Page 89 - The Prophet-statesman a Drama of Daniel

not only as the deliverer of His people, the Savior of Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego from the furnace of fire, but My God, the God of all the earth and heaven, I
praise and honor Him who liveth for ever and ever, whose dominion is an everlasting

dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to His will in the army of
heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, nor say
unto Him, What doest thou?”

But what now should he do, having experienced a three-fold awakening of body,
soul, and spirit?

He got up and walked into a clearing and looked in all directions. About a quarter
of a mile off, he spied a farm house nestling in the midst of the fields of near-ripe
grain.

Thither he directed his steps. When he came within a hundred yards of the house,
he saw the farmer, a middle-aged man, coming in his direction carrying a bucket of
feed.

Nebuchadnezzar stepped behind a tree to avoid shocking the man unduly with his
wild appearance. He waited till the man was parallel with the tree and spoke out to
him in pure Aramaic without showing himself: “Will you stop a moment, my friend,
while I have a word with you? When you see me you will perhaps be frightened at my

wild appearance, but I assure you that I am perfectly sane and harmless.”
“Who are you and where are you?” asked the farmer, coming to a halt.
“I am Nebuchadnezzar, for many years King of Babylon, but for the last seven
years a madman living among the beasts of the forest: only this very morning have I

recovered my sanity and come to recognize in a true way, the God of Heaven.”

With these words, he stepped from his hiding place behind the tree and revealed
himself to the farmer. The latter though slightly prepared for a strange vision, still

started back with fright at the sight of this man, the wildness of whose appearance he
had never seen duplicated.

“Do not be afraid, sir, even though I look frightful. If you will assist me to be
shaven and bathed and clothed, I believe you will not regret it.”

The cultured tones and speech and manner were in such definite contrast with the
man’s appearance that the farmer was temporarily reassured, though there was a flood

of thoughts in his mind and great amazement and perplexity.