Daniel Chapter 2
Commentary by Ron Beckham
Verse 1. "Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so
troubled that his sleep left him."
We’ve all had troubling dreams, at one time or another. I remember
when they were giving me the wrong medication while I was hospitalized –
I dreamed while I was awake! And they weren’t pleasant, either. Bad
dreams might be from a guilty conscience. They may be something we
ate. I personally believe a lot of what dreams are is an attempt by our
minds to understand, in a different form, the realities around us.
Dreams can be a form of problem solving. Most psychologists don’t
follow Freudian theory these days, but Freud was right that dreams can
also be a "safe" way of recalling memories that are too painful for our
conscious minds to bear.
King Nebuchadnezzar had just experienced a dream that was from NONE
of those causes. As we shall see in verse 28, the dream was directly
given to him by God and was intended to reveal the future to this man,
who was the leader of what had become the first true world empire.
One reason for the dream is stated in verse 28-29. Nebuchadnezzar
had gone to bed WORRIED about the future. He was worried about "what
would come to pass after this." God viewed his concern as prayer and
ANSWERED him. God takes OUR concerns seriously (just like the king's)
and He answers us.
Our problem is that we often don’t understand the answers, or if we
do, we would prefer a different answer (sometimes we don’t WANT to
understand). When Jesus talked about "moving mountains" with faith, He
was discussing ANSWERED prayer. You or your HUMAN faith can’t do
ANYTHING, really, but by TRUSTING in Him (God), receiving HIS faith
(Hebrews 12:2), and responding to His will (1 John 5:14-15), we find He
answers every one of our concerns. The "mountains" in our lives do
move, because he hears us and loves us.
In this instance, Nebuchadnezzar did not have faith; but Daniel did
have faith, as we shall see, and God wanted to place His faith INTO the
king, as well as everyone else who would hear of these events. You may
think "why did this (whatever it was) happen to me?" Or, "why did I
dream THAT?" Remember, God’s true goal for YOUR life is often different
than you want or understand (though He does give understanding) – He
really wants us to TRUST in Him. People and circumstances will let us
down. Your only real hope for happiness in life is to trust in God.
Verse 2. "Then the king gave the command to
call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to
tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king."
This guy had a large and well-paid staff, not unlike the president of
a modern corporation. The names are different but the effects are very
similar. Today’s corporate "magician" is the "accountant" who takes
simple mathematical figures and turns one outcome into another. The
"astrologer" has become the "economist" who confidently predicts the
future through dubious means. The "sorcerers" have become the
"chemists" and other "scientific" persons (and it was pointed out, the
"marketing" guys); and finally the "Chaldeans" (the "Wise Men who
visited the Christ child may have been of them) are represented today by
the "philosophers," "theologians," and maybe the "gurus" of the east.
We’ll see that Nebuchadnezzar was fed-up with the lot of them.
Verse 3. "And the king said to them, ‘I have
had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.’"
Solomon said "In the presence of many counselors, there is safety"
(Proverbs 11:14), which is true, unless the counselors themselves are
untrue, incompetent, or driven by self-interest – I’m thinking
Nebuchadnezzar had precisely those doubts about these guys.
In our "modern" culture, nothing has really changed, for we continue
to use highly-paid "professionals" to allay our anxieties about
this-or-that. The king had hired the "right" people, and they WERE the
best of his day. They may have used different words, but they were
intelligent men and many were gifted with unusual wisdom. They were the
political and social scientists of the time – and they had ANSWERS; and
many of the answers would work in our culture, just as in theirs. If
their descriptive WORDS seem strange, their solutions were often like
ours, for many of them had "horse-sense" and understanding that would be
helpful to your life and mine.
What they lacked was something that Nebuchadnezzar lacked as well:
The presence of the Lord God in their lives. We can have good or bad
ideas, but what we need is the Lord, and we will find true ANSWERS in no
other way.
Verse 4. "Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king
in Aramaic, ‘O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we
will give the interpretation.’"
