Seeking for the help of the Lord, I direct your prayer for attention to Daniel chapter 4 and reading for our text verses 2 and 3. This is a king, King Nebuchadnezzar, seeking to show forth what God has done for him. Verse two and three, I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. 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. Daniel 4, verses 2 and 3. As we gather and would remember the Lord's goodness to our Queen over 70 years, we would remember who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We would remember the danger that which Nebuchadnezzar fell into of ascribing all of the glory of his kingdom to himself, and not giving that glory to God. He says at the end of this chapter, those that walk in pride, he is able to abase. And whenever we look upon a kingdom, look upon given us or set us over. We are to remember what the children of Israel were charged with remembering as they came into the promised land, that it is God that giveth thee power to get wealth. It is not ourselves. Now Nebuchadnezzar had been through this time and he felt it right to speak of what God had done for him personally. And I hope it is with us each that realization we do need a personal testimony of the Lord in our lives, of a call by grace, of conversion, of being brought to know the true and living God and put the crown on the right head has reigned for these 70 years, only 25 when she came to the throne, and she is the longest reigning monarch in the British and Commonwealth history, and in fact another two years it will be the longest reigning throughout Europe as well. Nebuchadnezzar was not as long reign at all. In fact, the times of the greatness of Babylon was little over the length of time of our Queen's reign. And of course, that went over several kings during that time. But nevertheless, it was an extensive kingdom And I want to look with the Lord's help this morning. Firstly, thinking of our Lord's kingdom, about his kingdom and dominion, will contrast that with that of an earthly monarch and Nebuchadnezzar here. And then secondly, the signs and wonders wrought towards him, that is, towards Nebuchadnezzar here by God, personally so, and think under that heading of what we need in a personal way. But then thirdly, Nebuchadnezzar, his assessment of God's signs and wonders. He assesses it really in these words, how great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders. He doesn't have small thoughts, small views of the Lord. The things that he has gone through, he has high views of the Lord and thinks it right and it is right. to show to the world and hear part of the inspired, infallible Word of God. God has chosen to use the words of a heathen king, a king that was raised up to be a servant of God, to chastise the children of Israel, to bring them into 70 years' captivity. It is a mark in the history of Israel that is noted as we come to the New Testament in Matthew, where we have the 14 generations, from Abraham to David, then 14 generations from David to the carrying away into Babylon, and then from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ, another 14 generations. This was an important mark in the history of the line to Christ from Abraham to our Lord. But firstly, to consider about his kingdom, about our Lord's, about Nebuchadnezzar's, regarding Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, at the time that he reigned, some 43 years. And it was at the beginning of when they first were under tribute with Assyria, and then they overcame Assyria, some 612 years before Christ. But only 73 years later was when they fell to the Medes and the Persians. But in that time, they took Egypt, they took Judah, they had an extensive kingdom. And Nebuchadnezzar, he mentions this, he describes it, and Daniel does as well, in verse 22. It is thou, O King, that art grown and become strong, for thy greatness is grown and reacheth unto heaven and thy dominion to the end of the earth. Daniel acknowledges that dominion. And then the king himself, when he, just before his mind is taken from him, The king spake and said, is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honour of my majesty? And he speaks of something of that greatness of Babylon at that time. We know of the great Ishtar Gate, we know of the hanging gardens, we know of how grand, how lovely, beautiful that place was, and yet now there's no evidence, nothing of it is remaining at all. Isaiah, some 150 or so years before, had foretold of Babylon, foretold of the destruction of it by a nation that has yet had not even written up the Medes and the Persians. So we have the relatively short time of the nation, really, of Babylon and certainly the shorter time of Nebuchadnezzar. But over a country and a kingdom that was very, very extensive and very, very powerful. But what about the kingdom of our Lord? This is what Nebuchadnezzar now, after all that he's been through, this is what he wants to speak of. It's no longer his kingdom, but the Lord's kingdom. He says in verse three, his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. And his dominion is from generation to generation. What a contrast. What a contrast. Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom was soon to end after him. Then came the time when the writing was on the wall, Belshazzar's day, and we have that kingdom numbered. and that same night it was destroyed. But here in Abhigyanesa, he has been brought to view God's kingdom as an everlasting one. That is, from before the foundation of the world, a kingdom that was known and formed by God, of a people chosen in Christ, before the foundation of the world, loved with an everlasting love and therefore in time with loving-kindness being drawn. A kingdom that extends beyond this time-state. We think of the words of the dying thief, Lord, remember me. when thou comest into thy kingdom. Our Lord's words, my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight. And yet he speaks of a spiritual kingdom. And he says the kingdom of God cometh not with observation, it is within you. And the Lord sets up his kingdom in the hearts and lives of his people. And that kingdom, when that is set up there, is an everlasting kingdom. It doesn't perish when his people die. They, like the dying thief, ascend to that kingdom above, partner of God's throne, and to be with him forever and forever. What a contrast we have here of the changing scenes of kingdoms in this world and our own kingdom. We tend to think, and I thought with myself, that I was born during our Queen's reign. She's been the only Queen that I've known of the British Isles. And yet, if the Lord will, Soon there will be a change, a change that many, many millions in this land have not known in their lifetime at all. A change from a queen to a king. And yet here we have set before us where there is no change. The Lord is king from one generation to another generation. From our children, from us, to our children, to our grandchildren, we think of the many generations, from the beginning of time to the end of time, and we have a kingdom that spans over them all. And Nebuchadnezzar can see this. After what he's gone through, he can see it. and he gives praise and honour and glory unto the Lord. We must remember that this world exists not for man to live independent of God. It exists for God's honour and glory and all that is done in it is for the good of his people and for the furtherance of his purposes towards those that shall be with him forever and ever in heaven. A people that have been lost and ruined in the fall, but a people whom he has redeemed at Calvary and a people who his will is that they be with me in my kingdom, that they may behold my glory, the glory that the Father has given the Son. With Nebuchadnezzar, his glory, was given Him and He took that glory as if He'd gotten it Himself. Yet even our Lord Jesus Christ, though the glory is His, yet He still speaks of it as given Him by His Father. And may we be amongst those that join with Nebuchadnezzar and that we have a right view and think it right to speak it as well, of the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May we know it in the day of grace, may we know it in our own heart, that it is not self that reigns, but Christ that reigns over self. that our spirit is the same as Saul of Tarsus, the Apostle Paul, when he was converted. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And his desire to be in subjection unto the Lord. Where there is a king, where there is a kingdom, the mark of such a a royal sovereign. I know today it's not the same as in the days of the scriptures or even the days in our history where the kings had much, much more power than they have today. But in the scriptures of truth, the mark of God's kingdom is his sovereignty. Who decided to deal with Nebuchadnezzar in the way that we have read in this passage? The Lord did. Sovereignly did. How he should do it was his decision. The timing was his timing. The warning of it, a year later, it brought to pass. Just as the king was speaking, his might and his glory. The Lord was in control, not Nebuchadnezzar. And we would remember that as applying to every nation, kindred and tongue today, the years before us, and the years that shall come. An everlasting kingdom. We'll want to look then, secondly, at the signs and wonders wrought toward him personally. And again, I'd emphasize how we do need a personal acquaintance with the God of heaven. Our Lord's prayer that they might know Thee, the only true God, and thy beloved Son whom thou hast sent. Countless millions today do not acknowledge God, do not know Him, do not worship Him, do not reverence Him, do not obey His laws. What a different thing when we have a personal reason why we can say we know that there is a God and that He has dealt with us personally. And this is really what Nebuchadnezzar's testimony was. In verse 2, I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. Toward him. Those things that were done in his life. Or what had been done. Or we could go back to before