Pride And Being a Cow
Daniel 4:1-37
Message #6
Back in Daniel Chapter 1, when King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem, he took the vessels of the Temple of God back to Babylon and put them in the treasure house of his god. This was a symbolic act demonstrating that his god (or he himself) was greater than the God of Israel. So, that’s going to come back to bite him because God doesn’t overlook that attitude for very long.
God says in Isaiah 48,
Isaiah 48:11 (ESV)
11 . . . My glory I will not give to another.
And maybe you’d say today, “Well, I don’t have to worry about that. I haven’t done anything like Nebuchadnezzar did to God.”
Really? Are you sure? We may not be building golden statues of ourselves (at least not outside of our minds.) But if we think we are the king of our own castle, captain of our own ship, master of our own destiny, we may be more like Nebuchadnezzar than we think. And the sooner we come to grips with this tendency in ourselves, the better chance we have of being saved from consequences similar to what we’ll see today.
The first glimpse we got of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride was in Chapter 2 when Daniel was interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. We know that dream was God prophetically “laying-out” the history of the world. But Nebuchadnezzar kind of got fixated on the fact that he was just the head of gold in that dream. God had made it clear, kingdoms would follow his, and in the end, only the Kingdom of God would reign forever. But that doesn’t sit well with someone who thinks they are always going to be king. And so, in the distance, we can almost hear King Nebuchadnezzar whining, “I don’t just want to be the head – I want to be the whole statue!”
In Daniel Chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar decided to fix that little problem, and he made himself the entire statue from his dream. He built that statue like he wanted to see it: all of gold, and all of himself. Nebuchadnezzar was clearly trying to contradict the interpretation God had provided. He was saying to God (and the world) my kingdom will endure forever, see, the entire statue is me!!
Pride is never satisfied with who you are – today. Pride is never satisfied with where God has put you – today. And you and I may very well have done the exact same thing if we were Nebuchadnezzar and had a hundred tons of gold.
So, our text today (Chapter 4) must be seen against the backdrop of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride in himself and in his own accomplishments, and we must see ourselves as Nebuchadnezzar, at least to some extent. We have the same sin nature as he did, so we could have this same tendency, maybe just not at the “Ruler of the World” level. And if that offends us, it just proves all the more that we need to see ourselves in today’s text.
One more thing… as we read through the text today, watch for the unique Name of God used here. In English, it’s “The Most High God.” It means the Ruler of Heaven and Earth. The One who rules (governs) all things.
That’s what Daniel Chapter 4 is about:
WHO (indeed) is the Ruler of all things?
WHO (indeed) is calling the shots?
WHO (indeed) is setting things in order?
Because sometimes, we get confused, and we start to put ourselves in that position. And we’ll see here how God responds to Nebuchadnezzar when he falls into that same trap.
Finally, King Nebuchadnezzar writes this chapter himself, and he’s writing “after the fact.” And so he writes these first verses after his big lesson has been learned.
Daniel 4:1–3 (NLT)
1 King Nebuchadnezzar sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: “Peace and prosperity to you!
2 “I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me.
3 How great are his signs, how powerful his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations.
That sounds like something a solid, humble believer would write, and as I said, he wrote it after the fact. So now Nebuchadnezzar is going to tell his own story.
Daniel 4:4–18 (NLT)
4 “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace in comfort and prosperity.
5 But one night I had a dream that frightened me; I saw visions that terrified me as I lay in my bed. (this is a different dream)
6 So I issued an order calling in all the wise men of Babylon, so they could tell me what my dream meant.
7 When all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers came in, I told them the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant. (seems to be a slow learner - this is 2nd time)
8 At last Daniel came in before me, and I told him the dream. (He was named Belteshazzar after my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)
9 “I said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too great for you to solve. Now tell me what my dream means.
10 “ ‘While I was lying in my bed, this is what I dreamed. I saw a large tree in the middle of the earth.
11 The tree grew very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see.
12 It had fresh green leaves, and it was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. All the world was fed from this tree.
