Daniel 4:34-37
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO NEBUCHADNEZZAR
Intro: For over two decades a defiant, cocky man by the name of Napoleon
created turmoil in Europe. Despite his small stature, 5 feet 2 inches, he
caused great trouble for all the people around him. In a bid to regain some
of the power he had lost due to a forced exile, Napoleon led his armies in a
swath of devastation across the battlefields of Europe. On June 18, 1815,
Napoleon and his armies faced the allied armies of England, Prussia,
Russia, Austria, Belgium and The Netherlands, led by the Duke of
Wellington.
Before the battle commenced Napoleon, speaking to of his commanding
officer, said "We will put the infantry here, the calvary over there, and
the artillery in that spot. At the end of the day, England will be at the
feet of France, and Wellington will be the prisoner of Napoleon."
The officer responded, "But, we must not forget that man proposes
and God disposes."
With his typical arrogance, Napoleon stood as straight and as tall as his
5-foot-two-inch frame would allow ans replied, "I want you to understand,
sir, that Napoleon proposes and Napoleon disposes!"
Victor Hugo, the writer, penned these words concerning that battle,
"From that moment Waterloo was lost, for God sent rain and hail so
that the troops of Napoleon could not maneuver as he had planned,
and on the night of the battle it was Napoleon who was prisoner of
Wellington, and France who was at the feet of England."
Pride is a ruthless taskmaster! It will convince us that we have all the
answers and that we know better than even God. The passage we have
read today gives us the testimony of a man who has learned a harsh lesson
about the sin and pride that was in his own heart. In these verses, and in
several others that precede them, we are given the details of
Nebuchadnezzar's journey from sin to salvation. In this message, I want us
to see how the most powerful man in that day was made the prisoner of God
and how the nation of Babylon was placed at the feet of Heaven. We will
see how God works in the lives of people to get them where He wants them
to be. As the Lord gives liberty this evening, I want to preach on the thought The Gospel According To Nebuchadnezzar.
I. 1:1-2 THE POWER OF KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR
A. 1:1 The Scope Of His Power - Nebuchadnezzar was the most
feared and mighty ruler of his day. He controlled the powerful
kingdom of Babylon and was unrivaled in power and military might.
B. 1:2 The Source Of His Power - The Bible clearly state that
Nebuchadnezzar was in the place of power because of the will of
God. Jeremiah records the words of God in Jer. 43:10, where
Nebuchadnezzar is called "My servant" by God Himself! He
enjoyed the pinnacle of success and power because God had
allowed him to be in that place. (Note: There is no such thing as a
self-made man! Any successes we enjoy in this life are a result of
the sovereign will of God for us! Without God, we would all still be
lost sinners on our way to Hell! May the Lord help us to give Him the
glory for every accomplishment. After all, He is the power
responsible for it all!)
C. 1:2 The Shame Of His Power - Even though Nebuchadnezzar was
a great and powerful king, he failed to recognize or acknowledge
God in his life. He even took the vessels of worship from the Temple
in Jerusalem and brought them to Babylon to be offered as a tribute
to his god. Here is a man who is living his life independently from
God and who cares nothing for the will of God in his life. (Note: This
could be said of literally billions of people on this planet this evening.
They possess physical life, clarity of thought and reasonable
intelligence, but they are as dead to the things of God as if they were
already in their graves, Eph. 2:1. This type of person takes life for
granted. They ignore God and His Gospel, while they advance
steadily day by day toward the fires of Hell. Friend, you can live
anyway you please, but if you live your life with no regard for God
and you die without Jesus as your Savior, you will have no one to
blame but yourself.) (Note: This problem just doesn't apply to the
lost of the world either! There are many people in the church who
profess to be saved, but who call all the shots in their lives. They
live as if God were indeed dead! Isn't it about time that the Lord's
children gave Him the glory He deserves?)
II. 2:1-3:30; 4:4-30 THE PRIDE OF KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR
A. 2:1-3:7 Seen In His Indifference To God's Power - (Ill. The
Context) In this passage Nebuchadnezzar was brought face to face
with the power of the God of Israel. He was confronted with the truth
of Who God is, v. 28. He was reminded that he was where he was
by the power of God, v. 37. Yet, Nebuchadnezzar responded by
worshiping Daniel instead of God, v. 46. By proclaiming that the
God of Daniel was a "God among gods", a great God no doubt, but
just one among many. And, by building a giant statue of himself and
ordering men to worship it, 3:1-8. Here is a man who had
experienced God's power in his life first hand, but was totally blind
and indifferent to what the Lord was doing for him and around him.
