God’s unmerited mercy

    God’s unmerited mercy

• Nebuchadnezzar loved by God
• Did he repent?

God has a great compassion and mercy upon humans. And this is the reason why He said in 2Peter 3:9 that;

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,
as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward,
not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
(2Peter 3:9)

The Lord is not willing that any should perish but wants all men to repent out of their wrong ways and come on to Him. How merciful HEE is indeed despite men’s stubbornness.

Before God would deal with a man, there must be some kind of or series of warnings from God to man.

The same was the case for Nebuchadnezzar who in his first dream was told he was out-living in God’s will and would be over-throne  by other kingdoms (Daniel 2:39)

"And after thee shall rise another kingdom
inferior to thee, and another third kingdom
of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth"

Nebuchadnezzar was greatly warned by God but he really paid deaf ears to all the warnings god gave.

He saw the great thing God did by revealing great secrete to Daniel which the magicians and astrologers could not get. But at that, he could only referenced God for a while and that was all. He forgot God again and continue in his normal business.

It was actually a nominal referencing. He forgot about God by saying

…and who is that God that shall deliver you from out of my hand? (Daniel 3:5)

God still shew Him another great power and wander as the three Hebrew men were not consumed. He referenced God again a little while but still didn’t change.

Upon all these, God still deemed it fit to warn him again in a second dream that he would be destroyed if he continue way of life.

“That they shall drive thee from men and thy dwelling 

shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make 

thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the

dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till 

thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, 

and giveth it to whomsoever He will”. (Daniel 4:25)

Daniel counselled him in verse 27

“Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable 
unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness,
and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; 
if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity”

Nebuchadnezzar was given a space of 12months
(one whole year) to change and make it right with God

“At the end of twelve months…”

(Dan 4:29)

Still, he didn’t change rather he was bold to exalt himself.

God dealt with him so much by making him a man-beast that ate grass like other beast.
 

His change

Nebuchadnezzar confessed that he came to his senses (Daniel 4:34) and realized that God is the ruler.

His confessions really showed that he changed and obeyed God.

If he didn’t change, God would have destroyed him. But his account ended at his repentance.

That was God mercy. He never gives up on anybody.