As Dr. J. Vernon McGee has pointed out, "O king live forever" is
about the "silliest" thing they could say, because he knew he was just a
man, which is revealed by his concern about the future (verse 29, "what
will come to pass hereafter?") – Could he hold this empire together?
Would he be strong enough? What if he got sick, or fell in battle? He
knew he would not "live forever" and it was for this kind of talk he was
upset with his "wise" men.
They "spoke…in Aramaic." It is interesting that from verse 4 of this
chapter, through 7:28, the Book of Daniel was written in Aramaic, which
was the court language, the diplomatic language of that day. This was
the language of the "Gentiles" of the time, and corresponded to what
first "Greek" and then "Latin" were in the Roman Empire; then what
"French" was, just a few decades ago, and "English" is today – Languages
that carry to as many people as possible, continuing God’s intention
that His Word will reach the "ends of the earth" in the clearest ways
possible.
But, back to these guys – they continued to insist that the king
reveal everything to them, so they could make some kind of sensible
interpretation to him. It is really unclear whether or not the king
actually remembered the dream. Was it that he was withholding the
information, or that he just did not know? Many expositors have decided
the one, and the rest of the theologians the other. If you think about
it, it really does not matter, for the EFFECT was the same – these guys
were not going to be given all the facts so they could GUESS the
meaning. The king knew these men, and so did God.
Verse 5. "But the king answered and said to
the Chaldeans, ‘My decision is firm; if you do not make known the dream
to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your
houses shall be made an ash heap.’"
This sounds pretty extreme, and it was. Today’s version of this is
when we are fired with no severance pay. In that time, we were killed
and our houses burned-down. (I never understand these people who wish
they had lived at some other point in history – death and burning is
definitely worse than low-speed dental drills and being laid-off).
The "Wise Men" or "Chaldeans" were demonstrating that they were not
so wise. If this was a "husband and wife" you would say they were
"having an argument" but they were not married to him, and they should
have already learned that you don’t argue with king Nebuchadnezzar and
live.
Do you ever face the "impossible" in your life? Have you been given
an "impossible" assignment at work? The response of some is to try
harder – others get discouraged. The true need is to pray, to trust in
Him, and the "wise" of this world often miss that. As I am writing this
"draft" of Daniel 2, I have no income, which is an "impossible"
circumstance and am therefore in a wonderful position to choose to
either trust in Him or not.
Nebuchadnezzar’s response to them may seem excessive, but remember,
from God’s perspective, these were men that would influence the lives of
millions of people, both then and in the future. Who do YOU influence?
You may think "nobody" but you would be wrong, for you are important in
the eyes of God, and there ARE people who look to you as an influence in
their lives. The homeless person thinks "all is lost" and "nobody
cares" but dozens look at the homeless person as they pass, and their
lives are affected by what they see, what they think about the homeless
person. Our lives matter.
Verse 6. "However, if you tell the dream and
its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great
honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation."
In great difficulty there is often great opportunity. As has been
stated, Douglas Mac Arthur was stopped in Korea, and if he had stayed
stopped, he would have been one kind of historical figure, but because
he went around the other army and won, he became another.
Notice how BELIEVABLE Nebuchadnezzar is, in his response. This is
not some kind of "made-up" story, like a fairy tale. True, gifted
leaders (as he was), not only tend to be dangerous to subordinates, but
also tend to be overly lavish in rewarding them for delivering the
goods. The fact that what he wanted was unreasonable was of no concern
to him, just as it was of no concern to Napoleon or Genghis Kahn. I’m
sure these guys, by the way, had given him flowery but unsatisfactory
answers before.
Verse 7. "They answered again and said, ‘Let
the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its
interpretation."
