November 27, 2005
Confessions of a Pagan King
Daniel 4:28-37
Introduction: The book of Daniel is about the supremacy of God. The entire book is a declaration that the God of Israel is the true, living, sovereign God – the only One!
Nebuchadnezzar II (reigned 605-562 BC) was one of the great rulers of the ancient world. He made Babylon one of the wonders of the ancient world. Ironically, he makes one of the great confessions of the Bible.
How did God get Nebuchadnezzar’s attention?
1) God showed His wisdom and power through Daniel and his three friends, 2:46-47; 3:28-29.
2) God humbled him through a mental illness called boanthropy, 4:24-25.
What did Nebuchadnezzar confess?
1) The God of Israel deserves our worship, v34a (Psa 113:3; Rev 4:11).
2) Daniel’s God is the eternal Deity; His “kingdom” is forever, v34b (Psa 90:2).
3) The true God is transcendent, v35a (Isa 6:1; 55:8-9).
4) God’s will is accomplished in the end, v35b (Psa 115:2-3; 135:5-6; Eph 1:11).
5) We cannot restrain God and have no right to judge Him, v35c (Rom 9:20).
6) God is always true (trustworthy), just (acting righteously at all times) and opposed to pride, v37 (Deut 32:3-4).
Conclusion: Jesus once told a man who had made a great confession: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God” (Mk 12:28-34). It is not enough to believe what Nebuchadnezzar confessed (Phil 2:9-11). According to Jesus, we must turn from our sins and trust in God’s good news (Mk 1:14-15) – that Jesus is the Savior sent to die for our sins, who was buried and who rose again the third day to give us eternal life.