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The King and the Beast - The Book of Daniel · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar,
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  Speaker 1: lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned
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  Speaker 1: unto me. Daniel 4.3 Lord, as you elevate my life,
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  Speaker 1: increase also the humility in which I live by. Help
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  Speaker 1: me to continually understand that everything I have is a
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  Speaker 1: result of your goodness. and not of me being in control.
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  Speaker 1: Continue to put checkpoints in my life that will alert
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  Speaker 1: me when my heart is becoming prideful and conceited. Protect
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  Speaker 1: me from the madness that can occur when I think
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  Speaker 1: that my splendor and open doors around me came from
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  Speaker 1: my strength and by my wisdom alone. May my life
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  Speaker 1: serve as a billboard that publicly displays and proclaims Your
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  Speaker 1: goodness to everyone who sees me. I acknowledge today that
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  Speaker 1: it is you and you alone that brings fulfillment and
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  Speaker 1: success into my life. When I lose focus, I will
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  Speaker 1: thank you in advance for realigning me like Nebuchadnezzar in
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  Speaker 1: Daniel 4, so that I can see you with a
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  Speaker 1: clear and sober mind. Today, I thank you that the
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  Speaker 1: beast of pride and arrogance has been overcome by the
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  Speaker 1: precious power of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.
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  Speaker 1: To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story.
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  Speaker 1: Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: The king and the beast. In our last story, Shadrach, Meshach,
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  Speaker 2: and Abednego refused to worship the statue Nebuchadnezzar set up
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  Speaker 2: and were thrown into the fire as punishment. The flames raged,
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  Speaker 2: but they were unharmed. The Lord had protected them, and
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  Speaker 2: Nebuchadnezzar awed at the power of their god. In this story,
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  Speaker 2: Nebuchadnezzar will come in contact with his inner beast and
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  Speaker 2: come to realize the true nature of his relationship with God.
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  Speaker 2: inspired by the book of Daniel.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, this is Pastor Jack Graham with another episode of
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  Speaker 3: the Bible in a Year podcast. I'm really glad that
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  Speaker 3: you've joined us today. In our last reading, we heard
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  Speaker 3: about how God protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the
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  Speaker 3: fiery furnace. They refused to bend or to bow to
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  Speaker 3: the king's idol, and God used their faithfulness to make
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  Speaker 3: his glory known once again to Babylonians' king. In today's reading,
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  Speaker 3: We'll learn how Nebuchadnezzar is humbled by the Almighty God
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  Speaker 3: with whom he continues to wrestle. His descent into madness
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  Speaker 3: like an animal will finally bring him to a point
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  Speaker 3: of confession and acceptance that there is no other God
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  Speaker 3: but Yahweh, the Lord. Let's listen now to the reading
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  Speaker 3: of God's Word.
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  Speaker 2: Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of the ancient world, conqueror of kingdoms, and
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  Speaker 2: slayer of kings, came in contact with the living God.
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  Speaker 2: He learned from the wisdom and favor of Daniel. He
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  Speaker 2: witnessed God protect Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace.
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  Speaker 2: So the mighty king praised the Lord of heaven and earth.
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  Speaker 2: He sent a decree forth to the people of Babylon, saying,
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  Speaker 2: He is the Most High God. His kingdom is an
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  Speaker 2: everlasting kingdom. Yet the mind of King Nebuchadnezzar was still
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  Speaker 2: fogged by years of pride and warmongering. He knew of
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  Speaker 2: God's mighty works, but had not yet come in contact
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  Speaker 2: with the personal reformation of his spirit. The king would
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  Speaker 2: soon learn the weight of God's power. It was late.
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  Speaker 2: The night was heavy upon the horizon. Clouds covered the
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  Speaker 2: stars above, and the east wind blew violently through the valley.
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  Speaker 2: Thunder rolled in from the distance, and the city was
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  Speaker 2: stirring beneath. King Nebuchadnezzar tossed and turned in his bed,
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  Speaker 2: tormented by yet another dream— He saw a tree sprouting
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  Speaker 2: forth from the earth. Its height was tremendous and its
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  Speaker 2: trunk was strong. Its branches reached beyond the clouds for
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  Speaker 2: all the world to see. Its leaves were deep and
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  Speaker 2: beautiful green. Its fruit was abundant and provided food for
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  Speaker 2: all the lands below it. Animals found refuge in its shade,
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  Speaker 2: and the birds of the air made its nest in it.
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  Speaker 2: THE KING WATCHED AS THE HEAVENS OPENED UP AROUND IT
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  Speaker 2: AND A VOICE BOOMED FROM THE SKIES SAYING CHOP THE
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  Speaker 2: TREE TO THE GROUND STRIP ITS LEAVES AND SCATTER ITS
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  Speaker 2: FRUIT BUT LEAVE THE STUMP AND BIND IT WITH IRON
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  Speaker 2: LET IT DWELL WITH THE BEASTS AND BECOME LIKE THEM
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  Speaker 2: SO KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR WATCHED AS THE MIGHTY TREE WAS SLICED
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  Speaker 2: BY THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD AND ITS BODY FELL
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  Speaker 2: TO THE EARTH SHAKING IT FOR MILES The king woke
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  Speaker 2: up in a terror. He was sweating and could not
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  Speaker 2: get the image of the tree's lifeless stump out of
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  Speaker 2: his mind. The king sent for his wisest counselor, Daniel.
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  Speaker 2: He described the dream in great length, leaving no detail out.
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  Speaker 2: Daniel listened intently to the king, growing more and more
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  Speaker 2: concerned with each detail. The king was frantic as he
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  Speaker 2: described the dream. Something in his mind had snapped, and
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  Speaker 2: it was clear what was about to happen. The king
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  Speaker 2: could sense the look of alarm on Daniel's face. Do
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  Speaker 2: not be frightened, the king said. Tell me what it means.
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  Speaker 2: I pray that this dream is for your enemies and
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  Speaker 2: not for you, Daniel said softly. However, that may not
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  Speaker 2: be the case. Daniel sat the king down and began
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  Speaker 2: to interpret its meaning for him. The mighty tree is you,
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  Speaker 2: my king. Your greatness has spread across the land. Your
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  Speaker 2: kingdom is the source of food and shelter for all
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  Speaker 2: on the earth. However, the stump is also you. You
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  Speaker 2: will be humbled, my king. You shall be driven to
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  Speaker 2: the wilderness because you have yet to learn of true humility.
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  Speaker 2: You have yet to understand that it is God who
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  Speaker 2: raises a king. Yes, you know of God now, but
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  Speaker 2: you still oppress and murder. You seek your own gain
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  Speaker 2: and you destroy all you desire. Turn from this and
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  Speaker 2: there may be hope for you. King Nebuchadnezzar smiled at
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  Speaker 2: Daniel and sent him away. He feigned repentance. He feigned benevolence. However,
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  Speaker 2: the king continued to do all that seemed good in
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  Speaker 2: his eyes. He was consumed with self-worship. A year had passed,
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  Speaker 2: and the king was walking on the rooftops of his palace.
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  Speaker 2: The sun was peeking over the horizon, and his entire
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  Speaker 2: country was painted with beautiful colors of gold and white.
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  Speaker 2: He breathed in the fresh air and said,' Look at
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  Speaker 2: all I have built with my majesty.' While the words
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  Speaker 2: were dancing out of the king's mouth, a voice fell
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  Speaker 2: upon him from heaven. Nebuchadnezzar, your kingdom shall be stripped
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  Speaker 2: from you. You shall dwell with the beasts until you
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  Speaker 2: truly know that it is the Most High who rules
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  Speaker 2: all kingdoms. And in that instant, a madness came upon
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  Speaker 2: the king. He writhed and panted like a dog, and
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  Speaker 2: his mind wandered into a place of true insanity. He
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  Speaker 2: ran like an animal into the wilderness and lived among
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  Speaker 2: the beasts. Over time his hair grew long and his
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  Speaker 2: nails grew like claws. He ate grass like an ox
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  Speaker 2: and was greasy and wet with the filth of the earth.
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  Speaker 2: For seven years Nebuchadnezzar was mad like an animal. His
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  Speaker 2: beastly demeanor revealed the sickness that had been in his
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  Speaker 2: heart all along. He was a beast of a king.
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  Speaker 2: He followed every debased desire that came into his heart.
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  Speaker 2: He murdered and stole. He raped and he pillaged. He
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  Speaker 2: was a beast long before the madness. Many years had passed,
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  Speaker 2: and Nebuchadnezzar was wandering the forest in the coolness of
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  Speaker 2: the morning. He was ravaging on plants and berries when
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  Speaker 2: the sun peered in through the treetops. The beast lifted
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  Speaker 2: his eyes towards the sun, and the warmth of God's
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  Speaker 2: mercy saturated him. His mind began to clear. He saw
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  Speaker 2: God for who he truly was, generous and marvelous. Nebuchadnezzar
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  Speaker 2: emerged from the wilderness, and his throne was restored to him.
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  Speaker 2: He now ruled with a clearer mind. His reason had
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  Speaker 2: returned to him, and he used his newfound wisdom to
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  Speaker 2: rule with humility.
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  Speaker 3: Today's scripture begins with a reminder of all God had
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  Speaker 3: already done to make himself known to King Nebuchadnezzar. The
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  Speaker 3: strength and wisdom of the young men like Daniel who
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  Speaker 3: served God, how God had protected the men in the furnace,
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  Speaker 3: even the king's own decree that the people would worship
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  Speaker 3: only the Lord. And yet, even with all of this,
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  Speaker 3: Nebuchadnezzar's heart was not where it should be. God ultimately
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  Speaker 3: does not look to our words or outward appearance of belief.
