The NIV 365 Day Devotional

Nebuchadnezzar: God holds the powers of evil on a leash

Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon who destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC. God used him as an instrument of judgment upon Judah for their sins. The book of Daniel recounts events in Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. Select exiles from Jerusalem of noble birth and good health were brought into the king’s service, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Da 1:19). Daniel in particular won Nebuchadnezzar’s favor when he was able to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream through the power of God. Nebuchadnezzar made Daniel a high official in his kingdom.

Nebuchadnezzar experienced the power of God again when he witnessed another miracle. He had sentenced Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah) to be burned for not bowing to a towering idol he had built (Da 3:19–20). In the furnace, the three Jewish exiles were unharmed, and an angel appeared along with them. After this, Nebuchadnezzar praised the God of Israel.

Daniel 4 is a first-person account told by Nebuchadnezzar of yet another dream Daniel interpreted for him, this one involving a truly bizarre fulfillment. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that the king would live as a wild animal for seven periods of time (possibly years), eating grass like an ox. A year later, as Nebuchadnezzar was bragging about his accomplishments (Da 4:30), his dream was fulfilled. He lived as a wild animal until God restored his sanity, and he again praised God.

APPLICATION In Jeremiah, God calls Nebuchadnezzar his “servant” (Jer 25:9). God can use anyone, whether they make good or bad choices, to accomplish his plans. God used Nebuchadnezzar as his weapon to strike Judah for their sin, but Nebuchadnezzar was never able to do more than God allowed. God holds the powers of evil on a leash; he controls the nations of the world, and he uses even the most unlikely people to achieve his sovereign will.

Taken from the NIV Application Bible.