At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High: I honored and glorified [H]im who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; [H]is kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as [H]e pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back [H]is hand or say to [H]im: “What have [Y]ou done?” Daniel 4: 34, 35, NIV.
Dear God, as we enter the study of Your Word; please reveal to us how offensive pride is in Your sight; for Christ’s sake; Amen.
Many of you might be acquainted with the story of Nebuchadnezzar. He was the king of one of the greatest nations of all time, Babylon. He was also privileged to have in his court, four of the most brilliant and faithful Jewish young men: Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These young men had been carried to Babylon during the captivity. They had remained faithful to God, and to their Jewish upbringing; and had modeled a life of integrity and godly wisdom before king Nebuchadnezzar. As a result of this, they were promoted during the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar, and continued serving under Cyrus, the king of Persia (Daniel 1: 6-21; 3: 30).
They had given glory to the “God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (2: 28). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, had been thrown into a fiery furnace because they refused to bow down to the golden image, and dared to honor their God (Daniel 3: 19-21). Only the ropes on their hands had been burned; and they had walked out of the furnace with “no smell of fire on them” (3: 25, 27). So king Nebuchadnezzar had been permitted to see the greatness of the LORD, first hand! He had been given a clear vision of the God of the universe, through the life of these young men. He had declared, the God of the Hebrews, “God of gods and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries (2: 47). He had also said of Him, “no other god can save this way” (3: 29).
But pride entered his heart. He was lifted up in his own eyes, and one day, prophecy was fulfilled on him. “He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird” (4: 33). The pride of his heart had caused his downfall! “A haughty spirit,” had preceded his fall.
But the story of king Nebuchadnezzar is not only about his pride and his fall. Our Scripture for today speaks rather eloquently about how God restores! When men and women, are willing to surrender their arrogance for God’s glory; God restores! When we are willing to say, I was wrong, and God is right, God will restore! God has promised that if we will humble ourselves and pray, and seek [H]is face and turn from [our] wicked ways then [H]e will hear from heaven and will forgive [our] sin and will heal [our] land” (2 Chronicles 7: 14). That is complete restoration! This is what Nebuchadnezzar did; and God restored him! God is in the business of restoring. He would rather see us made whole – than destroyed. His ultimate desire is to see His image restored in us. If we allow Him; He will do this, for you and me!