13 “ ‘Then as I lay there dreaming, I saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
(notice in verse 14 - the tree being referred to as “IT”)
14 The messenger shouted, “Cut down the tree and lop off its branches! Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Chase the wild animals from its shade and the birds from its branches.
(then notice in verse 15 - the tree begins to be called “HIM”)
15 But leave the stump and the roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze and surrounded by tender grass. Now let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the wild animals among the plants of the field.
16 For seven periods of time, let him have the mind of a wild animal instead of the mind of a human.
17 For this has been decreed by the messengers; it is commanded by the holy ones, (here’s the reason) so that everyone may know that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world. (THIS is our POINT today - The Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world) He gives them to anyone he chooses— even to the lowliest of people.”
18 “ ‘Belteshazzar, that was the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now tell me what it means, for none of the wise men of my kingdom can do so. But you can tell me because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.’
Daniel had the interpretation immediately, but he hesitated a bit, knowing the King was not going to want to hear it.
Daniel 4:19-27 (NLT)
19 “Upon hearing this, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) was overcome for a time, frightened by the meaning of the dream.
Daniel’s like . . . “Umm, if you didn’t like being JUST the head of gold in that last dream - You are REALLY NOT gonna like this one”
(continued) 19 . . . Then the king said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, don’t be alarmed by the dream and what it means.’ (go ahead, tell me) “Belteshazzar replied, ‘I wish the events foreshadowed in this dream would happen to your enemies, my lord, and not to you!
20 The tree you saw was growing very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see.
21 It had fresh green leaves and was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches.
22 That tree, Your Majesty, is you. For you have grown strong and great; your greatness reaches up to heaven, and your rule to the ends of the earth.
23 “ ‘Then you saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, “Cut down the tree and destroy it. But leave the stump and the roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze and surrounded by tender grass. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven. Let him live with the animals of the field for seven periods of time.”
24 “ ‘This is what the dream means, Your Majesty, and what the Most High has declared will happen to my lord the king.
25 You will be driven from human society, and you will live in the fields with the wild animals. You will eat grass like a cow, and you will be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, (here’s the point) until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.
26 But the stump and roots of the tree were left in the ground. This means that you will receive your kingdom back again when you have learned that heaven rules.
That is as clear a warning as God can give a person, and Daniel ends it with a call to repentance.
27 “ ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning (repent) and do what is right. Break from your wicked past (again, repent) and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.’
Isn’t it funny how when someone destroys their own life, they often shake a fist at God, as if it were his fault? But God always gives time and opportunity to repent, which is exactly what he did for King Nebuchadnezzar here.
God was showing Nebuchadnezzar mercy as long as he possibly could. It reminds me of 2 Peter 3, speaking of coming judgment:
2 Peter 3:9–10 (NLT)
9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief . . .
Ultimately, God’s warnings are as sure as his promises, and that’s exactly what we see here, as we continue in Daniel Chapter 4.
Daniel 4:28-29 (NLT)
28 “But all these things did happen to King Nebuchadnezzar.
29 Twelve months later he was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon.
Daniel had been perfectly clear with Nebuchadnezzar.
In verse 25, THE WARNING: you need to learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world
In verse 27, THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPENT: Repent and do what is right - Perhaps then you will continue to prosper
And then came twelve months of opportunity. But in Daniel 4:30, we read:
Daniel 4:30 (NLT)
30 (12 months later) As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’
Uh-oh… My own power? My Royal residence? My majestic splendor?
Man, we learn slow, don’t we? And the greater our pride, the slower we learn, and Nebuchadnezzar’s pride was great, and he was a real slow learner. But God had a special extra-curricular class just for him, like an extended summer school to help him understand who is in charge and who calls the shots.
Come on, “Nebe:” By your own mighty power - you have built all this - as your home – to display your majestic splendor?
Who says this is a bad idea? But wait a minute, Nebuchadnezzar might be “over the top” with his pride, but honestly, sometimes we’re not that far behind him.