this account in the earlier chapters in Daniel. We could think of the dream that he had, another dream. But this dream, he couldn't remember in the morning what the dream was. He knew he had a dream, but he couldn't remember what it was. And he required of his wise men that they not only tell him an interpretation, but they tell him what the dream was first. And when he sought then to slay all the wise men because they couldn't tell him his dream and interpretation, it was Daniel that was brought in before him and was able to do both. The dream was of that great image and God showing to Nebuchadnezzar himself as the golden-haired Nebuchadnezzar was, and then those nations, those kingdoms that would follow after him. And again, it was highlighted here was a God who could discern the secrets of the heart, who could do what none other wise man could do. And Nebuchadnezzar, He was able to say to those wise men, supposedly, that couldn't make known his dream, you tell me the dream and I will know that you can tell me the interpretation thereof. And he's very, very good, good doctrine, good teaching in that. Applied in a gospel way, you show me a God that is able to convince a person that they are a sinner, to show the malady, and I will show you the same God is able to apply the remedy of the gospel and to save that sinner from their sins. What would we think of a medical person that said, well, I can cure these diseases, these illnesses, these things that you could not get from him how he could diagnose it. He needed someone else to be able to diagnose the problem at first. Even mechanical things with a car, for instance, one of the greatest challenges for a mechanic is not fixing the problem, is finding out what the problem is. And many, many hours are spent in trying to find out health-wise what is wrong with someone, what's causing the symptoms, and in a mechanical sense, what is wrong with the vehicle, before any attempt can be made to fix it. Because the remedy must match the problem. And so it is with those mankind that is dead in trespasses and sins, those that are lost and ruined in the fall, those who do not know they are sinners, yet they are sinners, who do not know they are under condemnation, yet they are under condemnation, that know they must die the same as all men must. But do not realize that after death is the judgment. After judgment, there is eternal hellfire, the eternal death. But do not realize the danger. We don't by nature. There's only God that is able to give life, spiritual life, and to convince a person that they are a sinner. The law of God is used in that way. The Apostle Paul says, the law is a schoolmaster unto Christ. The law was given that sin might abound, that all the world might be brought in guilty before God. And so in the work that God does with a person is first to bring them down, first to bring them as a sinner, first to show them that he is on the throne, and that they are accountable to him and to bring down their proud looks and their rebellion against him. And this is exactly what God did here with Nebuchadnezzar. Well, Nebuchadnezzar had that dream in chapter two. Then in chapter three, we have the burning fiery furnace It seems almost that he took his dream and built an image and then commanded everyone to bow down to that image that he had made. And the three Hebrew children would not do that. And so were cast into the burning fiery furnace. But Nebuchadnezzar, he rose up, he was amazed. He said, did we not cast three men down? into the furnace, yet I see four men, loose, walking in the midst of the furnace, and the fourth is like unto the Son of God. The Lord Jesus Christ, before his pre-incarnation appearances, was with those Hebrew children in that fire. When they came out, there was not even the smell of fire on them. The fire had burnt their bonds, it had killed those that cast them into the fire, but they had been completely preserved. The fire had no power over them at all, and Nebuchadnezzar had seen that. We have another lesson in this. When God converted Saul of Tarsus, the Apostle Paul, he said to him on the Damascus road, It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. What were those pricks? Things that had happened before. He had seen Stephen stoned to death. He had heard what Stephen had said. They'd laid his clothes, or the clothes of those that were stoning him, at Saul's feet. He was that close. Had there been those things that really pricked his conscience, really troubled him, gone before? Very often, when the Lord begins with a person and begins to teach them about himself, then there are those things that are done that don't work immediately in the way of conversion, but they cause that person to think to be troubled, to have things they can't understand. And where the Lord is in it, he will bring to a conclusion, a conclusion similar to what was here. Because we find in this chapter, the Lord deals directly with Nebuchadnezzar, takes away his reason, brings him to be out of his mind, to act