Have you ever heard this phrase?               

The pride comes before the fall.                

It is a common phrase; said to advise that it’s often when someone becomes boastful and prideful, that they face misfortune or failure.                  

We use this phrase because throughout the years, we have seen proof that it’s true!                

It makes sense that when one’s focus shifts, from their goals, to their status, image or self-importance…       

That they fall off track.             

If you no longer focus on the purpose of what you’re doing and get caught up in what it does for your image or self esteem, naturally you will no longer head in a prosperous direction.                

For example….              

If you’re driving a car to a destination that you desire to get to, and you’re focused on that goal, you will go in that direction.                 

(See post where we go in depth about this subject)         

However, if you are driving towards that direction but instead of looking at the road ahead, you are looking at yourself in the visor mirror, naturally you will not drive towards the desired destination.             

Because your focus is not on the destination, you will drift into danger.                    

It’s the same thing with pride when it creeps into your life.                

Did you know that this phrase was taken from holy scripture?              

‭‭

Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭18‬ ‭NKJV.             ‬‬

“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.”                       

We see this happen to a lot of people in history, especially in the Bible.           

We will look at one particular instance in God’s word, where pride led to a great fall, and we will see exactly             

How God addresses pride.                         

Go to Daniel 4.                    

I gather from this chapter that Nebuchadnezzar is recalling a pivotal moment in his life.               

We know that Nebuchadnezzar was a proud man who wanted his reign to be signifiacant, forever.              

If we are being honest, his reign was incredible!              

His was one of the most significant and successful rules, that has ever been recorded.                  

Nebuchadnezzar was strong, brave, ruthless and intelligent.           

Babylon was a force to be reckoned with during the time of his reign.                 

His reputation was well deserved and he had legitimate reason, in the natural, to acknowledge his skill.                  

Forgetting that he is nothing but a vapor and that the LORD of all creation deserves the credit, for the favor that was shown to Nebuchadnezzar.                     

Nebuchadnezzar has faith in himself.          

He thinks that he is the one on the throne.                 

Truly, he believes that he is the ultimate authority.                 

He faced God previously with the dream, the statue and the three Hebrew boys in Daniel 2 and 3.                  

We know that God tried to humble him before, and Nebuchadnezzar’s pride fought back and he continued to boast in himself.                          

Now we see God use yet another dream to show Nebuchadnezzar the frailty of his kingdom.               

Nebuchadnezzar believes that he is mightier than all; so, God sends a disturbing dream to reveal that his might is a thread of dust in comparison to the God of Israel.                               

The essence of the dream was…         

Nebuchadnezzar, in the peak of his reign and in the depths of his pride, will fall.                

That fall would be tremendous.                 

Daniel was even troubled by Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, as he interpreted this revelation for the distressed king.                 

He urged Nebuchadnezzar to change his ways, before it was too late.                

“Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.””             

Daniel‬ ‭4‬:‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.                 

Daniel knew the might of his God and he also knew that God doesn’t speak empty words…                

He didn’t want Nebuchadnezzar to face a fall as dreadful as the dream displayed.                 

However, at the end of the day, it is not up to Daniel…                     

Let’s see Nebuchadnezzar’s response to this revelation.              

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Daniel‬ ‭4‬:‭29‬-‭30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.               

“At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?””                                    

A year has passed and Nebuchadnezzar has not changed at all.                        

He didn’t know when the dream would come to pass, so I’m sure that when no repercussions came the day after Daniel interpreted the dream, Nebuchadnezzar probably thought that he would not actually have to face what was prophesied.             

Still full of himself and overflowing with pride, Nebuchadnezzar encountered God.             

“While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!”            

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭4‬:‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.                             

In a moment, the king went from being on top of the world, to abruptly hitting rock bottom.            

The dream came to a reality!           

A king who was accustomed to spending his days in a palace, was now living in a field.            

He who ate his choice delicacies each and everyday, was now sharing a meal with the oxen.            

God turned Nebuchadnezzar’s riches to rags, right before his eyes.                       

Nevertheless, this didn’t have to be Nebuchadnezzar’s life forever!           

As we read in ‭‭Daniel‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬, this consequence would last until Nebuchadnezzar’s eyes were opened.             

“… until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.””               

