Our scripture reading to which I invite you to turn with me this evening is found again in the book of Daniel. Tonight we turn once again to the fourth chapter. It's in the Old Testament after the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs. You'll soon come to the major prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel, Daniel chapter four. If you were with us last Lord's Day evening, you know that we looked at the first 27 verses of the prophecy of Daniel. and we looked at it under the theme of the terrifying dream of a tree. Now, we are not going to review all of those 27 verses tonight, so I pray that you may have been with us last Lord's Day evening, or at least that our exposition of verses 28 and following will give you enough substance, enough content, that you sort of stay with the flow. But the context is that terrifying dream which King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed and which Daniel interpreted for him. That is where we left off in verse 27, last Lord's Day evening, and now we pick up, brothers and sisters, in verse 28 of Daniel 4, and we read to the end of the chapter. Let us hear the word of the Lord. All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 12 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. The words were still on his lips when 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 cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. Immediately, what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. 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. At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was 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? At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisors 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. Thus far, the reading of God's Holy Word. As always, dear friends, I ask and urge you to keep your Bibles open and handy as we look to God's Word together this evening. Dear congregation of Jesus Christ, pride, wrote the great reformer John Calvin, is the mother of all contempt of God. Think about that. Calvin said pride is the mother of all contempt of God. There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him, says King Solomon in Proverbs 6, 16 and 17. And do you know what the first of these is? The first of these is haughty eyes, haughty eyes. And then similarly, in Proverbs 16, 18, God's holy word declares, pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Friends, think about that. Well, as we turn to the words of our text for this evening, as recorded for us in Daniel 4, verses 28 through 37, We find such words as I have just referenced from the sacred scriptures and indeed from the reformer John Calvin were never more truly spoken than in reference to King Nebuchadnezzar, the mighty king of Babylon some 2,600 years ago. But all my dear brothers and sisters, notice this. As we begin to work our way through our text, we find that by the grace and mercy of God, The very painful punishment which was abundantly poured out upon King Nebuchadnezzar, as was prophesied in that terrifying dream of the tree, caused that pagan king to come to his physical and spiritual senses. And we find that he ended up giving all praise, honor, glory, and adoration to the God of heaven, the God whom he said does all things well. As we work our way through this passage tonight, as God's people, this ought not to simply challenge us to search out our hearts and our minds spiritually, to seek by the power of the Holy Spirit to rip up and root out and rid ourselves of all such sinful pride. But, oh my dear friends in the Lord, it ought to give us as God's people great comfort in the realization of the fact that our Almighty God and Heavenly Father is able to humble even the most mighty monarch on the face of the earth. and even elicit from His heart and from His mouth the praise and the honor and the glory of which He alone is worthy. All praise, honor, and glory be to our mighty God. Well, friends, as we begin the study, then of our text, I'm going to outline it as follows. We, first of all, are going to consider this theme of pride and punishment from the vantage point of Nebuchadnezzar's sinful pride. We're going to consider this theme of pride and punishment, first of all, from the vantage point of Nebuchadnezzar's sinful pride. For example, look at verse 28 of Daniel four with me, if you would please. Here we read. All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Everything we had studied previously in verses one through 27. Now I've got a very interesting and insightful footnote in my study Bible on that portion of the text which reads, but only because Nebuchadnezzar did not follow Daniel's advice. And that's exactly true. All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar because he did not heed the warning which Daniel had given him under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Verse 29, 12 months later. Think about that. Now Calvin says that this was a period of reprieve. This was a period of grace. This was a period of mercy for King Nebuchadnezzar. And because he still pursued in his pride, Calvin said his guilt was even greater. He was held even more accountable for not turning to the Lord God Almighty. Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the palace of Babylon, Exactly what King David was doing. 