In the ancient Near East, kings fought on behalf of their gods, and to the victor went the spoils. So, on the surface in these two verses, the relocation of the vessels of the temple show the winner. Nebuchadnezzar and his god had won. But the narrator won’t let you really think that. Three times in the entire chapter, beginning in this verse, he says, “God gave.” He gives us a glimpse of what’s going on behind the scenes; what’s really happening. This is a central theme of the chapter and throughout