Scripture Focus
“All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king answered and said, ‘Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?’ While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you.’” — Daniel 4:28–31 (ESV)
Devotional Thought
As we continue through Daniel 4, we need to remember a couple of things that make this scene almost difficult to believe. Nebuchadnezzar had already dreamed about the enormous tree that was cut down, leaving only its stump and roots. Daniel had explained exactly what the dream meant. The king himself was the tree, and judgment was coming. Daniel even warned him that he would be driven away from people, live among the animals, and eat grass like an ox. You would think a warning like that might inspire some humility. Nebuchadnezzar had already witnessed the power of God through Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Now God had graciously warned him personally about what was coming.
Yet twelve months later, we find him walking on the roof of his palace admiring Babylon and saying, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” For those watching at home, this is the moment when you want to yell, “What are you thinking?” King, you built this? By your mighty power? For the glory of your majesty? Have you forgotten everything you’ve seen? Have you heard any of the warnings God has graciously given you?
But before I condemn Nebuchadnezzar too harshly, I probably need to take a look at myself. In fact, I have a significant advantage over this pagan king. As a believer, the Holy Spirit lives within me. I have God’s Word. I have had godly family members, pastors, and friends speak truth into my life. And yet I still fail. I still battle pride and ego. I have to ask myself, “Has God ever warned me through His Word, through circumstances, or through the wise counsel of people He has placed in my life—and I simply didn’t listen?” I wish I could say that I always listen to wise counsel and immediately heed God’s warnings. But if I said that, I’d just be adding lying to the list.
There is another detail in this passage that we shouldn’t overlook. Twelve months had passed. An entire year had gone by since Nebuchadnezzar received the warning. That wasn’t evidence that God had forgotten; it was evidence of God’s grace. God gave Nebuchadnezzar time to respond. He gave him time to humble himself. He gave him time to repent. But I can imagine how human nature might have interpreted that delay: It’s been a year and nothing has happened. Maybe Daniel was wrong this time. Maybe I’m in the clear. Maybe the danger has passed. And then Nebuchadnezzar walked onto the roof of his palace and began congratulating himself on how magnificent he was.
Scripture says that “while the words were still in the king’s mouth,” the voice came from heaven: “The kingdom has departed from you.” Nebuchadnezzar had mistaken God’s patience for God’s approval. And we can make exactly the same mistake. When God graciously reveals sin in our lives, warns us that we are drifting from Him, or uses someone who loves us enough to tell us something we don’t particularly want to hear, we shouldn’t presume upon His patience. If God gives us time to respond, it doesn’t mean the warning wasn’t serious or that He has somehow changed His mind about our disobedience. The time itself is grace.
God is patient, gracious, and merciful, and that’s very good news for all of us. If I were responsible for determining how much time people received to straighten themselves out, twelve months might become about a week—and I’d probably congratulate myself for being remarkably patient. Thankfully, God is nothing like me. He gave Nebuchadnezzar ample opportunity to humble himself, but instead of repenting, the king stood on his rooftop bragging about his own power and glory.
Maybe that’s why Nebuchadnezzar’s story is so relatable. His pride may have been enormous, but the problem wasn’t unique to him. We all struggle with thinking too highly of ourselves. We all sin, even after coming to Christ. And when God graciously warns us that something in our lives needs to change, our first response isn’t always repentance. Sometimes we’d rather ignore the warning, put our heads in the sand, and hope the problem simply blows over. Then, when the consequences finally come, we’re shocked—as though God hadn’t been warning us all along. How much wiser we would be to avail ourselves of the grace and patience of God while He is giving us time to respond!
This passage is certainly a warning about pride, but it is also a reminder of the extraordinary patience of God. When God warns us about the condition of our hearts, our relationship with Him, or a path we are traveling, that warning is an expression of His grace. And when He patiently gives us time to respond, we should never mistake His patience for permission to continue as we are. When God gives us time to listen, we shouldn’t waste the time He has graciously given us.
Reflection Questions
- Has God ever used Scripture, circumstances, family, pastors, or friends to warn you about something in your life that you were reluctant to hear?
- Are there areas where you might be mistaking God’s patience for His approval?
- Has success in some area of your life caused you to focus more on what you have accomplished than on what God has graciously provided?
- Is there something God has already shown you that you know you need to address? If so, what are you waiting for?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for being patient and merciful with me. Forgive me for the times I have ignored Your warnings, resisted wise counsel, or allowed pride to convince me that my accomplishments belong to me alone. Help me never to mistake Your patience for Your approval. When You reveal something in my life that needs to change, give me the humility to listen and the courage to obey. Thank You for graciously giving me time to turn back to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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