Let His Heart Be Changed from a Man’s - Daniel 4:16

 In the book of Daniel, Daniel shared how King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream about a tree, and he continued, “I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven. He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches. Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth”, and in chapter four and verse sixteen of his book Daniel shared how Nebuchadnezzar said the watcher said, “Let his heart be changed from man's” where we read,

Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; 

and let seven times pass over him.

The verse reads, “Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him;” Daniel began with the words, “let his heart be changed” or “allow and permit his, the tree’s, mind exist as altered” “from man’s” which means “separate and apart from human beings”, “and let a beast’s heart”  or “and allow and permit an animal’s mind” “be given unto him” which means “be placed, laid and provided to him, the tree”. Daniel shared how King Nebuchadnezzar said the watcher declared that the “tree’s” mind be altered from the mind of a man to the mind of an animal.

The verse continues, “and let seven times pass over him.” Daniel added the words, “and let seven times” which means “and allow and permit seven set times or years” “pass over him” or “go by him, the tree”. Daniel said Nebuchadnezzar shared how the “watcher” declared that “seven years or seasons” were to go by the “tree”. 

When we meditate the words in this verse, we learn through Daniel how King Nebuchadnezzar said the “watcher” declared that the “tree” (which we shall discover was Nebuchadnezzar himself) was to have his mind altered from a “man’s mind” to that of an animal for a seven season or year periods. God was working within the life of King Nebuchadnezzar because it would lead to His Son Jesus being sent into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind. When He raised Him from the dead after three days, He made the way for us to be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and given understanding through His Holy Spirit for whatever seasons lie ahead.

Next time Daniel shares how Nebuchadnezzar said the watcher says, “this matter is by the decree of the watchers”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".