God’s Word for You
Nebuchadnezzar’s last words
by Pastor Timothy Smith on Sunday, October 12, 2025
36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles returned to me, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than I had been before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and honor the King of Heaven, because everything he does is true and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
These are the final words spoken in the Bible by King Nebuchadnezzar, and as I have said before, I think that this was very near the end of the king’s reign, which would have been either in 563 or 562 BC. As far as Nebuchadnezzar was concerned, he was now restored to his fame and glory, but it seems that another illness would claim his life shortly after this. Nevertheless, we see in this incident several points that it would be wise to consider:
1, The King makes a fine confession of knowledge about the true God, and he does so shortly before the end of his life. But knowledge about God and faith in God are not the same thing. James shows this when he says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (James 2:19). So while Nebuchadnezzar does not report his faith here, we can’t really judge what was in his heart. We can only say that he knew about God and about the gospel. Did he trust it? We will learn the answer when we join Jesus in heaven. I have seen, and many other pastors have shared this experience, where people who had no faith at all during a long life are converted near the end of their earthly days, making at long last a confession of faith. I know of one man who was an open opponent of Christianity who was struck very late in life with a cancer that frightened him and caused him to listen to a visiting pastor, so that some of the last words he was ever able to speak aloud were, “I know that Jesus is my Savior.” For this we praise God, because his powerful word works.
2, The King confesses that everything God (the King of Heaven) does is true, and all his ways are just. This is echoed in Revelation: “They sang the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb: ‘Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages’” (Revelation 15:3). God’s ways are absolutely true. There is no hidden agenda in what God does. He acts and desires (that is, he wills) the rescue of mankind from our sins. This is his true goal with each of us, wanting us to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:25; Titus 1:1).
3, The image of the tree for rulers. God himself gave mankind the image of a government as a tree covering the creatures all around, feeding them, sheltering, providing them with shade and fruit and many other blessings.
Luther says: “This way God makes it clear that through civil authority he provides and maintains peace and tranquility, protection and defense, sustenance and possessions, and this entire temporal life, and that it is pleasing to him wherever a lord or prince practices his office conscientiously. For these are fine fruits, fine leaves, fine foliage, as Daniel says. That is, these are precious, noble, good works. Because it is so pleasing to God himself that he thus portrays, praises, and adorns it, a lord should indeed exercise his office with all eagerness and delight, even though it be full of toil and trouble. By the same token, we too ought not to pay attention to how evil tyrants may be but to how precious and useful is the office which they have from God, instituted for our benefit and welfare.”
Daniel ends his account of his work that directly involved him in the life of this king with a statement of God’s greatness. God reigns supreme above all governments, all leaders, all presidents and kings. Where a nation strives to glorify itself, God may and very probably will bring it down to its knees. The final warning of this chapter is from Nebuchadnezzar himself: “Those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”
1 Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom his world rejoices,
who from our mothers’ arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.
2 O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us,
to keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
in this world and the next.
Martin Rinkart (1586-1649)
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. To receive God’s Word for You via e-mail, please visit the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church website.