Often we have our own way of
Thinking we are “all that”
Thinking we are all right
Thinking we should get the credit
I know that Nebuchadnezzar is an amplified version, but do you think God is okay with just a little bit of this kind of self-focused pride? Do you think God is okay with our pride, as long as it doesn’t show as much as King Nebuchadnezzar’s?
And do you think God might use King Nebuchadnezzar’s “over-the-top” pride to make a point to us, about our own? Here it is, continuing on in Daniel 4.
Daniel 4:31-32 (NLT)
31 “While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom.
32 You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way . . .
Seven “periods of time” – possibly seven years. Seven years with you living like a wild animal and eating like a cow (not talking about how some of you eat) like a literal cow. Seven years… until what? Verse 32 continues.
32 …until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’
That’s it? That’s what you have to learn? That shouldn’t take seven years to learn, should it? I don’t know… how long has God been trying to teach us?
Nebuchadnezzar is about to learn this lesson in a way that I pray God won’t have to use on us.
Daniel 4:33 (NLT)
33 “That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws.
You’ve heard it said some people won’t repent until they’ve hit the very bottom. Well, apparently, seven years of living like a cow was the very bottom for King Nebuchadnezzar. I pray you and I would choose to repent of our pride and our self-focus at some point before we reach a place similar to Nebuchadnezzar’s.
The good news is King Nebuchadnezzar did repent. He might have been a slow learner, but at least he learned.
Daniel 4:34 (NLT)
34 “After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven . . . (literally - “I lifted up (raised) my eyes to heaven”)
It only took seven years of Nebuchadnezzar, literally living like a cow, for him to finally “look up” to heaven. The inference here is Nebuchadnezzar finally accepted who was truly great and who was truly in charge. He lifted his eyes to heaven, and immediately when he did, God graciously received him. Continuing in verse 34…
34 . . . (when I looked up to heaven) My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal.
This is generally considered to be a confession of saving faith from Nebuchadnezzar. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever . . .
That, by the way, is what it still looks like when someone truly gets saved by faith. And Nebuchadnezzar continues his confession of faith in Daniel 4:35.
Daniel 4:35 (NLT)
35 All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’
It is so important for us to reach this place of truly trusting God’s ruling (his governing) of ALL of Heaven and Earth - AND - ALL the People of the Earth. In order to get to this place, we’ve got to trust God completely in his governing, and we come to trust him by knowing God’s character.
We KNOW that God IS LOVE
We KNOW that God Loves US
We KNOW that God has a PLAN
We KNOW that God is AT WORK – for good, in all things for those who love him.
And if you belong to God today, through faith in Jesus Christ, his plan ends with you receiving an inheritance in heaven that’s undefiled and does not fade away, and is reserved for you while you are being kept here until that day. No, we don’t get to know his plan. No, we don’t get to approve his plan. But we do get to know him – we get to KNOW HIM. And by knowing him, we can trust his plan completely.
King Nebuchadnezzar came to this point in his life, and I pray each of us would come to this same point in our lives.
And when Nebuchadnezzar did get to this point with God, God restored him.
Daniel 4:36 (NLT)
36 “When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before.
When he says my sanity returned to me, I’d like to think he was talking about more than just his mental sanity, because his spiritual sanity also returned. His prideful insanity was going, and his humble sanity was returned (or maybe for the first time.) And just like our three heroes in the fire last week, this is the last we get to hear from Nebuchadnezzar. Verse 37 is the last words we hear from Ol’ King “Nebe.” I pray we would hear them loud and clear, and I pray we would genuinely believe them in our own lives.
Daniel 4:37 (NLT)
37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”
The Most High God - The King of Heaven - I praise and glorify and honor you - All YOUR acts are just and true, and YOU are able to humble the proud.
There are many things in our lives that don’t make sense to us. Sometimes it looks like God is not in control or that he has somehow fallen down on the job. But God cannot explain his ways to us as if to get our approval or our understanding. In our pride, we demand to understand God and demand to know his plan. In our humility, we come to know God, and in know him, we come to trust him. And in trusting him we come to say, The Most High God - The King of Heaven - I praise and glorify and honor you - All YOUR acts are just and true,
God rules over the kingdoms of the earth and over all the people on the earth, and when we can’t understand his ways, we can still trust that he is in control for good.
