8 Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: "Because you have not listened to my words, 9I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon," declares the LORD, "and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin.
In conquering the lands of the Israelites, Nebuchadnezzar exiled along with the people a man named Daniel, who would change the Kings life. When three of the Lord's servants refused to bow down and worship the idol which Nebuchadnezzar had built, he ordered them to be thrown into a burning furnace.
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"
16Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
19Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.The Lord showed Nebuchanezzar that he had encountered the one true God by saving the servants from the furnace. The Lord warned Nebuchadnezzar of the dangers of his pride, when he refused to heed these warnings, the Lord humbled Nebuchadnezzar by allowing him to endure seven years of insanity.
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, 30he 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."
33Immediately 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.
So what lessons can we learn? One of the most important lessons any Christian can learn is that the Lord is sovereign. This is the overriding theme in the story of Nebuchadnezzar. When our attention shifts from God to ourselves, we can easily become proud, forgetting that all which is good about us comes from God and that anything we may have, skills we may possess, positions we may hold; they all come from God. Do not let your accomplishments cause you to forget God. We cannot accomplish ANYTHING good in our own strength; it's all by the Lord's grace. The final point i pick out here is that the Lord loves us. Even after Nebuchadnezzar's multitude of sins, the Lord still humbled him for his own good, and in the end we read that Nebuchadnezzar finally acknowledges the Lord.
God Bless
Asher Mostert
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If we cannot believe God when circumstances seem be against us, we do not believe Him at all.
Charles Spurgeon