2 Samuel 11 verse 2 tells us that David was walking on the roof of his palace when he saw Bathsheba bathing. And the roofs were flat and King Nebuchadnezzar was doing the exact same thing. He was walking on the roof of the palace of Babylon. And he said, notice, is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty? Friends, think about the unique language, the specific terms which Nebuchadnezzar is using. Now on the one hand, one classic Reformed Bible commentator has said, and I quote, The accuracy of this statement has been remarkably confirmed. Listen to what he said. The accuracy of that statement has been remarkably confirmed. What did he mean by that? What he meant by that was that old historic historians, like Josephus, first century AD, and earlier historians, archaeological finds, archaeological digs, have discovered actually that Nebuchadnezzar, though he was a mighty warrior who had won many battles, was actually more of a builder than he was a warrior. And so what he says here, technically speaking, concerning those buildings, is true. You know, in fact, in God's providence, I love the way God, through the course of a week, helps you put your message together. And this morning, one of our young ladies in the church kindly forwarded to me some information about Babylon that she's been exposed to or has been studying in a community Bible study, and she passed this along to me. And I had some of this down, but it's worded a lot better in what she gave me. So I'm just going to read this paragraph to you in reference to what King Nebuchadnezzar just said about Babylon. And I was very grateful for her passing this along. Listen carefully, please. Archaeologists have extensively excavated ancient Babylon. It was stunning in its beauty. A system of double walls, high as an eight-story building, what is that, about 80 feet? Eight-story building, about 80 feet. A system of double walls, high as an eight-story building, wide and strong enough for chariots to ride on, surrounded the city. The walls had eight gates, capped by the famed Ishtar Gate, with two towers 40 feet high on each side. From the Ishtar Gate, a 1,000-yard processional road led to the Temple of Marduk. We had studied Marduk earlier. His other name was Bel. That was the god that Nebuchadnezzar worshipped. The famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, perhaps you've heard of them. The famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon were a series of terraces filled with trees, shrubs, and flowers connected by marble stairways and watered by fountains. Nebuchadnezzar built them for one of his wives who longed for the mountains of her native Persia. The Greeks listed them as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world." Think of that, how glorious and grand Babylon was. The Bible says of King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 2, verse 4, that King Solomon undertook great projects. And that same thing was true of Nebuchadnezzar. But friends, look at that text that I read a moment ago once again in verse 29 and 30. Notice specifically the first personal pronouns in verse 30. 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? It's like our culture today. It's all about me, my, I, everything else. And when you pair that with the boasting of this and accruing all of that grandeur and that glory to himself, We see that here, Nebuchadnezzar is condemning himself as it were by his very own words, the words of his own mouth. And he's speaking here of an unequivocal, consistent, very powerful testimony of his sinful pride, of his sinful pride. Well friends, notice as our text continues that Nebuchadnezzar's sinful pride secondly resulted in Nebuchadnezzar's severe punishment. His sinful pride resulted in his severe punishment. Look at verses 31 and following with me if you would please. Here we read. The words were still on his lips. Think of this. When a voice came, literally it says, a voice fell from heaven. Now stay with me. This is what is decreed for you, O King Nebuchadnezzar." In the original language, the words are inverted. And the words, O King Nebuchadnezzar, are actually first in that portion of the text. It actually says, and some of your virgins may read that way, the words were still on his lips when a voice came or fell from heaven, O King Nebuchadnezzar. And it's kind of arresting his attention. O King Nebuchadnezzar, this is what is decreed for you. Now friends, a very interesting insight also is the fact that the following verbs are in kind of a form which indicates that it is as if what they say has already happened. It's as if it's already a done deal. There is no turning back. It's a sealed and settled issue. And that's why I like how the NIV tries to bring out the sense of the forms of those verbs by saying, you will be. In other words, there's no doubt about it. I'm going to start back a little further up, so I'm sorry. Your royal authority has been, see it's already a done deal, has been taken away from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like cattle seven times. And we talked last week about what that may or may not mean. Very probably it refers to a period of seven years, although we cannot be absolutely certain, but probably it does. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. And that is precisely what Daniel had warned him about that he would have to do in verse 25 earlier in that passage. But friends, think about this, think about this. Until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. Wow, wow. No sooner are those words said, and it's all as good as done, Notice in verse 33, immediately, what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was literally, it says, ended, meaning it was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven. Look back at verse 23, Daniel said that is precisely what was going to happen to him. 