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.’

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"Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: the Felled Tree"

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"Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream"

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TED LARSON
"Dream of the Great Tree"

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"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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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.

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TED LARSON
"Nebuchadnezzar’s Exile"

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"The Wretched King Nebuchadnezzar"

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CHARLES HORNE
"The Madness of Nebuchadnezzar"

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CARL SCHULER
"Nebuchadnezzar's Madness"

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MARTIN JAMISON
"Nebuchadnezzar’s Madness"

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J. CASANOVAS
"The Madness of Nebuchadnezzar"

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→ a n d... f i n a l l y ←

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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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[Allegra]

Thank you! I look forward to it.

[NorthMountain]

Pride ... one of the Seven Deadly Sins, and possibly the worst of the lot as it blinds us to the rest.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Pride...blinds us to the rest.

Well judged. It is noteworthy that it was Satan's pride that tripped him up.

My secular 10th grade history teacher taught us this acronym, PEWLAGS:

Pride

Envy

Wrath

Lust

Avarice

Gluttony

Sloth

[NorthMountain]

Nice mnemonic; haven’t seen that before.

Pride as the chief sin is not an original thought with me; not sure if I got it from CS Lewis, Thomas Aquinas, or someone else of that nature.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Nice mnemonic

It's worked fine for me since '64.

Pride as the chief sin is not an original thought with me

I've understood that as the overwhelming consensus--which becomes a logical fallacy if one relies on acclaim as the reason for belief. But I am suggesting that one would be hard-pressed to find an important thinker, like those you mention, who does not agree.

[etabeta]

I am not very familiar with digital art, Dan.

[Hebrews 11:6]

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: This is your assignment, Alba, should you choose to accept it....

[etabeta]

Ahah, sorry, Dan. I have enough to do, I don’t need another task....I will leave it to someone else more knowledgeable than me on the subject.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Thought so. Thanks anyway.

[Hebrews 11:6]

In prepping Zechariah, I just now added a couple more glowing Larsons. They almost seem backlit.

[etabeta]

Great! Looking forward to seeing them.

[SisterK]

lots of good ones
#10 my favorite today

[Hebrews 11:6]

Ted Larson has lots of paintings on prophecy, so you will be seeing quite a few of his in coming weeks.