Pride and Humility

Unshakable faith requires us to humbly recognize our dependence upon God and seek Him.

Preamble – 1-3

· A change from a man who wanted to destroy God’s people.

· An explanation for what had happened over the previous 7 years.

A Prescient Dream – 4-18

· The dream – a tree.

· The purpose – Daniel 4:17 “The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’”

o Jeremiah 27:6 “Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him.”

Daniel’s Prophetic Revelation – 19-27

· His astonishment – verse 19.

· His answer – 22 and 24-26

· His advice - 27

Nebuchadnezzar’s Pride Abased – 28-33

· He gloried in his own success instead of seeking God’s blessing.

· His judgement pronounced from heaven – 31-32. (Boanthropy)

· God’s Word on Pride and Humility:

i. Proverbs 22:4 (NKJV) By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches and honor and life.

ii. Psalm 147:6 (NKJV) The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground.

iii. Proverbs 29:23 (NKJV) A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.

v. Matt. 23:12 – whoever exalts himself will be humbled, whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Praise – 34-37

· His dominion is eternal, His reign is omnipresent, and His power is omnipotent.

· He is able to humble those who walk in pride.

· Final thoughts - The cure for pride is praising God in humility.

i. James 4:6–7 (NKJV) But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

ii. 1 Peter 5:5–7 (NKJV) Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to yourelders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

· Jesus is the exact opposite of seeking earthly power. Philippians 2:5–12 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”