You’ve got to give these guys a "P" for persistence. I agree with
their fortitude, by the way, for it is very modern, very smart to get
all the facts before proceeding. In this case, they had NONE of the
facts. What they didn’t understand is what WE also need to know: that
our difficulties, our lack of knowledge, may actually be God’s
OPPORTUNITY for something much better in our lives. Better than our
current hopes and apparent needs.
Both Isaiah (29:14) and Paul (1st Corinthians 1:18) said "I will
destroy and wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding
of the prudent." If you read Paul’s first chapter to the Corinthians
very carefully, He (God) does not intend to turn us into idiots at all –
He wants to give us something much better than reliance on ourselves
(and reliance on other people). He intends to give us Himself.
Verse 8. "The king answered and said, ‘I know
for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision
is firm:"
There comes a time when neither threats nor promises of reward, like
"getting fired" or "getting a raise" are enough. It’s either "do it or
get out." When I was the branch manager in a mortgage banking office,
one of my loan officers was a retired bird colonel from the US Air
Force. One day I had to sit him down and fire him – it did not matter
that he had been very successful in a previous setting; what mattered
was now. The bird (not Charlie Parker) took it very well, even expected
it, which was right, because in his current setting, his job was simply
to produce viable mortgage loan applications, which would result in
closed, funded loans – he didn’t do the job.
These "wise men" were not taking it well – it was time to pray; time
to have faith, which is also OUR continuing need – what is really
important in our lives is prayer, and then to TRUST in the One who
answers prayer.
There are places in life where our EFFORTS, no matter how skilled we
may be, cannot get us through. God CAN get us through. These men
needed to turn to Him.
Verse 9. "If you do not make known the dream
to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak
lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore
tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its
interpretation."
God had revealed more to the king than just the importance of this
dream. He (God) had also revealed the "hearts" of these "wise" men. We
will all be revealed. It may be here on earth, or it may wait until we
are with Him, but we will be REVEALED, each one of us. God revealed
Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, and He will reveal you. Ezekiel (36:19)
and Paul (Romans 2:6) both said God "will render to each one according
to his deeds." God sees us and KNOWS us and will render to us according
to what we do and say. We are never alone and He HEARS us.
David (Psalm 139:2) expressed the intimacy of God’s understanding of
us, by revealing that God UNDERSTANDS OUR THOUGHTS. People aren’t so
good at that. You can mislead me by your actions, but God is not
fooled. Even more interesting, God can reveal OUR hidden nature as
well; to our BOSS, to our SPOUSE, to our NEIGHBOR, to all around us.
He can reveal what kind of people we really are. If King
Nebuchadnezzar could understand their true nature, then our boss or
spouse or even a stranger can see right through us, if God so wills.
Verse 10. "The Chaldeans answered the king,
and said, ‘There is not a man of earth who can tell the king’s matter;
therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any
magician, astrologer, or Chaldean."
These "Chaldeans" or "Wise Men" were basically saying, "this is
unheard of" or "you aren’t playing fair." And in a way, the king was
NOT playing fair. There are no Robert’s Rules of conduct in God’s
dealing with You. YOU are bound by God’s laws, but He is not bound by
your laws. He can do whatever He wants with You. God not only has the
love; He also has the Power.
Now the good news is that He does LOVE you, and He chooses to offer
GRACE in His dealings with you. More good news (which is the gospel):
You may or may not fully understand this, but we (by our acts and
thoughts) sold ourselves to the enemy, into sin; and the God we ran away
from, bought us back. That’s, of course, what Christ did by dying on
the Cross for every one of us.
If you decide God is unfair, remember this: When we reject
authority, as the Chaldeans were doing at that moment, we really are
rejecting God, who is behind all authority. There is no "unfair" with
Him at all, for you have been fairly treated in Christ. Take a look at
what Christ has done, truly RECEIVE it (Him), and you will never again
conclude that Almighty God is other than fair.
Verse 11. "It is a difficult thing that the
king requires, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except
the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."
That’s it! That’s it guys – you’ve almost got it! Yes, "there is no
other who can tell it… except the gods!" