From Pride’s Fall to Rising Praise

Daniel 4:28-37

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?"

31 While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! 32 And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses."

33 That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.

34 And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever:

For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;
He does according to His will in the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of the earth.
No one can restrain His hand
Or say to Him, "What have You done?"

36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

Nebuchadnezzar allowed his pride to attribute the great kingdom he ruled over to his own efforts instead of as he was told had been given to him by the Most High God.  A year after Daniel was used to call the king to humble righteousness through repentance from his pride, he spoke out loud to contradict God.  He looked around and said that he had built Babylon for himself by his mighty power instead of that of the Almighty and for his honor and majesty instead of for the honor of God who alone is the sovereign over all kings and people.  He ignored (Daniel 4:25) the consequences and faced the judgment by refusing to humble himself (Daniel 4:27) through repentance and pursuing righteousness.  The LORD sent a heavenly messenger to tell him the kingdom had been taken away and he would be made as a wild animal licking dew from the grass instead of elegant banquets in his palace.  This was to teach him that God alone reigns as Sovereign over all worldly kingdoms and He alone entrusts the rule of them to those He chooses to sit on their thrones for only as long as He allows.  Nebuchadnezzar therefore ran wild and hairy as a beast of the fields until the allotted time had passed.  He finally looked up to heaven where the Almighty God reigned and understood these things.  He praised God as he was humbled and repented by honoring and blessing His holy name.  His speech rang out as a song of praise to confess that God’s heavenly eternal kingdom ruled over all others in complete sovereignty.  All men, including all kings and emperors, are as nothing compared to the King of kings and Lord of lords!  God does according to His will and not as others will, for nobody can hold back the hand of His sovereign omnipotence or question what he chooses to do.  As a result, God returned the earthly kingdom of Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar as promised (Daniel 4:26) along with his former glory, honor, and splendor he had lost.  Not only did his counselors and nobles of the court come back, the king had even more majesty added to his former standing.  His final recorded words were to praise and lift the name of God high and honor Him above all others, including himself.  His pride had been submitted in repentance according to the truths revealed to him in this difficult lesson.  He admitted God was just to do this and He knocks the pride out of those who exalt themselves by humbling them for his glory.  What a lesson in pride and humility which leads us from pride’s fall of self-importance to our rising praise in humbly submitting to the Lord Almighty by accepting His grace in whatever He entrusts to us as stewards and not earners as self-made men of all we possess or seem to control.  All praise, glory, and honor to Him!