“But all these things did happen to King Nebuchadnezzar. Twelve months later he was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon. As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.” Daniel 4:28-30
The king’s story reopens one year later in the Babylonian palace. He was surveying his city—and what a city it was. He was walking on the roof of his royal palace, from this vantage point; he could see the entire city. Nebuchadnezzar is still letting his pride get in the way of giving it all to God. God had warned him what would happen if he did not turn to the true, living God. The Word of God is the warning to the human family today, it is disbelieved, ignored, openly ridiculed, just like the King. Don’t think that the judgment of God is delayed. The only delay in the judgment is the grace and mercy of God. Nebuchadnezzar had not yielded to God so God had no choice.
Nebuchadnezzar was his own man, captain of his own fate and therefore subservient to none. Don’t we think that at times? Before I became a Christian, I had a slogan that I used to say, “If it is to be it is up to me”. Now my slogan is “if it is to be it is up to God”. This is the only way to live. Now I am sold out to Jesus Christ. Note the personal pronouns in Nebuchadnezzar’s words. Every syllable drips with glory, pride, arrogance, and self-glorification. Nebuchadnezzar, was about to learn that “God resists the proud.”
No sooner were the words expressing his pride out of his mouth than he heard a voice from heaven pronouncing his judgment. His transition from sanity to insanity was immediate, and so was the dream’s fulfillment as he was driven from the palace to begin his period of trial. How quickly God can reduce a man at the pinnacle of his success.