The Nebuchadnezzar Syndrome

11/8/26

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Sermon Transcript

Good morning. Please open your Bibles to the book of Daniel. The book of Daniel.

He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts He has brought down the mighty from their thrones

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. That’s what the Bible tells us about the proud in Luke chapter 1 and in Proverbs 16. But the Bible doesn’t just tell us that. The Bible also shows us that. And in fact, the Bible over and over again gives us examples of people who learned those lessons the hard way. What is the best example, though, in the Bible of someone who learned that pride goeth before a fall? We might look at Haman in the book of Esther.

He certainly rose very high and he certainly fell very far, at least as far as that rope would let him fall. We could look at Herod Agrippa in Acts chapter 12. Again, rose very high, but died being eaten by worms. Those are great examples, but we didn’t turn to Acts and we didn’t turn to Esther. We turned to Daniel. And so it may not come as a surprise to you that I think the best example is found in the book of Daniel, and it’s King Nebuchadnezzar. King Nebuchadnezzar Very few rose as high as he did, very few fell as far as he did, very few fell as quickly as he did.

Well, who was King Nebuchadnezzar? Well, Daniel 2, verse 37 calls him the king of kings. And he did conquer many nations, commanded armies. built a mighty empire, built a magnificent city he had power of life and death over each of his subjects. And in the sixth century BC that king of kings destroyed the city of Jerusalem, burned Solomon’s temple to the ground, and carried God’s people off into seventy years of Babylonian captivity. King Nebuchadnezzar was certainly powerful, but was he more powerful than God?

Well, he thought so. Nebuchadnezzar thought so. But God taught him otherwise, and God taught him otherwise with three lessons That we find in three chapters: Daniel 2, Daniel 3, and Daniel 4. And at the end of those three lessons, Nebuchadnezzar had learned something about himself, and he had learned something about God. You know, Nebuchadnezzar had what we might call today a God complex. But you know, I think we should call it a Nebuchadnezzar syndrome.

And what are the symptoms of that complex or the symptoms of that syndrome? Well, Nebuchadnezzar thought he had more knowledge than he did. He thought he had more power than he did. He thought he had more control than he did. But in each case, God taught him otherwise. And while Nebuchadnezzar may be the best example of that syndrome, he is far from the only example of that syndrome. We can also see it in the headlines And if we’re honest with ourselves, we might even say that we can sometimes see it in the mirror.

Let’s look at what God taught Nebuchadnezzar, and then let’s look at what God is teaching us. The first lesson that God taught King Nebuchadnezzar was that there were limits to what he could know. And we find that first lesson in Daniel chapter 2. Well, what happened in Daniel chapter 2? Well, Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream. about a giant statue that was destroyed by a stone cut without human hands.

And the king demanded that his wise men tell him both the content of the dream and the meaning of the dream. And he said he would kill them all if they could not do that. But God revealed the content and the meaning of the dream to Daniel, who then told the king. Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom would be followed by three more earthly kingdoms , but then an eternal kingdom would come and destroy them all.

That was the meaning of the dream. Well, what did God teach Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 2? Well, God taught Nebuchadnezzar something about human knowledge. Nebuchadnezzar thought that he and his wise men of Babylon had knowledge without limit. But he learned otherwise. Neither he nor his wise man knew everything. God revealed something that only the king could have known, and that was the content of that dream.

And then God revealed something that no one on earth knew, and that was the meaning of that dream. God told Nebuchadnezzar something that he could never have known otherwise. That knowledge could only have come from God. And in fact, the king’s own wise men admitted that. Look at verse 11 of Daniel 2. This thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods whose dwelling is not with flesh. Those wise men were at least wise enough to know that no one could do what the king commanded. And what they told the king was the truth.

There are limits to human knowledge. But there was one person in the king’s court who was able to answer the king’s questions, and that person was Daniel. But how did Daniel know the answers to those questions? Well, let’s listen as he explains. Look at verse 27. Daniel answered the king and said, No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king The mystery that the king has asked. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries and has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.

But there is a God in heaven How many of our problems would be solved if we just used that phrase more often Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was about the future, and God revealed the future to him. But God did much more than just reveal the future to King Nebuchadnezzar. God made it clear who was directing that future.

And it was not Nebuchadnezzar. That dream was not about what Nebuchadnezzar would do in the future. That dream was about what God Almighty would do and what he did. And the first thing this great king learned about the future was that neither he nor his kingdom would last forever. He would be replaced by another earthly ruler. His kingdom would be replaced by another earthly kingdom. And eventually, all those earthly kingdoms would be swept away and destroyed by the eternal kingdom of God. Stone made without hands.

Nebuchadnezzar thought he was building something permanent, but he learned that he was not. And Nebuchadnezzar learned something else. Yes, God’s plan did involve a great king of kings, but Nebuchadnezzar was not it. He was not that mighty king. That eternal kingdom was not Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, and that mighty king was not Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar had seen God as kind of being a part of his own plan, but he was taught by God that no, Nebuchadnezzar, you are a part of God’s plan. In fact, we see that in the opening verses of the book of Daniel. Remember we talked about how Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and Judea?

Look at what verse 2 of Daniel 1 says. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand. The Lord gave. The Lord gave. God gave Judah to Nebuchadnezzar. Well, why did he do that? Jeremiah tells us.

God gave Judah to Nebuchadnezzar because God’s people needed a lesson about the evils of idolatry. And they learned that lesson in 70 years of Babylonian captivity. You know, Nebuchadnezzar thought he was building a great kingdom for himself. He was not. He was building a school for the Jews. And when class was dismissed, so was Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. The first lesson that God taught King Nebuchadnezzar was that there were limits to what he could know. The second lesson that God taught King Nebuchadnezzar was that there were limits to what he could do.

And we see that lesson in Daniel 3. Well, what happened in Daniel 3? Nebuchadnezzar sets up a great golden image and commands everyone to bow down to it and worship it, or be thrown into a fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, they refuse to bow down and they are thrown into that fiery furnace, but God delivers them. Now let me ask a question here. Whose image did Nebuchadnezzar build?

We’re told it’s a great golden image. Whose image was it? The Bible doesn’t tell us directly, but maybe the Bible tells us indirectly. Remember what we just saw in the previous chapter with the dream that he had? What was it that Daniel said to him in verse thirty eight? You are the head of gold, he said to King Nebuchadnezzar.

You are the head of gold. You know, I guess we all have our favorite verses of the Bible. I think that was his.

That’s what he heard in Daniel chapter 2. And then what do we find him doing in the very next chapter? Look at verse 1. He makes an image of gold. You know, maybe Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t content with just being the head of gold. Maybe he wanted to be the whole statue of gold I kind of think that’s what he did in the very next chapter. And if that’s what he did, I think what he’s saying to God is, you know, your statue showed me as just a head of gold, and you said there would be other kings after me. But that’s not what my statue says, because in my statue I’m the whole statue of gold, and no one’s coming after me But God taught him otherwise.

What did God teach Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 3? God taught Nebuchadnezzar something about human power. Nebuchadnezzar thought he possessed power without limit, but he learned otherwise. He could not do everything. And in fact, as powerful as he was, there were some simple things he could not do. I mean, after all, what could be more simple than tossing someone into a fiery furnace and killing them? I mean, what could possibly go wrong with that plan?

How could it ever be prevented? That was certainly how Nebuchadnezzar saw the situation. Look at verse 15 of chapter 3. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into the burning fiery furnace. And who is the God who will deliver you out of my hands? the king asks. Yeah, who indeed?

The king no doubt viewed that question as just rhetorical, but God answered it immediately. Nebuchadnezzar had almost unlimited power on earth. And these three young men standing in front of him had almost no earthly power. But let me ask you, who had the real power here? Nebuchadnezzar learned the answer to his question. Listen as his three condemned prisoners tell the king about the power of faith. Look at verse 16 of Daniel chapter 3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O King. But if not Be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.

There are few verses in the Bible that tell us more about the power of faith than do those verses right there. And perhaps the first thing to notice about what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said here is that while they knew God could deliver them from being thrown into that fiery furnace, they did not know whether God would deliver them from that. But either way, they said we will remain faithful to God. Faith does not require us to know all about everything that God does.

