DANIEL 4:28-37 GOD MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Written by , Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
 

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?”
³¹ The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. ³² You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.” ³³ Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.
³⁴ At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.
His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. ³⁵ All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”
³⁶ At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before.
³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Nebuchadnezzar has shown an interest in God and has experienced God’s blessing and power in his life and reign. At times he has even expressed worship of God. Yet, when it comes right down to it, God is just another god in his pantheon of gods that in practice is headed by Nebuchadnezzar himself. He was the master of his own destiny and the author of his own glory. At least in his own mind this was the reality.

But rather than raise us to the stature of gods, pride debases us and turns us into mere animals. We were created in the image of God and not to be gods. As mirrors of God’s glory, we are to be constantly focused on God if we are to reflect his image. Pride causes us to turn from God and attempt to project our own glory. However, a mirror cannot produce an image; it can only reflect what is before it. Once we turn away from God, we can no longer reflect his glory, but we only reflect the image of the created order around us.

Repentance is the act of recalibration of our position relative to God and the world. Humility is the attitude that maintains God as the true focus of human life. It is interesting to note that in geometrical optics the term for focus is “image point.”

I am a fragile and temporary creature, but you only, O Lord are awesome and permanent. By your Spirit maintain in me a spirit of humble adoration and obedience so that my life will be truly human and reflect a more perfect image of you to the world in which you have placed me. Amen.

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