The Pride of a King

INTRODUCTION

For King Nebuchadnezzar, there has been a trail of breadcrumbs leading up to what we see in chapter 4.

In chapter 1, we don’t hear much from Nebuchadnezzar, but we see he is far more impressed with Daniel and his friends than any other trainees in the king’s court.

He finds them ten times better.

In chapter 2, after Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the king promotes the Judean men and says, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings...”

In chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar tries to counteract the authority of the God of gods and Lord of kings with his golden statue.

When Daniel’s friends will not bow down and worship the statue, he tries to burn them alive, but they are delivered by God.

And Nebuchadnezzar responds by saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants...”

And he makes a decree that anyone who speaks ill of Yahweh, will be torn limb from limb.

These seem to be breadcrumbs leading to true change.

It appears that Nebuchadnezzar’s heart is softening toward the Lord.

It seems this pagan king is starting to fear the one true God of heaven.

And yet, a massive hurdle still remains in Nebuchadnezzar’s heart and life.

He is prideful.

Prideful men must be brought low before they are pardoned.

Prideful men must be wrecked before they are repentant.

And that is what we will see this morning.

FORMAT

There are a lot of verses here this morning, so we are going to take it in chunks, much like we did in chapter 2.

And much like chapter 2, we see God speaking to Nebuchadnezzar through a dream.

Once we have worked through the passage, we have two conclusions this morning:

1. Walking in pride makes a heart hard and endangers the soul.

2. Bring a broken heart to the Most High who saves the soul.

Let’s open up to Daniel 4 and we will starts with verses 1-3.

Text Block #1: Daniel 4:1-3...these are the very words of God

The Preamble

Daniel 4:1–3 ESV

King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

In Daniel 3, all the peoples, nations and languages that were conquered and co-opted into the Babylonian Empire were told to fall down and worship a false god when they heard the music play.

Now they are called to listen to Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony of what the true God, Yahweh, has done in the King’s life.

The first few verses of the chapter and the final few verses of the chapter are meant to act like bookends.

Chapter 4 is a story being recounted by Nebuchadnezzar.

The beginning is him saying, “Peace be multiplied to you—listen to what the Most High God has done for me.”

His heart is so moved that he breaks from prose and goes into poetry.

How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

At the end of the chapter, we will see very similar language after Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling experience with God.

He once more will call Him the Most High (v. 34)

He will one more state that his dominion is everlasting and his kingdom endures from generation to generation (v. 34)

Chapter 4 is the testimony of man.

v. 1-3 are the preamble.

v. 34-37 are the conclusion.

The story is in between.

The Conversion of the King

Now at this point, I want to put my cards on the table.

As I read the first four chapters of Daniel, I believe that the focus is on how God is faithful to His people in Exile.

But at the same time, there is this parallel narrative of how God is dealing with the most powerful man on earth—King Nebuchadnezzar.

And it seems to be that by the time we wrap up with chapter 4, we are dealing with a converted man.

Of course, I cannot not know that for sure. None of us can know for sure. We are not God and we don’t know what was ultimately in Nebuchadnezzar’s heart.

But simply reading Daniel at face value—I suspect God has done a redemptive, saving work in the Babylonian king.

I believe he has repented and believed.

We don’t have time to camp out here too long, but I just want to give you three reasons why I believe this is the case.

Four Reasons I Believe King Nebuchadnezzar is Converted

1. Chapter 4 reads like a testimony.

That is what we just talked about. We have these bookends with similar language beginning and ending the story.

We have Nebuchadnezzar’s account of how he arrived at this newfound reverence for the Most High God all throughout the chapter.

2. Chapter 5 reads like a contrast.

We are about to see Nebuchadnezzar receive an act of God’s judgment and he responds with humility.

When his son, Belshazzar, is confronted with his own pride, he comes to a different ending—he dies with no sign of repentance.

I believe we are meant to contrast Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar.

One repented and one did not.

3. The monotheistic language used by the King in chapter 4.

Throughout the first few chapters, Nebuchadnezzar would pay homage to Daniel’s God, but it would come in the form of polytheistic language.

“God of gods” (chapter 2)

“Who is the god who will save you out of my hand?” (Chapter 3)

“...the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego...there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way” (Chapter 3)

But in chapter 4, the language suddenly becomes exclusive.

Nebuchadnezzar’s heart has changed and his theology seems to have changed with it in the bookends of the chapter.

4. Nebuchadnezzar receives all the blessings that Daniel connected to repentance (v. 27) at the end of the passage (v. 37).

I believe all of this is evidence of a spiritual sea change in Nebuchadnezzar.

Now—let’s see how we get there.

Text Block #2: Daniel 4:4-9

How Daniel Came to Interpret

Daniel 4:4–9 ESV

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.

Nebuchadnezzar is prospering and at ease, when God uses a dream to wake him up and make him afraid. )v. 1)

He is alarmed, much like in chapter 2 with the dream involving the giant statue.

So once more, he calls his wise men together.

In chapter 2, he would not tell them the contents of the dream, but this time he does and they still can’t interpret it.

So he turns to Daniel again (v. 8).

Notice how he calls him Daniel, “who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god.”

Identifying him as Daniel first and foremost, which means, “God is my judge,” as opposed to Belteshazzar, which means, “Bel protects his life,” shows once more what seems to be a change in the man who is telling the story.

But you can see in v. 9 that at this point in the testimony, Nebuchadnezzar was still very much talking like a pagan.

“spirit of the holy gods”

Text Block #3: Daniel 4:10-18

Nebuchadnezzar’s Account

Daniel 4:10–18 ESV

The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its leaves were 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 heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. “I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. He proclaimed aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. 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.’ This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

So to summarize, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is of a massive tree that grew up and is reaching the heavens to the point that the whole earth can see it. (v. 10-11)

The tree is beautiful and useful. ( v. 12)

It has pretty leaves and lots of fruit.

It provides food and shelter for the beasts and the birds

But then we have an angel coming down from heaven and making a proclamation (v. 13-14)

The ESV calls the heavenly being a Watcher, but the Hebrew can also just mean angel.

This one being is both a watcher and a holy one.

The proclamation calls for the tree to be chopped down.

Its branches are to be cut off and the leaves are to be stripped.

No more usefulness or beauty to be found.

All that found house and home in the branches are to be scattered.

All that will remain is a stump, with its roots still in the earth. It will be bound with strong metals—showing that it is still fixed and hard to move. (v. 15)

The stump will be amid the grass and covered with dew

The stump’s portion will be with the very beasts who used to take shelter under the tree

And whoever is represented by the stump will have his mind changed from a man’s to an animal’s for 7 periods of time. (v. 16)

The purpose is clear—the living must know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men. (v. 17)

He gives authority to whom He wills—even the lowliest of people.

This is what Nebuchadnezzar saw and he wants Daniel to interpret. (v. 18)

He knows he is able.

He knows Daniel seems to have an insight from the heavens that others do not.

Text Block #4: Daniel 4:19-27

Daniel’s Interpretation

Daniel 4:19–27 ESV

Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

As Daniel interprets, he is initially dismayed. (v. 19)

Daniel knows what this dream is—it is a pronouncement of judgment on the Babylonian King.

He is hesitant to tell him the brutal reality that the Lord is revealing and even wishes that it would be for the King’s enemies and not for Nebuchadnezzar

But the King assures him that he should not be hesitant to reveal the contents. The King wants to know.

So Daniel explains the meaning of the dream:

Nebuchadnezzar is the tree in the dream (v. 20-22)

His greatness and fame had grown up to the point where the whole earth could see it. He was the most powerful man of his generation. (v. 22)

His kingdom was beautiful and useful like the tree.

The nations were conquered and brought in to find a home in Babylon, like birds in a tree and beasts below the tree.

And when the watcher comes down with his pronouncement it is indeed a pronouncement of judgment. (v. 23)

Nebuchadnezzar will be the chopped down, stripped down tree that will become a stump. (v. 23)

He will be driven from his palace and he will eat grass like an ox and be wet with the dew and this will happen for 7 periods of time. (v. 23-24)

And the purpose is that he would know the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. (v. 25)

And yet, Daniel gives Nebuchadnezzar some good news.

The stump has roots and strong metals holding it in place (v. 26)

Therefore, Daniel urges the king to repent from sin and practice righteousness. (v. 27)

He is to break off his sins and iniquities and show mercy to the oppressed.

Then maybe the roots will stay in the ground and the strong metals will stay in place.

In other words, “This doesn’t have to be the end of you Nebuchadnezzar, but it does have to be the end of this version of you.”

And so of course—just like the dream from Daniel 2 would end up unfolding over centuries in the Ancient Near East, this dream from Daniel 4 unfolds as Daniel said...

Text Block #5: Daniel 4:28-33

The Fulfillment

Daniel 4:28–33 ESV

All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.

It all unfolds just as God said.

After one year, Nebuchadnezzar walks on the roof of the royal palace, and he swells himself up and looks over his kingdom and says, “Is this not Babylon the Great? And didn’t I do all of this by my power and for my glory?”

This is about as prideful as it gets.

It is a direct challenge to what Daniel had warned Nebuchadnezzar about in v. 25.

God will humble Nebuchadnezzar to show him that the Most High rules, but Nebuchadnezzar is still determined to declare his rule and reign and preeminent.

Before the words can get out of his mouth, he is a voice from heaven that tells him the kingdom has departed from him and he will head to the fields to live with the beasts, just like Daniel had said. (v. 31-32)

And the purpose is repeated—This is happening so that you will know that the Most high rules the kingdom of man and gives it to whom He wills.

Immediately these things happen to Nebuchadnezzar.

He is in the field like a madman.

He is living off the grass like an ox.

His hair grew as long as eagle fathers

His body was wet with dew

His nails are like bird claws

The Length of Nebuchadnezzar’s Madness

Maybe you wonder about the details of this?

How long are seven period of time?

Well, we have some options.

It could be 7 days.

It could be 7 weeks.

It could be 7 months.

It could be 7 years.

I don’t think it’s days because his hair and nails would not have grown so quickly.

I don’t think it’s seven years because that would be a long time for a king to disappear and still have his kingdom return to him when he comes back.

I think it is most likely 7 weeks or 7 months.

Text Block #6: Daniel 4:34-37

The Conclusion

Daniel 4:34–37 ESV

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason 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 endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

This is the conclusion. This is the other bookend.

v. 1-3 started it and v. 34-37 end it.

Nebuchadnezzar says that at the end of 7 periods, his reason returned to him and he lifted his eyes to heaven and blessed God and praised and honored Him.

And what he says shows that God’s purpose was accomplished.

Nebuchadnezzar had learned that: (v. 34-35)

God’s dominion is everlasting.

His kingdom endures beyond the kingdom of man, from generation to generation

The inhabitants of earth are as nothing compared to God and His authority

And no one—not even the most powerful man on earth—can stay his hand.

And we also see that the words of Daniel’s counsel have come to pass. (v. 36)

As the King admitted God’s eternal rule and came to grips with his own limitations, the Lord restored the glory of his kingdom.

Majesty and splendor returns to him.

His greatness grew.

He—like the stump—remains rooted.

He is established in his kingdom again.

Again—I think all of this is evidence of repentance.

Daniel said these things may happen if only Nebuchadnezzar would break off his sin and iniquities.

And indeed his prominence has returned to him...

But he is no longer crediting himself for any of it.

He now praises and extols the King of heaven (v. 37)

And notice what it says because it sets up the rest of our time together:

...for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

That last bit is the key to the whole passage, is it not?

