30The king spake, and 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? 31While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 33The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
-Daniel 4:30-33 (KJV)
In these verses, we see something that happens to each one of us. It's something we should avoid, but yet many struggle with it. I'm talking about pride. Pride is defined as "pleasure or satisfaction taken in an achievement, possession, or association.*" Pride is the downfall of many, many people. But, it doesn't have to be. There is nothing wrong with taking pride in your home, in your work or in your family. Where it becomes wrong is when you look at your home, your work or your family as something you've done. That is what King Nebuchadnezzar had a problem with.
We read in Daniel 4:30, "The king spake, and 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?" King Nebuchadnezzar looked at the massive city of Babylon with pride. Look at his words, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built..by the might of my power.." He was taking pride in the city he created. I kind of see him walking around with his chest stuck out pointing out what he did, what he built. Babylon was the house that Nebuchadnezzar built. What he failed to realize is, and what many people forget, that everything you have comes from God. Look what happens next. Verses 31-33 says, "While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 33The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws." Because of his pride, his arrogance, Nebuchadnezzar lost everything. He lost the great city that he built by his power. Why? Verse 32 says, "...until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will." God rules over all things, including you and me. Nebuchadnezzar felt that everything he had, the kingdom, the city, was all built by him, through him and for him. In reality, he only had what God had given to him. Finally, Nebuchadnezzar realized that all things come from God. Verse 37 says, "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." After he lost all he had, Nebuchadnezzar praised and honored God. His pride subsided after he had a reality check.
We read this in Proverbs 16:18, "18Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." Ask King Nebuchadnezzar if this Proverb is true. I'll bet he will say it is. Pride always leads to destruction. Nebuchadnezzar let pride take control, but God brought him back to reality. Today's question is: Is pride blinding you to the truth of who gave things to you? Think About It.
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