A Pagan King Defends the Lord

I just made an amazing discovery!!

Nebuchadnezzar – the famous king of Babylon – tried to get King Zedekiah, the southern king of Israel, to turn back to God!

If only there was a Bible that was chronological by verse – then this would be much easier for us all to see. So here is the timeline.

The story start with four sons of Judah who were of royal or noble birth – Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (see Dan 1:3). It’s important to know that Zedekiah was also royalty from the tribe of Judah and may have known these four young men.

When these four were taken captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, they were immediately placed right into a three-year intensive training course for serving in the king’s court (see 2 Chron 36:5-6). Note, they most likely had been taken captive from their studies in Jerusalem. When they completed their accelerated Babylon university PhD program, they had to present their thesis to the king along with all the other exiled students. It is said that their knowledge not only surpassed the other students, but they were ten times smarter than the university alumni! Their new careers were as personal servants to the king himself (see Dan 1:18-20).

Daniel was able to convey a dream Nebuchadnezzar had along with its interpretation because of his personal service to the king. The king “fell on his face” before Daniel and said “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings.” Keep in mind that this “Lord of kings” or king of kings would be on the level of an emperor, not the God of the entire universe. Daniel and his buddies were instantly promoted.

Thinking about the statue in the dream, the king decided to erect a golden statue that everyone must bow to. Staying true to their devotion to the One True God, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah refused to bow. (Bunny trail – why do we only hear their Babylonian names used?) Daniel must’ve been off doing the duties of a Babylon ruler and was saved the horror of being thrown into a flame-throwing furnace with his friends. However, he also missed one of the biggest miracles to happen since the parting of the Red Sea.

When Nebuchadnezzar saw not three, but four men walking around inside the roaring furnace that had just killed the king’s guards who threw them in, he responded and said,

Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and surrendered their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or population of any language that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses made a rubbish heap, because there is no other god who is able to save in this way. Dan 3:28-29

Although he supported the God of these three men, he still worshiped his own and himself. After boasting in all that he had accomplished as king, he immediately became mentally ill. While in the wilderness living like an animal, God purged pantheism from Nebuchadnezzar’s belief system. His senses returned and he declared:

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride. Dan 4:37

Then this happened…

King Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear allegiance by God. But he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD God of Israel.  2 Ch 36:13

Did you catch that? Let me fill in the pronouns so it’s more clear – Nebuchadnezzar made Zedekiah swear allegiance by God.

In the Bible a stiff neck and hard heart means that Zedekiah gave the most extreme “no” to God that could be uttered. His complete immersive idolatry backed up how he responded to Nebuchadnezzar. This is a great reversal – a Babylonian leader who was from a world of horrendous brutality and idolatry was trying to save the topmost leader who represented the people whose God was the King of Kings, the Creator of all people.

Nebuchadnezzar stayed true to his word about any person of any nation who speaks anything offensive about the God whose miracles he had witnessed:

They [Babylonians] captured the king [Zedekiah] and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and he passed sentence on him. They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon….Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He burned the house of the Lord, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire. 2 Kings 25:6-9

Don’t ever think that just because someone is not living in the right culture or is not friends with the right people that they don’t know the Ancient of Days. And don’t assume that brutal action is not from the Lord who is a warrior.

He’s wild, you know. Not like a tame lion. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe