Reading with M'Cheyne Podcast

About Reading with M'Cheyne Podcast

Notes and comments on the M'Cheyne lectionary william296.substack.com (https://william296.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

William Conley

Category

history · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Sept 2026

Latest episode

22 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

46 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Oct 2026

   The Witness of Daniel to the Medes and Persians

   The Witness of Daniel to the Medes and Persians Daniel 6: A New World Power McCheyne Bible Reading, October 21 A day late, as usual. The reason I am running a day behind in the McCheyne readings is that I am trying to work through the entire book of Daniel. I won’t be able to comment on every passage, but I would like to say something about every chapter. This makes things a little difficult. Some chapters require more attention than others, and consequently, I sometimes have to work through the readings a little out of order. Nevertheless, we come now to Daniel chapter 6. Daniel 6:1–5 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God. A New World Power Darius is now ruling. He is not a Babylonian. The Babylonian Empire has fallen, and the Medes and Persians have become the dominant power in the biblical world. I think this is something we need to understand as we continue reading through Daniel. The Bible is not telling us that the Medes and Persians were the only great power in the world. There were other kingdoms, other civilizations, and other centers of political power. Rather, the biblical narrative is concerned with that part of the world in which God is unfolding his redemptive purposes and giving his revelation. In that sense, the Medo-Persian Empire has become the new world power on the stage where God is revealing the fulfillment of his promises to Abraham—that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. This is how that blessing will come to all the nations. God is working through history, through kingdoms and empires, and now in particular through the Medes and Persians, as he continues to unfold his redemptive purposes. Daniel Is Still There. Notice what is happening. Daniel is in a position of power, and he has angered those who want to be in positions of power themselves. The high officials and the satraps sought to find grounds for a complaint against Daniel. Why? Because they wanted the power. This is the way the kingdoms of this world work. It is all about exalting yourself, gaining control, and ruling over everybody else. You want people to serve you. You don’t want to serve them. But the kingdom of heaven is exactly the opposite. Jesus asks, who is greater: the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? And then he says, “But I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:27). In the kingdom of heaven, greatness is measured by service, not by how many people you can bring under your authority. This is what Jesus models for us. He is the King who came not to be served, but to serve. It is the upside-down kingdom—a kingdom that operates according to principles entirely different from those of the kingdoms of this world. And here we see Daniel, a faithful servant of God, standing in the middle of a kingdom filled with men who are fighting for power. The Tale of Two Kingdoms Now, how did it end for the men who were fighting for power? Well, they knew the system. They knew how to flatter the king. They knew that the law of the Medes and Persians could not be changed. So they maneuvered the king into condemning Daniel. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den, but God preserved his life. Then Darius moved against those who had maneuvered him against Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions’ den, and they were devoured. This is the irony of the City of Man. Live by the sword and manipulation, and die by those same means. The very system they used to destroy Daniel became the instrument of their own destruction. So we have the tale of two kingdoms here. The kingdom of man ends in death. The kingdom of God ends in the preservation of life. Daniel’s life was preserved, and he continued to be a witness to Darius. Look at how God worked through Daniel’s witness to reveal himself to the king. When Daniel was condemned, Darius said to him: “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. At the break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. He called out: O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions? Daniel answered: O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm. The king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken out of the den. And here is where we see the witness of Daniel to the king. What was the result? King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell on the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions. And so Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Through the ministry of Daniel, the Medo-Persian Empire was given a witness to who the true God was. The king himself declared to all the peoples, nations, and languages under his dominion that Daniel’s God was the living God, whose kingdom would never be destroyed. And this is how God was continuing to unfold his promise to Abraham: that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit william296.substack.com (https://william296.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   21 Oct 2026

   Belshazzar and Belteshazzar: A Tale of Two Kingdoms

   Belshazzar and Belteshazzar: A Tale of Two Kingdoms Daniel 5: The Writing on the Wall We come now to Daniel chapter 5. This is our M’Cheyne reading for October 20, although I am reading it on October 21, so I am a day behind. In Daniel chapter 4, we saw how Nebuchadnezzar was humbled through the judgments that came upon him. It appears that he may actually have been converted. We cannot say that with certainty, but his final confession gives us reason to hope that he came to saving faith in the living God. But when we come to Daniel chapter 5, we find a very different situation. We encounter Belshazzar, who is called Nebuchadnezzar’s son. Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, there is little indication that Belshazzar ever learned the lessons that his father had learned. Let’s begin with Daniel 5:1–4: Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. Here we see a son living in the prosperity of the kingdom, yet failing to take to heart the lessons his father had learned. So often this is the case. One generation comes to know the Lord, perhaps through great suffering and humiliation, while the next generation falls away. Nebuchadnezzar had been humbled. He had learned that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of men. He had been brought low, even to the point of living like a beast, before his reason was restored and he lifted his eyes toward heaven. But Belshazzar was enjoying the prosperity of the kingdom Nebuchadnezzar had built. And what did he do? He praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. Things that could neither speak nor hear nor understand. Yet he worshiped them. Let’s continue with verses 5–6: In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. Now I think there is something interesting here. The fingers appeared and began writing on the wall, opposite the lampstand. I wonder whether there is some significance to the mention of the lampstand. Throughout Scripture, light is often associated with revelation. We see this especially in the tabernacle and temple, where the lampstand illuminated the holy place. The lampstand was not merely a piece of furniture. It belonged to the symbolic world of God’s dwelling among His people. And here, in the palace of Babylon, we find a mysterious hand writing opposite a lampstand. I don’t want to press the symbolism too far, but I think it is worth considering. God was revealing something to Belshazzar, just as He had revealed Himself to Nebuchadnezzar through dreams and judgments. And Belshazzar was terrified. His countenance changed. His thoughts troubled him. His knees began knocking together. But what would he do in response? Let’s continue with verses 7–9: The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. Notice what Belshazzar did. Exactly what Nebuchadnezzar had done before him. He called upon the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers to explain the revelation. But they could not interpret it. Here is something else I find interesting. Daniel had apparently been removed from his former position in the royal court. Remember, Nebuchadnezzar had appointed Daniel chief over the wise men of Babylon. Yet Daniel is no longer among those whom the king summons. He appears to have been forgotten. The kingdom had prospered. The generations had changed. And Daniel, the faithful servant of the living God, had apparently been pushed aside. But the queen remembered him. Here is one of those times when a man really needed to listen to his wife, or at least to the queen. Let’s read verses 10–12: Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation. The queen remembered Daniel. She remembered his wisdom and understanding, and how Nebuchadnezzar had appointed him over the wise men of Babylon. I wonder whether she herself had learned something from the events of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. Perhaps she knew more of the truth than Belshazzar did. Now, if we read this canonically, I think there is something interesting going on here. It almost harkens back to the Garden of Eden. In the garden, Eve was deceived by the serpent. She gave the fruit to Adam, and he ate. Adam followed her into disobedience, and they fell. But here we have something of a reversal. We have a woman trying to get a deceived man to see the truth. Rather than leading him away from God’s word, she points him toward the man through whom God had revealed His word. She directs him to Daniel. I am not suggesting that Daniel is deliberately reenacting Eden, but the pattern is there. In the garden, the woman gave the fruit to the man, and he followed her into disobedience. Here, the woman points the man toward the truth. And he actually listens to her. Whether he would heed the word of God, however, was another question. Let’s continue with verses 13–14: Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. The king promises Daniel that if he can interpret the writing, he will be clothed in purple, receive a chain of gold, and become the third ruler in the kingdom. But notice Daniel’s response. Let’s read verse 17: Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. Now Daniel sounds a little harsh with Belshazzar. He essentially tells the king to keep his gifts. Daniel was not interested in the king’s gold, purple clothing, or position in the kingdom. But sometimes, when someone has turned away from the truth, what is required is a strong rebuke. And Daniel was not about to flatter this king. He was there to declare the word of God. Before interpreting the writing, Daniel reminds Belshazzar of the lessons Nebuchadnezzar had learned. The Most High God had given Nebuchadnezzar the kingdom, greatness, glory, and majesty. The nations trembled before him. But his heart was lifted up, and he dealt proudly. God humbled him. His glory was taken away, and he was driven from among men to live like a beast until he learned that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of men. I think Daniel is trying to impress upon Belshazzar the lessons his father had learned. Nebuchadnezzar had been given tremendous blessings, yet those blessings had become an occasion for pride. God humbled him through judgment, and that judgment brought him to acknowledge the sovereignty of the Most High. Belshazzar needed to learn the same lesson. Daniel then rebukes him directly. Let’s read verses 22–24: And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. Notice what Daniel says. Belshazzar knew all this. He knew what had happened to Nebuchadnezzar. He knew how God had humbled him. Yet he refused to humble his own heart. Instead, he praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which could neither see nor hear nor know. But the God in whose hand was his very breath, and to whom belonged all his ways, he had not honored. This is the heart of Daniel’s rebuke. Belshazzar knew of the living God, yet turned away from that knowledge and worshiped the things of this world. Now Daniel reads the writing. Let’s continue with verses 25–28: And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. Here is the judgment. God had numbered the days of Belshazzar’s kingdom and brought it to an end. He had been weighed in the balances and found wanting. His kingdom would be divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Belshazzar then fulfills his promise. He clothes Daniel in purple, places a chain of gold around his neck, and proclaims him the third ruler in the kingdom. But I think there is something we sometimes miss when reading accounts of divine judgment. We tend to think that once God announces judgment, the outcome is absolutely unchangeable. Yet that is not always how prophetic judgments work. Consider Nebuchadnezzar. God pronounced judgment upon him. His kingdom would be taken away, and he would live like a beast. But the purpose of that judgment was to humble him and bring him to acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of men. When Nebuchadnezzar lifted his eyes toward heaven, his reason returned. His kingdom was restored. The judgment was real, but it was not the end of the story. We see something similar with Jonah. He announced that Nineveh would be overthrown in forty days. But the people repented, and God relented from the disaster He had announced. The judgment sounded absolute, yet repentance changed the outcome. Jeremiah 18 explains this principle. When God announces judgment against a nation, if that nation turns from its evil, He may relent from the disaster. God’s judgments are not always declarations of an unchangeable outcome. Sometimes they are warnings intended to bring people to repentance. And I think we should keep this in mind when reading Daniel chapter 5. Daniel had just reminded Belshazzar how Nebuchadnezzar had been humbled and restored. Why remind him of those lessons if they had no relevance to Belshazzar himself? At the very least, Daniel was confronting him with the truth he had refused to acknowledge. We are not explicitly told that Belshazzar was offered the same opportunity for restoration. The judgment against Babylon was fulfilled that very night. But the broader biblical principle remains. The announcement of judgment is often itself a call to repentance. Unfortunately, Belshazzar did not respond as Nebuchadnezzar had. The wealth and prosperity of Babylon had captured his heart. He praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone, while refusing to honor the God in whose hand was his very breath. Let’s read the final two verses: In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. That very night, Belshazzar died. The kingdom that had seemed so glorious, prosperous, and secure came to an end. Nebuchadnezzar had been humbled, and his kingdom was restored. Belshazzar refused to humble himself, and his kingdom was taken away. This is a warning to all of us. We can inherit tremendous blessings from those who came before us. We can enjoy the fruits of their labors and even know the lessons they learned through suffering. Yet none of that guarantees that we will learn those lessons ourselves. The wealth and prosperity of this world can easily capture our hearts and turn us away from the living God. Belshazzar knew what had happened to Nebuchadnezzar. But he did not humble his heart. That was his downfall. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit william296.substack.com (https://william296.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Nebuchadnezzar and the Cosmic Tree

   Nebuchadnezzar and the Cosmic Tree Daniel 4: A Mythopoeic Reading from Eden to Babylon to the Cross We come now to Daniel chapter 4. The chapter begins with King Nebuchadnezzar addressing all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion endures from generation to generation. Nebuchadnezzar then recounts a dream that he had. He called upon his wise men to interpret it, but none of them could explain its meaning. Finally, he turned to Daniel, believing that Daniel would know the answer. Nebuchadnezzar described the dream this way: The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. This tree has some connection with ancient mythology, particularly the idea of the cosmic tree that reaches into the heavens. The biblical account certainly resonates with some of these ancient mythological images. Here is a tree that grows all the way to heaven. It provides food and shelter for the whole world, and it is visible from the ends of the earth. This also presents us with what might be called a flat-earth perspective. I am not suggesting that the earth is actually flat, but that this is the literary form in which the vision is presented. We can argue about whether such descriptions are intended to be literal or actual. I would suggest that the language is better understood as mythopoeic. It presents the world through the imagery of ancient cosmology, describing reality in a way that communicates something more than its physical appearance. The vision is communicating something through this ancient literary imagery, and we need to understand that imagery before we can appreciate what the dream is telling us. We find similar imagery in ancient Mesopotamian literature. I believe there is something behind this mythology. It may actually be a corruption of an original truth, preserved in the ancient Near Eastern cultures but distorted through their myth-making traditions. I believe these myths may be connected to the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden and represent a corruption of that original truth. I cannot prove this historically. My conviction arises from my prior commitment that the Bible presents the true account because it is the Word of God. The cosmic tree represents life, provision, and shelter for humanity. Nebuchadnezzar is not the Tree of Life, although he may have thought that he was. He may have understood himself as a living representative of this ancient myth, the great king who provides life and security for the nations of the earth. But God uses this familiar imagery to communicate something quite different. Nebuchadnezzar is not the source of life. His kingdom, his greatness, and even his own existence depend entirely upon the God of heaven. The tree may reach to heaven, but it can also be cut down by the command of heaven. The vision then continues, and we see what God does to this tree: I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. He proclaimed aloud and said thus: “Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him.” Here we have something of the language of de-creation. The cosmic tree, which Nebuchadnezzar imagines as the source of life, is chopped down. Remember the sixth day of creation. God created the beasts of the field, and then He created man in His own image. But now Nebuchadnezzar is going backward. Instead of acting like a man, he is given the mind of a beast. This is a reversal of the order of creation. It is de-creation language, the language of judgment. God is judging Nebuchadnezzar’s false understanding of the source of life. The tree is chopped down, and Nebuchadnezzar must live like a beast until he learns what it means to be a man. Ultimately, what does it mean to be a man? What it means to be truly human is revealed in Jesus Christ, the Son of Man and the Son of God, who brings redemption and restores humanity to what it was created to be. Now, after this vision of impending judgment upon Nebuchadnezzar, what does Daniel advise the king to do? In verse 27, Daniel says: Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity. Daniel preached repentance to Nebuchadnezzar. He called upon him to practice righteousness and show mercy to the oppressed. What was the result? We continue in verse 28-30: All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven announcing that his kingdom had departed from him and that the judgment previously revealed in the vision would now take place. Verse 33 tells us: Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws. We see that Daniel preached repentance to Nebuchadnezzar, but Nebuchadnezzar did not repent. Notice how Nebuchadnezzar doubled down on his pride. Look at the language he uses: “Is not this great Babylon?” “Which I have built.” “By my mighty power.” “For the glory of my majesty.” Everything is about Nebuchadnezzar. He is still stuck on the idea that he is the great tree. He would not listen to Daniel. He would not listen to the vision. So God brought the judgment upon him. What happens to Nebuchadnezzar after this judgment? We come to verse 34: At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored Him who lives forever, for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. Nebuchadnezzar finally confesses that God is the one who rules over all things. It is not Nebuchadnezzar who rules the world. It is the Most High God. We might compare this with the earlier Babylonian attempt to build the Tower of Babel. In Genesis 11, the people of Babel said: Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves. They wanted to make a name for themselves. They wanted to reach heaven by their own craft and power. In a sense, they wanted to conquer heaven. On the other hand, we have Abraham. In Genesis 