Tonight, in this section, continuing
on with our theme that we've been going through for a number
of months, Old Testament Pictures of Christ, we're going to look
in Daniel 4, and we're going to start in verse 28 and go to
the end of the chapter, and we're going to notice the grand humiliation
of King Nebuchadnezzar, the grand humiliation of King Nebuchadnezzar. And as we read through this,
I want you to notice that we're going to see some things that
God specifically taught this heavy and high-minded king, but
also these things God teaches all to whom he is about to draw
unto himself in saving grace. It's almost a pattern. It's just
a beautiful illustration of God's God's grace. Let's start in verse
27. It says all this came upon King
Nebuchadnezzar. Now, he was a very wealthy, a
very strong, a very great, as it goes humanly, a great king
from Babylon. So, you know, it's not a small
nation. It's very influential in this
whole area, this whole geographical region. and at that time at the
end of 12 months King Nebuchadnezzar walked in the palace of the kingdom
of Babylon the king spake and he said is not this great Babylon
that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of
my power and for the honor of my majesty while the word was
in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying,
O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken, The kingdom is
departed from thee, and they shall drive thee from men, and
thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, And they
shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall
pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High rules in the
kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will. The same
hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was
driven from men, he did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet
with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles'
feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. And at the end
of the days, that is the beginning of days that God appointed for
his humiliation, at the end of days that God decided to give
his reasoning back to him with new eyes, At the end of the days,
I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes unto heaven, and my understanding
returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised
and honored Him that lives forever, whose dominion is an everlasting
dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation.
and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing,
and he does according to his will in the army of heaven and
among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his
hand or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time, my reason
returned unto me, and for the glory of my kingdom, and mine
honor and brightness returned unto me, and my counselors and
my Lord sought unto me, and I was established in my kingdom, and
excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise
and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are
truth, and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride
he is able to abase. This is quite a story. This is
quite a marvelous truth. We see three or four things that
God taught this great king, in the eyes of men, that is. He
taught him a few things. And as I said, he teaches these
things to all whom he is about to draw in saving mercy unto
himself. The first thing, verse 34, God,
he taught this king that God is on the throne. Even though
he had an earthly throne and an earthly kingdom, it was given
to him by God Almighty who is on the
throne, not a throne, not a throne of countries. He's on the throne
over the entire universe. Look at verse 34. And at the
end of days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes unto heaven,
and my understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most
High, I praised and honored him that lives forever, whose dominion
is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation
to generation." There's a few things I notice in here. He says
in verse 34, and I blessed the most high God. I blessed the
most high God. His reason, his reasoning spiritually
awakened now a new heart and a new mind and new eyes to see
the glory of God. It's a real blessing to see God
as he is revealed in this book. It's no more a curse. To see
God as He exactly is. When we're without God, when
we're without Christ, when we don't understand the gospel,
when God hasn't made Himself known to us, when somebody comes
along and preaches the sovereign grace of God, preaches the gospel,
tells where God is, who He is, that He's above and rules and
reigns over all, that's usually people don't like that. It's
a curse to them. They don't want to hear that.
Nebuchadnezzar and those to whom God's grace has smoked their
conscience, pricked their heart. They say, my understanding, my
real understanding returned to me and I blessed the Most High
God and I praised Him. Because man's view of God is
that He's weak. He's a weak God. He's a cheap
God. He's a small God. He's an impotent God. But not
the God of this book. And as I've said, through Holy
Spirit conviction, through the preaching of the truth, through
blood applied to the heart and the conscience and the mind,
and the darkness cast out and light shines in us and towards
us, we see I blessed the Most High. Not a high God. The Most
High. The Most High. and praised and
honored him that lives forever. He lives forever. Secondly, that
he is the Alpha, the Omega. God has no beginning. He has
no end. There are many things that have
a start and have a finish. A beginning and an end. But not God. Not God. He has an everlasting dominion. His dominion is everlasting dominion.
His kingdom is from generation to generation. Everlasting dominion. That is, He's sovereign and reigns
over all things. All the time. World without end. All the time. Words that would
describe our God from this book would be infinite, irresistible,
and immutable. God's will is one that cannot
be overturned. His purpose is one that cannot
be overruled. His salvation is one that cannot
be resisted or hindered. His election of grace is one
that cannot be questioned. And His redemption that is found
in Christ is one that cannot be lessened. Cannot be cheapened. Lessened. Because His dominion
is an everlasting dominion. And everything that comes from
Him that's spoken of Him, the Holy Spirit of God, Christ, and
gospel, it's called the everlasting gospel. All these things that
proceed from Him and talk about Him and speak about Him rightly
and correctly is as He is. Sovereign will, purposes, salvation,
election, whatever doctrine, whatever thought, whatever attribute,
if it's from God, It's an everlasting dominion. Look at a few passages
of scripture with me. We'll start with the Old Testament. Let's stay there. Psalms 115. Psalms 115. David, as well as all believers,
know these things right well. You know, at first we're no different
than King Nebuchadnezzar. We might not have positions of
authority and power and greatness like this man, but we're all...