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. Boys and girls, think about that. Think about this mighty monarch, this powerful pagan king, and he's put under the judgment, the punishment of God. And over a period of time, he's not only drenched with the dew of heaven, meaning he's living outside like an animal. We talked about zoanthropy last week and everything that that means. Not only would he be drenched with the dew of heaven, but he would be so and do so until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. And obviously that would take a period of time for him to look like that. But in my study this week, I almost passed over the significance of that. And I don't want us to lightly esteem or diminish or minimize the horror of that kind of physical punishment which Nebuchadnezzar endured. In fact, do you remember where, I think we touched on it in one of the early studies, do you remember where Babylon was located in reference to modern day geography? Do you remember where Babylon was located? Babylon was located right on the banks of the Euphrates River in what is now modern-day Iraq. That's where Babylon was located, the banks of the Euphrates River in modern-day Iraq. So I did a little research on Iraq. Iraq in the wintertime has temperatures that fall below freezing. Iraq in the summertime, and we read this during the times when some of our soldiers were over there and some of them are still there, what they had to endure, Iraq in the summertime averages temperatures 110 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit with very high humidity. Think about Nebuchadnezzar being sent out there afflicted with zoanthropy, believing he's an animal, acting like an animal, through the seasons of the year for several years. The heat, the cold, the humidity. and he ended up in effect looking like an animal. Friends, think about that, think about that. Oh, how Nebuchadnezzar's sinful pride under the hand of Almighty God resulted in severe punishment. Ah, but that's not the end of the chapter, is it? Look with me thirdly and finally at the fact that Nebuchadnezzar's severe punishment by the grace and mercy of God led to Nebuchadnezzar's sincere praise. Nebuchadnezzar's sincere praise. Before we get into that portion of the text, I wanna share a couple of quotes with you. John Calvin has said, God declares war on all the proud Because we cannot set ourselves up even a little without declaring war on God. Think about that. God declares war on all the proud because we cannot set ourselves up even a little without declaring war on God. End of quote. There's also why in Psalm 18 verse 27 we read, you save the humble, but you bring low those whose eyes are haughty. And in both James 4 verse 6 and 1 Peter 5 verse 5, we read God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Now friends, think of that quote, think of those verses in relation to King Nebuchadnezzar. Let me ask you a question that I've been pondering for the last week or two. Do you think, especially now that we've read through chapter 4, that Nebuchadnezzar was saved in the end? It would be really interesting to take a poll. Well, maybe let's do that. That would be really fun. Well, first I'll tell you, I'll give you a context. John Calvin thinks that Nebuchadnezzar was not saved. He just said it was a grace and mercy to make him say what he said and acknowledge what he acknowledged, but he was not saved. Dr. Ed Young, longtime Old Testament professor at Westminster Seminary down in Philadelphia, now with the Lord, believes that Nebuchadnezzar was truly saved. He said, no man could say the things that he said, profess the things that he professed and not be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Dr. Ed Young thinks that he was saved. Matthew Henry thinks, we don't really know for sure. Matthew Henry says, he may have been, and we can hope he was, but we don't know for sure. All right, how many of you think, I don't know why I'm doing this, but just for fun, how many of you think Nebuchadnezzar was saved? Wow. How many of you think he was not saved? No, that's not fair, Abe. Let me see again. How many of you think he was not saved? Okay, I think the vast majority thinks that he's saved, Abe, so you can abstain, but it looks like people think he was. I kind of go in that direction myself, but again, as Matthew said, we can't know for sure, but friends, notice the praise that he offers the living God. It almost moves you to tears when you think about who he was, what he had done, what he had said, who he worshiped, Marduk, And he's brought to that lowly place of living like an animal, feeling like an animal, believing he was an animal. Verse 34. At the end of that time, probably, perhaps about seven years, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven. It's language almost identical to Psalm 123, verse one, where we read, I lift my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my sanity was restored. He no longer was afflicted with the symptoms of zoanthropy. Then I praised the Most High. I honored and glorified Him who lives forever. And notice some of the specifics of his testimony. He says, first of all, in verse 34, his dominion is an eternal dominion. His kingdom endures from generation to generation. Friends, notice how his I, me, and my suddenly become his, him, and he. He suddenly focuses on the living God. His dominion, not my, his dominion is an eternal dominion. His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. Does that sound familiar to you? Isaiah quotes the Lord God in Isaiah 40 verse 23 is saying that is how God views the princes and the rulers of this world. He views them as nothing. They're a drop in the bucket to him. And now Nebuchadnezzar is acknowledging that same thing that's recorded in Isaiah 40 23. 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 and say to him, what have you done? What have you done? Does that language sound familiar? Who can say to God, what have you done? Romans 9. 20 and 21, the apostle Paul says, how can the clay say to the potter, why do you make me like this? Who are we to talk back to God? And Nebuchadnezzar is basically coming to that same conclusion as Paul marks in Romans 9, 20 and 21. He says he does what 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? In my Reformation Study Bible, I came across a great article on the sovereignty of God. And that particular article has this quotation in it. Listen carefully, please. God's dominion is total. He wills as he chooses and he carries out all that he wills and none can stay his hand or thwart his plans. Think of that in the world in which we're living when we read what's in the headlines and in all the international intrigue and wars and rumors of wars. Think about that. The power of our God. I'm going to read that again. God's dominion is total. He wills as He chooses, and He carries out all that He