Instead, faith requires us to trust in God no matter what He does, regardless of what He does. Faith does not always keep us out of that furnace. Faith does not always deliver us from those flames. In the great roll call of faith in Hebrews chapter 11, we find both. Those who escaped the sword, verse 34, and those who were killed by the sword, verse 37. But whether we suffer or whether we are spared from suffering, faith is the victory. Faith is the victory. The trust in God that we see in Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego is the direct opposite of the pride that we see in Nebuchadnezzar.

Nebuchadnezzar asked, Who is this God who will deliver you out of my hands? God answered the king’s question by delivering them out of his hands. And what a deliverance it was. They were not burned. Their hair was not singed. Their clothes were not damaged. They didn’t even smell like smoke. And yes, Nebuchadnezzar heated that thing seven times hotter than usual. God was not impressed.

Who is this God who will deliver you out of my hands? The king ended up answering his own question. Look at verse 29. There is no other God who is able to rescue in this way. So far God has taught Nebuchadnezzar about things he cannot know. He’s taught Nebuchadnezzar about things he cannot do.

The third lesson is In Daniel 4, and God teaches Nebuchadnezzar there are things he cannot control.

What happened in Daniel 4? Again, we see a dream. Nebuchadnezzar has a dream about a giant tree. It’s cut down to a stump. Daniel tells him that dream is a warning, that unless he repents he will be humbled. Twelve months later we find Nebuchadnezzar boasting over the great Babylon that he had built, what he had done.

And Nebuchadnezzar was driven from men to live like a beast in the field until he acknowledged that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men. And later his reason and his kingdom are restored to him, and he praises the king of heaven. What did God teach Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter four? God taught Nebuchadnezzar something about control and who was in control.

Nebuchadnezzar thought he possessed control without limit, but he learned otherwise. He could not command and control everything. Yes, he had great earthly power. But there were Things about himself, there were things about others, there were things about his kingdom over which he had absolutely no control. None. And as with the second lesson, this third lesson also starts with a question from King Nebuchadnezzar. Look at verse 30 of chapter 4. Is not this great Babylon, which I have built with my mighty power, as a royal residence for the glory of my majesty?

And again, as with the previous one, he doesn’t have to wait very long for an answer. Look at verse thirty-one. While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken. The kingdom has departed from you. You shall be driven from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox. Seven periods of time shall pass over you until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever he will.

As someone else once said, that king went from bragging to munching. He went from the palace to the pasture. He learned the hard way, the truth of Daniel 4:26, that heaven rules. Nebuchadnezzar believed his future was secure. He thought he had everything under control. He had a plan for his life. He had a plan for his kingdom.

He had a plan for that great city that he built. Well, how did all his plans work out? Not very well. Eventually he died. Eventually his kingdom was destroyed by the Persians. Eventually the great city of Babylon was just a pile of rubble. But that wasn’t Nebuchadnezzar’s plan, was it? He thought his kingdom would last forever.

He thought his name would be honored forever.

You know, this may come as a shock. But there have been rulers in history who like to write their name on everything. Nebuchadnezzar wanted to make sure that no one ever forgot who built Babylon. So you know what he did? He had his name written on every single brick. And you know what? We can still see some of them. If you go to the British Museum, you can see some of those bricks with Nebuchadnezzar’s name on it. But there’s one that kind of teaches a lesson, because right over Nebuchadnezzar’s name on that brick is the clear imprint of a dog’s foot.

God taught Nebuchadnezzar three lessons in three chapters. There were things he could not know. There were things he could not do. There were things he could not control. Yeah, but why didn’t the king already know that? Why did the king need those lessons? What was Nebuchadnezzar’s problem? His problem was that he wanted to be in the place of God. That was his problem.

Yes, Nebuchadnezzar was the most powerful king on earth, but you know what? He wanted a promotion. He wanted to be God. He acted as if he possessed God’s knowledge. He acted as if he possessed God’s power. He acted as if he occupied God’s throne. But God taught him otherwise. And yes, Nebuchadnezzar learned something about himself, but Nebuchadnezzar also learned something about God. Nebuchadnezzar learned God had every single thing that Nebuchadnezzar lacked.

God had the knowledge, God had the power, God had the control. That was a lesson that Nebuchadnezzar needed to learn.

Is that a lesson we need to learn? Do we ever put ourselves in the place of God? You know, maybe our first reaction on hearing that question is, Well, no, of course not. I would never do such a thing. I would never have that problem. But could it be that the problem we think we would never have is in fact the worst problem that we do have?

