Daniel (Greek) 8:1-8: a reflection

1In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, even to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. 2I saw the vision. Now it was so, that when I saw, I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai. 3Then I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, a ram which had two horns stood before the river. The two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 4I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward. No animals could stand before him. There wasn’t anyone who could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself. 5As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west over the surface of the whole earth, and didn’t touch the ground. The goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6He came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran on him in the fury of his power. 7I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and struck the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the ground, and trampled on him. There was no one who could deliver the ram out of his hand. 8The male goat magnified himself exceedingly. When he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four notable horns toward the four winds of the sky.

In a vision, Daniel sees a goat that magnifies itself and grows exceedingly strong, overpowering all before it; but then, at the very height of its strength, its great horn is suddenly broken. The male goat magnified himself exceedingly, the vision says; but when he was strong, the great horn was broken. The goat had exalted itself, grown mighty, seemed unstoppable, done as it pleased; and then, precisely when it was strong, at the peak of its power, its great horn was broken. The self-exalting power that seemed invincible was broken at the very height of its strength. This is a sobering picture of how proud, self-exalting power can be broken at its peak. Proud, self-exalting power can be broken at its very height. The one who magnifies himself is broken when strongest. Self-exalting power is not as secure as it seems. What seems invincible can be broken at its peak.

Notice when the breaking came: not in weakness, but at the height of strength. The goat had magnified itself exceedingly, grown strong, overpowered all before it, done according to its will; by every appearance, it was invincible, at the peak of its power. And it was precisely then, when it was strong, that its great horn was suddenly broken. This reflects something sobering about proud, self-exalting power. It can seem, at its height, utterly secure, invincible, unstoppable; those who wield it can magnify themselves, do as they please, imagine their strength will last. But such power is not as secure as it seems; it can be broken suddenly, even at its very peak, when it seems most invincible. This is a warning against pride and self-exaltation, and against being overawed by proud power that seems invincible. The strength that magnifies itself is not secure; God can break it at its height. We do well neither to trust in our own strength and self-exaltation, imagining they will last, nor to be overawed by proud, self-exalting power as though it were invincible; for such power can be broken at its very peak. Proud, self-exalting power can be broken at its height; it is not secure. Do not trust in your own strength as though it will last. Do not be overawed by proud power that seems invincible. God can break self-exalting strength at its very peak.

That is worth taking to heart, for proud, self-exalting power can be broken at its very height, and we do well neither to trust in our own strength as though it will last nor to be overawed by proud power as though it were invincible. We can trust in our own strength and self-exaltation, or be overawed by proud power that seems unstoppable; but Daniel saw a goat that magnified itself and grew strong, only for its great horn to be broken precisely when it was strong. Self-exalting strength is not secure. Do not trust in your own strength as though it will last, nor be overawed by proud power as invincible; God can break it at its peak. Neither trust in your own strength and self-exaltation as though they will last, nor be overawed by proud power that seems invincible, for proud, self-exalting power can be broken at its very height, as Daniel saw in a vision a goat that magnified itself exceedingly and grew strong, overpowering all before it and doing as it pleased, so that by every appearance it was invincible, and then, precisely when it was strong, at the peak of its power, its great horn was suddenly broken; for such proud, self-exalting power can seem at its height utterly secure and unstoppable, so that those who wield it magnify themselves, do as they please, and imagine their strength will last, but it is not as secure as it seems and can be broken suddenly even at its very peak, which is a warning against pride and self-exaltation and against being overawed by proud power, so that we do well neither to trust in our own strength and self-exaltation, imagining they will last, nor to be overawed by proud power as though it were invincible, since such power can be broken at its height.

Lord, in a vision, Daniel sees a goat that magnifies itself and grows exceedingly strong, overpowering all before it; but then, at the very height of its strength, its great horn is suddenly broken. The male goat magnified himself exceedingly, the vision says; but when he was strong, the great horn was broken. The goat had exalted itself, grown strong, seemed unstoppable, done as it pleased; and then, precisely when it was strong, at the peak of its power, its great horn was broken. The self-exalting power that seemed invincible was broken at the very height of its strength. This is a sobering picture of how proud, self-exalting power can be broken at its peak. Show me when the breaking came: not in weakness, but at the height of strength. The goat had magnified itself, overpowered all before it, done according to its will; by every appearance it was invincible. And it was precisely then, when it was strong, that its great horn was suddenly broken. This reflects something sobering about proud, self-exalting power. It can seem, at its height, utterly secure, invincible; those who wield it can magnify themselves and imagine their strength will last. But such power is not as secure as it seems; it can be broken suddenly, even at its very peak. This is a warning against pride and self-exaltation, and against being overawed by proud power. Take that to my heart, for proud, self-exalting power can be broken at its very height. Keep me from trusting in my own strength and self-exaltation as though they will last, and from being overawed by proud power as though it were invincible; help me remember, Lord, that you can break self-exalting strength at its very peak, and so walk humbly rather than trusting in strength or being overawed by proud power.