When Pride Takes a Fall

June 22, 2025 – AM:

Text: Daniel 4

Title: When Pride Takes a Fall

Summary: Daniel 4 shows that God, in mercy, humbles the proud not to destroy them but to restore them, for healing begins when we stop looking down in pride and finally look up in surrender.

God humbles the proud—not to destroy them, but to restore them.

Bible Reading

Greeting / make mentioned of VBS

Daniel 4 is one of the most remarkable chapters in the Bible. A pagan king tells his own story—how he lost everything, including his mind, and how God gave it all back when he looked up.

As with chapter 2, Daniel will be giving an interruption of a dream.

Tonight before our Prayer Meeting for VBS, I plan to try to answer “What are we to make of dreams, today?” (Slide)

Let’s listen to what this once-proud king says—after God brings him low and then raises him up.

Read Daniel 4:34–37

Daniel 4:34–37 (KJV)

34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

God humbles the proud—not to destroy them, but to restore them.

SERMON INTRODUCTION:

This is one of the most remarkable chapters in the Bible. A pagan king tells his own story—how he lost everything, including his mind, and how God gave it all back when he looked up.

Nebuchadnezzar ruled the most powerful empire on earth. He built hanging gardens, commanded armies, and shaped nations. But in this chapter, he is reduced to a beast—eating grass, living outside, losing his mind—until he finally lifts his eyes to heaven.

This isn’t just political history—it’s your story and mine. It’s the story of how pride breaks us, how God humbles us, and how He heals us—not just spiritually, but emotionally, mentally, completely.

Summary of His Spiritual Journey

He acknowledged God’s power but didn’t submit to His authority.

He was religiously curious but spiritually unconverted.

But God—in mercy—patiently confronted his pride until he bowed, not just in word, but in heart.

Nebuchadnezzar moves:

Daniel 1: Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem—believing his gods won.

Daniel 2: He’s troubled by a dream, acknowledges God as one among many.

Daniel 3: He builds a golden image and demands worship—asserting control again.

Daniel 4: His personal testimony—how God broke him and then restored him.

Transition: Before God humbles us, He graciously warns us. He loves us too much to let us live in delusion.

I. God Confronts the Proud to Expose the Illusion of Control (Daniel 4:1–27)

King Nebuchadnezzar publicly declares the greatness of God after experiencing a troubling dream. In the dream, he sees a mighty tree that is cut down by a heavenly messenger, symbolizing the removal of his power and sanity. None of the Babylonian wise men can explain it, but Daniel (Belteshazzar) interprets the dream:

The tree represents Nebuchadnezzar himself—great and powerful.

Being cut down means he will lose his kingdom and sanity, living like an animal until he acknowledges God's sovereignty.

Daniel urges the king to repent, turn from sin, and show mercy to the poor to delay or prevent this judgment.

A. God disturbs false peace to open the heart (v. 4–5)

Daniel 4:4–5 “4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: 5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.”

That’s how pride feels—comfortable, secure. But that night he had a dream that terrified him.

Have you ever had everything going well—career, family, money—and then, out of nowhere, your peace is shattered by a diagnosis, a phone call, a failure?

These are the moments in our lives where we are given an opportunity to evaluate our lives; our foundation and direction.

B. Though God speaks clearly, we often resist (v. 18–19)

Daniel 4:18–19 “18 This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee. 19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.”

God sends Daniel to interpret the dream: the great tree is Nebuchadnezzar—and it will be chopped down. There’s a call to repentance. But the king doesn’t change.

Why? Because pride whispers: “You’re fine.”

How many sermons have you heard that stirred your conscience, but left your life unchanged? Pride always delays repentance. — It will most likely happen here today.

C. “The most High ruleth” is a non-negotiable. (v. 17)

Daniel 4:17 “17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.”

That’s the center of the whole chapter—and the center of sanity: God is in control. You are not.

When we ignore God's warnings, we don't fall by accident—we fall by design.

God brings us low, not to destroy us, but to deliver us.

Transition: God’s judgment is never arbitrary. It is precise, purposeful, and restorative. Sometimes the only path back to reality is through being brought to the ground.

Why? God humbles the proud—not to destroy them, but to restore them.

II. God Humbles the Proud to Restore What Pride Destroys

Daniel 4:28–33 “28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.”

A. Pride blinds us to reality (v. 30)

Daniel 4:30 “30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?”

Pride always has a soundtrack, and it always sounds like self-glory.

A man once said, “The worst thing that ever happened to me was success without God—it convinced me I didn’t need Him.”

Pride makes you the center of the universe. And when you are the center, everything else must orbit around you—including God.