Do we ever act as if we can know everything? That we can do everything? That we can control everything? Do we ever act as if we know better than God about what’s right and what’s wrong? Do we ever act as if we know better than God about what’s best for us? Do we ever trust in our own power? Do we ever trust in our own wisdom over the power and the wisdom of God? Do we ever act as if we’re in charge of our fate, that we control our future?

Do we ever see God as just playing some role in our own plans?

That’s how Nebuchadnezzar lived.

Is that ever how we live? I ask again, do we ever put ourselves in the place of God? You know, we’re surrounded by a world that celebrates human pride. They have a whole month devoted to it. But the Bible teaches us that pride is a terrible sin. Why? Because it is human pride that causes us to put ourselves in the place of God. That was the first temptation in Genesis chapter 3, verse 5.

You shall be as God. Do we think Satan has given up on that strategy? We’ve looked at the problem. What’s the solution to the problem? Well, the solution today is the same solution that Nebuchadnezzar eventually found. We need to look up.

Look at verse thirty four of Daniel chapter four. At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven. And my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High. You know, prior to looking up, Nebuchadnezzar just spent all his time looking around. Look at what I’ve done. Look at my wisdom. Look at my kingdom. Look at my wonderful city. But finally, finally, he looked up.

And God is likewise calling us all to look up. Psalm 121. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.

We must lift up our eyes to God. We must seek help from God. That’s the cure for the Nebuchadnezzar syndrome. Nebuchadnezzar thought his name would last forever, but his name isn’t even found anywhere in the Bible after the book of Daniel. Quickly forgotten. But you know, I think Nebuchadnezzar is described elsewhere in the Bible. After the book of Daniel.

And I think we heard that description in our scripture reading this morning. Let’s listen to it again. James 4. Starting in verse 13, Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there, and trade and make profit. You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? You’re just a mist that appears for a little time and vanishes. Instead, you should say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.

As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Can’t we see the proud and boastful Nebuchadnezzar in those verses? He thought he had more knowledge than he did, but God says we don’t even know what tomorrow will bring. Nebuchadnezzar thought he had more power than he did, but God says if the Lord wills, we should say, we will do this or that. Nebuchadnezzar thought he had more control than he did. God says, we’re just a mist, and then we vanish.

Yeah , I think we can see Nebuchadnezzar in those verses from James chapter 4. Can we see anybody else?

Can we see ourselves in those verses? You know, the lesson in James 4 is God’s lesson for us. Yeah, God taught those same lessons to Nebuchadnezzar 2,600 years ago, but God is still teaching those same lessons to us today. But have we learned those lessons? Have we learned what Nebuchadnezzar eventually learned? We all have a choice to make. Jesus left us an example, but so did Nebuchadnezzar. He also left us an example. And many, many people today are following the example of Nebuchadnezzar.

What about us, whose example are we follow? We’ve seen what Nebuchadnezzar did. Let’s look at what Jesus did. Philippians 2, starting in verse 5. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. But emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has greatly, highly exalted him and bestowed on him a name that is above every name.

Nebuchadnezzar wanted to be God, but Jesus Thought he, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. Nebuchadnezzar was filled with pride, but Jesus emptied himself, taking the form of a servant. Being born in the likeness of man. Nebuchadnezzar exalted himself and was humbled by God. But Jesus humbled himself and was highly exalted by God. The world is telling us today to be like Nebuchadnezzar.

The world says we should look only at ourselves, what we have accomplished, what we desire, what makes us happy. But that is not the message of the Bible. God wants us to look not at what we’ve done, but at what He has done, to look up at what He has done, is doing for us. So what is your decision today? Will you follow Jesus or will you follow Nebuchadnezzar?

Will you look around or will you look up? Will you act as if you’re God, or will you obey the one true and living God? Will you follow your own plan, or will you follow God’s plan? And God’s plan is that you hear the gospel of Christ, that you believe the gospel of Christ, you believe in him and have faith in God. That you repent of your sins, that you confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that you be baptized for the remission of your sins, and that you be faithful unto death. That is God 's plan.

Will you obey it? If we can help in any way this morning, please come while we stand and while we sing.