Daniel 2:46-49: "Nabucco"

Nebuchadnezzar as the Dominating Figure in Daniel 1–4

Daniel chapter 2, starting in verse 46, here now, the inspired word of God. Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense.

The king answered Daniel and said, Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery. Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.

And Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king's court. Let's pray. Father, once again, as we prepare to look into your word, we simply ask that you would be pleased with the exposition of the word, and just as you promised that as your word goes forward, we pray that it would accomplish every purpose for which you send it.

We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Please be seated. I don't know if you've noticed, but the title of the sermon this morning is Nabucco. Nabucco is an opera that was first performed at La Scala in 1842.

It was composed by the great Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. Now, the name Nabucco is a shortened version of the Italian name for Nebuchadnezzar. And while we're talking about names, Giuseppe Verdi is actually translated into English as Joe Green.

But who would listen to an opera by the name of Joe Green? So, of course, everybody calls him Giuseppe Verdi. But the opera is based upon the biblical account of Nebuchadnezzar. There's a lot of artistic license taken in because they romanticize certain aspects of it.

But it is a pretty good version of the biblical account. My favorite scene is at the end of Act 3, when the ensemble performs the Hebrew slave chorus, the song Vapensiero is based upon Psalm 137, which we read a couple of weeks ago here.

It's such a moving piece of music that when it was performed at the Met in New York City, something unprecedented happened. The audience gave such a rousing standing ovation that the ensemble had to sing an encore in the middle of the opera.

That almost never happens. Even with the artistic license, though, I would say Nebuchadnezzar is worth seeing. Because all in all, the story of Nebuchadnezzar is a very compelling story. The point is, Nebuchadnezzar is an important historical person.

In fact, it could be stated that in the first four chapters of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar is the dominating personality. In chapter 1, he lays siege to Jerusalem and captures it. He orders the captives to be brought to Babylon.

He gives commands to seek out the best and the brightest of the captives for his service. It is his actions that bring Daniel to the place where his faith and his commitment are tested before the Lord.

Those are extremely important facts in this whole scheme of things. In chapter 2, it's the king's dream that sets in motion the events concerning his demand for an interpretation. Again, Daniel's godliness, his faithfulness, and his character are brought forward, sparked by the actions of Nebuchadnezzar.

In that chapter, God reveals to Daniel the exalted position that Nebuchadnezzar has in the plan of God. We will see that in chapters 3 and 4, he will once again be the central figure, albeit for different reasons.

Let me give a brief review of some of the pertinent facts as we continue our exposition in this important, and I'll use the term again, fantastic book. Daniel has been so far revealed as a true prophet.

God has gifted him with knowledge, wisdom, and discernment. That has garnered him favor with the king, but we'll get to that later on. For now, he has not only interpreted the king's dream, but told the king what the dream was.

In doing so, he saved not only his life, but the lives of his three friends, and the lives of the Chaldean sorcerers who gave counsel to the king. Also, keep in mind the fact that in the dream, God has revealed the future to the king, not directly to Daniel.

That's an important point to remember. Look at verse 29 of chapter 2. As for you, O king, while in your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future, and he who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.

It's also important to keep in mind the meaning of this dream. The huge statue with the head of gold, representing the Babylonian Empire under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar. It reaches greatness as signified by the gold, but it doesn't last.

It's conquered by another empire, the Medes and the Persians, but that empire never reaches the glory of Babylon as indicated by its silver content. But it too doesn't last and is supplanted by the bronze, the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great, but it passes away rather quickly to an empire of iron and clay.

A mixed empire that is strong as represented by the iron, but its weakness is that iron and clay just don't mix. So while some of it is strong, it has that inherent weakness. This most clearly is describing the Roman Empire of that time.

And then the king saw this stone, not cut with hands, hurled at the statue, crushing it into powder to be blown away like chaff. This, of course, representing the kingdom of God. That's as far as we've come in the narrative, but that is just the obvious meaning.

There is much, much more that we learn from this vision. Remember, this dream was given to Nebuchadnezzar, not to Daniel or any of the men of Judah. And that's instructive for us, too. So let's look back at some of the imagery that we glossed over last time.

