Context No. 2451 of 4322 · Daniel (Greek)

Daniel (Greek) 4:17-22: in context

17“‘The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.’ 18“This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.” 19Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken mute for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream, or the interpretation, trouble you.” Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation to your adversaries. 20The tree that you saw, which grew and was strong, whose height reached to the sky, and its sight to all the earth; 21whose leaves were beautiful, and its fruit plentiful, and in it was food for all; under which the animals of the field lived, and on whose branches the birds of the sky had their habitation— 22it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown, and reaches to the sky, and your dominion to the end of the earth.

Nebuchadnezzar, at the height of his power, has dreamed of an enormous tree, its top in the sky, feeding and sheltering the whole earth, and then cut down. He calls Daniel to interpret. The message behind the dream is stated up front: this is decreed so that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever he will, and can set the lowly over it. Daniel, troubled, tells the king the tree is him.

The proud tree is the point. Nebuchadnezzar's greatness had grown until it reached the sky, and he took it as simply his own. The dream tells him otherwise: his kingdom was given, and what is given can be taken, and the same God who raised him can hand power to the lowly instead. This is both a warning to the exalted and a comfort to the overlooked. No human height is self-made or permanent, and no one is too low for God to lift. Heaven, not the king, decides who holds the tree.

Do I hold whatever height or influence I have as simply mine, forgetting it was given and could be given to someone lowlier tomorrow?

Sources

Daniel 4:17: to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.
Daniel 4:22: it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown, and reaches to the sky.
Luke 1:52: He has put down princes from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly.