God is God and We Are Not

Pride cometh before a fall.  We’ve all heard that statement.  Chances are most of us here have experienced the negative effects of our pride at one time or another.  And for good reason. C.S. Lewis calls pride “the great sin.” It is the sin that led to the fall of Satan. It is the sin that led to the fall of humanity and drove Adam and Eve from the garden. Of this sin Lewis said, “There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty of themselves. I have heard people admit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice.  And at the same time, I have very seldom met anyone, who was not a Christian, who showed the slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault that makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others. The vice I’m talking about is Pride and the Christian virtue opposite to it, is Humility. According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”

Perhaps no description better describes the mindset of King Nebuchadnezzar.  Proud of his accomplishments and proud of his speech, he learned the hard way that “pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). He learned the hard way that you can be strutting like a king one day and living like an animal the next. He learned the hard way that the “Most High” God is God, and he is not. And the story of how Nebuchadnezzar learned the hard way that God is God and he is not recorded for us in Daniel 4, our text this morning. So, if you brought your Bible today, let me encourage you to find Daniel 4, where we will learn from Nebuchadnezzar’s fall why God is God, and we are not.  And it all begins with Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony of what he learned when God humbled him.  And what did he learn?  He tells us right up front.  He learned that…

God Reigns:  That God is control and He is not. What we have here coming from the lips of King Nebuchadnezzar is a new tune.  What we have here is the evidence of a changed heart.  If you were here last week, we saw that Nebuchadnezzar decreed that every nation, all peoples and people of every language would bow down to the golden image he created.  His purpose was to have everyone submit to His authority.  He saw himself as the one to be praised and obeyed.  Not anymore. Listen now to his witness of God: To the nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth: May you prosper greatly! It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation. Daniel 4:1-3

Something has happened since the conclusion of the previous chapter and what we hear coming from Nebuchadnezzar’s mouth at the beginning of this chapter.  In the previous chapter he witnessed the fourth man in the fire save Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. This miracle prompted him to issue a new decree saying, “I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Daniel 3:29 But at that time, he was still not willing to acknowledge their God as His God. He still lumped the God of the Hebrews in with his gods. He wasn’t even close to giving up his sovereign control over to God’s reign.  But now everything had changed. He now praises God saying, His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation. So, what changed?  How did God convert this man who was full of anti-God pride, to become a man who willingly praised God for His power and glory? That’s what we will see in the remainder of this chapter.

And it all begins in verses 4-18, where God reveals how He’s about to strip away everything that made Nebuchadnezzar proud. Look at his very first statement in verse 4. He says, ^“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. Here’s the picture of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride. He’s the most powerful man in the world. His wealth is unlimited. He has everything he needs and anything he wants. He’s living the dream! And he believes that all he’s experiencing is of his doing. For later in verse 30, he declares: “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty.” Daniel 4:30. Nebuchadnezzar is full of himself. He believes all his success, all his prosperity, and all his glory is all his doing. J.D. Greear calls this the myth of the self-made man and speaks to this root of pride by saying, “Many men look out at what they have and say, ‘I worked for everything I have. Look at what I created by my vast power and for my glory.’ Yes, we are called to work hard and perform our duties with excellence, but even the slightest moment of self-reflection will show us that the idea of a “self-made man” is not entirely true. You had no control over the biggest factors contributing to your success – like where or when you were born, or the education you received, the influences that inspired you, for even the genes that gave rise to your talents came from your parents. None of us are truly self-made men. We took gifts God gave us and used them – and to not acknowledge that is plagiarism. Your whole life should have one big footnote: “This came from God, not my doing.”  Well, for Nebuchadnezzar this is the root of pride was about to be stripped away. For now he begins the story of how God humbled him.

This is his testimony: I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. So, I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me.” When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me. Finally, Daniel came into my presence, and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.) I said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me. Daniel 4:4-10

These are the visions I saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. The tree grew large and strong, and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth.  Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed. Daniel 4:11-12

“In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven. He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. “‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth.  Daniel 4:13-15

Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him. “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’ “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.” Daniel 4:16-18 Let me make a few observations from his dream before we get Daniel’s interpretation: First, the description of the tree reaching to the heavens reminds us again of the attempt of the builders of the Tower of Babel to create a structure whose top would enter the heavens. This act of pride will end in disaster. God’s messenger will fall this mighty tree, removing it from its place of influence and glory.

Second, Nebuchadnezzar will be humbled. He would not only lose his power and glory; his very humanity will be removed from him. He who believed he was the center of the universe will be transformed into a beast so he can learn that he is merely a man.

Thirdly, when the tree is cut down, the stump and roots are allowed to remain.  Therefore, leaving hope of new growth emerging from the stump. This is what God has revealed to Nebuchadnezzar. It’s frightened him and shaken him to the core. Now, he’s hoping that Daniel can give him the interpretation. And what we are about to see in this interpretation is God’s warning to Nebuchadnezzar:

God Warns: Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrifiedhim. So, the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.” Daniel 4:19a

Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds—Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth. Daniel 4:19b-22

“Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’ Daniel 4:23

“This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king:  You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone He wishes.  4:24-25

The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.  Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.” Daniel 4:26-27 We can summarize Daniel’s interpretation in five straightforward statements:

• You, O King, are the great tree, and it symbolizes your greatness (20-22)
• You are the tree chopped down with only a stump remaining (23)
• You will live like an animal outdoors in the fields until “seven periods of time” pass (23-25)
• All of this will happen to teach you a valuable lesson: “that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms, and He gives them to anyone He wants” (25)
• When you come to your spiritual senses, you will get your kingdom back(26)

The purpose of the dream was to provide Nebuchadnezzar with a warning so that he might repent of his pride. If Nebuchadnezzar humbles himself, then God will not need to further humble him. He can demonstrate his repentance by doing what was right and showing concern for the oppressed. However, if he does not have a change of heart, then he will painfully learn that the ultimate power does not rest in in his hands but in God’s hands.