We walk out of our porch or we walk out into, you know, whatever,
and say, is not this my property that I've done with my hands?
And me, me, me. So we're all, you know, the smallest
to the greatest. It doesn't matter. Pride is born
in us. And God has to knock that out
of us. and show us who he is, and this
is what Nebuchadnezzar is experiencing. But look at Psalms 115 and verses
2 and 3. Wherefore should the heathen
say, Where is now their God? David says, But our God is in
the heavens. He has done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Turn to Ephesians chapter 1.
Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1 and look
with me at verse 11. In whom also we have obtained
an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who works all things after the counsel of his own will. That's our God. And Romans 8,
we know this passage very well, but Romans 8, 28, sometimes I
think we fly through this verse, which I do the same thing, but
look at it very specifically, Romans 8, 28. And we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are called according to His purpose. His purpose. Who's Jehovah God in the person
of Jesus Christ shown unto sinful men and women by the Holy Spirit
of God in everlasting dominion? Verse 35, the second thing that
this one was shown, that this one, this king was shown, verse
35, and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he does according to his
will in the army of heaven. That's where most preachers will
stop. God is in control of the weather.
He's in control of the tectonic plates. You know, California,
watching something on the Discovery Channel, and his place and all
that. He's sovereign over tsunamis and this and that. But he goes
on to say, and not only is he does according to his will in
the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.
And none can stay at hand or basically question him, what
are you doing? Second thing that Nebuchadnezzar learned, that
we learn continually through the gospel, is that we are insignificant. We are nothing. Now this word
reputed. He says the inhabitants of the
earth are reputed, that is regarded or valued. As nothing. Now I look at that
word nothing and I had to look at it a couple of different places,
but it means without. The lack, nothing, zero, we're
without something. Well what are we without? We're
without Christ's righteousness. We're not born with faith. We're
without faith. And without faith, no one can
please God. We're without righteousness.
A righteousness that God will accept. Basically, we're without
anything necessary to please God. So all the inhabitants of
the earth are valued without those things which God requires
of you and me. And look at what he says in verse
35, the second word, and all the inhabitants, not some, not
a few, not just the rich or a few poor, not just the weak, not
just the strong, not the kings, not the paupers, not white or
black or Hispanic, all, all, reputed as nothing, are supposed
good or openly wicked. Whether somebody says that's
a good person, that's a wicked person. That person's sitting,
he's next in line in the Vatican, or this guy's a known terrorist.
Everybody, all together, Sunday school teacher, Sunday school
child, person out in the street, this book makes no differentiation,
we by nature, Nothing. Again, in the eyes of God. That infuriates people. But that's
the truth of the gospel. And until God shows us that,
truly knowing and experiencing these things by the Holy Spirit
conviction will cause us to adore, honor, love, and serve Him evermore. Turn to John chapter 15, verse
5. This is a hard pill to swallow,
but it's the gospel pill. It's the good news for sinners.
The problem is, there's no sinners. Just nobody, you know, everybody's
fine. I was listening to a commentator
on the news today. Good point. He says the problem
with the health care situation all these different things that
we're talking about is that most people think health care is free.
Other than your deductible and other than your co-pay it's free. And that's the mentality. Americans,
that's what we have. It's free. I just pay that and
then... anybody look at their checks? A chunk that's coming
out? And then the malpractice stuff? It's not free. That's
the problem. The same truth applies to God
and this gospel is everybody has a preconceived notion. One,
sin is not that bad. And God's not that holy. And
so if that's the case, if sin is not that bad, God's not that
holy, then the salvation is really not that big of a deal. It's
not that critical. Nebuchadnezzar thought the same thing until
God showed him the truth. But look at John. He showed him
that all men by nature, all of us, are nothing. We're insignificant.
John 15, verse 5. We all read this time and time
again. I am the vines, says Christ. You're the branches. He that
abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit.
But outside of him, for without me, you can do nothing. Nothing. Well, he didn't mean
nothing. I didn't look that broad up. Nothing. So if there's anything
we understand about the gospel, it's all by His grace. That's
the beauty of it. We can't glory in it. It's not
a point to which we argue because nothing. Look at Isaiah chapter
40. We've been here, but it's been several weeks. Isaiah 40.
and verses 15, 16, and 17, Isaiah 40. Now put significance on this, behold
the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as
the small dust of the balance. Behold, he takes up the isles
as a very little thing, and Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor
the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations
before God are as nothing, there's that word again, and they are
counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. Now when I used to
work Well, I met Melinda at the feed store, the nursery, the
garden center. You know, in the wintertime, we didn't do a whole
lot, so we were inside weighing bird seed and stuff. And, you
know, you try to blow off the dust from weighing the different
things, but whether you did or you didn't, when you look at
that scale, it didn't register anything. He said, I'm trying
to be as accurate as I can. When you blow that dust off there,
it doesn't register anything. That's what he's saying. Less
than nothing, the dust and the balance. The stuff is insignificant. It doesn't matter. The third
thing that God showed Nebuchadnezzar, back in our text, letter part
of verse 35, is God's decrees, what He wills shall be accomplished.
