TO HIM BE GLORY
Living humbly before God
Context
Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon one of the greatest empires ever at that time period.
He began having troubling dreams no one could interpret and he couldn’t sleep.
Nebuchadnezzar told his magicians tell him the dream and interpret it, or be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins.
Daniel 2:11
11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
Revelation 21:3
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
The First Dream – God Rules All
The first dream was of a great statue —
Daniel 2:32–33
32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze,
33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
Then, a big stone from heaven (God’s kingdom) hit the statue’s feet, and the whole statue broke into tiny pieces and blew away.
The stone grew into a mountain that filled the whole world
Daniel 2:44
44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.
Daniel 2:47
47 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Daniel 3:29
29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.”
Nebuchadnezzar 2nd dream:
He dreamed about a giant tree with beautiful leaves, fruit, animals, and birds all around and in it.
- Then a holy messenger from heaven shouted, “Cut down the tree! Cut off its branches and scatter the fruit.
Daniel told him plainly:
Daniel 4:25
25 you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.
Daniel 4:30
30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
Daniel 4:31–32
31 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,
32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox… until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”
Daniel 4:34–35, 37
34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to 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;
35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?”
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
God is clear
Isaiah 42:8
8 I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
Our Response:
Psalm 115:1
1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
The Warning
John 5:44
44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
Jeremiah 9:23–24
23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,
24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,” declares the LORD.
How We Are to Live
1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
The Greek phrase doxan theou (δόξαν θεοῦ) = “the glory of God.”
Doxa means honor, praise, renown, the credit for something good.
The context is not only “approval” but that in everything, God is the One whose reputation, honor, and praise is advanced, not ours.
Why We Fail
When we fail to live for His glory alone, it’s because we haven’t truly seen Him.
We still think we are the most worthy, the most deserving.
When We See Him, We Stop Reaching for Glory
Revelation 19:11–16
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.
13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
The End time perspective
1 Corinthians 3:11-15
11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
The cost of Pride
John 12:42
42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.
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