God says in Isaiah 48,
Isaiah 48:11 (ESV)
11 . . . My glory I will not give to another.
And maybe you’d say today, “Well, I don’t have to worry about that. I haven’t done anything like Nebuchadnezzar did to God.”
Really? Are you sure? We may not be building golden statues of ourselves (at least not outside of our minds.) But if we think we are the king of our own castle, captain of our own ship, master of our own destiny, we may be more like Nebuchadnezzar than we think. And the sooner we come to grips with this tendency in ourselves, the better chance we have of being saved from consequences similar to what we’ll see today.
The first glimpse we got of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride was in Chapter 2 when Daniel was interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. We know that dream was God prophetically “laying-out” the history of the world. But Nebuchadnezzar kind of got fixated on the fact that he was just the head of gold in that dream. God had made it clear, kingdoms would follow his, and in the end, only the Kingdom of God would reign forever. But that doesn’t sit well with someone who thinks they are always going to be king. And so, in the distance, we can almost hear King Nebuchadnezzar whining, “I don’t just want to be the head – I want to be the whole statue!”
In Daniel Chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar decided to fix that little problem, and he made himself the entire statue from his dream. He built that statue like he wanted to see it: all of gold, and all of himself. Nebuchadnezzar was clearly trying to contradict the interpretation God had provided. He was saying to God (and the world) my kingdom will endure forever, see, the entire statue is me!!
Pride is never satisfied with who you are – today. Pride is never satisfied with where God has put you – today. And you and I may very well have done the exact same thing if we were Nebuchadnezzar and had a hundred tons of gold.
So, our text today (Chapter 4) must be seen against the backdrop of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride in himself and in his own accomplishments, and we must see ourselves as Nebuchadnezzar, at least to some extent. We have the same sin nature as he did, so we could have this same tendency, maybe just not at the “Ruler of the World” level. And if that offends us, it just proves all the more that we need to see ourselves in today’s text.
One more thing… as we read through the text today, watch for the unique Name of God used here. In English, it’s “The Most High God.” It means the Ruler of Heaven and Earth. The One who rules (governs) all things.
That’s what Daniel Chapter 4 is about:
WHO (indeed) is the Ruler of all things?
WHO (indeed) is calling the shots?
WHO (indeed) is setting things in order?
Because sometimes, we get confused, and we start to put ourselves in that position. And we’ll see here how God responds to Nebuchadnezzar when he falls into that same trap.
Finally, King Nebuchadnezzar writes this chapter himself, and he’s writing “after the fact.” And so he writes these first verses after his big lesson has been learned.
Daniel 4:1–3 (NLT)
1 King Nebuchadnezzar sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: “Peace and prosperity to you!
2 “I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me.
3 How great are his signs, how powerful his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations.
That sounds like something a solid, humble believer would write, and as I said, he wrote it after the fact. So now Nebuchadnezzar is going to tell his own story.
Daniel 4:4–18 (NLT)
4 “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace in comfort and prosperity.
5 But one night I had a dream that frightened me; I saw visions that terrified me as I lay in my bed. (this is a different dream)
6 So I issued an order calling in all the wise men of Babylon, so they could tell me what my dream meant.
7 When all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers came in, I told them the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant. (seems to be a slow learner - this is 2nd time)
8 At last Daniel came in before me, and I told him the dream. (He was named Belteshazzar after my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)
9 “I said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too great for you to solve. Now tell me what my dream means.
10 “ ‘While I was lying in my bed, this is what I dreamed. I saw a large tree in the middle of the earth.
11 The tree grew very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see.
12 It had fresh green leaves, and it was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. All the world was fed from this tree.
13 “ ‘Then as I lay there dreaming, I saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
(notice in verse 14 - the tree being referred to as “IT”)
14 The messenger shouted, “Cut down the tree and lop off its branches! Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Chase the wild animals from its shade and the birds from its branches.
