Proud King’s Conversion - Part 2

Going tonight.

The variety of ways in which mankind is moving to sin is tragically large and growing larger its root. Most sin comes from a single source today on Turning Point for David Jeremiah looks at pride.

If you read the Bible you know how severely God deals with pride, but minimal, so the conclusion of his message. A proud King's conversion is negative. Thank you so much for joining us today and know the Bible tells us that the pride goes before destruction, and before a fall of the Bible tells us that God resists the proud, that's one of the strongest things I've ever read the Bible. If someone were say to you generally can't resist you. You always say say no. Well, the Bible says when you you act proudly when you're arrogant. God resists the proud, and that were going to see what happened to a proud King as we finish up our discussion of Daniel chapter 4 today.

By the way, don't forget, Daniel is divided up into two sections up to the sixth chapter, we have primarily narrative starting with chapter 7 we have lots of prophecy prophecy throughout. But that's a very general way to look at the book and so were in the midst of some of these amazing events. Today, the proud King's conversion, but tomorrow and Friday. The handwriting on the wall Bible one last time for Daniel for now we come to the revelation of the dream. In verses 19 to 27 were moving right along as it was flexed for one hour and his thoughts troubled him not want you to notice that when it says Daniel was perplexed. It doesn't mean that he didn't know what to do. It doesn't mean that he didn't know what the dream when the Scripture says he was perplexed. It simply means that he was troubled in his spirit. Listen people, Daniel had been with Messer for 30 long years of the text is that he had come to love that man. With all of his heart and hear God had revealed to him a tragic terrible dream concerning the future of his friend Messer and his Daniel wrestled with that dream in his heart he didn't want to tell Messer what he had learned. Notice what he says. King spoke and said all the shows are not the DreamWorks interpretation troubled me and Daniel answered and said my paraphrasing this my Lord.

I wish this dream was about those who hate you, and the interpretation of it about your race, see what's happening in Daniel's heart. He knows what God is going to do with his friend Nebuchadnezzar, and it's just tearing him up to tell him the truth.

Daniel gives to us here, a beautiful pattern of how to preach the judgment of God to people is to be done with a broken heart is to be done with a heart of concern with the troubled countenance point out their sin. Yes, but always in mercy. Daniel had a compassionate heart when it came time to tell the awful story of what was going to happen to this king. He could hardly bring himself to do it. Daniel says verse 20 the tree that also lost which grew and was strong whose height reached under the heaven and the side of it to all the earth's leaves were fair and its fruit much, and it was food for all, under which the beast of the field, dwelt in upon branches. The files of the heavens had their habitation here. It is now the punchline it is now okay like Nathan the prophet stuck his bony finger in David's face and he said, thou art the man is now okay thou art grown and become strong and for thy greatness is grown and reaches under heaven, and I dominion to the end of the earth. Thou art the man and whereas, the case law watching the holy one, come down from heaven saying here the tree down and destroy it yet leave the stuff of its roots in the earth.

Even with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field. B went with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beast of the field till seven times pass over him. This is the interpretation okay this is the decree of the most high, which is come upon my lord the king, that they shall drive me from man, and by dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field and they still make the to eat grass like oxen and they shall wetly with the dew of heaven and seven years shall pass overly till now know that the most high rule of the kingdom of man and give it to whomsoever he will and whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots. Thy kingdom shall be sure into the after thou shalt have known that the heavens do wherefore okay let my counsel be acceptable unto thee and break off thy sins by righteousness and I and iniquities, by showing mercy to the poor. If there may be a lengthening tranquility just quickly pass over these five things about what was happening in his life. There were five things that evidence the mercy of God, as he dealt with Nebuchadnezzar. First of all, we notice that God sent an angel to warn him ahead of time what was going to happen.

I said to you many times in the study and Daniel that God always warns us before he sends judgment and so we did to Nebuchadnezzar. Secondly, notice that they gave him an opportunity to get things straightened out. God gave him a chance to turn this around. In fact, we learn in the next verse that whole year.

Nebuchadnezzar had an opportunity to get things right. God gave them a period of grace. And he said if you turn around and become righteous and not inflict the poor and get things straightened out in your life, but judgment will come. And he also explained thirdly the way of repentance and release from judgment. Verse 27 is an explanation to measure if he wants to do something about the impending judgment of God is what he needs to do. God tells them what and then he even gives them a limited time of punishment that's going to come on him, and finally promises him. But after God's done dealing with him you distorting him his kingdom would be sensitive to the message of God. But alas the dream is realized for Nebuchadnezzar refuses to repent notice verse 28.

All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar at the end of 12 months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon to stop for a moment. We haven't talked a lot about the kingdom of Babylon in order for you to understand what's going on in Nebuchadnezzar's life. Let me just tell you little bit about Babel just quickly babbling was a city that was walled in by walls that were 387 feet high and they were 87 feet thick and each side of the quadrilateral. They enclosed was 15 miles in length. The mighty Euphrates River flowed through the midst of the city which is said to cover the space of 200 mi.², 1.2 million people lived in that city and on the further bank of the river was Terrace upon Terrace up to its central altar and in the middle of the city was the huge temple of Vail with all its dependence, temples and palaces. The vast circuit of the walls enclosed no mere wilderness of houses but there were inner spaces of gardens and palm groves and orchards and corn land sufficient to maintain the whole population lived in cycles will here and there arose the temples where to all the various gods and other deities. There were aqueducts or conduits for water and forts and palaces. The walls were pierced with 100 brazen gate. There were wide streets and public buildings.

The walls around the city were so wide they could literally have chariot races on the top of the wall for chariots of breast could be driven across the top of those 387, there were the hanging Gardens. The medicaments are built for his wife as a present to her. One of the wonders of the world babbling was truly a great place but at the end of the 12 months since the text Nebuchadnezzar was walking in the palace verse 30 and said, is not this great babbling that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and by the honor of my Majesty. Picture the king if you will, proud and arrogant walking along the top of the wall looking out over his kingdom and his counselors and all of his cabinet, walking along with them saying yesterday. Every word that he said and he surveys the great city, which is his city.

And in a moment of extreme arrogance.

He just pulls himself up to his highest point and he says, look what I have. This is my kingdom my palace. I've done this with the might of my power for my own Majesty and just when he said, like a clap of thunder like an earthquake like lightning and fire suddenly his mind snapped the Scripture puts it this way.

Verse 31, while the word was in the king's mouth there fell a voice from heaven saying okay Nebuchadnezzar to the spoken. The kingdom is departed from the one moment he was a bright, brilliant, handsome, thriving, functioning executive came as I was sharp in his mind was clear and the next moment he was reduced to an animal with the mind of the beast, and an insanity called generally mono mania, which means one part of the human function. Mono doesn't work. While all of the rest is operating and to be specific. It was a malfunction called lycanthropy coming from two words like cost which means wall financial class which means man literally young people.

The Wolf a mental disorder that is sometimes accompanied by taking on all of the features of the animal that you think you are noticing the text it says in verse 33 that he was driven from man, and he did eat grass like oxen and his body was wet with the dew of heaven to his hairs were grown like eagles, feathers, and his nails like birds call when Nebuchadnezzar said look at me, look what I have done in keeping his promise.

God judged and he lowered him to the lowest possible place he could be and still be alive.

Victor Hugo distorting his left us a bit of interesting history concerning Napoleon and the battle of Waterloo on the morning of the battle. The little dictator stood gazing upon the field of battle, as he described to his commanding officer. His strategy for that day's campaign and he was telling his commanding officer what they were going to do. He said will put the infantry here in the Calvary there the artillery there and at the end of the day England will be at the feet of France and Wellington will be the prisoner of Napoleon after because the commanding officer said we must not forget that man proposes and God disposes with arrogant pride. The little dictator stretched his body to full height and replied I want you to understand, sir, that Napoleon proposes and Napoleon disposes Hugo went on to write from that moment Waterloo was lost. For God sent rain and hail so that the troops of Napoleon could not maneuver as he had planned and on the night of battle. It was Napoleon who was prisoner of Wellington in France was at the feet of England fearful thing to be arrogant in the face of God. We see Nebuchadnezzar the great monarch, the king of babbling. Some expositors say that the band of metal that surround the stump is nothing more than an iron fence that surrounded what was left of Nebuchadnezzar. One writer that I read said in order to get a picture of this in your own mind you need to in your minds eye, go to the White House and picture that on the lawn of the White House.

There is a fenced in place with the president of the United States Lord to an insanity like an animal is being caged so that everyone who passes by. There's the great Nebuchadnezzar okay. Remember what he was look at them now, but that's not the end of the story. The last thing that we learn is the restoration of the king begins in verse 34. At the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes into heaven. Is it interesting that an ox never looks toward heaven always looks down when God was there was Nebuchadnezzar.

He gave him an upward look and he looked up to heaven, he lifted up his eyes and his understanding returned and I blessed the most time are praised and honored him to live with forever whose dominion is an everlasting dominion in his kingdom is from generation and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed is nothing according to his will in the Army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say a thing and what was now at the same time. My reason return them to me and for the glory of my kingdom. My daughter and brightest return on the me my counselors in my Lord saw me I was established in my kingdom and excellent Majesty was added on to me.

Now I Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven all whose works are truth, and his ways just as those that walk in pride he is able to debase did the king get the message. I guess he did is good to know when you're done preaching. You can asked somebody what did I say when… Preaching the Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar knew what God said when he was restored.

Nebuchadnezzar got his reason back his position as the king of Babylon was restored to him.

Even his officers who had surrounded him before came back and wanted to be in his cabinet again and brought their wisdom and strength back under his control, his kingdom now notice this. This is one of the most unbelievable parts of the story that for seven years.

While he was deposed, his kingdom was Secure. No foreign power came in and took it away, but for seven years. It was managed in his behalf by someone God appointed probably Daniel so that when the king was finished with his postgraduate course in theology he could get his kingdom back again and the thing that so neat that tells us so much about our God is the end of verse 36 we read an excellent Majesty was added on to me know what is assayed all of us this thrilling tremendous story of God's dealing with the great King. I want to leave you with two applications, just very quickly and briefly.

First of all, keep your Bibles open for just a moment. We don't want to push the application of the proud off into the elected leadership of our land or even leadership within the church. Certain political things. Pride gets everybody.

If were not careful. All of the personal problems we have in this church are the result of pride.

All the problems we have in our school system are the result of pride problems we have in our college family are the result of pride.

Pride goeth before a fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction someone say something stupid about pride. Some of us need to work on that in our lives. You may think that because God hasn't dealt with you about this problem in your life that he's not going to. I was reminded of a very strong statement from the book of Ecclesiastes 811. Listen carefully because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily. Therefore, the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Ecclesiastes 811. What does that say that says that there are some people think that since God hasn't done anything to them like he did to dedicate measure that their own free God isn't going to do anything they can go on in their proud arrogance and get by with it, but Ecclesiastes says that you do not, well, to reason like that.

But just because God has not executed his judgment against your evil work that does not mean that he isn't going to do it. The public put it this way, though the mills of God grind slowly yet they grind exceeding small though with patients.

He stands waiting with exactness grinds. He all Mr. God sees your heart and he knows ma'am that proud heart of yours will not escape the gaze of God, and God gives us an alternative first Corinthians 11. He says if we judge ourselves, we will not be judged if Nebuchadnezzar had heard the warnings in chapters 2 and three. Chapter 4 would be in the Bible, but he refused, and God had to deal with that I say just one thing to those of you who are fearful. I think this passage has an application to the proud into the fearful. By fearful I mean those who wonder what's going on in this world of ours where proud monarchs seem to be in control. What they don't know God, wonder where they're taking this whole world and we seem to be pawns in the whole struggle. We wonder if there's anything we can do what I want to say to you that the key verse in this chapter is this verse the most high ruler in the kingdom of man. That's where we started in the book of Daniel and were still there and that phrase is repeated in verse 17 in verse 25 in verse 32 and its at least alluded to in verse 34. That means that all of the ayatollahs and the Shaw's and Hitler's and the Mussolini's and the Stallings and all the rest of them are simply in the hands of the most time rules in the kingdom of men so I don't need to be afraid God's in control if he could take a man like Nebuchadnezzar the proudest, most powerful ruler in his day, and bring him down to the level of an animal to teach them a lesson. I don't have to worry about what God is doing in my generation he's in control and he will rule and he is raining we leave the fourth chapter in this solemn reminder to all of us and let me use the words of a wiser man than myself. To summarize what we've learned in this brief paragraph written by the great hole defined by the name of Graham's groggy this is what he said.

Here we take a leave of Nebuchadnezzar.

How does he bid us farewell. Not only is the same man but as a converted man, I just, and I think I'll see that old king in heaven someday. The last thing related of him is the humble public confession, which he made and the noble testimony to the true God, which, for the benefit of all men. He delivered in the edict contained in this chapter we study with the restoration of his reason and kingdom came the regeneration of the soul.

There is nothing in this book more sublime than the testimony of Nebuchadnezzar to him like came at eventide, and he turned his throne into a pulpit and estate papers and the sermons that is erring subjects might learn the wonders of omnipotence be led to a lot of the most high, and have peace multiplied unto them through his name Nebuchadnezzar's testimony is the political message for all earth kings and rulers until Christ shall come, and the message is simple.

God rules this is the king's final message to the world. Those that walk in pride he is able to abase. Let us remember that when it seems to us that the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. The Lord rejoice a man" showing well don't forget tomorrow. Part one. The handwriting on the wall. The message you just came to you from the Shadow Mountain Community Church and David Jeremiah to see would love to live and help soothing point is touching so please write us at tuning point, PO Box 338, San Diego, CA 92163 is that website David Jeremiah/radio you a copy of David's and companion book to the series of the sequence from the prophecies of Daniel handwriting was forgiven also purchase the Jeremiah study Bible, English standard version and new international version as well as in standard large print in the new James available in your choice of handsome cover options, go to David Jeremiah/radio for the join us tomorrow as we continue the series.

The handwriting on the Jeremiah taking time to listen to the Friendly's in question