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There was no lack of evidence that Daniel Sickles, a congressman, had murdered Philip Key, whose father penned the U.S. national anthem. The motive was clear. He had no alibi. The murder weapon was Sickles's gun. There were no other suspects. Even his own attorney didn't deny that Sickles was indeed the killer. Nevertheless, Daniel Sickles was set free. He became the first American ever acquitted under the plea of temporary insanity.
For Nebuchadnezzar, temporary insanity wasn't the defense, it was the verdict. It came twelve months later as the king was uttering an unbridled speech of self-praise. And as quickly as he could say, “by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty,” his kingdom, his glory, and his might were all stripped from him (v. 30). Unfortunately, he was unable to appreciate the irony of his words as his sanity was gone, too.
Boanthropy is the modern name for a mental disorder that makes people so ill that they literally behave like cows. That's a pretty accurate description of Nebuchadnezzar's symptoms. The Bible doesn't give us the specifics of what happened to Nebuchadnezzar in relation to his kingdom, only that he was “driven away from people” (v. 33). Whether his high commanders knew of his whereabouts or he wandered off into obscurity, Nebuchadnezzar no longer controlled his kingdom. We do know the constitutional bylaws of Babylon to know that God was preparing Nebuchadnezzar's heart for a thorough reformation.
The resplendent king let his hair and nails grow uncut for seven years. His diet was high in fiber but low in pride. The architect of the hanging gardens of Babylon was hanging around like a common animal. With a mind out of his own control, Nebuchadnezzar was forced to endure a degrading existence for seven years. God didn't need to raise up another mighty kingdom to humble this king. The downfall of Nebuchadnezzar began inside his own head.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It appears that Nebuchadnezzar was enjoying a private moment when he uttered his famous last words that launched his bout with insanity. That should help us dispel the notion that with privacy comes immunity. It's easy to put on a public act of humility only to let pride swell in our hearts and self-praise flourish in our minds. Replace those attitudes with worship for God. Keep your thoughts focused on Christ, and praise Him in your quiet moments.
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