The Story of King Nebuchadnezzar
There is a story of King Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel. According to one prophecy of Daniel the Kingdom of Babylon is described as gold and also in another prophecy as a lion with an eagle’s wings. All these images were used to represent the glory and the power of the kingdom. And the bible actually says that God allowed great glory and power to the Kingdom of Babylon.
Daniel 2:37 Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
King Nebuchadnezzar-the king of kings chosen by God, after conquering all the nations, became proud and said that it was he himself who accomplished all the great things for the kingdom.
Daniel 4:28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”
Due to his pride and arrogance he was punished by God to be like one of livestock grazing on the field and lived like one for seven years. When he acknowledged God for the great works he had done, his sanity got restored and could receive his kingdom back.
Lesson From the Story
This story of King Nebuchadnezzar teaches us many things. Especially, we can learn the importance of humility and realization that everything comes from God. We have to remember that it is only God who allows to us whatever good thing we might have.
Deuteronomy 8:17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
Sometimes when we achieve something, people might think that he or she has done the work with his wisdom and knowledge. But we have to know better than that. We have to remember that there is God who achieves the great plan he made through us. We are just His messengers and tools.
Get Rid Of Arrogance
We all are tools and instruments used by God to do the work of God.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
And without God we are nothing. Only in and through God we can live our life. When he gave all the glory and honor to God, King Nebuchadnezzar could have his right mind and freed from the madness caused by his arrogance. We also should look into us to find out whether or not we are enslaved by our pride and arrogance. Then we have to remember that everything comes from God and make ourselves humble in front of God.