Our youth are currently working through the book of Daniel together on Wednesday nights, and this is one book I continually find myself coming back to time and time again because of the uniqueness of this book, but also the plethora of valuable lessons we can take from this book. One that has recently stood out to me is the lesson of pride that we see in the example of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4.
Scripture talks a lot about the dangers of pride, especially in the book of Proverbs, with the most famous being that “pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall” (16:18). We see this warning from Solomon played out in a real life example with Nebuchadnezzar, who is strutting like a king one day on the roof of his palace and then living like an animal the next. As you picture Nebuchadnezzar up on his roof, looking down on his empire and all the people around him, it brings to my mind this quote from C. S. Lewis: “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you” (Mere Christianity, 124). Nebuchadnezzar was not able to see the God who reigns above him because he was too concerned with looking down on those around him in a prideful and arrogant way.
The sad thing is that Nebuchadnezzar had the opportunity to change. He had a godly man in his life named Daniel who responded to the king with respect and reverence, but also with truth and a call to repentance. But unfortunately, the king did not respond appropriately, and his destruction was soon to follow his pride. Bob Fyall notes that “Nebuchadnezzar is like Adam and Eve who when confronted with another tree, instead of becoming gods, were banished from Eden.” If only he had heeded that council of the godly man in his life.
We are all prone to becoming prideful. Hopefully we have godly men like Daniel in our lives who can respectfully, yet truthfully call out the sin in our lives and call us to repentance. Hopefully we also can be like Daniel in the lives of those around us as we all continue to work towards godliness. Which one of these men most resembles your life at this moment?
In Christ Alone,
Caleb Hecox