SERMON: “Repentance Before the True King” (Dan. 4:28–37)
“Repentance Before the True
King”
(Dan. 4:28–37)
Series: “Daniel:
God’s Sovereign Plans” #11 Text: Daniel 4:28–37
By: Shaun
Marksbury Date: August 24, 2025
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: PM Service
I.
Introduction
When I was up to wrongdoing as child, I knew I was in trouble
when I heard those footsteps approach my door.
The fear we often have when we do wrong is often the coming punishment. Yet, sometimes, trouble and discipline
doesn’t come immediately, so we often think we’re going to be okay. We might even begin to think there’s nothing
wrong with what we’ve been doing.
Last time, we began considering this event which would have
occurred toward the end of Nebuchadnezzar’s life. The Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar another dream,
and it was troubling enough that the king sought an interpretation of it. Daniel came in with the worst news: it was a
pronouncement of judgment, but the king could possibly delay or even turn back
the judgment, if he only turns back from his wrongdoing.
Yet, the punishment didn’t come immediately. Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “Because the sentence
against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons
of men among them are given fully to do evil.”
One commentary notes concerning this,
God waited patiently in the days of
Noah and gave the inhabitants of the world 120 years to turn from their sins,
but they refused (1 Peter 3:20; Gen. 6:3).
He gave the city of Jerusalem almost forty years of grace after the
religious leaders crucified their Messiah, and then the Romans came and
destroyed the city and the temple. Just
think of how long-suffering He has been with this present evil world! (2 Peter
3:9).”[1]
We don’t read that the king changed course. But the Lord only gives a space for
repentance, and the day of judgment eventually comes.[2] These verses give us a glimpse into the resulting
humiliation of the king. However, they
also show how God can do in the heart of man; this chastening is so
transformational that a pagan ruler penned his testimony to God’s sovereignty over
all!
Again, God preserved this address to the nations so everyone
would likewise repent. We’ll note three aspects of Nebuchadnezzar’s
account of repentance and consider how they may apply to us. First, consider the need for repentance (vv.
27–32). Second, consider the path of
repentance (v. 33). Third, consider the
fruits of repentance (vv. 34–37). Let’s
consider the first of these.
II.
First, Consider the Need for Repentance (vv.
28–32)
All this happened
to Nebuchadnezzar the king. Twelve
months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not
Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might
of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’
While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven,
saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been
removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling
place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like
cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that
the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He
wishes.’
Nebuchadnezzar pride reaches its zenith in these
verses. Interestingly, as he recounts
this, he picks up with a shift in storytelling he began in v. 19. Rather than speaking in the first person, he
begins referring to himself in the third person. This may be to make Daniel and the God of
heaven more central in the narrative.
Or, it may signal that he sees this as part of a life no longer his
own.
Nebuchadnezzar clearly notes here that prophecies of the
Lord all came to pass. As Numbers 23:19
declares, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He
should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it
good?” There’s good news in that; when
He promises us salvation in Christ, it will come. Yet, there’s also bad news there; as
Zechariah 1:6 affirms, “But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded
My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers?” What the Lord says, both words of judgment as
well as peace, will eventually occur for all of us.
This verse also confirms something else. Daniel has a true relationship with the God of
heaven, the one “who reveals mysteries” (cf. Daniel 2:47). [3] Every detail unfolded as predicted, though Nebuchadnezzar
had forgotten the revelation and ignored Daniel’s exhortation to repent (v.
27).
So, v. 29 says, “Twelve months later he was walking on the
roof of the royal palace of Babylon.” This may seem like a long time, but this delay
reflects God’s patience; as 2 Peter 3:9 explains: “The Lord is not slow about
His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for
any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” So, this is a “grace period,”[4] one
that Nebuchadnezzar could have utilized to repent. God is long-suffering with sinners![5]
What does it mean that the king was walking on the roof,
though? It was common for homes, even
palaces, to have flat roofs. For
instance, even King David’s home had a flat roof he could walk upon and see
around him (2 Sam. 11:2). This king again
emphasizes that this was his royal palace, though, by again mentioning Babylon
for his readers.