First, remember, one of the things we learn from this vision is that it is God who raises up empires and tears them down. With the sacking of Jerusalem and the carrying away of the temple implements, the symbolic presence of God moves from Israel to Babylon.

Make no mistake that Babylon becomes the centerpiece. The prophetic word to demonstrate that is given to who? To Nebuchadnezzar. And the true prophet of God is present in Babylon to interpret it. So there's the centerpiece.

Remember what Paul said concerning governments. And this is important because we have a tendency of brushing this aside. In Romans chapter 13, verse 1, Paul says this. Every person is to be in subjection to governing authorities.

For there is no authority except from God. And those which exist are established by God. Therefore, whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God, and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For it is a minister of God to you for good.

But if you do what is evil, be afraid. For it does not bear the sword for nothing. For it is a minister of God, an avenger, who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore, it is necessary to be in subjection not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.

You know, as much as the world wants to separate church and state in an ungodly way, Christians often forget that God works in and through governments. And that's a dangerous place to be. God grants certain powers to the government that he doesn't give to the church or the family.

Governments have the obligation to be ministers for good. And when they cease in that function, they fall. God raises up, and God tears down.

Why Judah Was Conquered by Babylon

Now, question for you.

Why was Judah conquered by Babylon? Well, that's actually a pretty easy question to answer. Remember God's instructions to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land? In Leviticus chapter 20, verse 22, the word of the Lord came to Israel, you are therefore to keep all my statutes and all my ordinances and do them, so that the land to which I am bringing you to live will not spew you out.

There's the answer. Judah turned its back on God. They had turned to pagan practices. They violated God's law, and therefore the land literally spewed them out. Babylon was God's instrument of judgment.

The image of the statue picks up from that point. Why was Babylon the head of gold? Because initially under Nebuchadnezzar, God was honored in Babylon. In fact, in chapter 4, we will see the conversion of the king who expounds upon the sovereignty of God, which people, 21st century theologians, are still quoting Nebuchadnezzar on the sovereignty of God.

See, a kingdom that acknowledges the Lord God is a glorious kingdom, a golden kingdom, which comes to an end under Belshazzar when he is examined by God and he fails the test. That's in chapter 5. The empire, the head of gold, yields to the breast and arms of silver.

This empire doesn't reach the glory of Babylon, but Darius the Mede, Cyrus the Persian, begin with some knowledge of the Lord God, and they do some amount of good, but they are followed by rulers who do not fear God, and so the silver empire is replaced by the bronze belly and thighs.

The Greek empire. What can we say about the godliness of the Greek empire? Virtually nothing. And it comes into existence and passes away rather quickly from the scene to be followed by Rome, the iron and clay mixture.

Now an objective view of these various empires would indicate almost a reverse of the order of greatness, doesn't it? Which is stronger, iron or gold? Clearly iron is. Silver is more durable than gold, bronze than silver, and then iron.

So it looks almost like a reverse. Yet the scriptures report each successive empire as being inferior. Now how can that be? Because we know the Bible can't be wrong. Well, I want you to keep in mind that this vision is not reporting on military or political might.

Rather, it is reporting on how the empires measure up to God's law and how his people are treated. So the gold doesn't symbolize the military might or the political acumen. It symbolizes the relationship of that nation to the God of heaven.

Think of it this way. The further away from God's word and godliness, the more the nation must rely on power and force. And that's exactly what we see in the vision. As we move down, it's less glorious, less glorious, but stronger and stronger in physical might.

But the vision also shows that eventually every earthly kingdom will pass away. How does it do so? Well, look at the stone. The stone cut without hands strikes the statue and crushes not just the feet but the whole image.

So there are a couple of important points to learn from that. The vision gives a time frame for the coming of the kingdom of God during the reign of the fourth kingdom. You can't ignore the time text in that vision.

Each kingdom follows the other successively and the stone smashes the image during the fourth kingdom, that is, during the Roman Empire. And this is fulfilled dramatically with the coming of Jesus Christ.

We can't miss it. Have you ever heard these verses before? Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was the governor of Syria.