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  Speaker 3: He looks to the heart, straight to the heart. And
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  Speaker 3: Nebuchadnezzar's heart was still focused on his own interest and
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  Speaker 3: his personal glory. He was full of pride. So once more,
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  Speaker 3: we find the king disturbed with a dream. He saw
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  Speaker 3: a great tree that gave shade and food to all
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  Speaker 3: the animals. It stretched out far and wide, a majestic sight.
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  Speaker 3: But then God's voice came down from heaven, commanding the
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  Speaker 3: tree to be cut down, its stump and roots bound
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  Speaker 3: to the ground where it would remain to live with
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  Speaker 3: animals and plants. But then God's voice came down from heaven,
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  Speaker 3: commanding that the tree be cut down, but its stump
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  Speaker 3: and roots bound to the ground where it would remain
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  Speaker 3: to live with the animals and plants. The dream clearly
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  Speaker 3: symbolized someone, and the king was greatly troubled. He first
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  Speaker 3: called his wise men and astrologers, but they had no answers.
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  Speaker 3: So he summoned Daniel, who received the interpretation from God.
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  Speaker 3: He told Nebuchadnezzar that the tree was the king himself.
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  Speaker 3: His vast empire was indeed majestic, providing for people the
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  Speaker 3: world over. But the king needed pruning. His lusts for
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  Speaker 3: power and praise were clouding his vision, and though he
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  Speaker 3: had seen God work and even had some appearance of belief,
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  Speaker 3: Nebuchadnezzar had yet to acknowledge the supremacy of God and
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  Speaker 3: submit truly to Him. Because of this, he would be
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  Speaker 3: driven away from society, forced to live like a wild animal.
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  Speaker 3: His mind would go mad, and his outward state would
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  Speaker 3: mimic his inward baseness. But God in his mercy would
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  Speaker 3: restore the kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar when he recognized God for
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  Speaker 3: who he was and humbled himself before him. The king
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  Speaker 3: heard the interpretation but did not change his heart. One
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  Speaker 3: year later, as he was walking on the roof of
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  Speaker 3: his palace, filled with pride for his accomplishments, God's word
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  Speaker 3: came to pass just as Daniel said. The king was
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  Speaker 3: overtaken by madness, and for seven years he lived like
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  Speaker 3: a beast of the field. until finally he looked to
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  Speaker 3: the heavens and his sanity returned. God had broken this man,
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  Speaker 3: but this was not an act of cruelty. It was
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  Speaker 3: a work of grace, the reaching out of a loving
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  Speaker 3: God to bring this man to himself. Though he was
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  Speaker 3: not an Israelite, Nebuchadnezzar was created for the purposes of God,
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  Speaker 3: and it had always been God's heart for every person,
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  Speaker 3: including this man, to turn to him. Here we see
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  Speaker 3: our great God going to great lengths to reach one man.
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  Speaker 3: This man had such great power and influence that his
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  Speaker 3: life would have tremendous repercussions and echoes throughout all of history.
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  Speaker 3: Nebuchadnezzar testified to God's greatness. And in Daniel 4, 34,
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  Speaker 3: we read some of his words about the Lord. His
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  Speaker 3: dominion is an eternal dominion. His kingdom endures from generation
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  Speaker 3: to to generation. At last, the king had humbled himself
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  Speaker 3: before the Lord, and just as God had promised, the
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  Speaker 3: kingdom was restored to him. The ripple effects of his
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  Speaker 3: transformation would be felt in the Babylonian kingdom and even
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  Speaker 3: beyond in the centuries to follow. Dear God, we are
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  Speaker 3: reminded in this story that you will go to great
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  Speaker 3: lengths to bring us to yourself. Lord, may we humble
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  Speaker 3: ourselves before you. And we pray that our lives would
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  Speaker 3: always reflect your love and grace. May we repent of
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  Speaker 3: our sin and submit to your will and live in
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  Speaker 3: the abundance of life in Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
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  Speaker 3: Once again, thank you for listening to today's Bible in
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  Speaker 3: a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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  Speaker 3: Let me encourage you to download the Pray.com app and
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  Speaker 3: make Bible study and prayer available. a real priority in
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  Speaker 3: your life. And if you are enjoying this podcast, share
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  Speaker 3: it with someone you know, someone you care about, because
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  Speaker 3: sharing God's word has a powerful impact upon people's lives.
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  Speaker 3: And if you want more resources as to how you
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  Speaker 3: can find faith, grow in your faith, develop as a
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  Speaker 3: disciple and follower of Jesus, be sure to visit me
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  Speaker 3: at jackgram.org. We have plenty of resources that will encourage
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  Speaker 3: you and equip you for life. God bless you.