Dan 4:2 | KingComments | STEP | By starting with saying “it has seemed good to me”, he makes it clear that as head of his kingdom he does not act on the orders of anyone else. He does not say that he gives his testimony because God has commanded him to do so. He thinks it’s good to do that and that’s why he does it. He is not aware that God is urging him to do so. But he does speak of God as the One Who dealt with him through “His signs” and “His wonders”. Signs and wonders are often mentioned together in Scripture ( ; ; ; ). Not every sign is a wonder, but every wonder is a sign. Signs are events or things with a certain meaning. A sign does not have to be something extraordinary or supernatural. When the Lord Jesus was born, the shepherds were told that this will be “the sign” for them: “You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger” ( ). A baby in a manger and wrapped in clothes is no wonder, it is nothing extraordinary. But this Baby and the way He came into the world is a sign. His coming to earth has a deep meaning. In a sign God shows His presence and power. A wonder is something that causes great amazement, because it is incomprehensible and inimitable for man. A wonder shows God’s presence and power in a supernatural action with the intention that man recognizes that God is acting. Nebuchadnezzar calls God here “the Most High God”. In so doing, he acknowledges that God is above all things and also above His own gods. This is the conclusion he comes to, after being humbled by God in the deepest sense. A person only recognizes God’s exaltation above all things, when he has experienced how small he is himself. This experience is to be given by God to man because he exalts himself and boasts of his own person and works. Nebuchadnezzar is deeply impressed by the signs and wonders the Most High has done to him. He expresses his amazement by talking about “how great” and “how mighty” they are. This means that he sees these signs and wonders as incomprehensible or indescribable or unexplainable. They are unique and incomparable. In the life of Nebuchadnezzar, this has become visible both in his humiliation to the state of a beast and in his restoration, in which he receives even more greatness and glory than he had before his humiliation ( ). His confession is remarkable in that the kingdom of God is “an everlasting kingdom” ( ; ). It means that he sees his own kingdom as passing by. His high mind is gone and he gives God all honor, both in His Person and in His kingdom. With that kingdom Nebuchadnezzar connects a dominion that is “from generation to generation”. This means that he recognizes the supreme authority of God through the ages, from the beginning of creation thus far and also further. It is also important for us to stick to this. The dominion of the Lord Jesus throughout the history of mankind may encourage us by remembering that He also has complete dominion in our personal lives. Nothing gets out of hand for Him. Nebuchadnezzar is forced to acknowledge this. Sometimes that has to happen in our lives. But the result of this acknowledgment is that we entrust our lives to Him with peace of mind and with joy.

‏ Daniel 4:2

Nebuchadnezzar Honors God

By starting with saying “it has seemed good to me”, he makes it clear that as head of his kingdom he does not act on the orders of anyone else. He does not say that he gives his testimony because God has commanded him to do so. He thinks it’s good to do that and that’s why he does it. He is not aware that God is urging him to do so.

But he does speak of God as the One Who dealt with him through “His signs” and “His wonders”. Signs and wonders are often mentioned together in Scripture (Exo 7:3; Deu 4:34 ; Deu 13:1 ; Deu 34:11; Isa 8:18; Jer 32:20). Not every sign is a wonder, but every wonder is a sign. Signs are events or things with a certain meaning.

A sign does not have to be something extraordinary or supernatural. When the Lord Jesus was born, the shepherds were told that this will be “the sign” for them: “You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger” (Lk 2:12). A baby in a manger and wrapped in clothes is no wonder, it is nothing extraordinary. But this Baby and the way He came into the world is a sign. His coming to earth has a deep meaning.

In a sign God shows His presence and power. A wonder is something that causes great amazement, because it is incomprehensible and inimitable for man. A wonder shows God’s presence and power in a supernatural action with the intention that man recognizes that God is acting.

Nebuchadnezzar calls God here “the Most High God”. In so doing, he acknowledges that God is above all things and also above His own gods. This is the conclusion he comes to, after being humbled by God in the deepest sense. A person only recognizes God’s exaltation above all things, when he has experienced how small he is himself. This experience is to be given by God to man because he exalts himself and boasts of his own person and works.

Nebuchadnezzar is deeply impressed by the signs and wonders the Most High has done to him. He expresses his amazement by talking about “how great” and “how mighty” they are. This means that he sees these signs and wonders as incomprehensible or indescribable or unexplainable. They are unique and incomparable. In the life of Nebuchadnezzar, this has become visible both in his humiliation to the state of a beast and in his restoration, in which he receives even more greatness and glory than he had before his humiliation (Dan 4:36).

His confession is remarkable in that the kingdom of God is “an everlasting kingdom” (Dan 2:44 ; Dan 7:14 ; 27; Psa 145:13). It means that he sees his own kingdom as passing by. His high mind is gone and he gives God all honor, both in His Person and in His kingdom. With that kingdom Nebuchadnezzar connects a dominion that is “from generation to generation”. This means that he recognizes the supreme authority of God through the ages, from the beginning of creation thus far and also further.

It is also important for us to stick to this. The dominion of the Lord Jesus throughout the history of mankind may encourage us by remembering that He also has complete dominion in our personal lives. Nothing gets out of hand for Him. Nebuchadnezzar is forced to acknowledge this. Sometimes that has to happen in our lives. But the result of this acknowledgment is that we entrust our lives to Him with peace of mind and with joy.