How the King Saves Kings

Nebuchadnezzar is a household name in any Adventist home that has studied the book of Daniel. To historians, he is Nebuchadnezzar II. To history, he is Nebuchadnezzar the Great. But to his contemporaries, he was known for his brutality, cruelty, and tyranny. As if tearing out the eyeballs of King Zedekiah of Judah wasn’t enough (Jer. 39:7), the Babylonian did it right after executing Zedekiah’s sons in front of him so that it would be his last visual memory. Nebuchadnezzar was the one who destroyed Solomon’s temple, threatened to kill all the wise men if they couldn’t interpret his own dream, and threw three Hebrew boys into the fire because they wouldn’t bow down to his shiny statue. At the same time, God calls this character “My servant” (Jer. 25:9; 27:6; 43:10). What an unlikely figure to have write a chapter in a book of the Bible!

And that’s the point. Although the book of Daniel points to the Bible’s gift of prophecy, the coming of the Messiah, the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, the revelation of a supernatural metanarrative, and the return of the Son of man, it ultimately points to the grace of God that saves sinners, even ones like Nebuchadnezzar. Tyrants and murderers can be transformed and have a powerful testimony to share. And remarkably, God’s people, as represented by Daniel and his friends, have a role to play in the conversion process.

Daniel 1 brings Nebuchadnezzar and God’s people together, albeit under the harrowing conditions of war, siege, and displacement. The king notices and acknowledges the distinction of the young adults. As God uses His faithful to reach various classes, spiritual and professional excellence often catch the attention of the social elite. In fact, God blesses them to bring about their distinction.

The Nebuchadnezzar chapters of Daniel are a testimony of God’s saving grace through His people to all people.

Daniel 2 marks God introducing a need to the king that only Daniel can meet. The king unsuccessfully turns to astrology and other sources of authority for answers. Nebuchadnezzar sees God’s power to reveal secrets, set up kings, and bring them down. He is still a polytheist and does not have the full picture of God. Yet God places opportunities, natural and supernatural, for His people to interact with those in higher positions and to, potentially, meet specific needs.

In Daniel 3 God reveals Himself visibly. The king watches how God’s servants suffer while their integrity persists. The scene allows Nebuchadnezzar to witness One “like the Son of God.” We may never know who may be watching how we react and respond to difficult situations, suffering, and hardship. But faithfulness, integrity, and principle become the platforms to see the divine.

In Daniel 4 the king has an intimate encounter with God through personal prophecy and a psycho-spiritual experience. The king finally acknowledges the sovereignty of God and here records his own testimony in Scripture. God has given Nebuchadnezzar an opportunity to repent, and blesses him even more in the end.

The Nebuchadnezzar chapters of Daniel are a testimony of God’s saving grace through His people to all people. These four chapters not only showcase salvation and redemption but also underscore the special role of the experience and suffering of God’s people. God wants to reach all classes of people, but He reaches humanity through humanity. God used, can use, and will use a single individual to make known who He is. Which kings will He save through you?