The Silliness of Pride

Daniel 4:37 “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.”

Several years ago, there was a TV preacher exposed for wrongdoing who spent some time in prison for what he had done. As a result, he wrote a book entitled I Was Wrong. Simple but true. King Nebuchadnezzar writes a decree in Daniel 4 that very easily could’ve been entitled, I Was Wrong. There was not a man alive at that time who had more of a claim to pride than King Nebuchadnezzar. He was the ruler of a powerful kingdom with absolute authority (human speaking). He thought he was somebody important, and his speech revealed that.

Speaking of his kingdom in verse 30, he said, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” Yes, compared to other people, King Nebuchadnezzar looked pretty good, but this pride showed a very narrow perspective. Anyone who compares himself to the right person can come out looking pretty good in his own mind! But it does not matter how we measure up to other people. We should be comparing ourselves to the everlasting God—that will give us a true perspective of how great we really are!

Even the people we consider famous are really only “famous” compared to Joe Blow—there are still millions of people who have never heard of them. Think how quickly a well-known man is forgotten once he dies. A few people may remember him for one or two things, but in the great scheme of things, he is virtually forgotten.

King Nebuchadnezzar needed a wake-up call, and God gave him one! God took him down from his pedestal and made him to act like a cow. Make no mistake about it—God will not share His glory with another. He resists the proud and will bring them down. Just because people who are living in obvious pride seem to be prospering does not mean that God does not care. He is a patient God, but His judgment will come.

For Nebuchadnezzar, it was twelve months after he was warned that the judgment came—from a king to a cow. To us, this seems like a terrible turn of events; in God’s eyes, a king and a cow are not very different in terms of greatness. God looks on the heart of a man, not on his position.

King Nebuchadnezzar had a change of heart. In verse 34, he says, “I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven. . . .” One is not apt to look up if he thinks he is on the top already. When he is brought low, then he will look up. Nebuchadnezzar realized how great Jehovah God is and how small he was.

What a declaration the king made in verse 35: “All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. . . .” Don’t ever forget that we are nothing before God—anything good we have is only by His grace!

The Lord Jesus humbled Himself to come to earth, but being born in a manger was not the great example of humility. He humbled himself to be born a man at all! We’ll never understand His condescension to us, but we should love Him for it. How about you? Are you lifted up in foolish pride today? God is the “King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.”