Much has been said about the sin of pride. We have many examples of it in Scripture and way too many in our culture. A little pride is okay. I was proud of my service in the Marine Corps. We can be proud when we do a good job and when we help others. However, pride taken to the extreme can have serious consequences. Many leaders, past and present, are guilty of the sin of pride. Let’s take the king of Babylon as an example.

King Nebuchadnezzar was a powerful monarch who conquered the entire known world of his time. Babylon was an incredible architectural marvel. The city walls and the Hanging Gardens were two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

But King Nebuchadnezzar was also full of himself. In Daniel 4, the king had a dream but could not figure out the meaning. None of his paid government advisers could interpret it. When Daniel came into the king’s presence, the king told him the dream. Daniel had a solid track record of interpreting dreams.

Daniel realized the dream was a warning to the king about his pride. Daniel pleaded with him to repent of his sins, and maybe, just maybe, God would relent. This tells us a lot about Daniel’s character, as he was taken from Jerusalem at age 15, castrated, and put into a three-year brainwashing school. Through it all, Daniel maintained his character and faith. He could have silently prayed, “God, let him burn!” Instead, Daniel showed compassion and begged the king to repent. But the king didn’t!

An entire year went by and we find the king on the roof of his spectacular palace thinking how great he was and what he had accomplished. Suddenly, there was a voice from heaven saying, “Dude, the jig is up!” [Roger’s translation] (Daniel 4:31-33). The proud king was now a wild beast that spent the next seven years eating grass. He was led with a collar around his neck so he wouldn’t wander off.

This continued for seven years, after which a merciful God restored his mind in an instant. The king spat out the grass, stood to his feet, and was restored to his throne. Here’s the critical part: Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged the God in Heaven who ruled and reigned and gave the kingdom to whomever He chose.

Scripture commands us to pray for and obey those in authority over us until they demand we do something that directly conflicts with our faith.

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2, ESV)

As loyal to leadership as Daniel was, he was not the kind to go along to get along. In Daniel 6, they passed a law they knew Daniel would not obey because of his faith. His reward was the lion’s den, and his obedience to God was deliverance from that same lion’s den.

We obey until we are told to do something we know to be illegal, immoral, unethical, or unscriptural. Then, “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:28-29, ESV) I pray daily for our leaders and will obey the laws of the land – until they violate my faith in Jesus Christ.

Like with young Daniel, the last couple of years have seen a Christian movement among our youth on college campuses. I believe God has given us a window of time to pray and work to see this nation experience a move of God that will shake it to its knees. Now is the time to pray daily for those in authority at all corporate and government levels, that God will lead them to see our nation’s peace, prosperity, and security restored.

What say you, Man of Valor.

Adapted from Men of Honor essay by Roger Helle, 2 December 2024.