Word In Life Study Bible
HEAVEN RULES! FEED THE POOR!
Dan.4:26-27
The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had much of which to be proud. He won almost every military battle that he ever fought. His empire spanned the Middle East. He extensively rebuilt his capital city of Babylon. He had unimaginable wealth and power. For these reasons, his heart was lifted up in pride—so much so that he apparently forgot a basic truth: “Heaven rules” (Dan. 4:26).
God warned Nebuchadnezzar through his dreams that judgment was coming (4:1–26), and his advisor Daniel took the risk of challenging his boss to change his ways before it was too late. It is interesting to observe Daniel’s advice: “Break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor” (4:27). The parallelism of Daniel’s statement suggests that righteousness for Nebuchadnezzar equated with showing mercy to the poor.
The king apparently disregarded Daniel’s advice. He persisted in his pride and arrogance, ignoring God. As a result, the Lord took away his position and power (4:33) until he turned to the Lord and admitted that Heaven rules (4:34–35). He then instituted a reign based on truth, justice, and humility (4:36–37).
Nebuchadnezzar’s experience challenges us to ask: What values drive you? What rules your life? An easy way to answer these questions is to reflect on your attitude toward the poor. Are you committed to seeing that they benefit from truth and justice? How might you demonstrate that commitment in your job and community?
Study notes from the Word In Life Study Bible, copyright 1993,1996, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. The study notes from the Word In Life Study Bible appearing at this web site are for personal use only.
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