The Humiliation
of an Iraqi Leader

Introduction. Sunday morning, December 14th, 2003 many of us woke to see the dramatic news that Saddam Hussein had been captured. This once arrogant and powerful leader, about whom we have learned...
  • One of his first acts of political action was shooting in the head a political enemy.
  • During a failed assassination attempt, in which he tried to kill a former prime minister of the country, he had fled to the same area where he was captured.
  • He was a man of torture and cruelty.
  • When his children were young he taught them to target practice using live prisoners as the targets.
  • He shuffled from different palace to his lavish yachts while his people starved and went without medical care.
  • During his 30 years in power, he may be responsible for the deaths of as many as 200,000+ of his own citizens who during these years have “disappeared.”
  • He is known to have authorized the use of chemical weapons on his own citizens. ...Yet, how dramatic it was to see this once mighty man, dragged from a hole in the ground, ragged, uncombed and dirty, like an animal.
         This lesson, however, is not about Saddam Hussein, but another Iraqi leader. It wasn’t called Iraqi then -- but it was the same place. The god wasn’t Allah -- but Marduk. The neighboring country he invaded wasn’t Kuwait -- but a little Jewish nation known as Judah. For this little country there would be no “Desert Shield” and then “Desert Storm” -- it was his army that provided all of the “Shock and Awe.” Yet, even so, like Saddam Hussein, this leader would come to the place in his life where he would be reduced to live like an animal -- in humiliation. We are talking about the Babylonian leader known as Nebuchadnezzar and in this lesson we will look at his humiliation.

    I. The Rise of Babylon.

    1. Hezekiah shows wealth to the Babylonian envoys. (II Kings 20:12-19).
    2. The Promise to Josiah. (II Kings 22:13-20).
    3. Nebuchadnezzar an instrument of God’s judgment. (II Kings 24:1-4).

    Schøyen Collection

    Nebuchadnezzar Stela
    II. The Wickedness of Nebuchadnezzar.
    1. Destruction of Jerusalem. (II Kings 24:8-15; 17; 25:1-7).
    2. The Promise of Babyon’s Destruction. (Jeremiah 50:1-3; 8-16).
      1. The Promise of the Return. (Jeremiah 24:1-7).
    3. Treatment of the Captives.
      1. Pressure to disobey Law of Moses. (Daniel 1:1-8).
      2. Image of Gold. (Daniel 3:1-6; 19-23).
    4. Lessons from God.
      1. First Dream & Interpretation. (Daniel 2:44-49).
      2. Deliverance of three men. (Daniel 3:26-29).

    III. The Humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar.

    1. Second Dream. (Daniel 4:10-18).
    2. Interpretation. (Daniel 4:19-27).
    3. Fulfillment. (Daniel 4:28-37).

    Conclusion. The irony of Nebuchadnezzar and Saddam’s fate is the fact that Saddam saw himself as a new Nebuchadnezzar. Yet, he failed to the learn the lessons that Scripture teach us about Nebuchadnezzar.
         None of us are kings or presidents -- but we can (none the less) have the same kind of arrogance and presumption about our own sinful lives.

    1. Building bigger barns. (Luke 12:13-21).
    2. Take head lest we fall. (I Corinthians 10:12).
     
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