Four Things God Taught Nebuchadnezzar

Now, no one ever has numbered
Nebuchadnezzar with the prophets. He was not a prophet. He was
a pagan king. But it is true that God dealt
with him and God taught him some things. And like Jonah, he taught
Nebuchadnezzar in a most unusual fashion, in a most unusual way. Let's look at verse 30. Now Nebuchadnezzar
was a great man, he was a powerful man, but Nebuchadnezzar was a
very proud man. In verse 30, the king spake and
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? And while these words fell from
his mouth, God Almighty spoke in judgment to him. Look at verse
37, the last line in verse 37. Here's the key to this experience.
The last line in verse 37, and those that walk in pride, he
is able to abase. Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind. He became like an animal, the
scripture says. His hair grew long like eagles'
feathers. His fingernails grew like birds'
claws. He was driven out of the kingdom,
away from men. He lived out in the field like
a wild man, eating grass and whatever things he could find.
And during this experience, God taught him four things. If you look at verse 34, he gives
us the clue to these four things which he learned. At the end
of the days, that is, the days of his experience, the loss of
his understanding, his reason, he said, At the end of the days
I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine
understanding returned unto me. And I blessed the Most High,
and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion
is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation
to generation." The first thing that God taught Nebuchadnezzar,
the first thing that he learned, and he learned well, he said,
because God was pleased to bless him in later days, the first
thing that God taught him was this. the greatness of God. He said, I praised and honored
him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom from generation to generation. The songwriter
has written these words, Thou from eternal ages stood, ere
seas or stars were made. Thou art the ever-living God
were all the nations dead. Eternity, with all its years,
stands present in thy view. To thee there is nothing old,
appears, and, great God, there is nothing new. Let idols topple
to the ground, and their own worshipers confound. But Judah
shout, and Zion sing, and each confess her sovereign King."
Turn with me to the book of Exodus, chapter 5. Moses went before
Pharaoh. God had sent Moses down to Egypt
to deliver his people. And when he came before the mighty
monarch Pharaoh and told him what he came to do to free Israel,
in chapter 5 of Exodus, verse 1, Moses and Aaron went in and
told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people
go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And
Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord? Who is the Lord, that I should
obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, and
neither will I let Israel go. Are you prepared to answer that
question that Pharaoh put to Moses? Who is the Lord? This is what God taught Nebuchadnezzar. This is the first lesson that
he learned in this experience. Having lost his reason, his understanding,
having been driven out in the field, having eaten grass like
an oxen, God taught him who he is. Who is the Lord? Well, let me point out about
five things. If someone would ask me that
question, if I had been in Moses' place and I took the time to
explain or describe God to this heathen king, I would begin here. God revealed himself to Moses
as the Eternal One, God in his eternality. Moses said, as he
stood before the burning bush, God said, Go down to Egypt and
deliver my people. Moses said, Whom shall I say
hath sent me? They're going to ask me who you
are. I come in the name of the Lord
God, and that's exactly the first thing that Pharaoh asked him.
Who is the Lord? I don't know the Lord. We've
got gods all over Egypt. Who is the Lord? Who is the one
you represent? Who is the one in whose name
you come? Who is this Lord? Moses said, well, whom shall
I say has sent me? And God said, I am that I am. Not I was, not I shall be, but
I am. God in his eternality. God is
eternal. There was a time when man was
not. The mighty Egyptian, Babylonian
empires, the Medes, the Persians, the Romans, there was a time
when man was not. There was a time when time was
not. There was a time when the world
was not. There was a time when angels
were not. There was a time when the heavens
were not. There always has been God. That's
what he's saying. I am. Not I was, not I will be,
not I shall be, but I am. When they came to arrest Jesus
Christ in the garden, he asked the soldiers, Whom seek ye? They
said, We seek Jesus of Nazareth. And he spoke those same words,
I am, I am. And the soldiers fell back when
they heard that expression. So the first thing that I would
answer is this, God is eternal. God is eternal. And then secondly,
he revealed himself to Isaiah. Turn with me to Isaiah chapter
6. He revealed himself to Moses in his eternality. He revealed
himself to Isaiah in his holiness. In his holiness. In Isaiah chapter
6, verse 1, In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also
the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train
filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims.
Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face,
with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly. And
one cried unto the other and said, Holy, holy, holy is the
Lord of hosts." The whole earth is full of His glory. And the post of the door moved
at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with
smoke. And then said I, Woe is me, I am undone, because I am
a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips. For mine eyes have seen the King,
the Lord of hosts, in His holiness." The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence
before Him. Even the heavenly being cover
their faces in His holy presence. God is holy. In Him there is
no darkness. In Him there is no death. In
Him there is no evil. He is perfectly holy. He is holiness. And then he revealed himself
to Job. Turn to the book of Job, if you
will, chapter 38. He revealed himself to Job in
his creative power, in his creative wisdom. God is eternal, God is
holy, and God is the creator of all things. In Job chapter
38, beginning with verse 4, God speaking to Job, Where were you
when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if you have
understanding, who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou
knowest? Or who hath stretched the land
upon it? Whereupon are the foundations
thereof fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone thereof? When the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God shouted for joy, or who shut up the sea
with doors when it broke forth, as if it had issued out of the
womb? When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and a thick
darkness, a swaddling band for it, and break up for it my decreed
places, and set bars and doors. And I said, Here thereto shalt
thou come, but no further, and here shalt thou proud ways bestay."
Look at verse 22. Still speaking to Job, he said,
Have you entered into the treasures of the snow? Have you seen the
treasures of the hail? which I have reserved against
the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? By
what way is the light parted which scattereth the east wind
upon the earth? Who hath divided a water course
for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of
thunder, to cause it to rain on the earth where no man is,
on the wilderness where there is no man? To satisfy the desolate
and waste ground, to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring
forth, hath the reign of Father Who hath begotten the drops of
dew? Look at verse 33. Knowest thou
the ordinances of heaven? Canst thou set the dominion thereof
in the earth? Canst thou lift up thy voice
to the clouds, that abundance of water may cover thee? Canst
thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here
we are? Who hath put wisdom in the inward
parts? or who hath given understanding
to the heart? Who can number the clouds in
wisdom, or who can stay the bottles of heaven, when the dust groweth
into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together? Wilt thou
hunt the prey for the lion, or fill the appetite of the young
lions, when they couch in their dens, and await in the covert
to lie in wait? Who provideth for the raven his
food, when his young ones cry unto God, they wonder for lack
of meat. God revealed himself to Job in
his creative power. And then turn to Jeremiah chapter
18. He revealed himself to Jeremiah in his sovereignty. And Jeremiah
chapter 18, beginning with verse 1. The word which came to Jeremiah
from the Lord saying, rise and go down to the potter's house,
and there I'll cause thee to hear my words.' Then I went down
to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hands
of the potter, so he made it again another vessel, as seemed
good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came
to me, saying, O house of Israel, Cannot I do with you as this
potter, saith the Lord? Behold, as the clay is in the
potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. The throne is the Lord's. Our place is to obey. It is His
to govern, it is ours to serve. It is His to do His will, and
ours to make that will our constant delight, be still and know that
I'm gone." And then in Ezekiel 16, you'll turn to the book of
Ezekiel, chapter 16, he revealed himself to Ezekiel as being a
God of love. To Moses, eternal. To Isaiah, holy. To Job, mighty
creator. To Jeremiah, the absolute sovereign,
and to Ezekiel as the God of love. He talked about this infant
that had been born and cast out into the field. It was not washed
in water, nor salted, nor swaddled, and none I pitied thee to do
any of these things to thee. In verse 8, But when I passed
by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, the time was the time
of love. And I spread my skirt over thee,
and covered thy nakedness. Yea, I swear unto thee, and entered
into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becameest
mine." And then to Solomon he revealed himself as the righteous
judge. God in his eternality, God in
his holiness, God in his creative wisdom, God in his sovereignty,
God in his mercy. And here in the book of Proverbs,
he reveals himself to Solomon as the righteous judge. He says
in verse 24, Proverbs 1, because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded. You have
said it not all my counsel and would none of my reproof. I also
will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh, when
your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as
a whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then
shall they call upon me, but I will not answer. They shall
seek me early, and they shall not find me." The first thing
God taught Nebuchadnezzar was his greatness, his sovereignty. his power. The Lord ruleth in
the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of this earth,
and giveth it to whomsoever he will." Who is the Lord? The second
lesson that he taught Nebuchadnezzar, if you'll turn back to Daniel
4, the second lesson he taught Nebuchadnezzar
was this. This may be just a little offensive,
but nevertheless it's true. He taught Nebuchadnezzar the
nothingness of man. These are two things that I need
to learn. These are two things that all
of you need to learn. These are two things that need
to be preached to this world. And these are the two things
I regret to say that are not being preached to this world.