When does Christ come on the scene? In the midst of the Roman Empire. And we know that whole story how Joseph and Mary were sent back to Nazareth to register. Luke gives clear evidence when Jesus Christ came to earth.

This is not even guesswork. And we've just celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ and we read the words of the angel, He is not here, He is risen. Christ is risen. Christ is risen. All right, that's what I was looking for.

We don't just say that on Resurrection Day. We love the words of the angel. He is not here, He is risen. And we rejoice with those words. But don't forget the angels pronounced His coming as well. In Luke chapter 2 verse 8.

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them.

And they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid for behold I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

And then don't forget the prophecy concerning Christ's coming. In Isaiah 9. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest on His shoulders. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

And there will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace. On the throne of David and over His kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Does that not fit in with the vision of Daniel? But while the text gives us the timing of the advent bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth, it also gives us a general principle.

The kingdom of God supersedes and displaces all earthly kingdoms for perpetuity. That is the significance of the stone. Not just crushing the feet, Rome, but the whole statue. Remember, we saw the last time metals turned to chaff, which is just blown away by the wind.

The image is one of complete victory over the enemies of God. The statue is representative of all these types of kingdoms. I don't care what the kingdom is founded on. If it's not founded on the word of God, it will be passing away.

When they do, remember this, every kingdom will pass away. When they do, the people of God should be there ready to pick up the pieces. But there's even more in the picture of the statue. The Roman Empire, the iron and the clay mixture is significant.

The Roman Empire may have been the fiercest of all empires, but it also had a great weakness. It was a mixed empire. See, Rome tried to assimilate all the conquered nations into Rome. This is particularly true with Israel.

Think of the conditions in Israel at the time of the coming of Christ. The Jewish leaders had entered into various agreements with the Roman rulers. For their support, the leaders were given much leeway in their corrupt schemes, as long as they paid allegiance to Rome.

They were convincing the people to get along with Rome, to compromise the principles to get more lenient treatment. In the statue, the iron represents Rome and the clay, Israel. How do we know that the clay means Israel?

Well, the metaphor is quite clear. It's used in other prophetic passages. Look at Isaiah 64. But now, O Lord, you are our father, we are the clay, and you are Potter. All of us are the work of your hand.

And then in Jeremiah 18 .6, Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this Potter does, declares the Lord? Behold, like the clay in the Potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. And the analogy of the statue is, just as iron and clay don't mix, God's people cannot mix with pagans.

You cannot mix godliness and worldliness. And in that sense, the book of Daniel contains instructions and examples for how the people of God should interact with world empires. God had consistently instructed and then reminded the people of Israel that they could not intermarry with the nation surrounding them.

It doesn't work. It doesn't mix. They would be tempted and led astray. And the Old Testament is rife with examples of that very danger. And now we see in this vision, foretelling of the coming of the kingdom of heaven, the warning issued again.

Even the might of Rome couldn't withstand with the mixture. There's a lesson. You know what? There's a lesson for rulers here. If by some chance this sermon via audio gets in the hands and you're listening to me and you're a governor or a senator or a grand poobah, I don't care.

There's a lesson here for rulers. If you are a minister of God for good, as Paul writes in Romans 13, you are accountable to him. You will incur stricter judgment from God if you fail in your responsibility.

Keep that in mind. You are to be a minister of God for good, punishing evil and rewarding the good. There's another thing. One last comment about the decline of the glory of God reflected in the statue.

The destruction of all philosophies and religions and kingdoms shows the absolute need for a new covenant. That new covenant is demonstrated by the stone smashing every other kingdom and growing into the mountain that fills the whole earth.

There's the new covenant in his blood being foretold. The captivity of Judah by Babylon is a picture of the final judgment on Israel being destroyed in 70 AD. They themselves proclaimed that their fate when they called for the crucifixion of Jesus.

Do you remember what happened with Pilate? In John 19, verse 15,. So they cried out, Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him! Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

They pronounced judgment on themselves. But then something else happens. After the interpretation of the dream, we see in verses 46 to 49 that Daniel is promoted. Nebuchadnezzar recognizes Daniel as a true prophet.

He already knew he was wise, that he was discerning. But now he sees beyond doubt that he is a prophet of God. Look again at the first two verses of our text. Verse 46,. Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel and gave orders to present to him an offering and a fragrant incense.

Then listen to what King Nebuchadnezzar says to Daniel, Surely your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery. Remember how anxious Nebuchadnezzar was?

He was extremely troubled by the vision of the statue, we're told. He couldn't sleep. He lost his sleep. And he couldn't trust any of the Chaldean advisors. I think it's fair to say that even by this point Nebuchadnezzar knew that they were charlatans.

So he sets up that impossible mission for them. Before you interpret the dream, tell me what the dream was. And he is so anxious for the interpretation that he's willing to kill his entire counseling staff if they cannot comply.

That's upset. So when Daniel not only tells him the essence of the dream, but then interprets the dream, the king is extremely grateful. He's overwhelmed. How grateful? The most powerful man, listen to this, the most powerful man on earth falls down on his face and pays homage to a captive from a foreign country.

That's outrageous. You talk about being unprecedented. But that's what he does. What does the king recognize? Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries since you have been able to reveal this mystery.

Notice the first thing he recognizes. Who God is. I love the example. He recognizes who God is. That's an important piece of information. Because Daniel had deflected all credit to God even before he revealed the dream.

Remember back in verse 26 when he stands before the king? The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation? Daniel answered before the king and said, As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.

However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. And he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. And this was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed.

And obviously he reveals it at that point. Now the king obviously listened to Daniel for he makes that confession in verse 47. Your God is a God of gods. He's a revealer of mysteries. So he recognizes who God is.

That's the first point. Second, the king recognizes that Daniel is a true prophet. He sees the difference between Daniel and all the other false prophets. And what was even a difference in appearance, in demeanor.

Daniel was humble. He was respectful. And yet he was confident. And God had truly revealed to him the mystery that plagued the king. So he sees that Daniel is a spokesperson for the God in heaven. And that leads to certain benefits from the king.

What are those benefits? Well, we've already seen the first. He receives the king's respect. That's no small thing in a totalitarian regime. The king paid homage to Daniel. So don't sell that benefit short.

But second, he gives him gifts. An offering. Fragrant incense. That's just the beginning. Verse 48 says the king gave him many great gifts. One can only imagine what those gifts were like. I'm sure that they far surpassed whatever Daniel needed or even wanted.

So he had need of nothing in a material sense. But third benefit, Daniel was promoted. He is made the head counselor. All the wise men of Babylon had to answer to him. Now keep in mind, these men that he's put in charge with are the very lives that he had saved.

And one would think that that would garner him favor with these men. But as we move through the book, you'll see that that's not the case. They actually have intense hatred for him. And there's reason to believe that this promotion caused hatred even from his own countrymen.

He's moved to a position where only Nebuchadnezzar was more powerful. Now who does that sound like? Once again, we see the parallels with the life of Joseph. While executing judgment on the people of Judah, God preserves them by raising up a leader who gains the favor of the king.

And then Daniel, showing his wisdom, makes a request of the king. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Put them in charge and they wind up in charge of the administration of the whole province of Babylon.

What a wise move by Daniel. Because his position is going to bring him into the king's court. And he's going to spend a lot of time sitting next to the king. While he's doing that, he can rest assured the province is being ruled by godly men.

Do you see how God has put all this together? The king is now surrounded with godly rulers and wise men. Do you see why this is a head of gold? But he's not completely there yet. He's stubborn. And we'll see that in the next chapter.

But there's one last requirement for Babylon to fulfill its role as the head of gold. And that will take place in chapter 4. Meanwhile, God is taking care of his people and establishing his kingdom in the midst of an otherwise pagan land.

You know what that reminds me of? Ever hear the phrase, ruling in the midst of your enemies? Israel and Judah were judged and taken captive because of their disobedience to the law of God. Yet God never allowed his promise to Abraham to fail.

Remember what he promised Abraham in Genesis 12? I will make you a great nation. And in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed. In the introduction to Daniel, we made the point that in this book, we get some instruction on how to live in an ungodly land.

