I'd like to invite you to turn in your Bibles with me if you would to Daniel chapter 4.
! We're going to be continuing our series in the life of Daniel and the second part of Daniel chapter 4 beginning in verse 28.
I appreciate the song. Thank you, worship team, for introducing that to us. It really does help to summarize really our message for today that all of the things that God allows to happen in our life is meant to lead us to His glory in our good.
I'm reminded of the passage in Jeremiah 29 11 that I'm sure you've quoted or heard.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
We like good plans. We like good pathways. We like happy, easy lives.
I wonder this morning if I were to tell you that there is a guaranteed roadmap, a guaranteed strategic plan, as it were, to arrive at greatness, to enjoy good things, to be exalted, as it were.
Is it a plan that you would say, whoa, sign me up, I want to know that plan, let's go for it.
Yes, the question is a setup.
You know, if you've been in business or management for any length of time, certainly you're familiar with the book that's written by Stephen Covey that are the seven habits of highly effective people.
It was written back in 1989, about 35 years ago.
And in that book, he puts together these seven, I guess, universal principles, as it were, that kind of arrive at kind of the character.
And through observation and evaluating the men and the women in industry and business who were the most successful and what was common to them in presenting them to the world around them.
So that they, too, could understand, how do I experience, how do I enjoy this kind of effectiveness?
I want to be that kind of person.
I want to have habits that lead to an effective life.
This has been kind of the benchmark for any successful person over the last 35 years or so.
It continues to be a bestseller.
More than 40 million copies of this book are sold in more than 38 different languages.
And so it is one of those go-to books, as it were, for business and management.
One example might be be proactive.
That's principle number one.
Focus and act on what you can control and influence instead of what you can't.
Principle number two, or habit number two.
Begin with the end in mind.
Define clear measures of success and plan to achieve them.
And on and on they go.
Stephen Covey, when he died in 2012,
estimated his net worth was somewhere around $170 million.
And he had built a 1.4 billion empire.
He's recognized by Time magazine as one of the top 25 most influential people in America.
That's saying something.
He's arrived.
This idea, of course, is if you follow these habits, these principles,
that you too can be highly effective in your place of business or management or industry.
I wonder now, coming back to our study in Daniel,
if Nebuchadnezzar may have written a book like that.
Seven habits of highly effective empires.
Or seven habits of highly effective kings.
Certainly he was one who could have written such a book.
A man who is hugely productive.
The building projects of Babylon were epic beyond compare.
A man who finished what he started.
A man who, by the way, through his engineering genius,
was able to architect not only a defensive system that was unprecedented in the day with the walls,
but a ziggurat built, a temple built to Marduk,
which towered 288 feet in the air.
The hanging gardens were a testimony to his engineering prowess and genius.
Training and empowering leaders.
Casting a vision.
Cementing loyalty, you might say,
with putting up the golden image and forcing all of his officials to bow down.
Establishing trade networks.
By the way, it is something I just discovered this week,
that the Silk Road actually began under Nebuchadnezzar's reign,
starting in Babylon and stretched all the way into Turkey and all the way into India.
About 1,500 miles this Silk Road began during Nebuchadnezzar's reign.
His technological prowess, his ability to assimilate the best and brightest minds from around the world.
Truly, he was one who could write a book about effective leadership.
Nebuchadnezzar's leadership was genius.
It begins to be this template for subsequent empires.
And we'll see that in our study next week when we turn the chapter to chapter 5 and then to chapter 6.
And we see the media Persian empire taking over.
God also, you might be surprised to find, has a list.
A list of greatness.
A list of highly effective qualities, habits for his effective leaders.
His effective disciples.
One such list is found for us in Luke chapter 7 verse 28.
When Jesus is speaking about the greatest man born to woman, John the Baptist, he says this,
I tell you, among those born of women, none is greater than John,
yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
God's list is quite specific.
His list is quite simple.
His list would focus in on the one quality that will govern a life,
and that is humility.
The list of greatness is those who are willing to step into the place
and submit themselves to God's purposes.
Humility is the key to greatness, as we find.
Jesus shares the same list as disciples.
In Matthew chapter 20, he says,
The last will be first, and the first will be last.