There’s nothing wrong with such a stroll, nor with a survey
of the city of Babylon. It came with the
boast of the next verse: “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have
built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the honor of my
majesty?” We know that Babylon was “one
of the preeminent cities of history” and, during Nebuchadnezzar’s reign,
undoubtedly “the most magnificent (and probably the largest) city on earth;” in
fact, over two hundred years later, it was still so great that Alexander the
Great “planned to make the city the headquarters for his vast empire.”[6] Another commentary noted, “Historical sources
(e.g., Herodotus, Berosus, cuneiform inscriptions) and archaeological
excavations have substantiated Nebuchadnezzar’s claim concerning Babylon’s
grandeur and the king’s extensive building program. Ancient Greeks regarded Babylon’s famous
Hanging Gardens as one of the ‘seven wonders of the world,’ and bricks from
ancient Babylon are stamped with Nebuchadnezzar’s name.”[7] Perhaps that last point is reflective of
Nebuchadnezzars ongoing boastfulness.
Ancient Babylon was an
impressive feat of planning and engineering.
Yet, he became puffed up with his own achievements. He took a city that already existed and
improved upon it, claiming all the work as his own; Augustus Caesar will
boast similarly concerning Rome, saying “I
found it brick, but I left it marble” (Lateritiam inveni, marmoream reliqui).[8]
He failed to give any glory to God. He’s focused at this moment on his own glory,
his own majesty. It is common for fallen
man to strive to construct a house and a kingdom they feel suitable for
representing their own inflated sense of position. The king will soon see, though, that position
and authority are granted by the God Most High.
Many today, including pastors, could learn a lesson of humility and not
try to build such empires.
Well, Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t have to wait for his
lesson. He could have thought about what
he was saying. Yet, in v. 31, he isn’t
even finished boasting in himself when a voice from heaven interrupts him. This is probably “the watcher’s voice (see
vv. 13, 17, 23–24),”[9] declaring
sovereignty's removal from the king.
The one grace here is that this is only a temporary
withdrawal (vv. 26, 36). We could
contrast this to King Saul’s permanent loss (1 Sam. 13:14; 15:28–29).[10] Yet, it would come with humiliation.
In v. 32, we read about it.
It says, “And you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling
place will be with the animals of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle,
and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most
High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whom He wishes.” Echoing v. 25, Nebuchadnezzar faces exile
among beasts. Two kinds of diseases have been suggested
here. One is lycanthropy, where someone
has a break with reality and believes himself to be a wolf. Another disease is called boanthropy, where
someone believes he is an ox or cattle.
This seems similar to what Nebuchadnezzar had, allowed by God.
This is a
reminder of the grace of God for our ability to reason; He can grant it or take
it away.[11]
Again, we see the judgement is for “seven periods of time” or
seven years. It would take that long in
that condition before he would learn about God. God is the true King, the one who “sovereignly
creates kingdoms and distributes them to whom He wills.”[12] God chastens Nebuchadnezzar for his own good.
Like Nebuchadnezzar, we often ignore warnings until judgment
falls. God’s delay is His grace for our repentance.
Examine your heart for pride — does it
deny God’s providence? Repent before something
(maybe even a voice from heaven) declares it’s too late.
III.
Second, Consider the Path of Repentance (v. 33)
Immediately the
word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from
mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the
dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like
birds’ claws.
Again, we see that the Lord makes good on His promises. The text says there was immediate fulfillment,
meaning that Nebuchadnezzar didn’t have time to contemplate the words that even
as he went to bed. In fact, he would not
visit his home for the next seven years.
One can only imagine those tense first moments. If he was alone at the moment, some
attendants perhaps came to see the king on the roof and found him out of his
mind. Just as likely was the scenario
that the king was presently with some officials, boasting to them about his
accomplishments when this judgment fell.
