Article July 13, 1929 Issue

True Humility Requisite

ALEXANDER WARENDORFF

In the book of Daniel there is a striking illustration of the harmfulness of self-glorification. There we read about Nebuchadnezzar, who wrought such wonders during his lifetime, constructing the famous hanging gardens, building magnificent palaces, repairing temples, and carrying out great works of various kinds to beautify and glorify Babylon. But Nebuchadnezzar made the great mistake of taking to himself all the credit for these achievements. Alas, how many modern Nebuchadnezzars there are to-day who fail to give God credit for all their achievements!

The king walked in his domain and gloried in all these splendors, wrought, as he declared, by "the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty." Then we are told that "while the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee." From this chapter we learn that the king's reason departed from him for a period, during which he was driven into the fields, where his sustenance consisted of the wild grass; in other words, material husks were to be his food until he should learn the lesson that without God he could do nothing. After he had fully repented of this sin against God, the sin of self-glorification, there was evidence of true humility and his reason was restored. How significant, then, is the last verse of the fourth chapter, where we read, "Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase"!

Let us profit by our study of the book of Daniel, and so avoid talking beyond our demonstrations. Whenever we are privileged to be channel for helping one of God's little ones and the thought of having done something great ourselves suggests itself, let us remember these lines of a hymn:

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