Nebuchadnezzar begins his letter by proclaiming God’s power.
The first part of this chapter is written by Nebuchadnezzar. It is a letter by Nebuchadnezzar the king to all peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth. It seems that he had it translated in every language so that everyone could read it. He begins with a greeting to all the people, may your peace abound! When Nebuchadnezzar witnessed three of his Jewish captives survive the fiery furnace he recognized that it was only due to the power of their God. He wrote this letter because it seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me once again recognizing the power of God. It is interesting that a letter written by this king is included in the Scripture. The rest of scripture is written by prophets, those carrying out God’s plans (ex. Moses), disciples of Jesus, and others ordained by God. This letter is unique in that it was not written by a prophet or agent of God but rather by a pagan king that God chose to use.
God continues to reveal himself to Nebuchadnezzar in this chapter. Is his proclamation to his people, Nebuchadnezzar declares how great are God’s signs and how mighty are His wonders. Before recording his dream in the following verses, Nebuchadnezzar makes it clear that God is in control of the whole word and of everyone in it. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His dominion is from generation to generation. Prior to Nebuchadnezzar witnessing the fiery furnace, he had created a statue of his image for his people to worship. After the events of this chapter, he completely changes his outlook on life, declaring that God is in control.
Biblical Text
Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth: “May your peace abound! 2 It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me.
3 “How great are His signs
And how mighty are His wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom
And His dominion is from generation to generation.
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