Daniel‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.                             

Nebuchadnezzar was humbled until he acknowledged that God was the ultimate authority.                

He had to understand that he wasn’t the king of Babylon because of his own magnificence…            

He is king because God gave him that role.                 

“Behold, the Lord, The Lord of hosts, Will lop off the bough with terror; Those of high stature will be hewn down, And the haughty will be humbled.”                    

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭10‬:‭33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.        

       

This is something God did very often.                 

He did this NOT to be cruel.             

On the contrary!                     

God typically humbles His people to bring them back to Himself, when their own understanding led them astray.                

He took away everything that Nebuchadnezzar thought that he achieved on his own; everything that he though he had control over.                         

Believe it or not…             

God didn’t do this to punish Nebuchadnezzar.                  

No… Seriously!                

God didn’t disregard Nebuchadnezzar.                                            

God was actually putting a lot of effort towards Nebuchadnezzar.                    

He was not condemning Nebuchadnezzar,        

He was correcting him.                                

God opened Nebuchadnezzar’s eyes, in an area that he was blind and He was giving Nebuchadnezzar an opportunity to turn in the right direction.                       

If God hated Nebuchadnezzar and wanted to torture him for his false beliefs,              

God wouldn’t say this in Daniel‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬…                   

“… until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.””                     

God wouldn’t have given him a chance, if He wanted to discard him.                    

The LORD didn’t want to cast Nebuchadnezzar away for all the wrong he’s done…                     

He just wanted to guide him in a new direction.                

God’s correction   

was to get 

Nebuchadnezzar’s attention.                         

Why would God spend so much time and effort on a man that He was just going to cast away, anyways?                  

If God just wanted to torture Nebuchadnezzar, He wouldn’t have offered him an opportunity to turn it all around.                      

“He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray.”                   

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.                 

This suggests that God doesn’t want Nebuchadnezzar astray anymore!                     

Here is the verse that will seal this entire post…           

“For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.”                       

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.                        

The LORD is our Father.                      

Only a father dedicates time and energy into correcting his child.                    

Everyone gives punishments to those who have done something wrong to them, and they will not care if the person learns to be better…         

They just want the person to know that they were wrong.                         

Not a father.                  

A father is patient when facing the challenge of teaching and growing their child.                           

Our Father is the same!                             

He won’t waste effort, energy, time and commitment on anyone that He doesn’t love.                    

So, if God is correcting anyone…          

He loves that person!                  

God is obviously correcting and redirecting Nebuchadnezzar, in this moment.                    

That’s the reason why the pride comes before the fall,        

Because the Lord sees when His children foolishly start believing that they are the one in control of their lives; and the only way to remind them of their actual role in God’s family, is to show them that He is the only One in control.                               

God loves us too much to let us continue believing the lie that our life is our own and we can do whatever we want with it!                 

He won’t let us live that lie!                  

He did the same with Nebuchadnezzar.                  

In order for Nebuchadnezzar to rule as God purposed him to, His Father had to humble him and remind him that his throne was still under the authority of the LORD’s Throne.                   

“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”                           

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.                   

We see this scripture play out in the conclusion of this story.          

Go to ‭‭Daniel‬ ‭4‬:‭34‬-‭37‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.                     

“And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?” At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.”                    

 

Nebuchadnezzar was restored to his position, after his understanding returned to him!                        

After God pointed him in the right direction, he decided to continue in that way.                            

When he put God back on the throne and realized that God rules above him, no matter how elevated his position in life is….             

Only then did God send him back into his position as king of Babylon.                      

God restored what was seemingly lost, only when Nebuchadnezzar was ready for that responsibility again.                

This further shows that God is in control.                    

Not like a self-absorbed dictator…                 

Like a father leads his children to what’s best for them.             

God actually knows what’s best, because He is not just our Father… He is also our Creator and He crafted us by hand and created each of our purposes.                   

He leads us with love, as He did with Nebuchadnezzar.            

God gives us chances to turn to Him.                

He gives fresh mercy to us everyday.                   

Correction isn’t fun, especially when our pride has allowed us to focus on our pleasures and our goal for our own lives.                   

However, it is worth fighting through and seeing what God has on the other side!                 

“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”                      

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.