RESOLVED

To With Kindness And Love

One of the most intriguing portions of the Bible is the fourth chapter of Daniel. Right away you will see that this section was written by King Nebuchadnezzar as a proclamation to the people of every nation and language on the earth. The monologue relays a dream and its fulfillment that highlights our God’s sovereignty. This week, we will spend time on the first part of this passage, learning about the dream and the daunting task of interpreting it. It’s always easier to share good news than bad news! Watch as Daniel speaks truth clearly with kindness and love.

DAY 1 King Nebuchadnezzar’s Letter of Proclamation

Read Daniel 4:1-3

Before reading the first part of the account by Nebuchadnezzar, take a moment to still your heart before the Lord and ask Him to open your eyes that you may see wonderful things in His Word! (Psalm 119:18)

1. Daniel inserted a letter/proclamation from Nebuchadnezzar that follows a similar pattern to other letters in the Bible. Who is it from? Who is it to?

2. What was the purpose of the letter?

3. What truths about God did Nebuchadnezzar list here at the beginning?

4. If you were going to send a letter with a similar starting sentence, how would you finish it?

“It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me…..”

DAY 2 The Dream of a Tree

Read Daniel 4:4-18

1. King Nebuchadnezzar now goes back in time to share what happened. How was his life at this time? How did the dream affect him?

2. Once again, the wise men provided no help to Nebuchadnezzar but then Daniel came into the King’s presence. List everything Nebuchadnezzar said about Daniel (include titles, descriptions, etc.):

Nebuchadnezzar repeated several times, “the spirit of the holy gods is in him,” but a better translation is “Spirit of the holy God is in him.” How does this change the meaning?

3. What was the dream? (If you’d like to give it a try, draw a picture of this vision!)

Day 2

4. How do we know at this point that the stump was actually a person?

5. What was the purpose of the verdict or decree?

6. God is sovereign over all the kingdoms of the earth. Look up a definition of sovereignty and write it below. And then look up the following crossreferences to learn more about God’s rule and reign.

Psalm 33:6-11

Psalm 83:18

Psalm 139:13-16

Isaiah 46:9-10

John 19:10-11

7. How should an understanding of God’s sovereignty affect the way we live?