Year in the Bible Week 34
Scenes from the Life of King Nebuchadnezzar by Nicola di Maestro Antonio (c. 1490), the front of a painted chest.
Throughout history human kingdoms rise and fall, but Daniel’s vision regarding Nebuchadnezzar’s dream gave God’s perspective on all of it
Every human king will pass, but Jehovah will remain sovereign forever. Remembering all the way back to King Saul, God warned his chosen people not to elevate a man to be the king, for God himself would be their king forever by covenant. Giving them what they wanted, God annointed leaders for his people, and when the leaders were faithful, he blessed the nation of Israel with victory after victory, and enormous wealth and influence. There were other powerful kingdoms like Tyre, Assyria and Egypt when God’s people were at their height of wealth, power and influence, but they were no match for God’s miraculous protection and intervention. Sadly, after God decided to remove his protection and intervention, Samaria, then Jerusalem, went the way of all human kingdoms. By the time God’s presence finally left the temple, their destruction was assured. He would now protect his people in distant captivity. Jerusalem at the end was just a weak, wealthy, worldly city, ripe for conquest and looting. God used Nebuchadnezzar to humble them.
God himself was giving Nebuchadnezzar enough power to carry out the divine plan, so the pagan king naturally thought that he was god-like.. Nebuchadnezzar had his own Gods, and he erroneously thought he was the manifestation of them on earth, but nobody could show him otherwise. Babylon would consolidate all the aging empires, but like all human empires, his influence would not last long. First Medea-Persia, then the Greeks, and finally under the Romans, God would fully consolidate the jews and gentiles, and then bring the Messiah. God’s plan for bringing creation back to himself would unfold over hundreds of years, and many kings and kingdoms would be used as instruments of his divine will.
God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to rise quickly and eclipse many once-proud peoples. The video below is a bit cheesy, but it tells the story unflinchingly from a perspective where God’s chosen people only play a minor role, a role seems to match their diminished influence during this period.
This coming week we will see Jerusalem finally succumb, and things get really weird for Jeremiah. We will read the last of Jeremiah’s prophesies, and we will start the book of Lamentations, which he is credited with writing. Keep reading!