Follow Through

Daniel 4:28-37

²⁸ All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.

²⁹ At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,

³⁰ 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?”

³¹ 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,

³² 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.”

³³ 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.

³⁴ 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;

³⁵ 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?”

³⁶ 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.

³⁷ 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.

Daniel’s time in Babylon covered 70 years. During those 70 years, he was a part of the king’s court for four different kings, Nebuchadnezzar being the first. Today, we read the final story in Nebuchadnezzar’s story. The prophetic dream he shared with Daniel has now played out just as Daniel said it would. The madness that God promises Nebuchadnezzar strikes just as the king is proclaiming his own greatness. His pride is finally dealt with by God in a most humiliating manner. Nebuchadnezzar descends into madness, leaving the comforts and pleasures of his own palace to live outside, eating grass like a cow for an extended period of time. Some have said it was up to 7 years (“seven times”)! During that time he ranges like a mad man through the hillsides, eating grass and living like an animal. Where is his pride now?

There is another character in the Bible who suffered for his pride as well. That is King Herod. In Acts 12:21-23, we find,

“On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.”

(Historians record that Herod was known as someone who scratched himself a great deal and so probably gave himself some type of parasite. He falls from a fairly decent height when the angel strikes him and his intestines exploded and maggots came squirming out. How’s that for a bit of disgusting history for you.) Anyway, his pride is dealt with as well!

Pride is the worst enemy of man. The fall into sin by Adam and Eve was mitigated by pride. Satan knew exactly what weapon to use against God’s new creation for he himself had fallen into pride and was ejected from heaven because of it. (See Ezekiel 28:11-19) The worship of the self is always a stepping stone into sin. Nebuchadnezzar had an entire year from the warning he received in the dream until God finally meted out His judgment. At any point during that year, Nebuchadnezzar could have admitted his sinfulness and cried out to God. But instead, he revels in his own power; thus an extended amount of time spent in the wild eating grass.

When Nebuchadnezzar finally comes to recognize that God is sovereign and all-powerful we don’t know what exactly was in his heart. Did he come to realize that he needed God and bow down to Him as Savior? We don’t know the answer to that. He may have simply decided that God was supreme over all the gods and he may have remained a polytheist. But his confession does recognize that he was not the most powerful being on the planet after all.