Mixed signals

Nebuchadnezzar the king, To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me. How great are His signs, And how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And His dominion is from generation to generation.  – Daniel 4.1-3

The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honour of my majesty?" While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! – Daniel 4.30-31

At the beginning of this chapter Daniel is praising God. His words speak of what God has done and about how God has used him. Look at his words ‘how great are his signs…how mighty His wonders…His kingdom is everlasting…His dominion is from generation to generation.’

That sounds like he is really coming around. He is saying all the right words.

But then, just a few verses later we see that he really doesn’t have it. ‘Look at great Babylon that I have built!’

The praise goes from God to himself. It goes from ‘God did it’ to I did it all.’ It goes from humility to pride.

We learn right away that pride is a terrible thing. When the king forgot God, God got his attention. Nebuchadnezzar loses everything and lives like an animal. God shows him Who and what is really important. The king is finally going to get this all sorted in his head, but, like a lot of us, it is going to take a little more to get through his thickness.