Daniel 4:37–“Sane”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

³⁷Now I Nebuchadnezzar [am] one praising and extolling and glorifying to the King of the heavens because the all of His doings [are] truth, and His ways [are] just, and ones walking in pride, [He is] One able to bring low.

This verse is, as it were, “the conclusion of it all.” It is the conclusion of this chapter but I would suggest it is far more. Its thoughts go far beyond a proud, arrogant king, They reach out to embrace your life and mine. In his dream, the watcher told him the lesson was intended, “that the living may know that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of men…” (v. 17). If you or I are among “the living” we can rest assured the point of all this was meant for us. As it is said elsewhere in Scripture, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (I Cor. 10:11). That said, I’ve been nursing on this verse for several days.

I suppose, as much as anything I’ve ever written, I am writing here specifically with my grandchildren and great grandchildren in mind. To each of you I say, I hope someday the Lord will bring my feeble thoughts before you, that you will read them, and that you will seriously ponder what this passage is teaching, if for no other reason than that your tired old grandfather wrote this down for you.

The sin of pride is an insidious beast. It is sometimes easy to see in others but almost impossible to see in yourself. “The pride of your heart deceives you.” It is a sin that hides itself but will absolutely destroy you and everything you ever cared about. It will ruin even your best attempts to do good and, again, it is insidious so you won’t see it until it’s too late and the damage is done.

Pride is the devil’s sin. It is the sin of the created thing saying, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, I will sit enthroned on the mount of the assembly…I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13,14). It is the created thing chaffing at what they were created to be and unhappy until they can be more. As with the devil, it is always ultimately a war with God Himself, since He is the Creator.

 Consider the following quote from Dean Vaughn in “James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary”:

“Many learned things have been said and written upon the nature and essence of pride. Probably none of them could equal in depth of impressiveness this account of pride speaking, with this repeated pronoun, the personal and the impressive: ‘Is this not great Babylon, that I have builded by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?’ Whatever other definitions of pride may be given, certainly this is true of it, that it is the contemplation of self, the concentration on self, the having self on the throne of the being as the one object of attention, of observance, of consideration, always, everywhere, and in all things. It is often assumed that this attention given to self is of necessity the contemplation of supposed excellence, and that it is, therefore, so far as it is characteristic of pride, of the nature of self-complacency or self-admiration; and yet some of the proudest of men have been at the very antipodes of self-satisfaction. It is the very consciousness of their own deformity—moral or physical—of their own inferiority in some prized and coveted particular of birth, gift, or grace, which has driven them in upon themselves in an unlovely, unloving isolation. Self-complacency is not the only form of pride. It is doubtful whether to self-complacency does not rather belong the very different title of vanity. A beggar may be proud, a cripple may be proud; failure takes refuge in pride, even moral failure, the experience of perpetual defeat in that life-battle with which no stranger intermeddles. Pride is self-contemplation, but not necessarily self-admiration—self-absorption, but not necessarily self-adoration.”

One of the things that Vaughan says that you should particularly note is “the beggar may be proud…” Don’t think that, because you aren’t a proud king (or a billionaire or movie star or professional athlete…), because you’re no one “important,” that you don’t have a problem with pride. As he says, “…it is the contemplation of self, the concentration on self, the having self on the throne of the being as the one object of attention, of observance…a beggar may be proud…” Pride infects all of us, regardless of your position in life.

The massive fault of this pre-occupation with self is its disregard for God. Daniel tells Belshazzar in the next chapter, “…you did not honor the God who holds in His hand your life and all your ways.” There it is, our rightful place is to live our lives being all we can be, striving to do all the good we can do, yet doing it all in worshipful recognition of our creator God. This is precisely why Jesus said, “He who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

If you can for even a minute see that this pride problem is a battle with God Himself, you’ll see why it is true, “God resists the proud, but gives His grace to the humble.” When it says “God resists the proud,” please be aware the word “resists” is a military word and actually means He “marshals His troops” against you. If you declare war on God, please realize He will declare war on you, and the last thing in all the world you need is to have God against you!!! In all of your life, the most sane, rational thing you can do is accept that you are a created being and that God is your Creator, that He runs the universe, not you.

Without any doubt, the best work on pride I ever read was written by Richard Baxter in his book, A Christian Directory, ca. 1673, and runs from page 192 to page 214. If you can ever get your hands on his words, it will do you well to ponder them carefully. At the risk of running too long, I want to record here my paraphrase of several of Baxter’s “evidences” of pride. Consider these:

1. Enjoying my “greatness” or “success” in anything, while not humbly realizing the gratitude I owe to God and others who helped me achieve it.
2. Thinking what I would do, I can do by myself, with no thought of God, no prayer for help and strength.
3. Being angry or bitter or impatient with our circumstances, as if to say, “If only I were God, I could do this better!”
4. Being angry when someone disobeys us or questions our wisdom or suggests we are in error, all the while quite sure we are above such things.
5. Even in doing good, being more interested in the honor I’ll receive than the good itself.
6. Preferring to have others dependent on me. Chaffing at the times when I must depend on others or ask for help.
7. Excusing and minimizing the faults of anyone who flatters me.
8. After I’ve owned a position, to be loath to admit I was wrong in it.
9. Being discontent with “who we are” as compared to others who seem to have done “better” or who have “more.
10. Being “disappointed” in others because, in reality, we think we deserved “better” or “more” from them.

As I said earlier, pride is insidious. Baxter gives probably fifty such examples! God deliver us all!

This is the lesson Nebuchadnezzar had to learn. Consider again his words:

“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.”

The Most High rules in the kingdoms of men…and He rules in your life and mine. Not only does He rule but, if you’ll welcome Him in, you’ll find He is a wonderful Father God. As Nebuchadnezzar said, “All He does is just and right.” The passage (I Peter 5:5-7) says, “God resists the proud but gives His grace to the humble,” but goes on to say, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time; casting all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.” Literally, “for it matters to Him concerning you.”

Nebuchadnezzar was never so sane as the moment he welcomed the God of Heaven into his life. You and I will do well to be like him!

Daniel 4:36–“More”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

³⁶In that time my understanding returned upon me, and to me my advisors and my nobles called, and upon my kingdom was established, and greatness was exceedingly added to me.

Here we have it, just as Jesus said, “He who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Here we have a classic illustration of the Lord’s words, “God resists the proud; He gives His grace to the humble.” This simple truth is the infinite chasm between the wise man and the fool. The wise man realizes the Most High rules, humbly accepts that truth, and enjoys blessings because of it. The fool is always “right in his own eyes,” “delights in airing his own opinion,” “despises wisdom and instruction,” and will only find that “Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.”

And what did Nebuchadnezzar find? He found that not only does God give grace to the humble, but as Jesus said, “He who humbles himself will be exalted” – not just blessed but exalted. That is particularly what I want to note in the passage before us. Not only did the Lord bless the king and restore his kingdom (as He had said He would), but Nebuchadnezzar says, “and greatness was exceedingly added to me.” The NIV translates it, “and I became even greater than before!” When we come humbly to our Lord, let us remember He is the God of the “full measure pressed down and running over.” He is the God who does “exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think.” He does “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”

Our evil hearts naturally fear to come to God, afraid that somehow in the coming we will lose. Lose?  Jesus says, “Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, …and you shall find rest for your souls.” Note, to the weary, He gives not only the “rest” we desire, but “rest for your souls.” We come to Him seeking simply forgiveness and we find He gave not only that but love and joy and peace as well. And not only peace, but a “peace that passes understanding;” not only joy, but “joy unspeakable. He not only shows us love; we find He is love.

This is the God Nebuchadnezzar met that day—not just the God who restored his kingdom, as He promised, but “even greater than before!”  Oh, may we all see the God who assured Abraham, “I am thy shield and thine exceeding great reward”—not just  your reward but your “exceeding great” reward!

I essentially started my life and my marriage claiming His promise, “Delight thyself in the Lord and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Now here I am almost 38 years later realizing I didn’t even know what were “the desires of my heart!” What I mean is He not only in fact has given me what I thought I desired then – a beautiful wife, three children, friends, family, a career, and so on, but all of that “exceedingly abundantly above all I could have asked or imagined.” He gave me a wife who has done me “good and not evil all the days of my life,” and not only wonderful children but grandchildren too who are an immeasurable joy. He really has poured into my life “a full measure pressed down and running over.”

May we all be ever encouraged to humble ourselves before the Lord not only because He resists the proud, but because we believe He will not only bless us but bless us “immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine.” May we let Him give us what Nebuchadnezzar found: “even greater than before!”

Daniel 4:34,35–“Nothing”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

³⁴And to the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to the heavens and my understanding returned upon me and to the Most High I blessed and to the Living One of the ages I praised and I glorified that His dominion [is] an everlasting dominion and His kingdom [is] with generation and generation, ³⁵and the all of the dwellers of the earth [are] ones reckoned like nothing and like to please Him [He is] One doing in the armies of the heavens and [in] the dwellers of the earth and none there is who can hinder in His hand and say to Him, “What are You doing?”