Whatever the event, it was suddenly no safer to be with the king than it
would a wild ox. Perhaps some emergency
meeting convened — with the voice from heaven and the sudden change in the king’s
mind, the court turned to Daniel for answers.
He might have informed them that the Lord decreed this to continue for
seven years, that this was a temporary condition. He would have agreed that it would be best to
lead the king out of the palace into a secluded area, perhaps in a royal
forest, away from the prying eyes of the subjects of Babylon.[13] Perhaps even iron bars were erected for the
protection of the king, thus completing the prophecy.
Over time, unkempt hair begins to mat like feathers; nails likewise
curl and darken with filth. It would
have been difficult for the few trusted attendants to help maintain the king’s appearance,
and they dare not treat the king as a common animal. Since this was a temporary condition, they
would do what they could, but it would have been best to allow events to play
out under Daniel’s supervision and care.
Some wonder why there is no record of this happening. Of course, there’s one right here! Perhaps no other record exists because this
was near the end of his reign anyway. It
certainly wasn’t common for kings and royal families to publish embarrassing
details.[14] King Nebuchadnezzar may have thought this
record was enough, and there’s no real reason to doubt it.
It’s true that this path of repentance involved humiliation.
It too often requires a painful path. God may strip away pride through trials,
leading to humility. If you're in a
"wilderness," look to God — He uses such seasons to draw us back to
Him. And that leads us to the final
point:
IV.
Third, Consider the Fruits of Repentance (vv.
34–37)
But at the end of
that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason
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
endures from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does
according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth;
and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to
me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking
me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was
added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar,
praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His
ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.
Shifting back to first person, Nebuchadnezzar now testifies
to God's restoration. This section
drives the letter.[15] This is God’s sovereignty in judgment and in grace!
Verse 34 begins with the end of judgment and the beginning
of the period of grace. His raising of
his eyes to heaven signifies a small act of humility before the God of heaven (cf.
v. 26). This tells us that, even though
reason was gone, there was a part of him who knew what was happening but
refused to look up until now. This also
indicates that God somehow softened his hard heart and granted him the grace to
look upward for dependence.
It was at this point that reason returned to the king. Fearing and trusting in God is the true
source of wisdom and knowledge. There
are many otherwise reasonable men who seem to lose their ability to think
rationally as they grow in rebellion to God, even growing to live on the
streets and below their worth as people.
Yet, however far gone a person is, with a simple and humble realization
of one’s need for God, he can find his reason returning. There are some who think with such cogency
after God transforms their hearts.
And that’s what appears to have happened here. The first thing King Nebuchadnezzar did after
realizing the humiliation of the past seven years was not to curse God, but to bless
Him as the Most High! This must have had
renewed meaning for a humbled heart, and he praised God as superior to his pagan
gods who could die (cf. Psa. 102:24–27).
He praises God because His dominion is everlasting, unlike
his own kingdom or any in the domain of man.
God’s kingdom endures generations (cf. Psa. 145:13; Jer. 10:10). Scripture aims at God’s kingdom, as Michael
Vlach emphasizes.
In v. 35, we read that the inhabitants are “of no account” (cf.
Psa. 39:5; Isa. 40:15, 17). God rules
earth, not just heaven. From King
Nebuchadnezzar to all his subjects and beyond, God is sovereign over all the
inhabitants of earth. And neither prince
nor pauper can either impress or move the divine sovereign.
God acts “according to His will” (cf. Psa. 115:3). The Lord will wield His will; His will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven! No
one can fend off His hand or even question Him, a point Paul picks up later
(Rom. 9:20). We have no right to answer
back to the Creator — only the proud and boastful would ever dare to think they
could instruct God!
Verse 36 again notes that reason returned after
Nebuchadnezzar praised God. With that
came a restoration of his majesty and splendor.
He did not have to fight for it.
The passive tense here indicates that there was an outside hand involved
in restoring the kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar.