It shall not be among you, speaking about them as being lords over others.
But whoever would be great among you must be your servant.
Whoever would be first among you must be your slave.
It's a little counterintuitive.
It's a little upside down.
In God's economy, the way up is the way down.
That's the way it works.
Greatness is achieved through service.
That's why the apostle Peter will say much the same thing in 1 Peter 5, verses 6 and 7.
He says,
Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time.
And if you guys remember what the summary statement across last week's message was,
do you remember that?
Humble yourself, or God will humble you.
And by the way, this is the encouragement to all of us,
is that God's humbling work in our life is always with a purpose.
God's humbling work is to lead you to him.
As we sang, to come to appreciate,
and we'll see this at the end of our chapter,
to come to appreciate his glory as being preeminent over everything.
Everything is worth the cost to see the glory of God,
to experience, to enjoy, to taste the glory of God.
That's the divine strategy for success.
Throughout the Bible, all the way up and down,
the way to greatness is the way to humility,
and that's what we find in our passage today.
Today, God humbles us with the purpose of restoring us.
That's the second half of this passage.
And really, that's what we see written across this entire chapter.
It begins and ends.
It's not as humility as being an end to itself,
but a pathway to get to the result.
And we see the result at the very beginning of this chapter,
echoed again at the end of this chapter,
that the result of God's humbling work in our life
is to lead us to restoration,
to lead us to worship,
to lead us to see who he is,
and really to come to appreciate that he is everything.
Notice in Daniel chapter 4, verse 1,
I hope you're there.
If you're using the Pew Bible,
I believe it's on page 741.
741.
It would be good for you to follow along with us.
It says,
King Nebuchadnezzar,
to all peoples, nations, 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.
This testimony,
this witness that's written across this book,
this is the testimony of Nebuchadnezzar
into introducing the subject matter of chapter 4.
This is what he wants to say,
and then throughout the rest of the chapter,
we're going to find out how he got there.
What God did graciously for Nebuchadnezzar
to bring him to this point,
and what God must do
to every one of us in this room
to bring us to the same point.
Humble yourself,
or God will humble you.
And when he does,
you can rejoice,
because then you can see God
and experience him
the way he intends to be experienced.
That's where we end.
This chapter in Daniel chapter 4,
34 and 35, notice,
at the end of days,
I,
Nebuchadnezzar,
lifted my eyes to heaven.
My reason returned to me.
I blessed the Most High
and praised and honored him
who lives forever.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion.
His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of the earth
are counted as nothing,
and he does according to his will
among the hosts of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth,
and none can stay his hand
or say to him,
what have you done?
This morning we're back in Daniel chapter 4,
and we're concluding our chapter.
For those of you who weren't with us last week,
just to kind of catch you up
to where we are,
Nebuchadnezzar,
at the beginning of this chapter,
is celebrating,
congratulating himself.
He is sitting in ease.
He's in his palace.
He's looking over the landscape of Babylon,
and he's thinking to himself,
ha ha,
look what I did.
I am pretty amazing.
And then God sends him this dream.
This dream of this tree
that spreads across the entire earth.
It says that its greatness expanded
even to the heavens,
that all the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
were not only protected by its shade,
but were filled by its fruit.
It was the kind of tree
that demonstrated the expansive nature
of Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom
and the way in which his kingdom
was helping to meet the needs
of the known world.
at the time.
Nebuchadnezzar decides
that he wants to understand
and to know
what this dream actually means.
So he calls in his counselors,
his astrologers,
the Chaldeans,
the soothsayers,
and he brings them in
so that he can find
an interpretation to this dream.
Of course,
they could not interpret the dream.
And so he finally calls in,
Nebuchadnezzar calls in Daniel,
and Daniel begins to lay this out for him
and to help him understand,
Nebuchadnezzar,
you're the tree.
And this tree that fills the earth
is what God has accomplished
for you and through you,
and not only having dominion
over the known world,
but in allowing your kingdom to thrive.
But in the middle of this dream,
we find a watcher,
and that watcher is an angel
who was commanded
to chop this tree down.
And so the tree is chopped down,
the branches are cut off,
all that remains is the trunk.
And the trunk remains,
and it's wrapped with a bronze band,
it's tied up,
and it's confined.