Before I move on to the final two verses, I want to record some thoughts from verse 35. There, Nebuchadnezzar humbly acknowledges that “All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing…”

Nothing.

Jesus made Himself nothing. Though “…being in very nature God, He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing…He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a Cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).

“Amazing love! How can it be, that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?” This is astounding truth that the God of the universe stepped down from heaven, set aside the free exercise of His divine attributes, was born a helpless baby, willingly went to the Cross and died in my place. In theological language, it’s called the Kenosis, the great “emptying” of Jesus.

We Christians know that passage in Philippians starts with “Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ…” We know that is what we are to do – empty ourselves, count ourselves as nothing and give “all praise to Him who reigns above!”

At this point, we can all smile, nod our heads, say “Amen!” and go to our homes in the glow of our warm fuzzy. It all sounds so good when it’s theoretical and hypothetical. Until it happens. Until you or I have to be “nothing,” when we’re treated as “nothing,” when we think we did well but somehow we get no acknowledgment. At those times, we find there is a small problem with us and this “nothingness.” It’s called our pride.

Huh. What?

May I remind us all we’re studying Daniel chapter 4? I haven’t reached the end yet, but I feel like this chapter is a monument to two things: God’s grace and our pride. We’re reading about this very proud man who had to be driven to the ground – to be made nothing – before he would acknowledge that God rules. But may I remind us all, “You’re the man”? My pride is no less an evil than Nebuchadnezzar’s. I just have less opportunity to exercise it. I’m not rich or a king. But, just like him, my heart is “desperately wicked and deceitful above all things.” There is one thing my wicked soul absolutely despises – being nothing.

Several times in my career I have worked hard to accomplish something or help someone else in some way, only later to hear the story told and someone else gets the credit. Many years ago I helped an operator get his state certification and he did. In fact he got a higher level than any of his peers. A few years later he was actually telling me the story, only the man who helped him was my predecessor! I worked hard at my job and literally cut $1,000,000 per year out of the company’s operating costs and was never even so much as thanked, much less acknowledged of rewarded. My entire Christian life I have tried to say things that would help other people or encourage them and rarely ever does it seem they even hear me. I’d love to know I was a part of seeing a lot of people saved, but it seems the Lord seldom ever allows me even the slightest influence. I had a friend diagnosed with cancer and prayed hard for their healing. They died.

Nothing. In the real world, it’s hard to be nothing. In the real world, there is this unseen dynamo inside me pining to be Somebody. Down deep in my heart, I want to be Important. I want to be Acknowledged. Someone will say, “Well, of course, that’s just human.” NO. It is my evil pride that is galled at the thought of being nothing. Remember the works of the flesh are “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” – the love of pleasures, possessions, and applause. Works of the flesh. Idols. The Devil’s sin.

I fear we are today so far from God we have forgotten to acknowledge, recognize, or to abhor this soul-damning sin. We read Daniel chapter 4 and think it is about someone else far away and never realize the face in the mirror is our own. Nebuchadnezzar finally saw the great, eternal God and the very next thing he acknowledges is that “all the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing.” He got it. It took him seven years, but he got it. I feel like in too many ways it’s taken most of my lifetime. I hope it is finally true that at least in some basic ways I’ve “got it.”

I used to read Jesus’ words, “For without Me, you can do nothing,” and just couldn’t quite grasp it. I wanted to be and do all the things mentioned above but somehow couldn’t accept the idea that I was nothing. It was up to me. I did have to do it. I had to make it happen. Somehow now I see that isn’t true. My job is to wake up every morning and love God and love people, to be praying His blessing on my doings, everywhere I go, everywhere I am, then leave the “success” in His hands. God help me, I’m trying to be very patient and let Him lead. There may be specific things He wants me to do, but I need to let Him clearly guide me in it. I needed to put away the “pushing and shoving” of thinking I needed to make things happen. I need to be content to be nothing.

Nebuchadnezzar goes on in verse 35 to say, “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?’” I could probably go on and ponder those words, but I feel content to say, there in those words is the “nothingness.” It means I’m not in charge. It means the Most High rules in the kingdoms of men. Not me.

God help us all to understand this “nothingness.” Surely we have much to do for Him. “The harvest truly is plenteous but the laborers are few.” Surely we all long to be His laborers. Yet, if we would work for Him, we must conquer this sin of pride, this love of applause. We must be willing to labor in His garden but be nothing. He resists the proud. He gives His grace to the humble.

Jesus emptied Himself and could save a world. What could He do with you and me if we were really willing to be nothing?

Daniel 4:34,35–“Humble”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

³⁴And to the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to the heavens and my understanding returned upon me and to the Most High I blessed and to the Living One of the ages I praised and I glorified that His dominion [is] an everlasting dominion and His kingdom [is] with generation and generation, ³⁵and the all of the dwellers of the earth [are] ones reckoned like nothing and like to please Him [He is] One doing in the armies of the heavens and [in] the dwellers of the earth and none there is who can hinder in His hand and say to Him, “What are You doing?”

I want to pause and ponder Nebuchadnezzar’s opening words here: “And to the end of the days I…” or, as in the NIV, “At the end of that time I, …”

What “time”? The seven years. The seven “times” the Lord had warned him would pass until he acknowledged that “the Most High rules.”

What I see here is a literal monument of grace. People today think there is more grace in the New Testament than the Old. What they’re not seeing is that God didn’t change. Daniel’s God is the same God you and I worship. He hasn’t changed. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And for us humans, one of the most important attributes we desperately need to understand is grace – whether we live in the New Testament or the Old. The book of Daniel (in the Old Testament!) is shouting to us the wonder of God’s grace and where better to learn about it than to watch the Lord humble a very proud, stubborn pagan king?

What do I mean? Just look again at these simple words, “At the end of that time, I…” Who is the “I”? The king of Babylon. Babylon, the very epicenter of evil in earth history. It started as the tower of Babel, was the very nation which utterly destroyed Judah, deported the people, and burned the Temple, and remains even until the last chapters of the book of Revelation, pictured as the Great Prostitute “drunk with the blood of the saints.” And who is this man? Their king. If ever the Lord had a few extra lightning bolts lying around, you’d think He’d of used one on this guy. But He didn’t. And what did He do? He sent a dream to warn him.

Warn him? Why? Why not just blast his evilness into eternity and be done with him? No one who’s ever known of Nebuchadnezzar would be surprised to read that the Lord sent down fire from heaven and cooked him. In fact, we’d probably all cheer and be glad for it. But that isn’t what our God did. And why not? Grace. We easily forget that the Lord made Nebuchadnezzar just the same as you and me. Psalm 139 applies just as much to him as to you and me: “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb…I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” The Lord loved Nebuchadnezzar.

And so He deals with him in grace. He sent the dream to warn him. Then he sent one of the greatest prophets of history to explain the dream to him, to repeat the warning, and to very graciously urge him to repentance. And, in the dream, in the warning that his tree would be cut down, was also the promise the stump would be bound with bronze and iron, that the judgment would only last for “seven times.” In between the warning and the judgment, the Lord allowed him twelve months, a full year, to repent. Then even as the stroke of judgment finally fell, the voice from heaven said, “This is what is decreed for you…seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge the Most High reigns…”

And now where are we? The “seven times” have passed. “At the end of that time, I…”

The “I” is still here. He’s still alive. Just as the Lord had said. Nebuchadnezzar is a monument to grace. And, happily, we get to see that grace won!

I haven’t studied chapter 5 yet, but if I may be allowed to rush ahead, contrast all of this with Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson Belshazzar. “O king, the Most High gave your (grand)father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness…But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his throne and stripped of his glory…But you, his (grand)son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this…That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain…”

Belshazzar was sent the handwriting on the wall and that very night he died. There was no offer of repentance, only judgment. And why the difference? This is soooo instructive. The difference is that Nebuchadnezzar experienced grace. Belshazzar abused it. As Daniel reminds him, he “knew all of this.”

Just those simple words, “At the end of that time I, …” remind us that our God is a God of grace. Belshazzar reminds us, however, that our God is no one to trifle with. Even in Nebuchadnezzar’s case, he did have to eat grass like an ox. Our God was gracious to him, but because of his stubborn pride, he still brought on himself horrible suffering. In order to enjoy grace, you and I must learn to live in humility. We believe that in fact the Most High rules in the kingdoms of men. We choose today to bow our knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We bring to Him our needs and requests, then say, “Thy will be done.”  We try to accept His rule and live humbly before Him. When we do, in fact, live in that place of humility, we get to enjoy the fruits of our amazingly gracious God. It’s down to the old simple maxim: “God resists the proud, but gives His grace to the humble.”

Lord help us to be found in the place of “the humble.”