(Note: This is the same problem many people in our world have
today. They can see what God is doing. They can even testify to
what He has done for them, but they refuse to bow before Him is
total surrender. For the lost man, this will end in Hell. For the saint
of God, this will end in chastisement and loss of rewards! God forbid
that we would ever be indifferent to the God Who loved us enough
to give His Son for us on the cross!)
B. 3:8-30 Seen In His Indifference To God's Person - (Ill. The
contest of this passage.) In these verses, Nebuchadnezzar is
brought face to face with God Himself. He even sees the Lord in the
furnace with the three Hebrew boys, v. 25. Yet, at the end of the
day, comes short of total commitment to the Lord of Heaven. When
he speaks of God, he still lumps God in with all the other gods, v.
29. He refers to God as being "their" God. He is indifferent to the
personal ministry of God in his life. (Note: Again, this man could
represent literally billions of people. They to are confronted with God
and His power, and when the heat is on in their lives, they might get
a little "religious", but they stop short of total commitment, whether
it be the commitment of coming to God for salvation, or that of totally
committing one's life to Him. In either case, there is no repentance
and no brokenness over sin. I hope none of us are guilty of taking
what the Lord has done for us for granted, yet I sense that we are!)
C. 4:4-30 Seen In His Indifference To God's Prophecy - (Ill. The
Context.) Again, Daniel is called upon to interpret a dream for
Nebuchadnezzar. As he does so, Daniel is forced to tell the old king
that the dream is a prophecy of his on coming judgment. Daniel
does so with a heavy heart, v. 19. The prophecy is one of judgment,
a judgment that is designed to forever break the hard heart and will
of this pagan king and to bring him to a place of total dependence
upon the Lord, v. 25. As Daniel closes his comments to the king, he
pleads with Nebuchadnezzar to repent of his sins and to turn to God, v. 27. Yet, we see the king continuing to live in pride and arrogance.
He still refuses to acknowledge God and He still refuses to submit
to His will, v. 29-30. And, as prophesied, judgment came! (Note:
Again, we can see a parallel between this man and many people
who live in our world and fill our church pews. There is no fear of
God in their lives and no regard for the plain Word of God. They live
their lives as though God is a doting old grandfather and forget that
He is a God of wrath and judgment!)
(Note: Did you know that the problem with Nebuchadnezzar, as well as
the problem with our own hearts when live indifferent to the will and word
of God, can be summed up in one word: pride? That's right! The first sin
ever committed was the sin of pride, Isa. 14:14. Sin entered earth
trough pride, Gen. 3:6; 1 John 2:16. Pride is at the top of God hate list
for sins, Pro. 6:16. Notice several other passages related to pride in
Proverbs, Pro. 16:5; Pr. 8:13; Pro. 16:18; Pro. 11:2. God cannot bless
pride when it dwells within your life or mine. What He can bless,
however, is the opposite of pride, humility, James 4:6. When we
humbler ourselves under God's hand, He will bless our lives for His
glory. It's really simple class! Pride brings pain, humility bring blessings!
Which will it be for you?)
III. 4:31-33 THE PUNISHMENT OF KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR
(Ill. Because Nebuchadnezzar responded to the call of God in pride and
arrogance, he suffered God's wrath. Remember, "Pride goeth before
destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall!")
A. V. 29 The Delay Of His Punishment - We are told that it took a full
year before the judgment of God came in his life. During this time,
Nebuchadnezzar had probably written off the prophecy of his
judgment as the babbling of a foolish man. However, the time came
when the whip of chastisement bit the flesh of the great king of
Babylon. (Note: God's delay in sending judgment should never be
misinterpreted! You never get away with sin! God, in His grace, will
give you plenty of space to repent, but there will always be a limit to
His patience. The Bible is clear when it tells us that there is a price
on sin, Gal. 6:7; Num. 32:23. While the wheels of God's wrath
may grind slow, they grind exceedingly fine! God hasn't
forgotten, He is just giving the wayward soul an opportunity to
repent!)
B. V. 31-32 The Depth Of His Punishment - When judgment came, it
was swift and it was complete! Nebuchadnezzar lost his power, his
glory, his kingdom, his wealth, everything that he had boasted in was
taken away and he lived like an animal. (Note: Nebuchadnezzar is
afflicted with a disease now know as "lycanthropy". This is a
compound word "lycos", which means "wolf" and "anthropos",
which means "man". This gives os the meaning "wolfman". This
refers to a person who lives like and animal. It is a serious mental
condition! This great king before whom million trembled in fear has
been reduced to a pathetic, repulsive, ugly beast. God knew how to
get Nebuchadnezzar's attention!) (Note: Just for the record, God
also knows how to get our attention too. He knows what it will take
to turn your heart to Him and He will not hesitate to touch that area
of your life when the need arises. It is a dangerous game when
people try to make God blink! When He is on your trail, He will do
everything in His power to have you. Resistence is futile!)
C. V. 25, 37 The Duration Of His Punishment - Nebuchadnezzar is
told that his judgment will continue until he comes to the place of
acknowledging God as his Ruler. This leads me to believe that had
Nebuchadnezzar repented before the judgment came, he might
have been spared the hell he had to endure. Since he refused to
acknowledge the Lord as God, he was brought under the lash of
judgment, and he remained there for 7 years. (Note: If you are out
of the Lord's will and the chastisement of God has not come upon
your life yet, that means there is still time to repent. I would advise
you to listen to the call of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God.
Repent while there is time. If you are not saved and your are not in
Hell, I challenge you to come before the Lord and receive Jesus into
your heart. Judgment can be avoided if God is acknowledged and
exalted as He should be, 1 Cor. 11:31.)
IV. 4:34-37 THE PROCLAMATION OF KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR
(Ill. Nebuchadnezzar finally comes to himself and sees the great glory
of God. I believe this man had an actual conversion experience, and
that we will see him some day in Heaven. As evidence of his
conversion, Nebuchadnezzar gives a loud testimony so that all the
people in his kingdom will know what has happened to him.)
A. 4:1-3 It Was A Public Proclamation - He did not hide what the Lord
has done in his life. He boldly and publically proclaimed the glorious
truth that he had experienced the God of Heaven for himself. In this
public proclamation, the king gives bold testimony to his newfound
faith in God. (Note: When we come to the place where pride has
been broken, we will find that we are not ashamed to tell the world
what Jesus has done for us! It is pride that prevents us from
publically acknowledging God and His work in our lives.)
B. 4:2, 34, 37 It Was A Personal Proclamation - Notice how the king
continually reminds us what the Lord has done for him personally.
It is one thing to be able to relate what the Lord has done for others,
but it is something altogether different to say, "This is what God
has done for me!" (Note: The people of God should never hesitate
to tell this world, and one another, about the great things the Lord
has done in our lives. We should all have a public proclamation of
praise to God that demands to be released! What has the Lord
done for you? Tell someone else about it!)
C. 4:34-37 It Was A Powerful Proclamation - As the king relates all
the Lord has done for him, you will notice the change in his character
that is evident in his words. No longer is he threatening people who
speak against God. He does not say that God is a great God among
other gods. Here, he just praises the Lord for what God has done
for Him. He acknowledges God to be the Sovereign Ruler of the
universe. He declares the glory of God for all to hear and he does
so without shame or reservation. He tells his subjects that he is
walking with God. His last words serve as a warning to everyone
who walks in pride before the Lord: He is able to bring you down!
(Note: Nebuchadnezzar gives good evidence of a life changed by
the power of God! Note how the attention is off himself and his
accomplishments. Now, he spends his time exalting the Lord Who
has intervened in and changed his life. That is a good example for
you and me this evening. We need to experience what this man
has. I am not referring to the suffering he endured, but we all need
to come to the place where God fills our hearts, our lives and our
vision. We all need to be in a place where our lives and lips give
powerful testimony to His life changing power.)
Conc: What will it take to get you and me in a place where we are willing to
bow to God's power? What will it take to bring us to the place where we will
freely bring honor and glory to His name?
For a famous singer by the name of Charlotte Elliot it took the direct
confrontation of a preacher by the name of Caesar Milan. In London, long
ago, there was a concert to which many famous people were invited.
Among them was the preacher Milan. When the show was over, Milan
approached Mrs. Elliot and said, "I thought as I listened to you tonight how
tremendously the cause of Christ would be benefitted if your talents were
dedicated to His cause. You know, young lady, you are a sinner in the sight
of God, but I am glad to tell you that the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse
you from all sin."
The singer became so angry that she stomper her feet and walked
away. As she was going, the preacher said, "I mean no offense. I will pray
that God's Spirit will convict you."
When she got home and tried to go to sleep, the preacher's face and
words kept coming to her mind. Her sleep was disturbed and she was under
terrible conviction over her sins. At about 2 o'clock in the morning she got
out of her bed, took a pencil and a peice of paper, and with tears running
down her cheeks, Charlotte Elliot wrote these words:
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou biddest me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
For this young woman it took a bold witness. For others it takes far
more drastic means to get their attention. What will it take in your life before
you are saved? What will it take before you give it all fully and finally to
God?
If there are issues that need to be settled, this altar is open and the help
you need can be found right here.
