Chewing the Cud

Now all this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.  After twelve months, he happened to be walking around on the battlements of the royal palace of Babylon. The king uttered these words: “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?”  While these words were still on the king’s lips, a voice came down from heaven: “It is hereby announced to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you!  You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and seven periods of time will pass by for you before you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.” . . . But at the end of the appointed time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven, and my sanity returned to me. I extolled the Most High,

and I praised and glorified the one who lives forever. For his authority is an everlasting authority, and his kingdom extends from one generation to the next. All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he wishes with the army of heaven and with those who inhabit the earth. No one slaps his hand and says to him, ‘What have you done?’  At that time my sanity returned to me. I was restored to the honor of my kingdom, and my splendor returned to me. . . Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.” Daniel 4

God used Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar to judge the surrounding nations, including Israel, and in doing so made Babylon a great empire. Because of God’s blessing, Nebuchadnezzar swelled with pride. Just twelve months prior to the incident described in this passage, Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, in which Nebuchadnezzar would be humbled and become as a beast in the field. Apparently the king had forgotten the dream and did not repent of this pride. Walking in his palace, he uttered these words, “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?” [Bold type is mine for emphasis] Even as these words were still falling from the king’s lips, a voice from heaven pronounced judgment on the king and he became a beast.

After a period of chewing the cud on the ‘Double N’ ranch, King Nebuchadnezzar came to his senses and recognized the Lord God as the sovereign ruler of the universe. “But at the end of the appointed time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven, and my sanity returned to me.” It is then that the pagan king praised, exalted, and honored the King of heaven. We, like Nebuchadnezzar, when full of pride, are not in our right minds. Only when we walk in humility are we sane, as A. W. Tozer wrote.

God wants His people to fully understand, “That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and He grants it to whomever He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of people.” God is in charge of human affairs and He is in charge of each living thing, including people. Nebuchadnezzar failed to comprehend this and lived accordingly. God’s blessings became for him a slippery slope on which he fell and slid into the delusion that he had built the great Babylonian empire. He had lost sight of the sovereign Lord of Hosts, specifically that it is He who “grants it to whomever He wishes.” Whether it’s a kingdom, an organization, a company, or even a family that remains intact, anything built that is good is bestowed by God in His sovereignty. And when God does graciously bless, we must be on guard against pride and walk in humility, constantly raising our eyes to heaven offering thanksgiving and praise.

After his humiliation, King Nebuchadnezzar came to his senses and declared,

At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the honor of my kingdom, and my state counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me.(Bold emphasis mine.)

Note that the King now used the passive voice regarding the restoration of his splendor and his sovereignty. In other words, God restored his splendor. God restored his sovereignty. God is the subject and the King was the object.

What is it about pride that God finds so offensive and repugnant?

Today, pride is everywhere and few regard it as a problem. Very few think of pride as something to be avoided. In fact, society often embraces pride as long as it isn’t too overt or over the top. If everyone in the room stinks, no one stinks. It’s the same with pride. We are so accustomed to it, that it’s become a natural part of the landscape. We have become desensitized to pride – an ocean in which we are submersed. Yet God regards it as the most heinous sin, the very sin that caused Satan to fall from heaven. Isaiah 14 describes the fall of Satan as he sought to be like the Most High.

How you have fallen from heaven, You star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who defeated the nations!But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ Nevertheless you will be brought down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.

We must return to sanity and regain the right perspective on pride. As long as we walk in pride and arrogance, we will not be in our right mind. We cannot follow God without humbling ourselves. Jesus Himself, who is 100% God, did not regard equality with God as something to seize, but He humbled Himself and became as a man. If Jesus, though he was God, walked in humility while on earth, should we, as mere men, not walk in humility? Next to love, I think humility is the most the Christ-like trait. This makes hate and pride the most antithetic to Christ likeness.

Because we are creatures, our very existence depends on God. We owe our existence to Him. Every good thing comes from the Father above. As such, there is no room for boasting or pride. Instead, praising God and exalting Him should be part of our daily lives. Undergirding this praise and exaltation is the recognition that God is sovereign and it is He who controls our lives. All the good things in our lives can directly or indirectly be traced to God’s grace. It is He who raises one man and humbles another, who raises one king and humbles another. We cannot make a single hair white or black. We do not know what tomorrow brings. We are like grasshoppers, like a flower that fades tomorrow. The nations are as a drop in a bucket. How then can we boast?

When we live life as if we are in control, we are assuming the same attitude as Satan. When we fail to give thanks and praise God for our jobs, our family, our blessings, and all the good in our lives, we are assuming the same attitude as Satan. This may sound harsh or even erroneous, but if it does, it’s only because everyone around us has assumed the same attitude, and not because the statement is untrue. If we live in our right minds, i.e. in humility, we may be one of the few in our relationship circle that does so.

Only as we walk in humility are we sane and able to see things with clarity. Humility takes our eyes off self and focuses on God. Humility is the worldview that God is in control and that He made me what I am. In humility, we see the world accurately and reality is clear. This results in us being compassionate, gracious, thankful, merciful, and full of praise. On the other hand, those who walk in pride are judgmental, selfish, harsh, and always striving. There is no rest for the proud.