Many of us here today are familiar Charles Colson, not so much because of who he was, but who he came to be.
You see, originally, Charles Colson was the proverbial self-made man. By his mid-thirties he had founded a great law firm that was influential in both Boston and New York. And in his late thirties, his reputation as a great attorney had landed him an incredibly prestigious job—he became special counsel to the president of the United States, who at that time, in the early 1970s, happened to be Richard Nixon.
And an effective “special counsel” he was. He was so effective as the President’s special counsel in successfully getting things done that H.R. Haldeman, the president’s chief of staff, called him the President’s “hit man.” Others called him “the hatchet man.” Colson received those accolades, if you can call them that, because he was willing to be brutal in getting others to submit to the President’s wishes. In fact, a sign too profane to repeat here, hung over his desk in his office indicating that the way to get others to do what you want was to grab them in an especially painful area, and pull.
In other words, Charles Colson was a self-made man. My experience with the self-made men I have come across is that they are highly impressed with their own accomplishments and themselves, and little impressed by God. That was true of Colson before an historic break-in of Democratic headquarters at Washington’s Watergate Hotel led to the fall of the Nixon Presidency, and the fall of all the President’s men. Colson was one of those self-willed men who fell along with Nixon, and he eventually paid by losing all that had defined him—his reputation, his license to practice law, and eventually even his freedom—he spent seven months in an Alabama Prison.
But a funny thing happened on the way to prison. A friend gave Colson a copy of C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity¸Colson humbled himself and trusted Christ, and his character and life completely changed.
His story is a modern demonstration of the principle that we need to humble ourselves or be humbled, because God will have His way either way.
It’s a story that has played out many times in history, many perhaps never more impressively than in the life of King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon some 2600 years.
If you’ve been with us for our series on the Book of Daniel, you know this about Nebuchadnezzar. He had conquered the then-known world, including the nation of Israel, by 605 B.C. He became the unquestioned ruler of the greatest human world kingdom ever known, by the testimony of the Word of God. He had absolutely everything going his way as a relatively young man. But he was an arrogant, brutal, heartless dictator when he encountered some young men from the tribe of Judah in the early years of his reign in Babylon. The young men were exiles from Israel who feared the one true living God of Israel. Their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, and because of their devotion to their God, God began showing up in the court of the King in incredible ways, revealing Himself to the King in such a way that by the start of Daniel 4, the king had acknowledged that their God was the most High God and had issued a decree that any who spoke against this God in his Kingdom be torn limb from limb. But one thing he hadn’t done was to give credit to this God for all he had and all he was—one thing he hadn’t done was to turn from his sins and make this God his own God. And it would take a mighty humbling work of God to bring this about.
As we turn to Daniel 4 this morning, it’s important to note, I think, that this is one of the very few sections of the entire Bible which was clearly written by a non-Jew, or a Gentile. The only other section of Scripture that I know of that was written by a Gentile is the Gospel of Luke. However, Daniel 4 makes it clear that this entire chapter was written by a Babylonian, Nebuchadnezzar himself, as a testimony of his conversion to repentant faith in the God of Israel.
And it was a testimony, a public declaration, that was published throughout Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom—to the very ends of the earth. That is clear from verse one: “Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth. ‘May your peace abound!” Notice, he has written this to be read, to be proclaimed to all peoples, nations and men of every language (it was translated into every known language) so that the people who lived in all the earth might hear it or read it. And it comes with a blessing, a wish for blessing upon all these peoples, as though the message that was about to be imparted would bring that blessing, a blessing of peace, or “Shalom”—the wholeness, happiness and blessing that only the God of the Jews could bring. This desire for blessing upon all the men of the earth seems out of character for the Nebuchadnezzar we have become familiar with in Daniel 1-3. The Nebuchadnezzar presented there had been a terror for many peoples. anyone who did not bow to his will could be thrown into the fire or be torn limb from limb for the slightest of offenses, including the inability to interpret his dreams.
And indeed it is a different Nebuchadnezzar, a changed man. Instead of being focused on his own glory and greatness, his focus is now on presenting the glory and greatness of the Most High God whom he has come to know—the God of Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, for he says in verse two and three: “It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me. How great are His signs and how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His dominion is from generation to generation.” Again, something has clearly happened to the Nebuchadnezzar of Daniel 1-3. He is a new person. He is all about tell of the signs and wonders of the God of the Jews, and declaring the greatness of God’s kingdom, rather than his own. How in the world did this remarkable change comes about?
But before we move on here, it’s important to notice God’s goodness and mercy that is now displayed before all men. What we know from our Scripture reading is that Nebuchadnezzar’s life had been turned completely upside down. He had lost everything. He had been terribly humbled. And it was all because there is a God in heaven who cares even about the most horrendous sinners, the most prideful and cruel monarchs—a God who has always wanted to save all mankind, and not just the Jews. And a God who powerfully hears the prayers of those who seek Him.
