Donkey Brains

Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble When you're perfect in every way I can't wait to look in the mirror 'Cause I get better lookin' each day To know me is to love me I must be a hell of a man Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble But I'm doin' the best that I can!

Thank you. My kids are so proud of me ;)

Pray for me. Let’s get to it, shall we?

So many things to be proud of: church, wife, kids, job...

Daniel 4 is kind of a crazy chapter. In the book of Daniel… but not really authored by him. Perhaps he is taking dictation, or copies a nationwide letter for posterity.

Because this isn’t a note from Daniel. It is from King Nebuchadnezzar, most famous king of one of the all time great empires. He has been an enemy of God in most ways, conqueror of the nation of Israel.

and he pens a chapter of Scripture. Crazy!

The Lord works in mysterious ways. Seriously, though, it doesn’t get much more mysterious.

Daniel 4 (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.

Neby can testify! How did this come about? He had some “nice things” to say about “Daniel’s God” or “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s God” before… but this is a whole other level.

He wasn’t humble before God before. He was all about changing the dream. Dream about a statue and I’m the golden head? No, new plan, I’m the whole statue, it’s all good, my kingdom lasts forever, and everyone bow down and worship the statue that is me.

Now it is “the Most High God… and his everlasting kingdom.”

He has learned something amazing here. Really the great theological truth that humans, really all created beings, fail to learn over and over.

God is God. I am not.

How did he learn this?

Better: how did God teach him this humility?

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.

Not the first time he had a weird dream, but this one filled him with fear. Powerful man, not sure he has a lot of night terrors.

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.

This time he gives them the dream, unlike last time. But I don’t think they “couldn’t” make up an interpretation… I think they were scared to.

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.

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.

Maybe an “angel” because he comes down from the heavens? This word is only used here… someone “watching.”

Literally “one who is awake.” It does show up in other apocryphal books as a description of angels. (Maybe like the eye-covered angels from Ezekiel, in which case, SUPER freaky dream.)

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.

Hear the “him”? The tree’s a “him”. Last dream was a statue and “he” was the statue’s head. Now it’s a tree… I don’t think the interpretation is too tough to guess here.

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.

And there we have. The curse of donkey brains! “seven periods” will be seven years.

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.”

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.

Reasons to be proud, yeah?

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.”

Does he do it? What do you think? Nope.

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?”

Reasons to be proud.

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.

Hold on a second. Can you imagine this? For seven years, your “leader” is acting with “donkey brains.” Or “like an ox” (that’s less funny than donkey brains).

Picture your favorite (or least favorite) president of the last couple decades. Biden, Trump, Obama, Bush… spending almost two terms with donkey brains.

(Maybe an improvement for some?)

From the heights of pride and accomplishment… humiliated! Humbled. In mid sentence declaring their reasons for pride.

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.

all his works are right.

All his ways are just.

Those who walk in pride… he is able to humble.

God Will Humble the Proud

Over and over again the Scriptures say this.

Proverbs 3:34 ESV

Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.

James and Peter both quote this as:

James 4:6 ESV

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:5 ESV

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

I think because Jesus kept saying it.

and yet we glorify this word “Pride” in our culture. Not just in “Pride” month and it’s association with sexual and gender confusion…

We throw around the things we are “proud” of:

Proud of my grades, of my job

Proud to be an American

Proud of my kids

Proud of my spouse

Proud of my church

Proud of my hard work

I don’t think those are the wrong words to use… I am proud of those things. But that in me that is “proud’ of those… it really is “pride.”

This isn’t just a word game.

King Nebuchadnezzar looked around at his amazing wondrous buildings and said to himself “I did that.” He looked at his kingdom and said “I build this.”

And then God humbled him… and gave him donkey brains for 7 years… then gave his health and right-mind back to him. And what does he say?

“God is great… I was established in my kingdom.” My “splendor was returned to me...” by who? By God.

Proud vs. Grateful

Now… I know that we use these words pretty interchangeably… and sometimes we say “I am proud of my kids...” And if you ask me what I really mean is “I am grateful to be a Dad to these amazing kids. I am thankful God has used me to bless them even a little.”

But I actually don’t think that’s all that honest. These things aren’t the same at all.

I am proud of my kids. And that part of me is a sinful part that wrongly takes credit for their accomplishments… and I am grateful for God’s work in me and God’s work in them and that He lets me be part of it.

The first part puffs me up and leads me astray.

The second part humbles me, fills me with thankfulness, and challenges me in a way “pride” never will.

For He is God. I am not.

But there is a flip side to this. God humbles the proud, but he lifts us the humble. Proverbs puts it this way:

Proverbs 22:4 ESV

The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be humbled. Rather, I choose, I desire to humble myself rightly before God, to acknowledge his Lordship in my life in every way, to give Him all glory and all praise: which is what I am created to do! I humble myself before God, that in Him I would find riches… and honor… and life.

You are a wonderful and beautiful Creation. You are a terrible and pathetic God. Let God be God, the Creator… because that’s who He is. And you be you: His beautiful and wonderful creation.

If you have done that a thousand times before, you can do it again this morning. Humble yourself before God, and call Jesus your Lord.

He is God. We are not.

If you have never done that before, today is your day. The prayer is this simple, let’s all play it together: “God, you are God… and I am not. Jesus, I recognize you as Lord of my life, I confess you as Lord of my life, I put my trust in you as Lord of my life. Save me, Lord.”

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