"Modern therapists have shown how much of our anxiety stems from the need to control things we cannot control—our health, our future, other people. But Scripture has been saying this for centuries. Nebuchadnezzar didn’t lose his mind because he was weak—he lost it because he tried to be sovereign."

B. Judgment falls—swiftly and exactly (vv. 31–32)

Daniel 4:31–32 “31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.”

“While the word was in the king’s mouth…” God doesn’t need to raise His voice.

The moment pride peaks, discipline comes. He loses his kingdom, his sanity, his dignity.

Application: Maybe you're not living in a field like a wild animal, but have you felt like your world was crumbling? Sometimes God removes your kingdom so you can find His.

C. Without a proper view ofGod, we can become less than human (v. 33)

Daniel 4:33 “33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.”

The king eats grass. His nails grow. His hair is matted.

This is not just punishment—it’s a picture of what pride does to the soul. When we push God out, we unravel.

Sin always promises to elevate us but ends up dehumanizing us.

Think of the Prodigal Son—he ended up feeding pigs, longing to eat with them. It is humility that begins the journey home.

Transition: And then, everything changes—not when the king tries harder, but when he finally lifts his eyes.

Why? God humbles the proud—not to destroy them, but to restore them.

III. God Restores the Humbled to Declare His Glory

The turning point in this story is not external—it’s directional. His eyes shift from earth to heaven. And when the eyes change, the heart changes. And when the heart changes, everything changes.

A. Restoration begins when we look up (v. 34)

Daniel 4:34 “34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:”

“My understanding returned unto me…” His sanity doesn’t return with a crown or a throne. It returns when he looks to God.

Many of us are chasing peace through control. But peace doesn’t come when you’re in control. It comes when you surrender.

Humility is the beginning of mental clarity. When you stop trying to be God, your soul can breathe again.

In the midst of the Civil War, President Lincoln famously said:

“I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.”

B. True worship is a sign of restored health (vv. 34–35)

Daniel 4:35 “35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?”

Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t just recover—he worships: “All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing.” He finally sees reality: God is everything. I am not.

C.S. Lewis once said, “As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people. And of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”

C. A restored heart becomes a witness to grace (vv. 36–37)

Daniel 4:36–37 “36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. 37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.”

Nebuchadnezzar ends the story by praising the King of heaven. He says, “Those that walk in pride he is able to abase.” And he knows—he walked that road.

There was another King—greater than Nebuchadnezzar—who humbled Himself not because of His sin, but because of ours.

Jesus left heaven, took on flesh, became a servant, and humbled Himself to the point of death. And because He went low, we can be lifted up.

He didn’t lose His mind—He lost His life, so that ours could be restored.

Nebuchadnezzar tried to carry what only God can carry—and it crushed him.

Jesus, by contrast, came to carry what we couldn’t carry—our sin, our shame, our burdens.

Jesus He invites us to give Him control, and to receive rest. Matthew 11:28–29 “28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

Why? God humbles the proud—not to destroy them, but to restore them.

CONCLUSION: The Hope of a Humbled Heart

Nebuchadnezzar’s sanity and restoration only returned when he "stopped pretending to be sovereign," implying a saving recognition of God's lordship.

Daniel 4 is undeniably a story of a man broken by pride, confronted by God, and transformed by an encounter with divine authority.

Whether that transformation led to eternal salvation or only temporary acknowledgment remains open—but the passage gives compelling evidence that God can humble kings, restore minds, and call people from any background to Himself.

So many of us are anxious, exhausted, and spiritually unstable—not because we’re weak, but because we’re proud.

We’re trying to be sovereign over our lives—and we’re not built to carry that burden.

Sanity returns when the soul surrenders.

Joy returns when we look up.

Healing begins with humility.

Where is pride quietly growing in your heart?

Are you ignoring God’s warnings?

Are you exhausted from trying to be sovereign over your own life?

Will you lift your eyes to heaven and say, “You are God, and I am not”?

In West Africa, we took our shoes off at the door. When we left, we had to choose which shoes to put back on. Today, it’s time for some of us to decide what shoes we’re going to wear out of here. Pride—or surrender. Control—or trust. You can’t wear both.

Remember: God humbles the proud—not to destroy them, but to restore them.

Prayer

As we bow our heads to pray. Could you imagine with me for a moment..

Imagine a church filled with people who no longer carry the burden of trying to be God.

Imagine families led by parents who walk in humility, not pride.

Imagine teenagers who don’t have to prove themselves to matter.

Imagine leaders in our city who use their influence to exalt God, not themselves.

God is able to humble the proud—but He’s eager to restore the humble. Let’s be people who live with lifted eyes.

“Lord, show me where I’m walking in pride. Help me lift my eyes to You. I surrender control. I trust Your sovereignty. I receive Your restoring grace.”