The Lord had protected it, just as He had promised.
The Lord had providentially worked through Nebuchadnezzar to
bring the right people into the right positions before the king’s madness,
including Daniel. Then, in
Nebuchadnezzar’s own exile, the Lord had providentially worked through them and
protected the throne from usurpers and attackers. Then, the Lord moved these counselors and
nobles to seek for their king once they heard his reason had returned. Considering the normal course of history,
this can only be explained by God.
In v. 37, we read Nebuchadnezzar’s final words in
Daniel He praises continually[16] the
“King of heaven,” one greater than himself.
He says that God’s works are true and ways are just. Here is the reason for his praise. God’s works don’t align with truth; they
define and demonstrate what truth is.
Truth doesn’t exist outside of God.
He also describes God as one who humbles the proud. This is exactly where Nebuchadnezzar
was. Yet, as v. 17 says, God grants
authority “on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men.” Nebuchadnezzar has been changed.
There have been some who wonder if Nebuchadnezzar has
changed. Yet, as we examine the
evidence, the fruit is there. He broke
with convention and confesses how God had humbled him. He gives all glory to God for the
ordeal. As one author notes, “One cannot
be dogmatic, but the language of the text suggests that Nebuchadnezzar did in
fact have a saving encounter with the true God.”[17] It seems he experienced regeneration, which
means we may well meet this king in heaven.
True repentance bears fruit because of the activity of God
in the heart. We will see praise,
humility, restoration. If you’ve
repented, exalt in the King of heaven. Let
His sovereignty humble your pride.
V.
Conclusion
It wasn’t long after this that Nebuchadnezzar ended his life
and reign. Tradition reports he foretold
Babylon's fall to Cyrus on his deathbed.[18] If such a blasphemer found mercy, we admire
free grace — he lost his wits temporarily to save his soul eternally.
One of the wonderful expressions of heaven is that God rules
it. Nebuchadnezzar may have crafted the
beauty of the famous hanging gardens, but heaven is paradise (Luke 23:43; 2
Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7). Thus, let us keep
that beauty in mind when we are tempted to walk in sin. God reigns and will rule directly
someday. Repent before the True King
today.
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Resolute, “Be” Commentary Series,
(Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2000), 54–55.
[2] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study Bible, (Bellingham, WA:
Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Da 4:28–33.
[3] Ibid., Da 4:28.
[4] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne
House, The
Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, (Nashville: T.
Nelson Publishers, 1997), Da 4:29.
[5] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and
Unabridged in One Volume, (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1439.
[6] Stephen R. Miller, Daniel, The New American Commentary,
(Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 18:140.
[7] Ted Cabal, Chad Owen Brand, E. Ray Clendenen, Paul
Copan, J. P. Moreland, and Doug Powell, The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight
Answers, Stronger Faith, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible
Publishers, 2007), 1277.
[8] Henry, 1439.
[9] Barry, et. al., Da 4:31.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Henry, 1439.
[12] Radmacher, et. al., Da 4:32.
[13] J. Dwight Pentecost, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures,
1985, 1, 1343.
[14] Miller, 18:142.
Also, “Critical scholars consider this section to be literary fiction
derived from the same source as the ‘Prayer of Nabonidus,’ an Aramaic fragment
discovered at Qumran near the Dead Sea in 1952 (known in scholarship as
4QPrNab). Though affinities exist
between chapter 4 and that document, they are far outweighed by the differences
(e.g., the name of the king, the nature of the illness, and the location). The Nabonidus story is doubtless a distorted
version or later application of the biblical narrative. Apocryphal imitations of canonical works were
common during the intertestamental period, and several others grew up around
the book of Daniel (e.g., Prayer of Azariah, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon). Although these works drew material from
biblical sources, they are clearly fictional.” (Cabal, et. al., 1277–1278.)
[15] Barry, et. al., Da 4:34–37.
[16] Pentecost, 1343.
[17] Miller, 18:144.
[18] Henry, 1440.