(then notice in verse 15 - the tree begins to be called “HIM”)
15 But leave the stump and the roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze and surrounded by tender grass. Now let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the wild animals among the plants of the field.
16 For seven periods of time, let him have the mind of a wild animal instead of the mind of a human.
17 For this has been decreed by the messengers; it is commanded by the holy ones, (here’s the reason) so that everyone may know that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world. (THIS is our POINT today - The Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world) He gives them to anyone he chooses— even to the lowliest of people.”
18 “ ‘Belteshazzar, that was the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now tell me what it means, for none of the wise men of my kingdom can do so. But you can tell me because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.’
Daniel had the interpretation immediately, but he hesitated a bit, knowing the King was not going to want to hear it.
Daniel 4:19-27 (NLT)
19 “Upon hearing this, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) was overcome for a time, frightened by the meaning of the dream.
Daniel’s like . . . “Umm, if you didn’t like being JUST the head of gold in that last dream - You are REALLY NOT gonna like this one”
(continued) 19 . . . Then the king said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, don’t be alarmed by the dream and what it means.’ (go ahead, tell me) “Belteshazzar replied, ‘I wish the events foreshadowed in this dream would happen to your enemies, my lord, and not to you!
20 The tree you saw was growing very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see.
21 It had fresh green leaves and was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches.
22 That tree, Your Majesty, is you. For you have grown strong and great; your greatness reaches up to heaven, and your rule to the ends of the earth.
23 “ ‘Then you saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, “Cut down the tree and destroy it. But leave the stump and the roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze and surrounded by tender grass. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven. Let him live with the animals of the field for seven periods of time.”
24 “ ‘This is what the dream means, Your Majesty, and what the Most High has declared will happen to my lord the king.
25 You will be driven from human society, and you will live in the fields with the wild animals. You will eat grass like a cow, and you will be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, (here’s the point) until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.
26 But the stump and roots of the tree were left in the ground. This means that you will receive your kingdom back again when you have learned that heaven rules.
That is as clear a warning as God can give a person, and Daniel ends it with a call to repentance.
27 “ ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning (repent) and do what is right. Break from your wicked past (again, repent) and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.’
Isn’t it funny how when someone destroys their own life, they often shake a fist at God, as if it were his fault? But God always gives time and opportunity to repent, which is exactly what he did for King Nebuchadnezzar here.
God was showing Nebuchadnezzar mercy as long as he possibly could. It reminds me of 2 Peter 3, speaking of coming judgment:
2 Peter 3:9–10 (NLT)
9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief . . .
Ultimately, God’s warnings are as sure as his promises, and that’s exactly what we see here, as we continue in Daniel Chapter 4.
Daniel 4:28-29 (NLT)
28 “But all these things did happen to King Nebuchadnezzar.
29 Twelve months later he was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon.
Daniel had been perfectly clear with Nebuchadnezzar.
In verse 25, THE WARNING: you need to learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world
In verse 27, THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPENT: Repent and do what is right - Perhaps then you will continue to prosper
And then came twelve months of opportunity. But in Daniel 4:30, we read:
Daniel 4:30 (NLT)
30 (12 months later) As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’
Uh-oh… My own power? My Royal residence? My majestic splendor?
Man, we learn slow, don’t we? And the greater our pride, the slower we learn, and Nebuchadnezzar’s pride was great, and he was a real slow learner. But God had a special extra-curricular class just for him, like an extended summer school to help him understand who is in charge and who calls the shots.
Come on, “Nebe:” By your own mighty power - you have built all this - as your home – to display your majestic splendor?
Who says this is a bad idea? But wait a minute, Nebuchadnezzar might be “over the top” with his pride, but honestly, sometimes we’re not that far behind him.
Often we have our own way of
Thinking we are “all that”
Thinking we are all right
Thinking we should get the credit
I know that Nebuchadnezzar is an amplified version, but do you think God is okay with just a little bit of this kind of self-focused pride? Do you think God is okay with our pride, as long as it doesn’t show as much as King Nebuchadnezzar’s?
