Nebuchadnezzar’s son is ruling Babylon. This means Nebuchadnezzar has died. He left behind the kingdom and all that wealth and majesty he had been proud of. It only lasts so long. Eternity is forever.

He had learned to humble himself before God. He learned that God was high and exalted and gave kingdoms to whom He wanted. Nebuchadnezzar learned that he had been a great king because the Lord Most High had so chosen. He learned the lesson the hard way, but he learned the lesson.

His son knew about the seven years of being banished from humanity to learn humility, but he didn’t learn the lesson. Learning the lessons of history don’t always teach us to not repeat them. We seem to need to learn things the hard way for ourselves!

His son doesn’t honor the Lord. He honors the gods of silver and gold and wood and iron. He doesn’t honor the God “in whose hand is your breath” as Daniel points out.

He points out that all of the king’s ways are in God’s hands. We are at the Lord’s mercy. He is in control. Acknowledge Him and honor Him!

I like Daniel’s maturity in this chapter. He is called Daniel by the king and queen. They are respecting him by calling him by his given name, not his exile Babylonian name. Daniel doesn’t care for the king’s praise or reward. He’s there to serve God alone. He doesn’t need the king’s approval.

This is outside of what the Bible tells us, but I like to think that when Jesus stoops down and writes on the ground when the Pharisees want to stone the woman caught in adultery that what Jesus was writing was from what was on the wall MENE, MENE telling them that they have been weighed and found wanting.