifacts. To the
more hawkish among the Babylonian nobility, who saw threats to the empire in
every direction, this may have indeed seemed like insanity. However, we will
accept the designation of Nebuchadnezzar as the king in question per the
biblical account. This is because the dream assures the ruler that his kingdom
will remain intact, but Nabonidus saw his capital
lost to the Medes and the Persians while he was away campaigning against Cyrus,
thanks to the failures of Belshazzar who ruled in his absence[x] and the astuteness of Cyrus who realized the
importance of Babylon and what its capture would mean to Nabonidus'
forces. We shall revisit this when we examine chapter five of Daniel.
In
any event, the current chapter tells us that Nebuchadnezzar is spared
enforcement of the doleful interpretation of his dream for a year, perhaps
because its meaning instilled a more reverential humility in his heart. As time
passed his humility decreased and in a moment of unguarded egotism, he claimed
the glory of Babylon as his own. In this, the author of Daniel finds a sin of
pride against God. However, the sin is also against the people of Babylon whose
labor and support contributed greatly to the building up of the city. Whether
it was the military that brought home plunder from kingdoms conquered afar,
merchants who brought the products of trade and commerce into the city,
artisans who wrought with skill to embellish the city with their creativity, or
simply the humble laborer carrying uncounted hods of
bricks on his back, all made their contributions to the magnificence of the
city.
Modern
leaders are tempted to take the glory of their times to themselves as well,
forgetting the many who have contributed to the glory of their governments.
They would do well to heed what befell Nebuchadnezzar. Possibly neglect of
those who have done so much for the success of others is a great affront to God
as well.[xi] The Bible
often addresses the morality of kings and commoners alike. Because we do not
call our rulers "kings" does not mean we are exempt from these lessons about
pride and responsibility. After many centuries, these stories continue to play
out in the hearts and minds of each of us. Perhaps this is what is meant when
we say the stories of the Bible are "timeless."
This
story is also a reminder for those of us who might be impatient concerning
justice. We might look at the pride of rulers and the injustice of their
boasting and posturing and wonder why God is so longsuffering. At times we
might even find in that longsuffering an excuse to abandon faith and even deny
the existence of God. Yet we find in this story an assurance that even though
God's mercy is great, it is not endless, and when the time is exhausted,
justice is swift.[xii] As the
author writes, while "the words were still on his lips," judgment was passed on
King Nebuchadnezzar immediately and he lost his senses and was driven away from
people. He insanely ate grass without regard to the weather and his exposure.
He ceased grooming and became a wretch to all who saw him. We are told this
continued for seven years. Those who did not know of the prophecy might have
felt that this would continue to the end of his life and despaired of ever
seeing him rule the kingdom again. Without his faculties, he could reassure no
one. Perhaps this is why he felt it necessary to issue the decree regarding his
experience. Without that decree, others might question whether they could
depend on him or not when he returned to the throne. What would prevent a
recurrence? The decree was evidence that everything was according to prophecy
and not because of some frailty of the king's health.
Like
Job who suffered greatly with the loss of all his wealth, his children, and
even his health, Nebuchadnezzar was restored all, and per his decree, not only
was his kingdom and position restored to him. He "became even greater than
before."[xiii] This
certainly echoes the statement, "The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life
more than the first."[xiv] It is a recurring theme in the Old Testament
that even when we must travel through "the valley of the shadow of death,"[xv] God is present there with us, and when the
experience is over blessings will overflow our cup.[xvi] While this is a message that comforts us in
our modern trials, perhaps it was doubly so for the Israelites who had
witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and were now experiencing the dark
valley of captivity in Babylon.
The
two-fold message of this chapter that God overrules the affairs of even
conquering kings and restores bountifully those who are faithful through
difficult trials was surely not lost on the captive Jews. Those who remained
faithful did see a restoration and a blessing as recounted in the books of Ezra
and Nehemiah. A temple was built and sacrifices were again offered in
Jerusalem. Eventually the temple the returned exiles built was replaced by one
built by King Herod, and that temple had the honor of being visited by the
Messiah. In that alone, the latter blessing of the Jews was greater than the
former. Had Israel recognized their time of visitation by Jesus, the greater
glory of his presence would have been only the beginning of blessings. However,
instead of proclaiming the glory of God like Nebuchadnezzar, most of them
rejected that glory, and instead saw the destruction of that temple in 70, CE,
and the beginning of suppression of the Jewish faith by their Roman overlords.
Eventually, with the end of the Bar Kochba revolt in
135, CE, they even lost the right to enter the city of Jerusalem.
Strangely
this was because the Israelites repeated the sin of Kadesh Barnea.
Instead of recognizing God's power in Jesus and accepting where God was
leading, they chose their own messiah in Bar Kochba.
They made this messiah in their own image of what they felt the messiah must
be. They felt that the messiah would deliver them from the Romans by defeating
the imperial armies. Since Bar Kochba promised to do
this and Jesus did not, they felt logically the messiah was Kochba
and not Jesus. They had some initial successes on the battlefield, but
according to Cassius Dio[xvii], a son of a Roman Senator who wrote several
decades after the fact, over half a million Jews died as a result of that
mistaken messianic uprising.
Jesus
advocated no revolution against Rome. Instead He advised a humble acceptance of
the status quo. This was true whether being impressed
into service,[xviii] assaulted,[xix] or even when paying taxes.[xx] This was similar in intent to Jeremiah's
instructions to the Babylonian exiles. He urged them to settle down and accept
their lot and even pray for the prosperity of Babylon.[xxi] Paul, the Apostle, also expressed a similar
idea in his letter to the Roman church.[xxii] Apparently such an attitude makes it
possible to have an effect even on kings as Daniel did from the time of his
captivity until the fall of Babylon to the Medes and beyond as future chapters
will reveal.
[i] "Neo-Babylonian Empire," Babylonia,
www.wikipedia.org
[ii] "Early History," Tyre,
www.wikipedia.org
[iii] "Amasis II,"
www.wikipedia.org
[iv] "Egyptian Chronology," Chronological Charts
of the Old Testament, John H Walton, 1978
[v] "Kings of Neo-Babylonia," Ibid.
[vi] "Hanging Gardens of Babylon,"
www.wikipedia.org
[vii] Daniel 4:4-17
[viii] Daniel 6:10
[ix] "Nebuchadnezzar or Nabonidus,"
Book of Daniel, www.wikipedia.org
[x] "The Verse Account of Nabonidus,"
British Museum, Tablet 38299, Column II, Lines 18-29.
[xi] Matthew 25:45
[xii] Habakkuk 2:3
[xiii] Daniel 4:36, NIV
[xiv] Job 42:12, NIV
[xv] Psalm 23:4, NIV
[xvi] Psalm 23:5
[xvii] Cassius Dio, Roman History
[xviii] Matthew 5:41
[xix] Matthew 5:39
[xx] Matthew 22:17-21
[xxi] Jeremiah 29:6-7
[xxii] Romans 13:1-7