And do you think God might use King Nebuchadnezzar’s “over-the-top” pride to make a point to us, about our own? Here it is, continuing on in Daniel 4.
Daniel 4:31-32 (NLT)
31 “While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom.
32 You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way . . .
Seven “periods of time” – possibly seven years. Seven years with you living like a wild animal and eating like a cow (not talking about how some of you eat) like a literal cow. Seven years… until what? Verse 32 continues.
32 …until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’
That’s it? That’s what you have to learn? That shouldn’t take seven years to learn, should it? I don’t know… how long has God been trying to teach us?
Nebuchadnezzar is about to learn this lesson in a way that I pray God won’t have to use on us.
Daniel 4:33 (NLT)
33 “That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws.
You’ve heard it said some people won’t repent until they’ve hit the very bottom. Well, apparently, seven years of living like a cow was the very bottom for King Nebuchadnezzar. I pray you and I would choose to repent of our pride and our self-focus at some point before we reach a place similar to Nebuchadnezzar’s.
The good news is King Nebuchadnezzar did repent. He might have been a slow learner, but at least he learned.
Daniel 4:34 (NLT)
34 “After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven . . . (literally - “I lifted up (raised) my eyes to heaven”)
It only took seven years of Nebuchadnezzar, literally living like a cow, for him to finally “look up” to heaven. The inference here is Nebuchadnezzar finally accepted who was truly great and who was truly in charge. He lifted his eyes to heaven, and immediately when he did, God graciously received him. Continuing in verse 34…
34 . . . (when I looked up to heaven) My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal.
This is generally considered to be a confession of saving faith from Nebuchadnezzar. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever . . .
That, by the way, is what it still looks like when someone truly gets saved by faith. And Nebuchadnezzar continues his confession of faith in Daniel 4:35.
Daniel 4:35 (NLT)
35 All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’
It is so important for us to reach this place of truly trusting God’s ruling (his governing) of ALL of Heaven and Earth - AND - ALL the People of the Earth. In order to get to this place, we’ve got to trust God completely in his governing, and we come to trust him by knowing God’s character.
We KNOW that God IS LOVE
We KNOW that God Loves US
We KNOW that God has a PLAN
We KNOW that God is AT WORK – for good, in all things for those who love him.
And if you belong to God today, through faith in Jesus Christ, his plan ends with you receiving an inheritance in heaven that’s undefiled and does not fade away, and is reserved for you while you are being kept here until that day. No, we don’t get to know his plan. No, we don’t get to approve his plan. But we do get to know him – we get to KNOW HIM. And by knowing him, we can trust his plan completely.
King Nebuchadnezzar came to this point in his life, and I pray each of us would come to this same point in our lives.
And when Nebuchadnezzar did get to this point with God, God restored him.
Daniel 4:36 (NLT)
36 “When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before.
When he says my sanity returned to me, I’d like to think he was talking about more than just his mental sanity, because his spiritual sanity also returned. His prideful insanity was going, and his humble sanity was returned (or maybe for the first time.) And just like our three heroes in the fire last week, this is the last we get to hear from Nebuchadnezzar. Verse 37 is the last words we hear from Ol’ King “Nebe.” I pray we would hear them loud and clear, and I pray we would genuinely believe them in our own lives.
Daniel 4:37 (NLT)
37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”
The Most High God - The King of Heaven - I praise and glorify and honor you - All YOUR acts are just and true, and YOU are able to humble the proud.
There are many things in our lives that don’t make sense to us. Sometimes it looks like God is not in control or that he has somehow fallen down on the job. But God cannot explain his ways to us as if to get our approval or our understanding. In our pride, we demand to understand God and demand to know his plan. In our humility, we come to know God, and in know him, we come to trust him. And in trusting him we come to say, The Most High God - The King of Heaven - I praise and glorify and honor you - All YOUR acts are just and true,
God rules over the kingdoms of the earth and over all the people on the earth, and when we can’t understand his ways, we can still trust that he is in control for good.