while the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “o king nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you,” [daniel 4:31]
nebuchadnezzar (and I) would be wise to heed proverbs 30:32:
if you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
put your hand on your mouth. [proverbs 30:32]
our words are powerful, and when they are boastful, prideful and self-exalting, we dishonor God.
nebuchadnezzar’s boast in verses 4:29-30 sounds very much the boast in a parable told by Jesus:
and i will say to my soul, “soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ but God said to him, ‘fool! this night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ so is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” [luke 12:19-21]
nebuchadnezzar’s mouth was stopped by God who declared his foolishness and executed his humbling. God is holy. Hallowed is his name–as christians, our words declare the character of our King, Jesus Christ. let us be more careful in the way that we speak–our words declare the wickedness in our hearts:
the good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. i tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” [matthew 12:35-37]
if we speak in ways that dishonor God, we should plead for salvation, transformation and sanctification–let us only boast in the work of Jesus!
but far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. [galatians 6:14]
we get to be in his presence, resting in this truth, knowing that one day all tongues (redeemed and condemned) will only be used for the honorable use of glorifying Jesus–
therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [philippians 2:9-11]
let us confess and exalt the true King!
~ ce