So, what happens next?  Look at verse 29, Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” Daniel 4:29-30 What’s happening here? As the weeks pass and nothing bad happens, Nebuchadnezzar assumes all this was just a bad dream. He assumes by God’s inactivity that he is off the hook. He assumes he’s escaped God’s judgment. Relieved, he continues his old ways. He continues to rule as if he is the center of the universe.  He’s out on the rooftop of his palace.  From this vantage point, he’s looking sideways and downwards, comparing his glory to that of other men and kingdoms. He has not changed. He has not repented.  He is still full of anti-God pride.

Again, let me quote Professor Iain Duguid, This is exactly what pride does: it locates the self at the center of the universe, glorying in its own achievements, and putting everyone else in second place. Its eyes are always directed sideways and downwards, comparing ourselves with others and endlessly trying to outdo them. In its very nature, pride has to be cleverer than someone else, or more attractive than others, or a better cook or a faster runner, or a more skillful gardener, or whatever. Pride is never satisfied in what has been accomplished because its essence always lies in defeating others, not in achieving the thing itself. The eyes of pride are thus always fixed on myself and my performance, in a way that leaves no room for looking upwards to God.

This describes Nebuchadnezzar to a T. He either ignored or dismissed the warnings that had been planted in his conscience. He is still full of pride and fails to give God the honor due His name. God has given him time to repent, 12 months, but there is no change of heart.  S0 with these prideful words coming from the mouth of Nebuchadnezzar, he’s about to experience God’s Discipline!

And so, we read: Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone He wishes.”  Daniel 4:31-32

Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.” Daniel 4:33 Immediately, Nebuchadnezzar is stripped of his authority; he’s driven away from people; he becomes like a wild animal and eats grass. The one who saw himself as superior over all others becomes a beast. Sinclair Ferguson is spot on when he says, “The one who refused to honor God’s glory loses his own glory. Refusing to share what he has with the poor; he becomes poorer than the poor. He becomes outwardly what his heart has been spiritually and inwardly – bestial.”

This looks bad for Nebuchadnezzar. And yet in the midst of God’s judgment of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride we see a promise of mercy: Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone He wishes.” 4:32 Nebuchadnezzar’s discipline is not an eternal judgment.  It is a period of chastisement fixed by God’s decree. It is a period of seven times that will pass until the day he repents and acknowledges that God is God, and he is not.  We don’t know if these “seven times” are weeks, months or years. But what we do know is this: There is hope for him if he repents. There is hope for him if he has a change of heart and confesses that God is God, and he is not.  By the way, that same hope is available to you. In 2 Peter 3:3-10, Peter writes to those who dismiss God: Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 2 Peter 3:3-10

So, what happens after God’s discipline of Nebuchadnezzar?

God Restores: At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanitywas restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified Him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion;His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him: “What have you done?” Daniel 4:34-35

God’s discipline had worked. Nebuchadnezzar, who had exalted himself as the center of the universe had a change of heart. This King who always towered above his people and his empire, who always looking down on all others, finally raises his eyes to God, and God restores his sanity, just as He promised. Finally, Nebuchadnezzar sees himself in comparison with God, and realizes that he is only a man. His hard heart has been humbled. He realizes that God is God, and he is not. He praises and honors God as the Most High who reigns over all.

This is the theme of Daniel. God is in control! God is the one who puts leaders in places of power. And this is what Nebuchadnezzar learns.  And this is what we need to learn from this story.  That God is God, and we are not.  That our God reigns.  Our God is in control.  So do not fret when evil men are in power.  Their reign will not last.  For God has no rivals and He will not share His glory with another.

So, Nebuchadnezzar learns this and gives God praise, But the story doesn’t end there.  For here now we see God pour out His redeeming love for Nebuchadnezzar.  For we read: At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything He does is right, and all His ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to humble. Daniel 4:36-37 Wow, what a testimony of God’s grace. After God humbled Nebuchadnezzar, He fully restored him. God restored his mind. God removed his sin and shame. All his advisors and nobles welcomed him back by seeking him out.  So, God restored his honor and his kingdom and gave him back his throne.  But here now is the beauty of God’s redeeming grace: His throne and kingdom became even greater than before!

And the result is this: The man who once defied God now praised God.  The man whose heart was full of pride, was now full of praise. And God now blessed him with greater honor than before. So, what does this teach us about our God?   At least two things:

One, if God can redeem a cruel king who refused to bow to Him, then God can redeem anyone no matter how great their sin.  God can redeem you, no matter what you have done, no matter how great your sin. For God’s mercy knows no bounds. His Son’s shed blood is sufficient to cover any sin and redeem your life.

Two, if God can change Nebuchadnezzar’s heart from a heart of pride to a heart of praise, then God can change the hardest heart.  God can change the heart of your rebel child and bring him/her back to Him.  God can change the heart of that friend who says he wants nothing to do with God.   And God can change the heart of any prideful or wicked leader. For yes, if God could change Nebuchadnezzar’s hard heart, he can change any heart.  For as we have seen here today: God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.

And He gives us far more love than any of us deserve, and for more grace than any of us can imagine.  For He is God, and we are not.