Reason Restored Worship

Because of the fallen nature of mankind and of this world, we live in, are immersed in, a distorted reality. I would compare it to our current virtual reality when it comes to the gaming community. Put on a headset or some special sunglasses and you can find yourself in a battle or flying in space or learning the piano—even though the battle, the space flight and the piano aren’t real.

Dan 4:34-37 (ESV) 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?” [36] At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. [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.

Nebuchadnezzar’s life, as described in the pages of Daniel, gives us a picture of reality.

• Our reason has been distorted by our sinful pride. We are all bent toward seeking our own glory and majesty. Thinking more of ourselves. Seeking our pleasures and our own personal happiness and gain.
• Only in repentance is our reason restored. God must redirect our hearts back to a place of humility before him.

What happens when our reason is restored to its rightful place?

God brought Nebuchadnezzar to a place of repentance. He took his eyes off himself. He took his eyes off the ground (the temporary and finite things of this life). He lifted his eyes to heaven and his reason was restored. In looking to heaven, he left his distorted reality and stepped into the reality he was created to occupy.

“Looking to heaven is a gesture of prayer that looks toward the abode of God, and thus to God himself.”             Joe M. Sprinkle

What a beautiful picture! Do you see the humility of repentance before God? Nebuchadnezzar was so full of pride. So full of vanity. So full of his own supposed majesty, power, glory, might, and wisdom. God showed him that all that thinking was wrong. Tore all of his false kingdoms down so that he would look to him and be saved. Nebuchadnezzar stopped trusting in false gods and trusted in the Most High. He looked up! It’s similar to the Psalmist who wrote:

Psa 121:1-2 (ESV) A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? [2] My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

What was the result?

• Restored Worship.

1. 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;
2. I blessed the Most High. (The implication here is that Nebuchadnezzar knelt before God as he turned his gaze to him. The king was surely used to people kneeling before him. Now he kneels before the King of heaven!)
3. I praised and honored him who lives forever. (“The king’s reason returned to him, and he immediately did what any right-thinking person does: he worshiped the only living and true God.” Daniel Akin)
4. As soon as his reason was restored he went from praising and honoring himself to praising and honoring the living God.
5. He praised (adored) God.
6. He honored (glorified, magnified) God. (His perspective of his reality was transformed. He left a distorted view of reality and stepped into a right view of reality and immediately he glorified God and magnified (got a big view of) God.

• Restored Perspective.

1. 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?”
2. God alone lives forever. (All men will pass away)
3. God alone reigns forever. (Man’s rule will fade away) (Only the Lord has perfect dominion).
4. God’s kingdom endures forever. (Man’s kingdoms rise and fall. We are about to elect the 47^thPresident of the United States. His kingdom “so called” will not last.)
5. This world—everyone and everything in it are dependent upon God. (We are nothing apart from God. We do not sustain ourselves. We do not provide for ourselves. We have no wisdom or strength of our own. All we are and all we have comes to us from the God of heaven and earth. Where does our help come from? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.)
6. God does according to his will and none can restrain him. (No one can hinder, ward off, stop what the God of heaven and earth has decided he is going to do!)

• Evidence of a changed life
  1. 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.

1. Now is a transition word. It’s a word of change. I was doing something, now I am doing something else. Nebuchadnezzar had been praising and glorifying himself. He had been living in a distorted reality. Now, he praised and exalted and honored the King of heaven.
2. God’s works are right or done in truth. We live in the distorted reality of sin. God does everything in truth, according to the way things truly are. Everything he does is done in righteousness or justly without the stain or distortion of sin.
3. Col 1:9-14 (ESV) And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, [10] so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; [11] being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; [12] giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. [13] He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
4. God took Nebuchadnezzar out of the kingdom of darkness and transferred him to the kingdom of his beloved Son.
5. The day Nebuchadnezzar looked to the King of heaven he left the distortion of sin and was finally able to see the truth of God and life how it was meant to be lived.

Nebuchadnezzar was given a warning from the Lord. He was given a witness who explained the truth of what God had told him. He was told to repent and turn to the Lord. Now we see the end result—In repentance the Lord restored him to a rightful place of worship. He stepped out of the distorted kingdom of sin and started walking in the true Kingdom of the Lord.