like a beast, to be out in the fields for seven years. So I understand the seven times would be the effect on his body, more than just seven days. The effect of the kingdom, more than just seven months, but seven times. passed over him and yet it was an appointed time and he had to remain in that time until the work was done, until he was humbled, until he was brought down, then his reason was given to him again. And so it is with every one of the people of God. The Lord will deal with them, that pride and self might fall, that Jesus Christ be all in all. We are taught to be humble before God, humbled as a sinner under condemnation. Pride is the great mark of sin with man. that though he is so miserable, so wretched, so vile, so undone, yet he lifts himself up and shakes his fist at the Eternal God. But the scriptures speak of putting one's mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope. And Nebuchadnezzar here, the great work that was done that he was humbled before God and humbled to hear hear the Lord and to bow before Him and to speak well of Him and to set other men to look upon Him as well. The things that were done for Him was that which was foretold, that which came to pass, a kingdom that was taken away for a period and then restored, naturally speaking, We can read of several kingdoms in the Word of God, that even while the king was strong and healthy, were those that came and took the kingdoms away from him, usurped them. But in this time for seven years, there was no such thing happened, and the kingdom returned to him. Those signs, those things, would not have escaped his notice, that God had sovereignly I hope that in our lives we don't ascribe things to chance, but we look to see the same evidence of a God that is working sovereignly, that is dealing with us, and the effect is to humble us before him. It's a painful thing to be humble, painful thing to know our dependence, our helplessness, our inability. We may be this morning brought into a net, unable to move, not know which way to go, held fast, beset with sin, troubled by providences, afflicted with afflictions, whether in ourselves or loved ones, in a position we know that these things are in God's hand and He has chosen that path and done that which is appointed for us and we are humbled before the Lord. There are those times we rise up against Him but the Lord knows how to keep us in trials long enough so that we bow before the Lord nevertheless not my will, but thy will be done." It's a blessed thing to be in a position where we have an appetite and a longing for the Saviour, for the forgiveness and pardon of our sins, to know the salvation of the Lord. Jonah had to go into the whale's belly for him to be able to say salvation is of the Lord. Those things that the people of God have had to go through have been low, sometimes very dark places. And it's a dark place when all we can see is sin and a broken law and death. The apostle said, who shall deliver me from this body of death? But he had an answer. I thank God through Jesus Christ, my Lord. We may ask ourselves, what has the Lord done to us personally? Has it had, and when we think of this account here, a long chapter, and really summarised as to the end result, which we might despise. We might think all of what the Lord is doing in our lives is not much. But here is one thing. Those that walk in pride is able to obey. Nebuchadnezzar doesn't think that's a small thing. It's a great thing. And we should not despise what the Lord has done. You might say here, the Lord took seven years to teach Nebuchadnezzar this. You might say, but it's been many years. that I've had trial and tribulation, afflictions, but the Lord uses these things. He must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom. Despise not now the chastening of the Lord, or the teaching and the instruction, and that which brings us to value the Saviour, and in our sufferings to think the sufferings of the Saviour and what He has wrought, that there should be a kingdom at all, a kingdom of grace, a kingdom of mercy, a kingdom of sinners saved by grace, a kingdom that we are part of, that the Lord has known us, known our sins, borne our sins, chosen us, and has called us by grace and quickened us. Our Queen doesn't know any of her subjects like the Lord knows his subjects. She has not died for them nor suffered for them. She is not to give an everlasting kingdom for them. She needs those blessings herself and we pray that she might be blessed with them. But we need these personal works. We might look upon another, but what another passes through, unless they're directly related to us or close to us and it becomes what we pass through, is not enough. We need that work like the man that was born blind. One thing I know. One thing I know. Nebby Gnese could say, one thing I know. There are signs. There are wonders, and they have been wrought toward me. He says, I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. I wonder how much we can look on our lives, and we can view