Now you watch this carefully, I'm going to use Bible language.
The first thing God taught Nebuchadnezzar was his greatness. His greatness. And then in verse 35, and all
the inhabitants of the earth, all, watch the words carefully,
and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. Nothing. Now brethren, these
words are confirmed. You say Nebuchadnezzar was not
a prophet. That's true. But these words
are confirmed by Isaiah. You turn to Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah the 40th chapter. He says,
all the inhabitants of the earth, all the inhabitants of the earth,
all the sons of Adam are reputed as nothing, nothing. Now look at Isaiah 40. And these
are verses we need to commit to our memory. We need to learn
them by heart. He says in Isaiah 40, 15, Behold
the nations, the nations are as a drop of a bucket. Do you
know what that is? This is the unnoticed drop of
water that remains in a bucket after it's been poured out. It's
unworthy of notice. You take a bucket of water out
to water the cattle, or to water the sheep, or to water some other
animal, and you pour that water into a trough, and there's a
drop of water left in the bucket, you don't pay any attention to
it, you take the bucket on back to the barn. That drop of water's
nothing. Or you go out to the well, and
you drop the bucket down into the well, and let the rope fall,
and then you draw it up, and you take that bucket of water
and pour it into the pitcher, all of it, set it down, there's
a drop left in the bucket. But you don't pay attention to
it. Or if while you're drawing the water up from the well, there's
a drop of water falls off the bucket. off the bottom. You don't
pay any attention to that. It's the drip that falls from
the bucket that's drawn from the well, it's not worthy of
notice. And that's what he says here
in Isaiah chapter 40 verse 15, the nations are as a drop of
a bucket. Or, the nations, look at verse
15 Isaiah 40 again, are counted as the small dust of the balance. You know what all the nations
of this earth amount to in the eyes of God Almighty? Well, you
know there are scales which weigh things. They put over here on
this side of the scale, weights. And over here on this side, these
are balances, balanced scales. They put on this side some weights,
and on this side they put that which is to be weighed. Well,
during the day, dust will blow around in the store or wherever
you're weighing something, and the dust will settle on the scale. But you don't come up to the
scale before you weigh something and dust them off, because the
dust on the balance, the dust on the scale, will not affect
the outcome at all. The dust upon the scale is not
sufficient to affect the weight in any way. So it goes unnoticed. You want to know what I am, what
all of us are together? what all of this USA is put together,
what all of this world and all of the nations of this world
are in the sight of God, they're reputed. All the nations are
reputed as a drop of a bucket, as the dust on the scales, scarcely
worth noticing. Now, let's read on a little further.
In verse 17, not some of them, the poor and the rich, the greatest
power and the second greatest power, the king, the learned, the ignorant,
the wise, the foolish, all nations of all times, your Alexanders
and Napoleons and Caesars along with your Nebuchadnezzars, all
nations, verse 17, before him are as nothing and they're counted to him, watch
it now, less than nothing. God taught Nebuchadnezzar his
greatness. The Lord God ruleth, he hath
dominion over all generations and ruleth over the armies of
heaven and the inhabitants of this earth, and he considereth
the inhabitants of this earth as nothing. These words are confirmed by
our Lord. You say, Nebuchadnezzar was not a prophet. Isaiah was.
Isaiah spoke for God. Nebuchadnezzar spoke for himself.
