Interpretation of 1 st dream2 nd year of reign Getting Nebuchadnezzars Attention ! Deliverance of the three young men5 th year Now a new warning years later

Main lesson of the chapter is the sovereignty of YHWH over the greatest sovereign in the world vs. 17, 22, 24-26, 30-32,

The chapter begins and ends with praise of God. inclusio Compare 4:1-3 & 4:34-37

Praise of God 1-3 Narration of dream 4-18 Interpretation and fulfillment Praise of God S t r u c t u r e

Purpose of dreamto teach all people that the Most High God (3:26) is sovereign over the affairs of humankind.

He would not merely live where they lived, but as they lived. Wood

Nebuchadnezzar needed to learn the difference between ownership and stewardship.

Though the mills of God grind slowly Yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience He stands waiting, With exactness grinds He all.

When he became proud and took credit for divine grace, God humbled himnot to destroy him but to deliver him, to make of him a humble and grateful worshipper. Humility was ultimately Gods way of exalting the king. What appeared to be his destruction became the means of his deliverance. Constable

Then a king in kingly glory Such as earth has never known, Shall assume the righteous scepter, Claim and wear the holy crown. Then a blasted world shall brighten Underneath a bluer sphere, And a softer, gentler sunshine, Shed its healing splendor there. 7 hideous years on earth, and…

Even as Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged Gods sovereign, endless existence and rule, and His irresistible will and power, his sanity returned to him. Constable

God is sovereign. Conclusion… Peril of pride. All will be humbled… all will bow.