what we have been through, and we can view them as signs and wonders. We can view that these were done by the high with Nebuchadnezzar and that we can think it a good thing to tell. Where should we tell it? Tell it to the Church of God. Tell it to the people of God. You know those four lepers that went out at the time that Samaria was besieged by the Assyrians and God had caused the Assyrians to hear a noise of hooves, horses, and they fled. And the lepers, the four lepers, went out. They saw no man in the camp. They started to hide, hide all of the evidences of the riches and all what was done, hide it in the tent. But one said, we do not well. This is a day of good tidings. Let us go and tell the king's household. There is a time to tell the wonders of God. With Nebuchadnezzar, it was not in the middle of his seven years. It was not in the last year. It was when God brought that time of teaching and bringing down to an end, and then it was a time to speak and to write, when the Lord had lifted him up again, and he could praise the Lord and bless the Lord. may be with us. We are still in the fires, still in the teaching, still in the affliction, but a blessed expectation when the Lord shall bring us out from it, when we shall then look back as Nebuchadnezzar did and see what the Lord has done. Well, what was his assessment? That was our third point. What was the assessment of what God had done with him? Those signs and wonders. He says in verse 3, how great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders. There are those times that we can be in trouble, whether in providence or in our souls, And we cry unto the Lord in our trouble. But then when we're delivered from that trouble, along comes Satan and says, it's nothing, it's nothing. You would have been delivered anyway. There's nothing to do with your prayer. It wasn't such a bad thing anyway. And I find what is very profitable that when we discern that we have prayed for something and the Lord has answered that prayer, to try and in our thoughts go back to when we were praying, when we had not got the answer. Perhaps it was that something was lost and we were looking for it and it was very important vital for us. And we prayed the Lord would show us where it was. And He did. We found it. We were glad we found it. But then we don't see a greatness in what the Lord has done. We don't praise Him. We minimise what the Lord has done and rob Him of praise and thanksgiving. You know, on this occasion, We seek to try and give thanks for our Queen, for her reign. But how easy it is to just minimise things, not realise what could have been, take for granted things. And that applies to our lives as well. We read with Hannah when she prayed for a child and the Lord gave her Samuel. She returned, she paid her vow, and then she returns to the path of prayer. And you don't read of Samuel featuring in that prayer. It is all praise to God, what he has done, the wonders that he had wrought. And that is what is to be dwelt here. Nebuchadnezzar is not naming in these opening verses what these signs are. Yes, he goes through all what he's been through, but he emphasises this. How great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders. What are our views of the Lord's dealings with us? What are the views of Calvary? What are the views of the ordinances of the house of God, baptism, the Lord's Supper, those signs given by God to the church. What are our views of how he has dealt with us? Maybe moving men's hearts, affecting other men, other people. They've seen it. There are many witnesses to what had happened to Nebuchadnezzar. may be with us as well, the children of Israel, many witnesses, other nations looking on as the Lord dealt with them. But may we have that estimation of the Lord's work. We're exhorted in the Psalms to see thou magnify the work of God which men behold. But if we magnify something, we make it look bigger. We cannot make God's work any bigger, greater than it is. But the people of God, as they speak like Nebuchadnezzar did, they magnify God's work. They speak in a way that lift him up, extol him, praise him. The Lord said of his people, this people have I formed for myself, they shall show forth my praise. And here we have Nebuchadnezzar, Gentile king, doing just that and showing forth God's praise. Well, may we be of those that are able to come in with something of the spirit of Nebuchadnezzar, be able to tell like those two on the way to Emmaus, what was done in the way and how Jesus had been made known unto them, to tell forth God's work, God's work in the kingdom of men, God's work in grace, teaching, instructing in the ways of righteousness and bringing to know and love and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, believing in him and trusting in him alone for salvation. May the Lord bless us then and we join with Nebuchadnezzar, I thought it good, to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath brought toward me. 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. Amen.