These are the things he learned. These are the things he found
out. But Isaiah spoke for God. When Isaiah said, The nations
are as a drop of a bucket, the small dust to the balance, and
in God's sight less than nothing. All nations. Our Lord confirmed
these words. Turn to John 3. Verse 27, listen
to the Master. And Jesus answered and said,
A man can receive nothing, nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Pilate said, I have the power
to crucify you and let you go. You could have no power at all
except it were given you from above. Turn to John 15, listen
to the Master here. In John 15, the word's nothing. That's what the word is. The
word in reference to us is nothing. The word in reference to our
accomplishments is nothing. The word in reference to our
goodness is nothing. John 15, look at it, verse 5. Nothing. Nothing. These words are confirmed by
Paul. Turn, if you will, to 1 Timothy
chapter 6. Nothing. The nations of the earth are
reputed as nothing, less than nothing. 1 Timothy 6 verse 7. Listen to Paul. For we, for we
brought nothing. into this world, and it is certain
we can carry nothing out. We don't amount to much, do we?
When we came on the scene into this world, we brought nothing.
And when we go out, all that will remain of you and me among
the sons of men is a hole in the ground, and it won't take
God's earth and God's worms long to even settle that issue. The
few bones and dust that shall remain will soon be nothing. Nothing. You and I are nothing. Galatians
chapter 6, let's look at this. Paul is speaking again in the
6th chapter of Galatians, verse 3. For if a man think himself
to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. And these words not only are
true of us physically, but they're true of us spiritually. We were nothing in God's election.
He said, you didn't choose me, I chose you. I was nothing. He said, the children being not
yet born, neither having done any good or evil, neither having
contributed to the good or the evil of this world, but that
the purpose of God might be fulfilled, it was said, the elder shall
serve the younger. Paul said, God separated me from
my mother's womb. God said to Jeremiah, before
I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee. Before you came out of
the womb, I set you apart. We were nothing. We contributed
nothing to our election. We contributed nothing to our
redemption. Jesus paid it all. All the debt
I owed, sin left a crimson stain, but he washed it white as snow.
We contributed nothing to the price of redemption. Christ said,
I have trodden the winepress alone. And of all the sons of
men, there were none with me. I walked it all by myself. He
came into this world in human flesh alone. He faced the holy
law of God and obeyed it alone. He went to the Garden of Gethsemane,
and there He interceded to the Heavenly Father alone. He went
to Pilate's hall and the soldiers' hall alone. He walked up Calvary's
mountain alone. He took the nails in his hand
and in his feet alone. He suffered there between heaven
and earth those six hours being mocked and persecuted and spent
upon alone. And finally even the heavenly
Father left him and he was truly as never man has ever been, alone. What do we have to do with it?
Nothing. Totally passive. Nothing. We were nothing in our regeneration. Turn to John Warren. But I came
to Christ, preacher. But I repented, preacher. But
I believed on Christ, preacher. Did you now? Did you now? It says here, here's what Scripture
says about that. John 1 verse 12, as many as received
him, there I am, I received him, and that you did. To them gave
he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name. That's what I did, I believed.
