Podcast - Villains of the Bible: Nebuchadnezzar
The worst event in Israel’s history was the destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The general in charge of that destruction was Nebuchadnezzar, a king who became an emblem of all those who would elevate themselves against God. Unlike other rulers, we get an up-close look at Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel. There, we see God humbling and chastening him for his pride and brutality.
The Babylonian Empire was short-lived, and Nebuchadnezzar was the second king to rule. The Jews remember the Babylonians as those who not only destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, but also took them into exile. The destruction of Jerusalem, the Temple, and the exile was a sign of God’s judgment toward Israel as had been prophesied.
References to Nebuchadnezzar
In the prophets, specifically Habakkuk and Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar is described as God’s instrument to carry out God’s purpose. He was doing what God intended for him to do.
In Habakkuk, God tells the prophet that he will use Babylon to judge Israel, but also that he will deal out judgment against Babylon (Habakkuk 2:8-20).
Daniel tells the story of the fiery furnace in which Nebuchadnezzar attempts to set himself up as a god (Daniel 3:8-25). In this story, he sees the pre-incarnate Christ with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. This, along with his humbling in Daniel 4 (in which he lived as a wild animal), served as a turning point for Nebuchadnezzar. When his reason returned to him, he praised and worshiped God.
God humbled one of the greatest villains in the Bible so that he recognized God as God. God always gets the last word and always keeps his promises. Any attempt to establish dominance against God is doomed to fail, and all will eventually bow the knee to God’s sovereign reign.
In his poem Ozymandias, Shelley beautifully describes the futility of kings' efforts to build a lasting city. Yet we know the only kingdom that will last is the kingdom that belongs to God.
Brittany Proffitt lives in North Texas and is a writer and content manager for So We Speak.
