Nebuchadnezzar had another dream that troubled him. Daniel was called to interpret, explaining that it represented Nebuchadnezzar's pride and how God would humble him by driving him from society for seven years. When this occurred, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged God as the true ruler. After being restored, Nebuchadnezzar praised God for his mercy and ability to humble the proud. He had truly converted and no longer lived with pride. The story teaches the importance of humility over pride.

1. FROM PRIDE TO HUMILITY
“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 4:3
Lesson 5 for February 1, 2020
Adapted from www.fustero.es
www.gmahktanjungpinang.org

2. What the king needed:
To abandon pride.
To accept God’s authority.
To follow the prophet’s advice.
What the king did:
He accepted God’s authority.
He proclaimed God’s mercy.
Daniel 4 tells the second dream God sent to king
Nebuchadnezzar.
This time, the topic was not what troubled the
king, but what troubled God.
God cares for the salvation of everyone. He was
worried about the salvation of Nebuchadnezzar.

3. ABANDONING PRIDE
“The king spoke, saying, ‘Is not this great
Babylon, that I have built for a royal
dwelling by my mighty power and for the
honor of my majesty?’” (Daniel 4:30)
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed another
disturbing dream.
He was able to remember it this time, but the wise
men couldn’t interpret it. Daniel was called to do
so.
A great tree. It gave shelter to animals and birds
which also ate its fruit. “A watcher, a holy one,”
ordered to chop it down. Only a stump remained
which was bounded with a band of iron and bronze.
It was left with the beasts for seven years.
Daniel explained that the tree represented the
king. As Daniel told him earlier: “the God of heaven
has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and
glory.” But the king proudly attributed those
achievements to himself.

4. ACCEPTING
GOD’S
AUTHORITY
“This decision is by the decree of the
watchers, and the sentence by the word of the
holy ones, 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)
Nebuchadnezzar’s punishment for his pride was a
type of mental disorder called lycanthropy. He
thought he was an animal and began to act as one.
He was sick for seven years, until God gave his
reasoning back to him. God wanted him to accept
that only He “rules in the kingdom of men.”
Nebuchadnezzar was promised
that his kingdom would remain
stable during those seven years.
We must acknowledge and
accept that God must rule our
lives. He is the Lord of our lives.

5. FOLLOWING
THE PROPHET’S
ADVICE
“Therefore, O king, let my advice be
acceptable to you; break off your sins
by being righteous, and your iniquities
by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps
there may be a lengthening of your
prosperity.” (Daniel 4:27)
Nebuchadnezzar didn’t have to wait passively for his sentence.
How he could avoid it? By following the prophet’s advice:
Break off
your sins,
be
righteous He had built the great Babylon and
its magnificent hanging gardens with
the sweat of the oppressed.
Loving and caring for others is part
of the way to greatness.
Break off your
iniquities,
show mercy to
the poor.

6. ACCEPTING GOD’S AUTHORITY
“And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted
my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to
me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and
honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an
everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from
generation to generation.” (Daniel 4:34)
“Lifting your eyes” is used as a synonym of looking
at something (Gn. 13:10; 18:2; 22:13; 24:64), or as
an act of worship (Dt. 4:19; Ps. 123:1; Is. 38:14).
God was merciful to Nebuchadnezzar when he
sought Him, and He gave his reasoning back to him.
Now the king fully acknowledged what he only
wanted to partially accept before: God is the
everlasting King; He’s the only Ruler over all things.
God is constantly giving us another chance to
accept Him, so we can enjoy a close relationship
with Him.

7. PROCLAIMING
GOD’S MERCY
“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)
Nebuchadnezzar had already acknowledge
God as the “revealer of secrets” (Dn. 2:47),
and the one who “delivered His servants”
(Dn. 3:28).
Then, he acknowledged God as the one who
puts the proud to shame. He left his pride
aside and proclaimed God’s mercy as He had
given him his reasoning and throne back.
His conversion was sincere. His
values had changed. His heart
was no longer a proud one. His
letter/testimony ends by praising
God.
His experience is a lesson of how
harmful pride is. We must imitate
Christ and live humbly
(Philippians 2:1-11).

8. “There is need of decided changes. It is time
for us to humble our proud, self-willed hearts,
and seek the Lord while He may be found…
The Lord is calling upon us to come into line.
The day is far spent. The night is at hand. The
judgments of God are already seen, both on
land and on sea. No second probation will be
granted us. This is no time for making false
moves. Let every one thank God that we still
have an opportunity to form characters for the
future eternal life.”
E.G.W. (Counsels on Diet and Foods, cp. 1, p. 40)