28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”

31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: “It is decreed to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that the kingdom has departed from you. 32 You will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like an ox. And seven times will pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.”

33 At that moment the sentence against Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from mankind. He ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

God gave Nebuchadnezzar a year to repent of his arrogance, but he did not. Because he refused to humble himself; God humbled him. In the New Testament book of Acts we see God bringing worse judgement on another ruler, Herod. We read, ‘because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.’ (Acts 12:23) Paul in his first letter to Timothy urges us to pray for kings and all those in authority. One good thing we can pray for them is that they will acknowledge God as ruler over all and as the One who has given them authority. It’s also good to ask that they will use their authority for the good of those they govern, especially the needy and the vulnerable. It’s not for nothing that we call the Prime Minister the Prime Minister, meaning the First Servant. Not only is he or she the first servant of the monarch, but he or she is also called to be the first servant of the people.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.