June 24: A VIVID ILLUSTRATION
That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws. Daniel 4:33
Notice that the writer (Nebuchadnezzar) refers to himself in the third person in verses 28 through 33. This is a writer’s way of diverting attention away from himself and focusing on other actions taken. In Scripture, it points to fulfillment of God’s prophetic plan on behalf of His people. Jesus and Paul both referred to themselves in the third person while emphasizing other important aspects of their stories; namely, God’s plan to save people. Jesus tried to help His disciples prepare for His impending death, but they were resistant to accept and understand. But, as believers now know, this was foundational to the plan of Salvation (see Matthew 17:22-23; Mark 9:31-32; Luke 18:31-34). Paul, in making his point on the sufficiency of God’s grace—a crucial element of sanctification—spoke of himself as someone else: I know a man (see 2 Corinthians 12:2-10).
That very hour… The exact timing of Nebuchadnezzar’s mental breakdown was not foretold, yet there is no mistaking that God places a limit on wickedness. In the king’s case, when that limit was reached, the prophesied calamity fell like a sledge hammer.* This is not the Lord slamming down His divine fist in a fit of anger. No, indeed! It is the lifting of His hand of protection, readily revealing just how quickly the enemy works to get at those whom God is using.**
Nebuchadnezzar’s graphic description of his humiliation emphasizes that God’s word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar in every detail. The explicit details of the king’s condition for seven long years emphasize not only his sad spiritual condition, but also the trustworthiness of Holy Writ. Let us look again at some of the details: he was driven from men… If ever we feel cut off from people, let us see it as an opportunity to draw close to the Lord and to hear from Him. And [he] ate grass like oxen… The eating of fresh grass, and possibly other greens, had a cleansing effect upon the king’s body, undoing some of the damage of his pagan eating and drinking habits. His body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers… The king’s unwashed and ungroomed hair, in combination with natural oils and inevitable matting, rendered it able to repel water, just as feathers do. If we see the dew of heaven as the water of life (John 4:14; Revelation 21:6; 22:1), then we may also see the ironic picture of someone who is wet but thirsty, and unable to absorb or take in the abundant, life-sustaining water. And his nails [grew] like birds’ claws. Untrimmed human nails will eventually take on a hideous curved shape. The repulsive appearance of birds’ claws completes the illustration, symbolizing the heartbreakingly wretched condition of a mind and spirit that has rejected God in favor of self.
Remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:18
*We are not told the exact time of Christ’s return, but we should know when it is near (see Matthew 16:3; 25:13)
**Nebuchadnezzar figures prominently during the Babylonian captivity of the Jews. In the NKJV he is mentioned 89 times in 8 books of Scripture: 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.