wills, and none can stay His hand or thwart His plans. All glory be to God. And then verse 36 continues. He says, at the same time that my sanity was restored, My honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisors and nobles sought me out. Think about this, in God's providence, no successor was put on the throne of Babylon. It's like they just kept on running the government, caring for things, perhaps trying to tend their insane king. But after he comes to his senses, his advisors and nobles seek him out, and he was restored to his throne, and not only so, he became even greater than before. Friends, can you think of an Old Testament biblical character who was very wealthy, who lost everything, and then had everything restored multiple times over? I see all the heads nodding. It's Job. Let's go to the book of Job. Back to the left, several pages. Job, chapter 42. Drop down with me, please. You can just listen if you want. But otherwise, Job 42, verses 10 through 12. In Job 42, verses 10 through 12, we read, after Job had prayed for his friends, the ones that gave him that ungodly counsel, after Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought upon him. And each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. Think of that. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. Same thing he did for Nebuchadnezzar. And then friends, I got to pondering and praying about having it all, losing everything, and then being restored. And guess who else came to mind? Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Because in Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 through 11, the Apostle Paul declares, your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father, you see. All glory be to God. And then our text concludes back in Daniel 4, verse 37, 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. Nebuchadnezzar might also have well said, and I have become a living monument, a living testimony to that eternal truth, that those who walk in pride, He is able to humble. Friends, think about this, think about this. You know, I began the message this evening with a quote by John Calvin, and I wanna end it with a quote by Calvin, and then another passage of Scripture. Calvin also said this. He said, the great end which God has in view when he prostrates the pride of the ungodly is the comfort of his own people. Think about the profoundness of that. Calvin said, the great end which God has in view when he prostrates the pride of the ungodly is the comfort of his own people. I got thinking about that. I thought to myself, imagine what this account did for the Jews who were captive in Babylon for 70 years when they came to the realization that the most mighty monarch on the face of the earth, King Nebuchadnezzar, was nothing more than clay in the hands of the master potter, their sovereign God. And that through a dream, he could warn him that just like that, his power, his pomp, his grandeur, all of his self-proclaimed glory would be taken away from him. And for a period of perhaps seven years, he'd have the mind and the actions of an animal. When that most mighty monarch is brought down, think of what it did for God's captive people, realizing that their God was still on the throne. Oh, and my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, when you and I go through what we go through, and when we face each new day that we don't know what it's gonna hold, and when we read the headlines or look at the evening news or go on the internet and see what's happening throughout our country and throughout our world and everywhere else, throughout the economy and everything, how comforting it is to know that no matter who the president is, no matter who's elected to Congress, no matter who the judge is, no matter who the president of France is or who's ruling Iraq or Russia or anything else, Our God is still on the throne. And that is why in the book of Romans, the eighth chapter, verse 28, the apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, declares, and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him. and have been called according to His purpose. And then dropping down to verse 31 of Romans 8 and reading following, what then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also along with Him graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is He that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died, more than that, who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble, or hardship, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, for your sake we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors. The Greek says we are super conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. our Lord. And friends, as you and I carefully and we prayerfully contemplate these biblical themes of pride and punishment, may it move us to acknowledge the one true God. And may it create in our hearts that are filled to overflowing with love and gratitude to Him all the praise and the honor and the glory and the adoration that He alone is worthy. and offer it up to Him along with our very selves as living sacrifices of praise. To God be the glory. Amen. Let's close our eyes and bow our heads and our hearts in prayer together. O Lord our God, by Your grace and mercy, make the words of the sacred songwriter Our prayer and our plea is well when He said, Out of unrest and arrogant pride, Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come. Into Thy blessed will to abide, Jesus, I come to Thee. Out of myself to dwell in Thy love, Out of despair into raptures above, Upward for aye on wings like a dove, Jesus, I come to Thee. O faithful Father, may the lessons which You so graciously taught us tonight concerning King Nebuchadnezzar, pride and punishment, may these lessons not be lost on a single one of us. But Father, rather, in all humility, reverence, holy fear, and faith. May we ever and always give to you alone all the praise, the honor, and the glory of which you alone are worthy. In Jesus' name we pray and we plead. Amen.