Those who walk in pride, God is able to humble.

This brings us to our two conclusions this morning.

Conclusion #1: Walking in pride makes the heart hard and endangers the soul.

The Uniquely Awful Sin of Pride

It is hard to think of things more offensive to God and more endangering for our souls than pride.

Pride is God’s first enemy.

It is awful vice that seized Adam and Eve in the Garden as they heard the serpent’s words.

Pride is our first and last enemy.

Like with Adam and Eve, pride has seized our souls from the time we first cried and we won’t be fully rid of it until our flesh goes in the grave and our souls fly into God’s presence heaven, awaiting the Final Resurrection.

Pride is a unique sin.

All sin is opposed to God, but pride is the sin that tries to walk up to God’s throne and toss Him off of it.

Pride says, “I should be in charge. I should have things my way.”

Pride exalts the self over God and attempts to make a god of self.

While all sin is transgression, pride is treason.

While all sin is malicious toward God, pride is a mutiny.

If you take any sin at the branch and you follow it down the tree trunk and into the roots, you will find pride there.

All sin grows out of this treasonous pride.

Sexual immorality, covetousness, dishonoring our parents, idolatry, blasphemy (you name it)—down in the dirt of each of these depravities, you will find the poisonous roots of pride.

You will find the fatal error of a human being saying, “ I know better than my Creator.”

And pride is a sin that has all sorts of nasty layers.

Jonathan Edwards said pride is like a onion.

Peel away one layer and you just find another.

If you have ever seen the movie—pride is like a Gremlin after midnight.

It will feed off of just about anything and turn into a deathly monster.

Do you have ability? Your ability is an opportunity for pride.

Do you have intellectual prowess? This will be an opportunity for pride.

Did you get a compliment? Again—an opportunity for pride.

Are you in a season where you are at ease and prospering? That was Nebuchadnezzar’s posture at the beginning of this chapter. This is an opportunity for pride.

But pride isn’t always about self-exaltation over ability and brains and victories.

Pride can rear its head in seasons of loss and mourning.

Have you ever felt your hard circumstances entitle you to sin? This is pride.

Have you ever spent days not thinking of others and loathing yourself? This can also be a form of pride.

Like have you ever noticed how self-focused and self-obsessed Eeyore actually is in Winnie the Pooh?

The Danger of Pride in Scripture

Whatever form your pride takes on, Scripture counts it as seriously dangerous to the soul.

Proverbs 16:18 ESV

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Pride comes before the fall.

You may have heard that a hundred times, but it is just as important as the first time you heard it.

Pride can see a man dead.

In Acts 5, Ananias’ pride led him to lie to the church about how much money he made off of a real estate deal.

He wanted everyone to think he was godly and generous, but he didn’t actually want to be godly and generous.

He wanted the appearance of holiness for the sake of slaps on the back, but he didn’t care about actually being holy.

He wasn’t in it for the Lord. He was in it for himself.

And the Lord took his life for his prideful lie.

In Acts 12, Herod puts on his royal robes and sits on a throne and allows for the people fawn over him as if he is a god and the Lord strikes him down with worms and death.

Maybe the best example of the danger of pride to the soul in Scripture is found in Exodus.

Again and again, Pharaoh tries to exalt himself above and beyond the Lord.

God sends the plagues upon Egypt in the days of Moses and while the King of Egypt would appear to soften at times, he would harden his heart again.

He was stiff-necked and prideful toward God.

He challenged God’s authority and position on the global stage.

Exodus 5:2 ESV

But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”

So how does it end?

The firstborn sons of Egypt die because Pharaoh attacked God’s firstborn son—the nation of Israel.

God got glory above Pharoah and all his host.

Pharaoh’s forces end up at the bottom of the Red Sea.

So what are we seeing in each case?

Pride brings destruction.

And not just any destruction but the destruction of God’s judgment.

