Scripture Daily

Context No. 4311 of 4322 · Daniel (Greek)

Context · Reflection

Daniel (Greek) 4:33-37: in context

33This was fulfilled the same hour on Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from men, and ate grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. 34At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever. For his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation. 35All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can stop his hand, or ask him, “What are you doing?” 36At the same time my understanding returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and brightness returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent greatness was added to me. 37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are right and his ways just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Nebuchadnezzar, the proud king who had exalted himself, is humbled by God, driven from his throne to live like a beast until he acknowledges heaven's rule. When his sanity returns, he lifts his eyes to heaven and blesses God, praising the one whose dominion is everlasting. And he draws the lesson himself: those who walk in pride, he says, God is able to humble.

What stands out is the arc from pride to humbling to praise. The king who had taken glory to himself was brought low until he recognized that God, not he, rules over all. And his restoration came with a changed heart, one that now honored God rather than himself, and that testified, from bitter experience, that God is able to humble the proud. His humbling was, in the end, a mercy that brought him to the truth.

Pride sets us against reality, taking to ourselves the glory that belongs to God, and God, in mercy, is able to humble those who walk in pride, sometimes through painful means, to bring them back to truth. The wise course is to humble ourselves before God, acknowledging his rule, rather than being humbled the hard way. And there is hope in Nebuchadnezzar's story: even the proud, once humbled, can be restored to bless the God they had ignored.

Do I humble myself before God, acknowledging his rule rather than taking glory to myself, learning from Nebuchadnezzar that God is able to humble those who walk in pride, so that it would be wiser to humble myself than to be humbled the hard way?

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