Wait a minute, there's a colon after that, not
a period, not the end of a sentence, is it? Which were born, not of
blood, Not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man. Oh, my soul. God's going to take
away all our glory, isn't it, so he can have it all. But of
God. It's not of him that willeth,
it's not of him that runneth, it is of God that showeth mercy. I'm nothing. He says the nations of this earth,
all nations, are nothing. Yea, less than nothing. They're
like a silly unnoticed drop in a bucket. They're like the dust
that's blown by the summer breeze across the scale. They don't
affect the outcome at all. You're not going to affect the
outcome of God's purpose at all. You're not going to affect the
outcome of God's plans at all in any way. And in God's eternal election,
in God's eternal covenant, I am nothing. I contributed nothing. In God's redemptive plan, in
God's execution of redemption, I contributed nothing. In my
regeneration, he found me, he sought me, he called me. Faith is the gift of God. Scripture says, For by grace
are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is
the gift of God. Scripture says, The goodness
of God led you to repentance. Thy people shall be willing,
whosoever will. Let him take the water of life,
but God made you willing in the day of his power. And I'll tell
you this, that robe of holiness which you wear is not yours,
nor was it woven by your works or by your merit or by your efforts. It's his righteousness, his righteousness. And when you get to heaven, you're
going to confess that you're nothing. Turn, if you will, to
Revelation chapter 1. In Revelation chapter 1, it says
here in verse 5, and from Jesus Christ, who is the fateful witness
and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings
of the earth, unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins
in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God
and his Father, to him be the glory and dominion forever and
ever. I'll be a king, but he made me
a king. I'll be a priest, but he made
me a priest. My sins are washed away, but
he washed them. My sins are forgiven, but he
forgave them. I'm nothing. I turn back to Daniel
chapter 4 again. I said there are four things
God taught Nebuchadnezzar. He taught him, first of all,
the greatness of God. He taught him, secondly, the
nothingness of man. The nothingness of man. He said those that walk in pride,
he's able to abase. I want God to teach me that now,
not at the judgment. I want God to teach me that here
upon this earth, not in hell. I want God to teach me his power
and his might and his glory and his greatness while I can still
praise him, don't you? I don't want to cry for the rocks
and mountains to fall on me and hide me from the face of him
that sitteth on the throne. That's a little late to recognize
his greatness and his sovereignty in my nothingness. But those
are the two clues, God's greatness and my nothingness. Now here's
the third thing he taught him in Daniel 4, verse 35. Look at this. All the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
earth. God taught Nebuchadnezzar that his will is going to be
done. His will is going to be done.
His will is unchangeable. He doeth according to his will. Turn to Paul's writings in Ephesians
chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. Here are
three times that he talks about his will. Now, we're taught to
pray, Thy will be done. Christ even, Christ Jesus himself
said, Not my will, but Thy will be done. And here in Ephesians
chapter 1, beginning with verse 5, having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will." Now look, if you will, at verse
9, "...having made known unto us the mystery of his will."
according to his good pleasure. Now look if you will at verse
11, "...in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all
things after the counsel of his own will." Now I know that we ought to have
something to say about man's will. I know man's not a robot,
I know he's not a dead log, I know he's got a will. Christ talked
about his will. He said, you will not come to
me that you might have life. But I'm telling you, we need
to say something from the pulpit about God's will. God's will. These apostles, these men of
old, these servants of God, these messengers of the gospel, they
talked about God's will. and my will is to be in subjection
to his will." Look at Acts 4, the Apostle Peter in the very
earliest days of gospel preaching after Christ had risen, talking
about the crucifixion of the Lord. He says in verse 27 of
Acts 4, listen to him, For of a truth against thy holy
child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate,
with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel thy will determine
before to be done." And then David in Psalm 135, I want you
to look at this one, Psalm 135 verse 5. David writes in Psalm 135, verse
5, and he says, I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord
is above all gods, and whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he
in heaven and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places, whatever
he pleased. That's what God taught Nebuchadnezzar.
He taught him his greatness. He taught him man's nothingness.
And he taught him that his will, God's will, shall be done. That his will is unchangeable. That he doeth according to his
will, not only among the armies of heaven, and that's not too
difficult for us to imagine, but also among the inhabitants
of this earth. Even the wrath of man, praise
the Lord. David said, Our God hath done
whatsoever he pleased. I took this word and ran it in
a concordance one day. It pleased the Lord. It pleased
the Lord. And I found, just jot these down,
we don't have time for you to look them up, but in 1 Samuel
12, 22, the scripture says it pleased God to make you his people. It pleased God to make you his
people. It pleased God to have a people
like Christ. Not to leave the whole earth
in wickedness and evil and rebellion and unbelief, but to have a people.
It pleased God to make you his people. And then in Colossians
119, the scripture says, it pleased God that in Christ all fullness
should dwell. He made Christ your representative.
He made Christ your substitute. He made Christ your Redeemer.
He made Christ your Savior. He invested in Christ all of
the holiness, righteousness, redemption, sanctification, and
wisdom, and made it yours in Christ. And then Isaiah 53.10
says, It pleased the Lord to bruise him. He sent him to the
cross to bear our shame and our guilt and our sins in his body.