Similarly, God took Nebuchadnezzar down into the dew.

He made him like an animal.

He robbed him of his faculties.

He reduced him to nothing before Him to show that the Babylonian king was indeed nothing in comparison to Him.

Mercifully he spared Nebuchadnezzar’s life, but He did not spare his pride.

He shot the arrows of his judgment right at it and He hit the bullseye—as He always does.

Don’t Play the Game

If you are walking around on the roof of your life and you are looking at it all and thinking, “Look what I have done!”—you are committing the King of Babylon’s sin.

If you are walking around opposing God and hardening your heart against Him and His authority—you are committing the King of Egypt’s sin.

If you are walking around portraying godliness while living a double-life in secrecy—you are committing Ananias’ sin.

These are dangerous games to play and the only prizes to be found are destruction and a devastating drop.

The question becomes—what do we do?

Conclusion #2: Bring a broken heart to the Most High who saves the soul.

Humble Repentance

Let us remember what Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar:

Daniel 4:27 ESV

Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

The antidote to pride is a humble repentance before the Lord.

To turn from sin and intend to practice it no more.

To break sins off.

See—this is what God does.

He breaks the heart before He saves the soul.

He wants sinners to come to Him, forsaking their pride and the sin that grew out of it, and to offer to Him a broken and contrite heart.

Psalm 51:17 ESV

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

And to break the heart, God will take a soul down into the dew.

He will take it down to the stump.

He will strip away the branches until a man or woman realizes their beastliness before God and repents.

In the case of Jacob, he took a lying, swindling, cheating man down into the dust and touched his hip and made him cry “uncle” and left him with a limp—but with a heart directed toward heaven.

In the case of Saul of Tarsus, he took him to the Damascus Road and blinded a man who believed he saw everything rightly and showed him he was pridefully wrong.

Remember what Jesus said to him— “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

Paul was pridefully trying to kick a pointy rod.

He was injuring his own soul in the process.

The Lord took him down in the dew.

In Daniel 4, we see God humble Nebuchadnezzar to bring Nebuchadnezzar to a right understanding of himself and of the Most High God.

For three chapters, God has been showing this pagan man that the Babylonian kingdom is not eternal.

The kingdom of God is eternal.

His dominion is everlasting.

Nebuchadnezzar’s image will be gone.

However, the kingdom of the uncut stone that expands into a mountain over the whole earth is forever.

By the end of his life, Nebuchadnezzar seems to understand.

By the end of his life, his eyes are off of himself and onto the true King.

Gospel Call

Now, we may not be able to be 100% sure about the ultimate destination of Nebuchadnezzar’s soul.

But that is not the case with you this morning, friend.

You can leave here SURE about the destination of your soul.

If you can look at your life and you feel like God has you “down in the dew,” or that He is “wrestling you in the dust,” do not resist Him.

Do not keep being prideful.

Instead, you must look to the Cross of Christ.

There, the Most High has condescended to us.

God has come to us in the Son—Jesus Christ.

And though He is a perfect King, He went to Calvary and was treated like a beast for you.

Though He never had even a prideful impulse, He died like He was a spiritually treasonous, self-exalting enemy of God.

In other words—He died in the place we should have died.

He received the judgment we should have received.

And then the Humble King rose again to prove that His death for us was sufficient to save us and that He is the true Victor over sin and death.

Look to the Cross and see what your pride has done to the son of God.

Look to the empty grave and see how Christ has been judged for you and how He has overcome the grave for you.

And—understanding that Jesus died and rose again to save your soul, take Daniel’s counsel.

Turn from your sin.

Break it off.

And turn to God in faith, trusting in His Son, the true King, for the salvation of your soul.

Surrender today.

Don’t be a beast before God.

Be broken and be believing.

Survey the wondrous Cross and see the Prince of glory.

Count your richest gain as loss.

Pour contempt on your pride.

Pour out your love before Jesus who will save you.