We are going to look at an OT figure who is the ‘poster child’ for pride: Nebuchadnezzar. The story is too long to tell in its entirety. I am going to highlight a few important parts of Daniel chapters two through four. The king has two dreams. Daniel interprets both of them and in the process Nebuchadnezzar, who is used by God for His purposes, later becomes a proponent of this God!
Jeremiah preached for forty years a message of coming captivity. The Jewish people refused to humble themselves and put away their idolatry. So God sent them into Babylon by the power of a pagan king. God uses an unbelieving king to humble His people.
Ezra 5:12
Jeremiah 27:6
But Nebuchadnezzar’s understanding of who God is changes. Here is the progression:
1. “…God of gods, Lord of kings, revealer of secrets…”Daniel 2:24
2. “…the Most High God…” Daniel 3:26 “…Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego…there is no God who can deliver like this…” Daniel 3:28-29
3. “…I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me.” Daniel 4:2
4. “… In order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men.” Daniel 4:17
5. “…Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.” Daniel 4:37 (NKJV)
I hesitated using the example of Nebuchadnezzar because it is hard to identify with a world ruler. What could we possibly have in common? And then I thought, what we have in common is the tendency to be proud. We forget that everything we have is a gracious gift from God. Not just our material blessings, our health, reason, physical strength, and intellect come from Him too. And He is in control of our lives.
Deuteronomy Chapter 8 is a commentary on why the children of Israel wound up in Babylonian captivity. They were warned and didn’t head the exhortation. We need to heed the warning (Romans 15:4).
Deuteronomy 8:1-20
As we read these words can you see the similarity of what we might experience if we don’t walk in meekness and humility? Here are the steps: 1. Time passes and we forget God. 2. Our hearts are lifted up (Pride) 3. We think we made our successes happen.
As I wrote these words, I bowed my head and asked God to show me if I am falling into the same temptation. It’s subtle. Please don’t misunderstand, I don’t want to take away our confidence in Christ and our victory cry, “If God is for us, who can be against us” Romans 8:31-39. We are under a different covenant, Jesus blood!
Romans 8:31-39
Can we shout and praise God for these truths!!! Of course we can! We must! Powerful is our God and our position in Christ! But then I thought that humility is not incompatible at all with these verses.
Remember that humility is a matter of the heart and meekness is an attitude of the mind. That is why we need the Holy Spirit within us and producing His fruit. If He wasn’t we would be on our own and powerless to produce this fruit. God gave us Himself; His greatest gift! Without Him we are helpless and hopeless.
As we prepare for our time of ministry and invitation I want us to look at the Book of James written by Jesus’ half-brother. Look in Chapter 4 verses 13-17. This passage is extremely practical. It may surprise you that you may be - we may be - the person described in this passage.
James 4:13-17
Here are five things some people in James’ congregation were saying:
1. Today or tomorrow
2. Such and such a city
3. Spend a year there
4. Buy and sell
5. Make a profit
The problem here was not the planning. It was pride. It was planning without God. It’s pride that keeps us from acknowledging God’s control of the events of our lives and the future. James says so…
James 4:15-17 (NKJV)
God is in control of even a sparrow that falls on the ground (Matthew 10:29). He is in control of the entire universe and that includes me and “my life”. I’m temporary, ‘a vapor’. He is eternal. It’s not ‘my life’, I belong to him. I’m bought with His blood. I can no more control my life than I can change my height. You may not identify with the pride and arrogance of Nebuchadnezzar, but what James says hits us where we live.
“A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” C. S. Lewis
I’m temporary; time is not on my side. I really don’t know what will happen tomorrow. My future is God’s.
I’m fragile; made from dirt. My power comes from God.
I’m dependent; my existence comes from God.
26 авг 2024