12, God tells Abraham that He will make his name great. Notice the difference. The builders of Babel wanted to make a name for themselves. Abraham was promised that God would make his name great. The builders of Babel attempted to ascend to heaven by their own power. Abraham received the promises of God by faith. And this brings us to the great contrast between the City of Man and the City of God. If you want to reach heaven, you cannot ascend there by your own power. You must receive what comes from above. Was Nebuchadnezzar Converted? When we get to the end of the chapter, we read in verse 36: At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now, pause and think about that. Was Nebuchadnezzar converted? When you look at the language he uses, you might make the case that he was not fully repentant. Notice that he is still talking about himself. “My kingdom.” “My majesty and splendor.” “My counselors and my lords.” “Still more greatness was added to me.” He still seems to be stuck on himself. You could make the argument that Nebuchadnezzar had not fully repented. But I would be careful here. When someone comes out of the kind of idolatry that Nebuchadnezzar had been living under, thinking of himself as the golden head of the statue, imagining himself as this great tree reaching to heaven, it does not mean that he immediately begins living a holy life. Sanctification takes time. I would not throw Nebuchadnezzar under the bus simply because the text indicates that he was still a sinner. He was a sinner, and so is everybody else who has ever been brought to faith. We are all still sinners. But notice how the chapter concludes in verse 37: Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are right and His ways are just, and those who walk in pride He is able to humble. And that, I tell you, sounds to me like a converted man. A converted man with a trainload of problems. Nebuchadnezzar had lived under a theology of glory that had not quite been put to rest. He was still struggling with his own greatness, his power, his majesty, and his kingdom. But don’t all Christians suffer from this? If you put yourself in Nebuchadnezzar’s place, don’t you think you would have serious problems letting go of all that? Here was a man who ruled an empire, who had commanded armies, built a magnificent city, and exercised enormous power over other human beings. Do we really expect that all those habits of pride would disappear overnight? I think the grace of God reached Nebuchadnezzar. I think he was a converted man, although a converted man who still had a great deal of sanctification ahead of him. But I could be wrong. I am simply reading the text and trying to reason through it. The Tree That Had to Be Cut Down If Nebuchadnezzar was converted, then ultimately he had to eat from the Tree of Life—the One who came down from heaven and died upon a tree, the cross. The pagan vision of the Cosmic Tree, in which earthly power reaches toward heaven, is a perversion of this great truth. Nebuchadnezzar had to be cut down so that he might live. He had to learn what Paul would later declare: I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God. (Galatians 2:20) This is the great paradox of redemption. We must die with Christ so that we may live in Him. We cannot become the Cosmic Tree, reaching from earth to heaven by our own power. Neither can we build another Tower of Babel, attempting to ascend into heaven and establish our own glory. Life does not come by our ascent into heaven, but by the descent of the One who came from heaven to give us life. Nebuchadnezzar had to be brought low before he could be raised up. His tree had to be cut down so that he might receive life from the true Tree of Life, Jesus Christ. Yet Nebuchadnezzar’s tree is not the only tree that must be cut down. Ultimately, our tree must be cut down as well. Every ambition to ascend into heaven by our own strength, every attempt to establish our own righteousness, and every illusion of self-salvation must die before we can truly live. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot become the Cosmic Tree or build another Tower of Babel. We must receive life from the One who came down from heaven and died upon a tree for us. Our tree must be cut down so that we may live by the Tree of Life. A Final Note on Nebuchadnezzar’s Conversion If you read the commentaries on Daniel 4, you will find some disagreement over whether Nebuchadnezzar was actually converted. John Calvin did not think so. He believed Nebuchadnezzar had been humbled by God but had not experienced true conversion. Matthew Henry, on the other hand, was much more hopeful. In his concise commentary, he regarded Nebuchadnezzar as a true penitent and believer. The Reformer Oecolampadius also believed that Nebuchadnezzar was genuinely converted. John Walvoord considered the evidence favorable to his conversion, and Edward J. Young argued that Nebuchadnezzar’s faith, although weak and imperfect, may nevertheless have been saving faith. Even among the early church fathers, Hippolytus and Ephrem the Syrian understood Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation and restoration as evidence of genuine repentance. So I am certainly not alone in reading the passage this way. We cannot know the condition of Nebuchadnezzar’s heart with absolute certainty. But when I read his final confession, I see a man who has been humbled by God, who acknowledges God’s righteousness, and who now praises the King of heaven. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit william296.substack.com (https://william296.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

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