Verse 35. Words repeated is nothing and
he does according to his will in the army of the heavens and
the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or
say unto him what doest thou? Here is the only true and real
free will in the universe right here. It's God's. You know, I
was reading what Henry said. You can talk about your will,
my will, or whosoever will, but the fact of the matter is God's
will is the only sovereign will in the universe. And that's it. Turn to Psalms 135. David says
the same thing here. Psalms 135. And verse 6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in
the earth, and in the seas, and all deep places. That which he
pleased. God's decrees shall be accomplished. That's the third thing God showed
this king. The fourth thing, and last thing,
in verse 37, humiliation is God's way of grace. Look at verse 37. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise
and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are
truth, and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride
he is able to abase. And Nebuchadnezzar says, I'm
walking experience of this. I'm walking reality of this.
Humiliation is God's way of grace. And I just started thinking about
this in the gospel, the gospel narrative, the gospel story.
It starts with Christ's birth. Born the Son of God. Son of man, the King of kings
and Lord of lords. Bruce, where is he born? In a
stinking cow barn. God's way of grace is a way of
humiliation. Christ's parents, Mary and Joseph,
they were poor. We know that by what they offered.
The offering they offered. You know, if you had money, you
did a goat, a lamb, or whatever. If you were poor, you offered
turtle doves. Look at it in the Gospel narratives.
That's what they came. That's what they had. They were
poor. Way of humiliation is the way of God's grace. Christ's
life. Nowhere to lay his head. No place
to call home. Mocked, laughed at, wasn't even
welcomed in his own town, his own village, by his own people. Christ's message, the Gospel. In order to be full, you've got
to be made empty. In order to go up, you've got
to be brought down. You are told in the Gospel message,
you can't do anything to please God. That is a way of humiliation. You are told in the Gospel to
submit to His rule, His reign, His kingdom. You were told in
the gospel you must die in order to live, and someone else must
do everything for you in order for you to gain acceptance of
God. I was a man sitting there looking
at this. Got the gospel, Christ is crucified,
the only gospel, the true gospel, the everlasting gospel, were
the recipients. But we do nothing for nothing
to gain access to it. Nothing to have. We can't glory
in it. We can't get honor in it. It's
all here. God's humiliation is God's way
of grace. The whole manner and scheme of
mercy, grace and redemption is to humble man and exalt God in
the person of Jesus Christ. Old Testament pictures of the
Gospel. We've been looking at this for I don't know how many
months and months and months. One part in the Old Testament
is they took blood from the sacrificed animal, put it on Hyssop, and
sprinkled it on the priest and on the people. How humiliating
would that be? I've got a laver up here, you
know, laver up here, full of blood, and y'all are sitting
there, and I dip that, and I just go, Y'all walk out and go to
Stooges? Where's y'all been? Whoa, you
guys are really doing some strange things up there. Well, what did
you do? Well, we got together and had
our programs and we had people all dressed up and then the priest
came out and stood up on this big thing and had all, just big,
a show of the flesh. There's no humiliation there.
Look at me. I'm the number one preacher in
Jackson. I'm the number one reverend. All these different things. You
know, come up here and kiss my ring. Old Testament pictures, just
like the sum and substance of the gospel, is a way of humiliation. That's God's way. He'll have
to take Paul and knock him off his horse in order for Paul to
pay attention. You and I Better be covered head
to toe in the blood of the innocent, the Lord Jesus Christ, because
we're guilty. We're guilty. Now, and again,
greatest country in the world. I'm patriotic. I love this country.
But you are innocent until proven guilty. The gospel says you are
guilty until you're made innocent. And that's the truth. But we're made clean through
and by the blood. The blood of another. You know,
how awful would you feel? How humiliated and how terrible
would you feel if you knew that something you did caused somebody
else to die? Humanly speaking, we'd be full
of guilt, anger, bitterness, remorse, all these different
things. But that's exactly what has to happen. He shows us because
of our guilt and our transgression, our corruption and leprous spiritual
condition. The Lord laid on him the iniquity
of us all. And that's humbling. But there's
no other way. And in that humiliation, just
like Nebuchadnezzar, your reasons restored to you,
and you praise and you extol and you honor the King of Heaven,
all whose works are truth and His ways judgment. And those
that walk in pride, He's able to abase. Now, in closing, turn
to James chapter 4. James chapter 4. James chapter 4 and verse 6 James
tells us but he gives more grace wherefore he saith God resists
the proud but gives grace unto the humble and surely he does
because he made us he makes us humble may this be our case may
this be our lot tonight for Christ sakes May he blot
out our transgressions through the blood of an innocent and
holy and pure sacrifice. Bruce, would you close this please?