"That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles' feathers and his nails were like birds' claws. Daniel 4:33
Pride is a very sneaky sin. Others may easily see our pride but often do not recognize it in ourselves. However, make no mistake; God sees it. He knows every ounce of pride in our lives and will judge us for it. He warns us against pride and selfishness; if we do not repent, he will judge us and allow us to face the consequences.
In our Bible study yesterday, we saw that Nebuchadnezzar was warned in a dream of what would happen to Him if he did not let go of his pride and turn to God. Daniel interpreted this dream. He told Nebuchadnezzar that if He did not turn to God, he would lose his sanity, home, reputation, and everything important to Him. Daniel begged him to listen to the warning and to stop sinning and living for himself, but unfortunately, the king did not listen. Scripture tells us that twelve months after the dream, King Nebuchadnezzar was looking around the city of Babylon and he said, "Look at this great city of Babylon! By my mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor" (verse 30). The Bible says, "while these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, ‘O king Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. You will be driven from human society. You will live with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow, seven periods of time will pass while you live this way” (verses 31-32). All of this would take place until Nebuchadnezzar learned that “the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses” (verse 32). Then, this judgment came to pass. Nebuchadnezzar “was driven from human society” and ate grass like a cow and lived like this “until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws” (verse 33). Nebuchadnezzar faced God’s judgment, and the judgment was humiliating.
Nebuchadnezzar had the opportunity to repent, and instead, he chose pride. We, however, can respond differently. You see, God is just as appalled and offended by our pride as He was by Nebuchadnezzar's. There is no place for pride in His economy. We must learn from Nebuchadnezzar’s example and choose to listen to God's warnings about pride and its consequences.
Have you been thinking about any pride that might be in your life this week? If not, ask God to reveal any pride in your life right now. The question is, "What do we do when confronted with our pride?" Will we repent and turn away from it, or will we continue to live in our pride? Choose to turn away from your pride. What is one way that you can turn away from the pride in your life today? Maybe you can confess sin or admit an area where you need help. Whatever you decide, take that step today, believing God’s warnings against pride.
Daniel 4:28-33
"But all these things did happen to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later he was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon. 30 As he looked out across the city, he said, 'Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.'
31 "While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, 'O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. 32 You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.'
33 "That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles' feathers and his nails were like birds' claws."
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