The first two chapters have been perfect examples of that. Daniel never compromises on truth. He stands firm in the midst of danger. His faith never wavers, and God blesses him with the answer to the king's dilemma.

And he saves many lives. And he is exalted to a high position that enables him to exert godly influence to the king. Now, all of this speaks to the character of Daniel, which is further testified to by the prophet Ezekiel.

You know, every once in a while, we get a little gem or a little nugget. Is this just our opinion of Daniel? How about if I brought in a prophet to testify about how righteous Daniel was? All right, I'm going to do that.

I heard an amen somewhere. Ezekiel is prophesying against the idolatry that has taken place in Israel and the judgment that God is going to bring on them for that. And he selects three of the most righteous men that he knows.

And he says, even if these three men were here to intercede, even they couldn't save Israel. Who were these three men? Listen to the prophecy. Ezekiel 14, verse 19. Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out my wrath and blood to cut it off from man and beast from it, even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst as I live, declares the Lord God, they could not deliver their son or their daughter.

They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness. So it's not just us that has a high view of Daniel. So does Ezekiel. Daniel prefigures Christ, as we read this morning in Psalm 2. Remember what we read in Psalm 2?

But we also see it in Psalm 110. In Psalm 110 we read this. The Lord says to my Lord. This is Yahweh talking to Jesus. Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. The Lord will stretch forth your strong scepter from Zion saying, rule in the midst of your enemies.

That's what Joseph did. He ruled in the midst of his enemies. That's what Daniel did. He ruled in the midst of his enemies. That's what Jesus Christ is doing right now. He's ruling in the midst of his enemies.

He is on his father's throne ruling and reigning and waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. Before I close, there's one more application I must make. And it's in the form of a question.

Why is America in such a fast decline? Based on the book of Daniel, it's because it no longer fears God. It has repudiated God in virtually every sphere of life. It has ceased to resemble the head of gold and looks more like the feet of iron and clay.

It's relying more and more on power, both political and military. Can we enact any more laws? Let me put it this way. You can't solve spiritual issues with political solutions. Now, don't get me wrong.

Christians should be engaging in the political arena, the social arena, and even running for office. We had a couple of candidates come in and speak to us, and we want to see believers. That's not what I'm saying.

But that's not going to solve our problems. Godliness must be brought into the political and social arena as it must be the priority of every aspect of life. Proverbs 3, 5, and 6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Lean not on your own understanding. Verse 6 is often just eliminated. In all your ways, acknowledge him. Not in churchy ways, not in family or devotion time, but in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he'll set your path straight.

Matthew 6, 33. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. And then this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel in Zechariah 4, 6. Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirits is the Lord of hosts.

Well, let me close. You want to see good opera? I highly recommend Nabucco. It'll be worth your while. And if you can't, or maybe you're not an opera fan, you don't want to sit through the whole opera, go on YouTube and look for the Hebrew Slave Chorus at the Met.

You'll thoroughly enjoy it. Considering his place in history, Nebuchadnezzar deserves an opera to be named for him. But though I said he was the dominating figure in the first four chapters of Daniel, don't forget, the main figure in those four chapters is Jesus Christ.

So learn from Daniel. Learn from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And yes, even learn from Nabucco. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, I would encourage you to stand firm in your faith. Don't compromise on your principles.

Seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first. And remember, while we fight the battle against evil on many fronts in this life, it is ultimately a spiritual battle. So don't leave here without your armor on.

If you're here and you're not a believer in Jesus Christ, I would just urge you to repent, call upon the name of the Lord, and be saved. Let's pray. Father, once again, we thank you for the blessings we have in Jesus Christ.

Thank you for your word, and especially this book of Daniel, which speaks so much, so poignantly to our day and our circumstances in the United States of America at this time. Help us to learn from it, Father.

Help us to be the salt and the light you intend us to be. That, Father, that we would truly make Long Island Christ's island. I pray, Father, for anyone today here who doesn't know you, that you would take away their stony heart, give them a heart of flesh that they might repent and believe.

We pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen.