One week, I talked with someone about Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”, which could be a fitting title for chapter 4 of Daniel. Proverbs 16:18 states that “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall”, for which this narrative is a prime example. Despite previous examples of God’s sovereignty (https://robert-a-l-blake.com/god-delivers-us/), Nebuchadnezzar apparently needed another lesson in humility. He had twice previously confessed the God of heaven as the God of gods (Daniel 2:47; Daniel 3:28-29), but still appeared to be unconvinced. It reminds me of Peter and his denial of Christ (Mark 14:29, 66-72) and his subsequent acceptance of Christ’s commission (John 21:15-19).
A Lesson in Humility
God presented Nebuchadnezzar with his third and final lesson in humility. Not only was he forewarned in a dream, as in a previous chapter (Daniel 2), but he stumbled down the same unyielding path as before by requesting help from so-called wise men. After Daniel pointed him in the right direction, along with an admonition of warning, he took the final plunge. The most powerful man on earth then lived as a beast in the field for seven years. True to the prophecy, however, he finally lifted his eyes to heaven and acknowledged the God of Heaven (Daniel 4:37).
Did it take all of that to erase pride? Obviously it did. The Bible also states that they wrote these things as examples (1 Corinthians 10:11). For whom? For us! Nebuchadnezzar needed three experiences of a lesson in humility to recognize the true source of his wealth and power. Some of us may require more or less.
We serve a merciful and gracious God. He longs for our success. Sometimes we get ahead of Him and forget the Source of our blessings. He allows us to experience lessons of humility, but still extends grace and mercy.
Prayer
Loving Lord, thank You for patiently teaching us to trust in You. When we fall, You pick us up. You never give up on us. A lesson in humility is just another evidence of Your love and desire for us to be more like You. Thank you for Your grace and mercy. Amen.
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One thought on “Falling Hard: A Lesson in Humility”
[…] in chapter 3. In chapter 4, last week, we witnessed yet another failure of the so-called wise men (https://robert-a-l-blake.com/a-lesson-in-humility/). We find, though, that Nebuchadnezzar had left a rich legacy, which was scorned. The scene in […]
A Rich Legacy - Meditation on the Word