The Bible In Paintings: GOD HUMBLES THE PROUDEST KING

[Hebrews 11:6]

The Bible In Paintings 2
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR APPRECIATING AND APPLYING GOD'S MESSAGE

GOD HUMBLES
THE PROUD KING

D A N I E L
CHAPTER 4

King Nebuchadnezzar: It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, had a dream that made me afraid, that terrified me. Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. I said, “These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree. Its height was enormous; it was visible to the ends of the earth.

“I looked, and there before me was a holy one, coming down from heaven. He called in a loud voice:

‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.

‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.

‘The decision is so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.’

1
"Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: the Felled Tree"

2
Source

3
Source

4
"Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream"

5
TED LARSON
"Dream of the Great Tree"

6
"Nebuchadnezzar's Dream"

Then Daniel answered, “The tree you saw—you, O king, are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.

“This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you UNTIL YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE MOST HIGH IS SOVEREIGN OVER THE KINGDOMS OF MEN AND GIVES THEM TO ANYONE HE WISHES. The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.”

All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

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9
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Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. 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.

10
TED LARSON
"Nebuchadnezzar’s Exile"

11
Source

12
"The Wretched King Nebuchadnezzar"

13
Source

14
CHARLES HORNE
"The Madness of Nebuchadnezzar"

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Source

16
CARL SCHULER
"Nebuchadnezzar's Madness"

17
Source

18
Source

19
Source

20
Source

21
MARTIN JAMISON
"Nebuchadnezzar’s Madness"

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Source

23
J. CASANOVAS
"The Madness of Nebuchadnezzar"

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Source

25
Source

→ a n d... f i n a l l y ←

26
WILLIAM BLAKE
"Nebuchadnezzar"

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”

At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before.

NOW I, NEBUCHADNEZZAR, PRAISE AND EXALT AND GLORIFY THE KING OF HEAVEN, BECAUSE EVERYTHING HE DOES IS RIGHT AND ALL HIS WAYS ARE JUST. AND THOSE WHO WALK IN PRIDE HE IS ABLE TO HUMBLE.

New International Version ©1984, Abrdgd, EMPHASES Added
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[Hebrews 11:6]

R E S O U R C E S
Read DANIEL 4 in full
Hear MAX McLEAN reading it
Hear a DRAMATIZATION of it
Read J-F-B's COMMENTARY
BIBLE TIMELINE

Click for 176 prior episodes in THIS series:
The Bible In Paintings 2
Click for 434 links in the FIRST series:
The Bible In Paintings 1


HOW GOD PROMPTED
THIS BIBLE-ART SERIES

"The Bible comes alive so much more with all the
illustrations, paintings, sculptures and stained glass windows.
Through them the stories are crystallized in our minds."


”Reading the Bible, we meditate, we think deeply about faith and beliefs, we gain insights and, thanks to all these great artists, these paintings become visual teachings and a powerful companion to the Bible.”

CLICK HERE
FOR AN EXCELLENT
9-MINUTE OVERVIEW OF
DANIEL

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[Hebrews 11:6]

D A N I E L
Prelude - TRIBUTES TO DANIEL
DANIEL & NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM
INTO THE FIERY FURNACE
GOD HUMBLES THE PROUDEST KING
HANDWRITING ON THE WALL
IN THE LIONS' DEN--DANIEL WITH THE LIONS, 1
IN THE LIONS' DEN--DANIEL PRAYING, 2
IN THE LIONS' DEN--DANIEL WITH THE ANGEL, 3

[InkStone]

Happy Sunday Dan, and greetings to all!
Wonderful posting, and thank you Dan, for a crucial lesson on pride, to each of us.

[left that other site]

Good Morning, Dan. :-)

[Hebrews 11:6]

God can save anyone, Leon, even blockheads like me.

[Jim W N]

As far as I know, Daniel Chapter 4 is the only book in the Bible written by a Gentile and not a Jew.

Daniel is a fascinating book.

Nebuchadnezzar was apparently one of the most ruthless and violent kings ever who had such a temper that he would just kill people because he was so angry.

Yet here was a wicked king with whom God went through all the trouble to get him saved and let him write the only book in the Bible by a Gentile. Amazing.

Oh the great love and mercy of our God. His ways are past finding out.

Nebuchadnezzar repented. His son, Belshazzar wasn’t so fortunate.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Mary-Lou, a very blessed Lord’s Day to you.

[left that other site]

And Also to You.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Nebuchadnezzar repented. His son, Belshazzar wasn’t so fortunate.

As we shall see, vividly, tomorrow.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Many thanks.

[etabeta]

#5 by Ted Larson is wonderful. The colors, the canopy of the tree...

#14, a beautifully executed engraved illustration by Charles Horne, late 19th c.

[Hebrews 11:6]

All of Larson’s works uniquely seem to present a vividness of light which I find very appealing. Don’t know how he achieves it.

[telescope115]

A wonderful Sunday to you, Dan, and to all!
Thanks for posting this today, our leaders, and those in power all over the world should take heed to this lesson.

[etabeta]

Digital art?

[Hebrews 11:6]

Thanks, Pete. Leaders do need this message, but so do the rest of us, all of whom preside over their own domain.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Yes, but how does that work?

[fidelis]

Happy Sunday to all. Thanks as always for this post.

I wish I could find the quote but someone once said something to the effect that a man who does not pray to God everyday is no better than a beast. In Ecclesiastes 3:17-18 we find:

“God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.” I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”

[Hebrews 11:6]

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1Thessalonians 5:16-18

[Allegra]

As always, I am blessed by these posts and so enjoyed yesterday’s and todays.

May I please be added to your ping list?

[Hebrews 11:6]

Allegra, I am pleased to have added you as a Pingee!

You may expect an average of five posts weekly, for that is as quickly as I can turn these out.

You first ping, God willing, will occur on the morrow, when we will be inspecting some strange sort of wall graffiti.