Jan 30 and 31, 2016 Study Questions 4:1-37 Is There Hope For A Stump? Questions by Pastor Andy Hy

Announcements:  Eat, Pray, Love. You and your spouse are invited to Eat Pray Love, on Friday, February 12 at the cafe at 7pm. Come and enjoy a romantic evening over dessert and live jazz music. Tickets are $20 per couple and will available for purchase at the Resource Centre on Jan 30/31 and February 6 & 7 (Sat, 4:30pm-8::00pm & Sun 8:15am - 1:15pm) or at the church office during office hours (M-F, 9am-5pm).

1. What are the signs of pride in your life? Daniel 4 deals with Nebuchadnezzar’s pride. In the story you see Nebuchadnezzar’s pride manifested through his life. This question is meant to be an ice-breaker discussion. It’s important to make it clear that everyone is a sinner—everyone has some form of pride. Either they dealt with it or they are dealing with it. Encourage them to share because the rest of the study deals with pride.

2. Nebuchadnezzar has a second dream from God. This time the dream is of a giant tree. The tree is large and strong and its top touched the sky (4:11). Read Genesis 11:4-9. What do the tower of Babel and the tree reveal about pride? And what does it reveal about God’s reaction towards pride? Genesis 11:4-9 is the story of the tower of Babel. An interesting note, both the tower and the tree are located geographically in . This geographical fact doesn’t change the significance to the main point of Daniel 4. The main point is the issue of pride for both the tower of Babel and the tree. Do you see the how the tower of Babel highlights the pride of people? Verse 6, “And the Lord said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is ONLY THE BEGINNING of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be IMPOSSIBLE for them.’” The Babel story takes place after the story of Noah and the flood. In Gen. 9:7, God made a covenant with Noah and was told to be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it. In other words, they are to spread out over the earth. But at the tower of Babel, we see the descendants of Noah clumping together and not actually spreading out. Look at Gen 11:4, “…let us make a name for ourselves, LEST we be dispersed over the face of the earth.” So how is this pride? These people at Babel wanted to make a name for themselves. As a result they disobeyed God’s mandate to be spread out and fill the earth with God’s glory. They instead built a magnificent tower that its top reached “the heaven”. Similarly, the tree reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s pride. Nebuchadnezzar desired to make a name for himself: exalting himself greater than the almighty God. We see this in Daniel 4:30, “…Is not this Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” These two stories reveal the pride that exists in a person’s desire to exalt their creativity, their strength, their rule, their intellect, their accomplishments. Small Group leaders, this might be a good time to tie in your study to what was shared in question 1. That second part of this question, what is revealed about God reaction towards Gen.11 and Dan. 4’s pride? God is greater than anything we take pride in. And God destroys our prideful accomplishments so that we are bought to a place of humility.

3. Read Daniel 4:13-15, 26. This tree is chopped down by a , a holy one. This tree’s stump is left in the earth. What is the meaning of leaving the stump? Where else do you see in the Bible God using the imagery of a stump for hope and restoration? Verse 26 answers this simple question, “And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules.” The stump is an image of hope and restoration. Here is God extending Nebuchadnezzar an opportunity to receive restoration. Now that you know what the image means—hope and restoration, God again uses this imagery elsewhere in the Bible. Depending on your group, they may be able to refer to other references in the Bible. If not, here are all the other references of “stump: hope and restoration” in the Bible: 1) Job 14:7-9; 2) Isaiah 11:1-2 (and Isaiah 6:13), and our 3) Daniel chapter 4. Small group leader, it’s important you take these passages and connect it to the image of hope and restoration. Don’t just dwell on the answer but push your group to wrestle with the message of God’s word. If possible, ask leading questions to help people get deeper into the language of hope and restoration for the prideful and oppressive king.

4. Read Daniel 4:19-27. What signs of humbling will Nebuchadnezzar experience? Verse 27, how do you talk to someone with pride, the way Daniel does to Nebuchadnezzar? Have your group look at the text. The signs that Nebuchadnezzar will experience are: 1. You shall be driven from among men. 2. Your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field (NIV “wild animals”). 3. You will eat grass like cattle. Here Nebuchadnezzar is in the highest human lifestyle and he will be humbled to a lowly lifestyle. 4. The last humbling for Nebuchadnezzar is to accept and renounce his sins by doing what is right and being kind to the oppressed. The second part of this question is how do you talk with someone the way Daniel did? One way is to be in a relationship where there is trust. Nebuchadnezzar call Daniel to come and interpret his second dream. This is after Nebuchadnezzar consulted with his magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. So perhaps Nebuchadnezzar is desperate for help. Because when people are most desperate, they are likely most willing to receive a call for repentance and humility. When you talk to someone about sins, repentance, and humility, be sure to highlight the good news! Take v.27 for example, “…It may be that then your prosperity will continue.” In the case of the Gospel, challenge your small group to see that maybe God is doing things in their life to humble them and that’s a good thing. Too often we view “bad things” happening as unjust bad circumstances. But if God is working in your life it is always for good and never without hope and restoration. Challenge your people to receive the free gift of salvation, forgiveness and eternal life in Jesus Christ.

5. Why is being humbled the best solution to pride? How have you experienced this in your life? It’s the opposite of each other. I’m sure your group will have plenty to contribute as to how being humbled kills the pride that says that they don’t need help. This “experience” question should point to the work of God to humble our pride. But in conversation if someone has a point that humility isn’t the best solution. Listen to them and encourage the conversation because at the end of the day, the main issue is pride and the necessity to get rid of the pride. Pride breaks relationship with God.

6. It took 12 months for Nebuchadnezzar to be humbled from the time of the dream. What does that imply about God’s relationship with us? It means that God is patient with prideful people. I hope that people in your group will acknowledge God’s patience with them. Some people might share of how it took many years for them to see their need of a savior who is greater than themselves.

7. Nebuchadnezzar is restored in 4:34-37. He lifts his eyes to heaven and he blessed the Most High by praising Him and honoring God. Read Psalm 121:1, Jonah 2:2-4. What does that mean to lift up his eyes to heaven? What does that tell you about a person’s life when they lift their eyes up to heaven? For the last question, this focuses on the act of repentance. As you read in Psalm and Jonah, he lifts up their eyes to heaven or he cried aloud to the LORD. These cross-references teach “to lift one’s eyes up” is an act of declaring for help. Help me! Only a person in a place of brokenness would cry out the way the Psalmist and Jonah did. Small Group leaders, be sure to tie this into a response as you close your study. No matter where you are or how broke you are, God’s hope and restoration is available through the gift of Jesus Christ. Humble yourself, repent and place your faith in Jesus Christ alone. Amen.