He sent him to the cross to be our atonement, our sacrifice,
our sin offering. It pleased God to do that. And
then Galatians 1.15, Paul said, It pleased God to reveal his
Son to me, a persecutor, injurious, a blasphemer. I obtained mercy. It pleased God to reveal Christ
to me. And then he said in 1 Corinthians
1.21, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save all who
will believe. It pleased God. Nebuchadnezzar,
our God is great. Nebuchadnezzar, man is nothing. Nebuchadnezzar, God's will is
going to be done. And then the fourth thing that
he taught this heathen king was that his will is irresistible. Look at the last line in verse
35. It says, None can stay his hand, nobody. Somebody said, I believe it was
John Gill, I read this past week. It says when a little boy reaches
out to get something that he's not supposed to have, His mother
smacks his hand and stays his hand. But Scripture says here
none can stay God's hand. What God reaches out to attain,
he attains. What God reaches out to bless,
he blesses. What God reaches out to call,
he calls. And what God reaches out in judgment
to condemn, he condemns. None can stay his hand. And I'll tell you something else,
listen, and none can question his right to do with his own
what he will. None can say unto him, What are
you doing? He's too wise to make a mistake
and too good to do wrong. Now, you can talk, if you will,
about a God, and in my notes I wrote that with a small g.
You can talk, if you will, of a God whose purposes can be defeated,
whose will can be frustrated, whose work can be for naught,
but you're not talking about J-E-H-O-V-H Jehovah. Who can stay his hand? You question, if you will, your
little G.O.D. But the redeemed have learned
to say with Eli, It is the Lord, let him do what he will. The
redeemed have learned to say with Job, Though he slay me,
yet will I trust him. The redeemed have learned to
say with Peter, I have toiled all night and caught nothing,
nevertheless at your word I let down the nest. We can call Nebuchadnezzar a
heathen king if we want to, but I'll tell you this, he learned
what I want to learn, and he learned what I would that every
member of the congregation to which I preach and other places
too might learn. God is God. Man is nothing. Almighty God's will shall be
done, and we can rest in it and trust in it. and walk in it,
and none can spay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? Our Father, for thy word we give
thee thanks. For the revelations of thy Holy
Spirit we give thee thanks. For revelation of thyself we
realize that we haven't even begun to understand the greatness
of God. We can't comprehend in these
small minds of ours limited understanding, finite wisdom, very much about
the holiness and sovereignty and greatness of our God, that
Thou hast brought us to believe it, accept it by faith, and to
know that Thou art God, and to have some awareness of Thy greatness
and a little bit of awe and fear and reverence in Thy presence.
And, O Lord, Thou hast taught us a little bit of our nothingness.
Teach us more. take the pride out of us and
the arrogance and the haughtiness justifying ourselves sitting
in judgment of Pharisees upon others, speaking of what we will
and what we won't do. When we are nothing, without
thee we can do nothing. We are nothing, we have nothing.
Even in this spiritual gift of eternal life, it's all been by
grace through Christ our Lord. He is everything, we are nothing.
In Him we have all things. But we've contributed nothing
to thy glory. We have been recipients of thy
grace and thy mercy. Teach us our nothingness, that
we might be humble, that we might be able to talk like the Apostle
Paul, who said, I'm the chief of sinners, less than the least
of all the saints, have need of all things. Reveal unto us
thy will. It's so difficult, our Father.
Thou knowest our frailty. whether or not we even desire
thy will. Let, O Lord, teach us thy will.
Bring us into submission to thy will. None can stay thy hand.
None can question thy judgment, thy wisdom. If it please thee
to destroy us, it's the Lord, let him do what he will. If it
please thee to break our help, to strip us, to bring us to naught,
to cause us to fail for thy greater glory, let us be willing to accept
thy will. If it please thee to put us in
the dust and raise up somebody else, that Christ might have
all the glory, let us bow to thy will. We lose our health,
we lose our homes and lose our families. Though he slay me,
yet will I trust him. Our Father teach us that by experience
and in reality, not in theology. Be our teacher and let us be
willing pupils.

Four Things God Taught Nebuchadnezzar

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

Four Things God Taught Nebuchadnezzar

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

More from Henry Mahan

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by Henry Mahan

Books by Henry Mahan

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book