When your life is turned upside down, when the life of someone you know has been turned upside down, remember this. Remember that God works for your good and the salvation of all men through hard times. God has never been satisfied to do nothing as men of any nation or language sin and go to hell. He has always been active in attempting to save mankind. He was not merely interested in saving the Jews. And He used this opportunity, when a pagan idolatrous king had become the source of judgment for a sinful Israel to demonstrate His power, grace and mercy to the entire Gentile world through the conversion of this very sinful, once prideful, Gentile King. This is a testimony of God’s grace published throughout the world 2600 years ago, and believe me, it did not come about by accident. It came about because God desires to save sinners, and He works powerfully to that end. Who can doubt that Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael not only prayed about Nebuchadnezzar but prayed for Nebuchadnezzar’s conversion in all their experiences with him. And God worked powerfully toward that end. So if you’re experiencing a life turned upside down, or you know someone who is, recognize that God may be working powerfully for His purposes, for their salvation or their good through these kinds of circumstances.
So, beginning in verse 4, as we’ve read, Nebuchadnezzar has now had a second dream which greatly troubles him. He senses the vivid dream that he has had has some meaning about his future, as the first dream of Daniel 2 had had. But it seems he has learned very little about whom to consult when he needs an interpretation. He immediately does what He did in chapter 2 when seeking an interpretation to the dream. He turns to all the wise men of Babylon, the conjurers, magicians, and astrologers for an answer, and they provide none.
And from verses 4-7 we learn this. Beware of seeking counsel from the wrong sources. Seek God. Seek godly counsel. You’re confused about the events of your life. You need some wisdom. Where are you going to look for it? Are you going to seek secular counseling? Going to check out some self-help books? Going to look up your horoscope or go to a palm reader? If you do, you’re asking for trouble. You’ve even got to be careful about the “Christian counselor” you go to, since so many of them have compromised in order to get a counseling license—they’ve been educated in all the teaching of secular psychology, and so they may be Christians who counsel, but not according to the Word of God, but the traditions and counsels and wisdom of men. And what does Colossians 2:8 warns us about in the New Testament? “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”
Finally, as verse 8 puts it, Daniel, the one who knows God and follows His Word, shows up. In Daniel 2, only Daniel was able to interpret the King’s dreams. The King is an extremely slow learner. It’s almost as though he now seeks out Daniel’s wisdom as a last resort, when from experience, he should have known from the first that this man of God, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods as Nebuchadnezzar had put it, was the only reliable source of wisdom when it came to interpreting his dreams. How slow we are to learn that we’ve got to seek wisdom from godly sources. Part of our problem must be that we would prefer not to hear God’s wisdom about our problems—we want someone who will somehow comfort us in what we already want to do about our issues.
So Daniel shows up and offers the actual interpretation to the King’s dream. He’s a bit hesitant to state the interpretation, because it isn’t a pleasant prophecy about the King’s immediate future, but the King encourages him, nonetheless, wanting to know the truth. And as we know from the story, the dream is a harbinger of terrible things which will soon take place in the King’s life. Incredibly, this man who is an absolute charge, will lose everything he has. The picture of him as a great tree which is visible to the ends of the earth and under whom everyone and every beast lives and prospers is that that tree will be cut down, though it’s roots will be left firmly in the ground, and all those who live under its fruitfulness will scatter. And the tree will be cut down as the result of a decree from a holy, angelic watcher from heaven. And then there is the very strange prediction that the king will not be dwelling in his glorious palace, but will instead be driven from men and will dwell with the beasts of the earth, eating grass of the earth just as the beasts do, because he will lose his sanity. He will be given the mind of a beast rather than the mind of a man. And seven periods of time will pass over him—apparently seven years-- because in that time his hair grew out like eagle’s feathers.
The most important part of Daniel’s interpretation is found in verse 17 and again in verse 25. Even in the dream itself, Nebuchadnezzar, according to verse 17, heard the crucial truth that men, and he himself were to come to acknowledge. Verse 17 reads this way, “This sentence is by decree of the angelic watchers and the decision is a command of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men.”
In other words, the Most High God is absolutely sovereign over all the affairs of men, not Nebuchadnezzar, despite what he might think, and that Nebuchadnezzar is not responsible for his own good fortune. He has not come to power because He is smarter or greater than other men, in fact He is among the lowliest of men, and it so happens that God even “sets the lowliest of men—Nebuchadnezzar—over the Kingdoms of men.
In verse 25 Daniel makes it clear that Nebuchadnezzar’s restoration to power would only come once he acknowledged this truth. Notice halfway through verse 25: that all these things would happen to Nebuchadnezzar “until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.”
Now this was actually one of those severe mercies that God brings upon those He saves. It was a discipline, and in this case, a warning, that Nebuchadnezzar better humble himself and acknowledge who was really in control and make Him his God. He really needed to take this warning as a blessing.
And so it is with us. There are various circumstances that come our way, sometimes even warning dreams—they have happened to me—that we need to see as God’s gracious way of warning us that something needs to change. And it’s us. It’s not Him. Something needs to change or there are going to be some consequences for our sin. In this case, the change that Nebuchadnezzar needed to experience was a humbling of his pride, turning from glorying in Himself, and turning in humility to God, recognizing that God alone was the source of every good thing he possessed.
