Today I read Daniel 4, where Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a tree was a warning from God that came to pass. Today I considered that God usually warns us before we face hardship or destruction.
Warning Dream of the Great Tree
Nebuchadnezzar praised God, told Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) his dream, and told Daniel to interpret the dream (Daniel 4:1-37). Nebuchadnezzar’s praise of God included calling God the high God, great, everlasting, and more. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a great tree reaching heaven and visible to all the earth that fed everyone, and animals sheltered under, and birds in its branches. The tree was cut down to a stump with a band of brass around it and it is passed over seven times. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar the dream was a warning and explained about Nebuchadnezzar losing everything and coming back to himself later. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar to not sin and be merciful to the poor. After a year had past, Nebuchadnezzar praised himself as building Babylon and then God had him lose everything including his mind, eating grass, and looking like an animal for a time. God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to come back to his senses after he knew that God was the ruler of everything.
Questions and Thoughts for Today
God’s warning can come in dreams, feelings, visions, through others, and more. Nebuchadnezzar was warned in a dream to change his ways, and he did not. Then the dream came true, and he lost everything including his mind for a while. God can warn all of us. It is up to us whether to change after the warning or stay the same and face the destructive consequences.
Can you give an example of someone receiving a warning before destruction?