And this is an image of Nebuchadnezzar,
what will happen to him.
We come to Daniel 4, 26,
it says,
And here's where we begin to understand
that this dream has a two-part promise.
The first part of the promise
is going to involve humility.
The second part of this promise
is working towards the ultimate destination,
and that ultimate destination
is restoration.
This tree isn't cut down and burned
and uprooted and thrown away.
The tree and the stump remains
because God has a purpose
for Nebuchadnezzar's humility
to bring restoration.
So that now Daniel in verse 27
now provides some exhortation,
provides some counsel,
So based upon what this dream says,
based upon its interpretation,
here is my advice to you, O king.
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 be perhaps
a lengthening of your prosperity.
Now that brings us
to the beginning of our passage today
in verses 28 to 37.
And the opening words of verse 28
say this,
All this came upon king Nebuchadnezzar.
And then dropping down to verse 33,
Immediately the word was fulfilled
against Nebuchadnezzar.
It may be worthwhile
to underline those two phrases
because they point to the testimony
of God's promise.
And that's our first point this morning.
God's promise to humble the king
is now underway,
is now being fulfilled.
God is true to his word.
God's word will not fail.
You can take it to the bank.
All this came upon king Nebuchadnezzar.
And we see that all of this came
in spite of a couple of things.
First, it came in spite of the delay.
In spite of the delay.
Notice in verse 29,
it says,
At the end of twelve months,
he was walking on the roof
of his royal palace of Babylon,
and the king answered and said,
It is not this great Babylon
which I have built
by my mighty power
as a royal residence
and for the glory of my majesty.
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.
God is going to fulfill his word.
God is going to bring Nebuchadnezzar down.
God is going to be good to his promise
that he's spoken.
Regardless of the fact
that the twelve months have expired,
God's promises stand
regardless of the time.
Regardless of the delay.
All this came upon Nebuchadnezzar.
And now God's patience had run out.
Now the time had expired.
The dream which God had given to the king
was now playing out before him.
God's word was true.
All of this.
And that's an important word to underscore.
It came about in totality.
It came about in completion.
It came about in fullness.
Every word that God had spoken
to Nebuchadnezzar through the dream
and through the interpretation,
every single word
and every single letter
was going to be fulfilled.
In totality.
Not one piece of the dream
would remain unfulfilled.
The entire warning
landed on Nebuchadnezzar
in full measure.
God was not slack
regarding his promise.
A phrase that's derived from
2 Peter chapter 3
or familiar to us.
2 Peter chapter 3 verse 9 says,
Don't think for a moment
that you're getting away with it.
It's so easy
to just keep going through life
and to keep spending our pleasures
into nothing's happening
so it must be okay.
That may be what Nebuchadnezzar
was under the impression of.
But God's delay
is always intended
to lead us to repentance.
God's delay is his grace to us
to lead us to himself.
And that's what he's doing.
For 12 months,
Nebuchadnezzar has bided his time.
Many commentators have suggested
that this delay
was a grace to Nebuchadnezzar
to give him room to repent.
And that may be.
But I'm more inclined to think
that Nebuchadnezzar
in working with Daniel
for 30 plus years,
now towards the end
of Nebuchadnezzar's life,
probably about 10 years away
from when he actually dies,
here he is.
He knows that Daniel's God
is not a God to mess with.
And this warning has come
with striking force.
He's learned
you don't mess with Daniel's God.
He's even said for himself
back in Daniel 2, verse 47,
he says,
truly your God
is the God of gods
and the Lord of kings
and a receiver,
a revealer of mysteries.
Later,
to Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego,
and as a result of
God's deliverance of them
in the fiery furnace,
he says in Daniel 3,
verse 29,
any people,
nation,
or language
that speaks anything
against the God
of Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego
shall be torn limb from limb
and their houses
laid in ruins,
for there is no other God
who is able to rescue
in this way.
I'm inclined to think
that Nebuchadnezzar
was abiding his time.
I'm under the impression
or inclined to believe
that he's kind of
restrained himself
a little bit.
He's kind of put some things
on pause for a moment.
He recognizes
he doesn't want to step
out of line.
And of course,
all of this is superficial.
Of course,
all of this is noted
by self-preservation.
There's not real change
that's happened.
Maybe he's adopted
or accepted
or put into place
even some of the advice
that Daniel would give
to him in verse 27.
But all of this
is short-lived.
And the word of God
is timeless.
It would be fulfilled
in spite of the delay.
We turn now
to verse 29.
We see that God's word
is going to come
in spite of his accomplishments
or in spite of his achievements.
Regardless of how great
Nebuchadnezzar thought he was
and the majesty
and the glory
of his kingdom
that he thinks
he put into place,
regardless of that,
God is going to show
Nebuchadnezzar
who's really in charge.
Notice verse 29.
At the end of 12 months,
he was walking on the roof
of his 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
for my glory
and majesty?
He's walking on
his patio roof.
The structures in that day
were flat roofs,
kind of patio-like.
Likely one of the highest
structures in Babylon
which would have given him
an unobstructed vantage point
to the entire city.
Here he is looking
over this city
and admiring
the beauty
of Babylon.
We know from history
that Babylon
was one of the preeminent cities
during that day.
One of the most
magnificent cities
that was known
on the earth.
Even a hundred years later,
a Greek historian
would visit the city
and he would recount
the splendor
of this city
a hundred years
after Nebuchadnezzar
was there.
Alexander the Great
planned to make
this city
the headquarters
for his empire
because of how glorious
a city it was.
A city that was about
15 miles square
had somewhere around
a million or more people
as inhabitants
surrounded by a broad
moat,
deep water
filled this moat,
an intricate system
of double walls.
The inner wall
was 21 feet thick.
The outer wall
was 11 feet thick
and every 60 feet
there was a watchtower
around this entire
expanse
of this city.
The height of the walls,
although it's not known,
are likely to be
the same height
as the gate of Ishtar
which is about
40 feet high.
Eight gates
provided access
to the city.
This Ishtar gate
being on the north side
and walking
into the Ishtar gate
would be this
expansive road
that would lead
straight,
just a little over
a half a mile
would lead straight
to the temple
of Marduk.
A towering structure
of almost
30 stories tall.
A seven level
ziggurat.
Then within the city
helping to connect
the east and the west
would be
this bridge,
a 400 foot
expanse bridge
spanning over
the Euphrates River.
There were
some 53 temples.
At least
three palaces.
One of those palaces
and likely
the palace
that Nebuchadnezzar
is speaking from
was about
350 yards
by 200 yards
in its area.
Now,
my math isn't
always that good
but bear with me.
That would be
approximately
70,000 square yards
which means
it would be
630,000 square feet.
About 14 and a half acres
this one palace
would have taken up.
That's the kind of glory
we're talking about.
There's no wonder
why Nebuchadnezzar
is like,
yeah,
I'm all of that.
Babylon also boasted
the famous
hanging gardens.
He married a woman
that was coming
from the mountain country
so he brought
the mountain
to Babylon.
From this roof
of his palace
he's looking out
and he's filled
with awe
at all
that his hands
have accomplished.
It's interesting
that most of the bricks
that have been
excavated from that time
actually bear
Nebuchadnezzar's name
stamped on the brick.
But here he is
admiring his accomplishments
and before
he finishes
his sentence
the word of God
comes to Nebuchadnezzar.
We find that
in verse 31.
The word of God
is going to be carried out
immediately.
Notice,
while the words
were still
in the king's mouth
there fell
a voice
from heaven
meaning
God
stopped
Nebuchadnezzar
in his tracks.
He interrupted
his congratulatory
escapade
his celebration.
God cut off
the words
from even
finishing
in Nebuchadnezzar's mouth.
The kingdom
has departed
from you
O Nebuchadnezzar.
In other words
you're done.
It's over.
You're relieved
from duty.
I wonder
if you've ever
experienced
that moment.
The moment
where people
have warned you
about various things
and you've
kind of gotten
away with it
for a little while
but then all
of a sudden
that person
shows up
they see you
and catch you
in the act
and then
that sinking
feeling
in your gut
that begins
to overwhelm you.
We often talk
about the
hand in the
cookie jar
kind of moment
but let me
make this
a little bit
more relevant
for the vast
majority
of us
in this room.
You know
you're driving
down the freeway
and you know
what the speed
limit is
and then
all of a sudden
you see out of the
corner of your eye
some movement
and you realize
that that movement
is what church?
A police officer
he's pulling out
and now his lights
are on
and you're looking
in the mirrors
and you realize
oh
that sinking
feeling.
Now I've never
had that feeling
but I'm sure
all of you
have.
Fortunately
it hasn't been
recently
but I better
be careful
we may have
that this
afternoon.
I got to be
careful.
Nebuchadnezzar
has been caught.
The words
are coming
out of his
mouth
and I promise
you in that
moment
he realizes
I've blown it.
The warning
was given
and not heeded.
Here
Nebuchadnezzar
is experiencing
the immediate
consequences
of his actions.
This
by the way
is always
the potential
for an
all powerful
God.
Nebuchadnezzar
after this
he will say
as a summary
here
in verse
35
who shall
stay
his hand.
And then
in verse
35
he does
according
to his
will
among
the
host
of
heaven
and
among
the
inhabitants
of the
earth.
None
can say
to him
what have
you done?
That is
always
the potential
of our
all powerful
supreme
God.
And yet
God
graciously
kindly
withholds
his discipline
withholds
his
humiliating
works
for the
sake
of
calling
us
and
granting
us
time
that
would
lead
us
to
repentance.
Paul
says
of
Christ
in
Colossians
speaking
of his
power
in
Colossians
1
16
and
17
it says
for
by him
all
things
were
created
in
heaven
and
on
earth
visible
and
invisible
whether
thrones
or
dominions
or
rulers
or
authorities
all
things
were
created
through
him
and
for
him
and
he
is
before
all
things
and
in
him
all
things
hold
together
that
is
our
God
Paul
will say
of
Christ
in
Ephesians
1
21
he
says
Christ
is
far
above
all
rule
and
authority
and
power
and
dominion
and
above
every
name
that
is
named
not
only
in
this
age
but
also
in
the
one
to
come
in
other
words
just
because
we've
seen
and
witnessed
the
power
of
God
in
the
past
it's
not
confined
to
time
and
space
it's
transcendent
and
regardless
of the
powers
that
come
Jesus
is
preeminent
his
power
is
supreme
and
when
God
chooses
to
act
no
power
on
heaven
and
earth
can
stand
against
it
and
when
he
chooses
to
wait
he
does
so
to
show
his
patience
his
forbearance
his
kindness
that is
meant to
lead
you
to
repentance
to
repentance
that's
what
Paul
says
in
Romans
chapter
2
verse
4
do
you
presume
on the
riches
and the
kindness
and forbearance
and patience
of God
not knowing
that God's
kindness
is meant
to lead
you to
repentance
but
because
of
your
heart
and
impenance
in
heart
you
are
storing
up
wrath
for
yourself
on
the
day
of
wrath
when
God's
righteous
judgment
will be
revealed
don't
take
God's
delay
as
license
to do
what you
want
don't
take it
for granted
don't
think that
you're
getting
away
with
it
you're
storing
up
wrath
for the
day
of
God's
judgment
he
will
have
his
day
he
will
have
his
day
but
he
intends
and desires
for you
and I
to come
to gracious
repentance
we find
in verses
32
and 33
that
God's
promises
are carried
out
completely
not only
immediately
but they're
carried out
completely
we see
this here
you shall
be driven
from among
men
your dwelling
shall be
with the
beasts
of the
field
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 man
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
his body
was wet
with dew
of heaven
till his
hair grew
as long
as eagles
feathers
and his
nails
were like
birds
claws
these
verses
describe
the
unthinkable
the king
proud in
the moment
is humbled
to almost
inhuman
ways
extents
he is
literally
has lost
his mind
as Nebuchadnezzar
will testify
himself
in verse
34 and 36
speaking about
his reason
returning to
him
now he is
absolutely
mad
he's insane
but before
you say
this
is impossible
even in
recent
days
there have
been
situations
examples
of people
who are
experiencing
something called
lycanthropy
which being
wolf life
that's where
it originated
but now
there's a term
that is used
to encompass
anybody
who would
act like
an animal
gerbil
a cat
a dog
a cow
an ox
so that
in 1946
this theologian
R.K. Harrison
witnessed
a British man
in a mental
institution
with an illness
that was virtually
identical
to what we find
in
Daniel chapter 4
the patient
wandered about
the grounds
of the institution
eating grass
as if he were
a cow
his drink
consisted of
water
Harrison stated
that the only
physical abnormality
that was noted
consisted of
a lengthening
of his hair
and a coarse
thickened
condition
of his fingernails
this must have
been a stunning
transition
the genius
of Babylon
humbled
to this
level
and the person
who is responsible
for making the decision
to turn him
out of the castle
out of the palace
to wander
the palace
grounds
but this is
what we read
we find
that he was
driven
from men
his dwelling
was with the
beasts of the fields
his diet
was of grass
and the extent
of his condition
lasted for seven
periods of time
which I think
is best
assumed
to be seven
years
that Nebuchadnezzar
experienced
this condition
it's the most
consistent
with what we find
of this word
used throughout
the book
of Daniel
but here's
the comfort
here's the
encouragement
this was not
the end
this was not
the destination
this was not
the final
objective
this was just
a pathway
to get to that
final objective
it wasn't
to bring
Nebuchadnezzar
down and leave
him there
it was
it was to use
humility
or humiliation
to lead to
restoration
and that's
the second
part of this
promise
God's promise
to restore
the king
is fulfilled
God's promise
to restore
the king
notice in verse 32
the second half
you shall be
made to eat grass
like an ox
in 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 wills
when you come
to your senses
when this time
is completed
when it's run
its course
the objective
will finally
be accomplished
and that is not
humiliation
but restoration
and exaltation
in verse 26
it was
commanded
to leave the stump
and the roots
of the tree
your kingdom
shall be confirmed
for you
from the time
that you know
that heaven
rules
Nebuchadnezzar
when this
has run
its course
when humility
has served
its purpose
you will finally
come to the place
of recognizing
where you belong
in the structure
of the universe
and who you
answer to
humility
will have
its way
and finally
after seven years
of grazing
of living
with the beast
of allowing the dew
to come and go
on him
of never cutting
his hair
or trimming
his nails
now finally
in the midst
of darkness
light will dawn
for Nebuchadnezzar
notice verse 34
at the end of days
I Nebuchadnezzar
lifted my eyes
to heaven
and by the way
that last song
that we sang
talked about
lifting our eyes
to heaven
how fitting it is
because that's what
we need to do
we need to come
to the place
of recognizing
who God is
humble yourself
before the mighty
hand of God
so that he can
exalt you
that exaltation
comes primarily
through belonging
to Christ
and seeing him
for who he is
Nebuchadnezzar
is finally there
the lesson
has finally been learned
Nebuchadnezzar
lifts his eyes
to heaven
and God
graciously
restores
his reason
returned
to him
throughout the book
of Daniel
this has been
kind of a resounding
theme
this word
reason
or wisdom
or knowledge
or understanding
it's echoed
throughout the
the accounts
of this chapter
or these chapters
this book
so that there are
52 times
50
actually 55 times
that this word
these words
are used
throughout the book
of Daniel
and now finally
the pursuit
of Nebuchadnezzar
in wanting
to find wisdom
for himself
now he finally
has experienced it
he's finally come
to know what
true wisdom is
wisdom that has led
I believe
to a changed heart
the right posture
before God
he's finally come
to a place
of experiencing
and knowing
true wisdom
and when
he experiences
this true wisdom
what is the response
what does true wisdom
true salvation
as it were
a true understanding
of who God is
what should it lead us
to every single time
what is the reflex
what is the impulse
it's always
worship
it's always worship
and that's what we find
in verse 34
at the end of the days
I Nebuchadnezzar
lifted my eyes
to heaven
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
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 hosts
of heaven
and among the inhabitants
of the earth
and none can stay
his hand
or say to him
what have you
done
the words
that are used
here in verse 34
and also in verses 36
and 37
he praised
and honored
and glorified
these are words
that describe
this continual
response
of the king
it wasn't a one time
moment
it wasn't a flash
in the pan
it becomes
this ongoing
expression
of his heart
and what's really
spectacular
about all of this
is
in spite of the shame
that this kind
of situation
would bring
Nebuchadnezzar
is shouting it
to the world
we see that
at the beginning
of this
to all peoples
nations
languages
I'm not ashamed
to let you know
what God had to do
for me
to finally bring me
to recognition
of who he was
he's finally at a place
where his heart
is ready
to worship
and notice
these final verses
in 36 and 37
are telling
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 lord
sought me
I was established
in my kingdom
and still more
greatness
was added
to me
you would think
that he could stop
right there
and the story
would be done
but this is just
an introduction
to the main point
all of these things
I celebrated
they're not just
restored to me
they're better
than they have
ever been
but my
perspective
has changed
I have all
those things
now
but the thing
that really
matters to me
is what he says
as a result
of that restoration
now in verse 37
notice
I have those things
back but
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
I got all my stuff
back
but what really
matters to me
is this revelation
of wisdom
of God
and who
he really is
and all I can
think about
is celebrating
and worshiping
him
not me
that's how we know
that Nebuchadnezzar's
heart is truly changed
that by the way
is how we
know for ourselves
how our heart
has truly changed
we know
that our heart
has changed
away from the world
and towards
the Lord
in a sincere
way
when we come
to the place
of recognizing
that even in good
and in times
of plenty
but then in times
of lack
and in times
of being
hungry
and going
through difficulty
regardless
of all of those
things
my heart
is steady
my heart
is secure
I can trust
and praise
the God of heaven
he's in control
and my life
is pointing
to him
because he
alone
is glorious
this is really
what we
come to understand
from the parting
words of the
apostle Paul
to the church
of Philippi
in Philippians
chapter 4
10
through 13
I've rejoiced
in the Lord
greatly
that now
at last
your care
for me
has flourished
and by the way
your care
for me
has flourished
the apostle
Paul
is in
a prison
cell
a stinking
rotten
cold
prison
cell
and
do you get
any sense
of that
from these
words
he says
your care
for me
has flourished
though you
surely did
care
but you
lacked
opportunity
not that I
speak
in regard
to need
for I have
learned
in whatever
state I am
to be content
I know
how to be
abased
I know
how to
abound
everywhere
and in all
things
I have
learned
both
to be
full
and to
be
hungry
both
to abound
and to
suffer
need
I
can do
all things
through Christ
who strengthens
me
that
is the heart
of a changed
person
that is a
heart
of a true
worshiper
that is a
heart
of a person
who really
has come
to a place
of recognizing
wisdom
spiritual
wisdom
that leads
them
to spiritual
worship
understanding
their posture
before the
Lord
not striving
not settling
but
confident
insecure
in what
Christ has
accomplished
welcoming
whatever it
takes
the humiliation
that is
required at
times to
lead us
to new
discoveries
of who
he is
this
exaltation
that God
desires to
accomplish
for all of
us
this restoration
process
that sometimes
and maybe I
should say
always
requires some
measure
of pain
so that we
can see
that he
is worth
it
he's
enough
he is
all that
you need
may God
help us
as those
who have
enjoyed
the benefits
of this
grace
that Nebuchadnezzar
I believe
is seeing
and experiencing
here
that our
hearts
would be
just as
full
and erupt
with praise
wherever we
go
that our
lives would
redound
to the glory
of God
may God
help us
regardless
of the
situation
you're in
to point
your heart
to point
your life
to point
your praise
towards him
oh God
thank you
for
this testimony
of what
we might
think is
an impossible
work
how is it
possible
that a
pagan
king
who has
all the
wealth
of the
known world
at his
disposal
how could
you
possibly
catch
his
heart
and turn
him to
you
but you
did
thank you
for this
lesson
and for
using
Daniel
in his
ministry
to
Nebuchadnezzar
to be
used as a
catalyst
to come
to this
outcome
Lord I pray
that you
would use
all of us
that we
would be
useful
agents
of you
not only
to bend
our heart
towards you
in humility
and to
experience
the joy
of relationship
with you
but to do
what it
takes
in our
workplaces
in our
communities
in our
homes
to draw
attention
to you
and to be
useful
as a
catalyst
to bring
others
to saving
knowledge
of you
as well
we pray
these things
in your
name
amen
God bless
you
hope you
have a
great
week