So, have you experienced some warnings? Maybe it’s even this sermon this morning, maybe it’s the warnings of the Word of God. Are you all about yourself as Nebuchadnezzar was? Well then take this or any of God’s warning as a major blessing. He wants to spare you His discipline. You can either learn the easy way, by hearing, or the hard way, by experiencing even His severe discipline.
Well, Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t ask for additional advice on account of his dream, but Daniel, feeling for the king’s future, offers it. And it continues to be oh so relevant even to this day. Verse 27; “Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you, break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.” In other words, this warning of discipline, which we might call judgment, was conditional. It was conditioned upon Nebuchadnezzar continuing in his sins, rather than repenting. If Nebuchadnezzar would only repent of his pride and his sin, and begin showing compassion to even the least and the poorest of His kingdom out of respect for God, God might relent of this calamity that had been predicted for Him.
This is the ultimate counsel we all need to hear, both for our salvation and our eternal welfare, as well as for our earthly good and blessing. Repent, turn away from your sins, and turn to Christ, who died for your sins and listen to His Word, while you still have a chance! More than that, learn the easy way, rather than the hard way. Listen to God’s Word and turn to God from your stubborn pride before things become serious.
Sadly, the king did not listen, and so he experienced the consequences. The dream was then fulfilled!
Verse 28: “All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. The King reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty.”
Now did you happen to notice how often the words I, myself and my appeared in this sentence? Obviously, the king was highly impressed with himself. It was all about him. All about his glory, his power, his majesty, and all the things he had done for himself, and in that moment, while the words were in his mouth, all that had been predicted by the dream and Daniel came to pass.
Verse 29: “While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your place will be with the beasts of the field.” And verse 33 tells us that this decree was immediately fulfilled. Nebuchadnezzar became a crazy who ate grass and lived with the beasts of the field.
Now I don’t know how many self-made men we have here, or proud women, for that matter. I suspect not too many. But the lesson here is obvious; Repent of your stubborn pride while you still have a chance. Is there something God’s been speaking to you about, that you’re resisting Him about? Is there something that you think you know better than God? Something you’re refusing to humble yourself before Him or others in order to finally follow His direction? Well, the lesson here is repent or be broken. Break off your sins or be broken. God is patient, but there is a time his patience comes to an end—and often for our welfare. So it was for Nebuchadnezzar. Know that God resists the proud, but give grace to the humble. Pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Nebuchadnezzar here epitomizes the truths of both those well-known proverbs.
But just as at the moment of spoken over-weening pride, Nebuchadnezzar was broken and lost everything, it was at the very moment he in humility finally looked up to heaven that he was restored. Notice this in verse 34: “But at the end of that period”—that seven years—"I Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven.” I think this is an evidence that he began to pray, and to seek God’s face, recognizing that truly his fate depended not on his own abilities but the mercies of the Most High God, that God restored his sanity and his kingdom, just as predicted. When we repent of our prideful rebellion, God relents of His severe mercies, and we are restored.
Now consider the stark contrast between what Nebuchadnezzar had once said about himself in verse 30 and what he now says about God. Mid verse 34: “And I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever.” Note he is no longer all about himself, but he’s all about giving glory and honor where it’s really due—to the Sovereign Lord and Creator. After all these incredible experiences with the God of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar finally gets it: “For His dominion (not mine) is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom (not mine) endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven (among the angels of heaven) and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off his hand or say to Him, ‘What have you done?’”
Nebuchadnezzar knew all these things from experience, by personal experience with the God of Heaven. The result—He became a worshiper of this Most High God. He declares for his whole earthly kingdom to hear in verse 37: “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are true, and His ways are just and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
Boy-howdy! The most prideful man on earth had just been humbled. God had resisted Him, but now God gives Him grace as He gives God honor.
You see what we need to realize is that we are not responsible for who we are, the talents we have, or the things we possess. God is the provider of all these things. As the Apostle Paul once put it, in I Corinthians 4:7: “For who regards you superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
Boy, what a message for times like these. With all the turmoil of the Pandemic, and the Protests, and the Election and the Supreme Court Appointments, men strive to claim control of the nation and the nations. Pride leads them to think they can fix their own problems.
However, we need to take a page from Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4. Humble yourself or be humbled, for God will have His way!
That is not only what Nebuchadnezzar learned. It was ultimately what Charles Colson learned as he was close to Presidential power in the early ‘70s, then lost virtually everything he had worked for when God humbled Him. But when God humbled Him, he came to faith in Christ, and founded Prison Fellowship, the biggest Christian prison ministry around, became an author of 30 Christian books and a speaker of great renown, praising the God of Heaven for the Savior He sent, Jesus, who truly saved Colson from his sin.
That’s a message for each of us today, and for our nation. Humble yourself or be humbled, for God Almighty, who rules heaven and earth, will have His way one way or another.
