“Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works (are) truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.” Daniel 4:37
Tony Evans makes the point that the most important truth a person can know is the truth of the Gospel. There is no greater truth than to know and accept the one way God has provided for us to be forgiven of our sin. Then Evans states the second most important truth one can know is the sovereignty of God. God is in control – not rulers,
not fate, not ourselves. God alone does as He wills. This truth takes us to true humility.
These are the two lessons Nebuchadnezzar has learned over seven years living as an animal. In the past he reveled in his pride, in his authority to do as he pleased. Now he honors God as the supreme ruler of all, the One who has the ultimate say. The king closes his declaration of faith in God to his entire kingdom. Remember everything we read in chapter 4 is the king’s open letter to those who live in the kingdom of Babylon. It is his public confession of personal faith in God and his acknowledgement of God as the supreme authority over all.
Now I Nebuchadnezzar The king closes his declaration. He wants all to know who makes this confession. The mighty king of Babylon who answered to no one and no one dared question confesses the supreme authority of God Almighty.
Praise and extol and honor the King of heaven All worship and all praise belong to the one true eternal King of heaven. All these years the king had heard about this God from Daniel, now he personally knows Him.
All whose works (are) truth This King of heaven speaks the truth and His works are faithful to His words.
His ways judgment The words judgments can be translated just. King Nebuchadnezzar who has just spent 7 years of his life living as a wild animal in the fields proclaims that all God’s ways are right. This is an amazing statement of humility. The most powerful man in the world proclaims that God’s actions to humble him were just and proper. This is not Cain’s response who when punished by God for killing his brother lashes out at God by stating God’s judgment is unfair. (Genesis 4:13-14). Only when one recognizes that God is sovereign will they accept all his ways as just, even if they do no understand.
Those that walk in pride he is able to abase Nebuchadnezzar gives a personal testimony. He recognizes his sin – arrogance and pride. He admits what he was – a proud, self-righteous king. He also acknowledges God’s right to discipline him and confront him with his pride. That is the first step of humility toward saving faith in God.
Satan tells us pride as a minor sin, no big deal. God says it as the root of all sin and rebellion.
What can we learn? A king must come to God as a slave. The natural response to truly realizing the majesty and authority of God is to humble oneself. It took four chapters and many decades but
God never gave up in working in the life of the king He loved – a king who’s pride had to be broken before it took him into eternal separation from God.