Whoever Exalts Himself | Dan 4:1-27
Notes
Transcript
Pride goeth before the fall.
This was a favorite verse of mine as a child, because I loved to quote it against my siblings if I thought they were acting arrogantly about anything. It was one of my favorite weapon verses, that was handy to whip out to guilt someone into a change of behavior.
Imagine my shock when I learned that there is no Bible verse that says “Pride goes before the fall”
The verse is actually this:
Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
Or, in the KJV
Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall.
I was so ironically proud of that Bible verse, only to discover that I learned it incorrectly.
History is replete with story after story of individuals suffering massive defeat after their greatest displays of pride.
Sometimes the humiliation is minimal. I remember working an electrical job on a massive apartment complex, and every single apartment was wired exactly the same. In every unit, the wires ran from this box to that box to that box and then ended over there.
I have always prided myself on my work and grasp of a job. I was wiring up one circuit one time and as I was moving along I had two guys come tell me that I was wiring it incorrectly. No, I’m not, I said. I’m doing it just the same as the last one. No, they insisted, you’re going to mess it all up. I argued with them for a bit, and eventually went and walked over to a previously wired unit.
I was wrong. I was so sure I had it right, but I was wrong. If they hand’t stepped in, we would have really had a difficult time on the finish.
Other times pride can literally be fatal. There is a story of a civil war general —John Sedgwick— who was inspecting his troops and being critical of them flinching and dodging as bullets flew overhead. He is reported as saying “Why are you dodging like this? They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance” Instead of being careful as he walked about, he strutted around in the open. Moments later he was struck by a sharp shooter under his left eye, and died. John Sedgwick was the highest ranking officer from the Union forces to be killed in the civil war. His pride killed him.
Pride was the first sin. Satan is described as acting arrogantly
“I will make myself like the most high”
Eve’s sin was one of pride. The fruit was desirous to make one wise. John warns against the boastful pride of life.
Perhaps the clearest statement is quoted twice in the NT, once by Peter and once by James
Here’s Peter:
You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
Peter is likely referring to Jesus’ words in Matt
“And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
Be humble. Or be humbled.
This is what Nebuchadnezzar will learn today. Nebuchadnezzar has had a fascinating run as King of Babylon over the years. He has conquered the known world, including Judah, and has carried away into captivity both persons from the royal household to be his servants, and the holy vessels from the temple of the Most High God.
He has fashioned himself as the King of the Universe, but has come face to face with a power much greater than his own twice over already in the book of Daniel.
Here he is yet again.
As we look at Daniel 4 today and next week, what I want us to see is God’s grace to this pagan king. God has been so gracious to him. He certainly doesn’t deserve God’s grace, as if any of us do. But Nebuchadnezzar in particular has acted particularly arrogant and self-important in his life.
And yet, God was gracious to him. Gracious enough to humiliate him.
Consider the lessons that Nebuchadnezzar has had to learn thus far:
From chapter 2, There is a King who controls the kingdoms and reveals mysteries…and it ain’t you.
There is a God who has the power of life and death....and it ain’t you.
Over the next two weeks he will learn that there is a God who has an enduring kingdom....and it ain’t you.
Let’s begin reading the first few verses.
Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue that inhabit all the earth: “May your peace abound!
“It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me.
“How great are His signs, And how strong are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And His dominion is from generation to generation.
There are several interesting features about this text: Written in thee first person…from the perspective of King Nebuchadnezzar!
God used a gentile king, who was at least up until these events thoroughly pagan, to write this chapter of Scripture. That’s astounding.
Second, notice who it’s written to: all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue that inhabit all the earth!
This was a standard way for kings to start their letters that they send abroad. If there was an edict or official proclamation by the king, this is how they would start. e
I cannot help but see how God has used it even beyond Nebuchadnezzar’s time to direct this address not only to the people of his day, but even unto us as we sit here in this room. There are lessons for us to be learned here.
Notice that this entire chapter is set up as a declaration of the greatness of God and kindness toward Nebuchadnezzar.
He is declaring the signs and wonder which the Most High God has done…for me.
He is declaring the works of God as he recounts how God humbled him.
God’s Grace is seen when we Declare the Works of God
God’s Grace is seen when we Declare the Works of God
It is good for us to recount the works of God. We saw this in our Scripture reading this morning. The story of all that the Lord did for the people of Israel.
We all have testimonies of how we have seen our Lord work in our lives. Sometimes through hardship. Sometimes through discipline. Sometimes through unexpected blessings and kindness. It is good to share with others God’s kindness.
And it can be really simple things.
This last week I was on a job and having difficulty with a task. I was getting frustrated because my fish stick was fishing like I knew it should. I was in the right place. I was doing the right things.
I was about to walk away and I had to stop. I prayed. I prayed, “Lord, show me what I’m doing wrong here. What I’m doing should be working, and I don’t understand why it isn’t. Help me make this work” I tried one more time, and it went perfectly.
That’s God’s kindness! It’s so simple. But it’s his grace!
Then there are the much more significant things. Safety on the roads with crazy drivers.
Discipline when we sin. One of the best things to ever happen to me was getting caught in a lie, and held accountable for it. That’s God’s grace!
When we declare the Works of God and how He has done things for us, we show the greatness of our God, and that itself is a grace to us and those around us.
The King declares. How great are His signs. How strong are His wonders.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. He dominion is from generation to generation.
The King states up front his conclusion to this whole ordeal. My kingdom isn’t everlasting, but HIS IS. My dominion lasts for one generation, but his from one to the next and so on.
How does he get there?
Now he recounts the story:
“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.
“I saw a dream, and it made me fearful; and these fantasies as I lay on my bed and the visions in my head kept alarming me.
“So I gave a decree to bring into my presence all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
“Then the magicians, the conjurers, the Chaldeans, and the diviners came in, and I said the dream to them, but they could not make its interpretation known to me.
“But at last Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and I said the dream to him:
‘O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, since I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is difficult for you, say to me the visions of my dream which I have seen, along with its interpretation.
‘Now these were the visions in my head as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
‘The tree grew large and became strong, And its height reached to the sky, And it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
‘Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, And the birds of the sky inhabited its branches, And all flesh fed itself from it.
‘I was looking in the visions in my head as I lay on my bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven.
‘He called out loudly and said thus: “Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit; Let the beasts flee from under it And the birds from its branches.
“Yet leave the stump with its roots in the earth, But with a band of iron and bronze around it In the new grass of the field; And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, And let him share with the beasts in the grass of the earth.
“Let his heart be changed from that of a man, And let the heart of a beast be given to him, And let seven periods of time pass over him.
“This edict is by the resolution of the watchers, And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is the powerful ruler over the kingdom of mankind And gives it to whom He wishes And sets up over it the lowliest of men.”
‘This is the dream which I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, say to me its interpretation, inasmuch as none of the wise men of my kingdom is able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.’
There are so many details worth noting from this section.
First, notice that Nebuchadnezzar says that he was at ease in his house and flourishing in his palace. The idea is that he was living an essentially carefree life. He had everything that he needed. He thought he had it all made.
But that wasn’t to last. Vs 5 says he saw a dream, and it made him fearful. The visions alarmed him.
God showed him something, and he was shook. Whatever was in his dream so terrified him that he sought an interpretation. We saw something similar back in chapter two, but this time the words that are used to describe his response to the dream are more intense. He was terrified.
He didn’t even know what the dream meant yet, but he was scared.
Brothers and sisters, even this fear was a grace from God to Nebuchadnezzar.
God’s grace can be seen when we are disturbed by God’s communication to us.
God’s Grace is Seen When We are Disturbed by God’s Word
God’s Grace is Seen When We are Disturbed by God’s Word
I can remember years ago how one
1-3 prologue
The grace to be frightened by the word of God - comfort the dfisturbed, distrub the comfortable
4-18 the dream
God’s Grace is Seen When We are Warned by God’s Word
God’s Grace is Seen When We are Warned by God’s Word
The grace to be warned by the word of God
19-27 the interpretation and warning - both told us we were going to hell. the first guy seemed happy about it. the second guy it pained him.
Part 2
God’s Grace in being humble by God’s Word
God’s Grace in Worshiping according to God’s WordThe grace to worship
There is a chance we will see Nebuchadnezzar in heaven. We don’t know his heart. But wow. It sure seems like he finally gets it.
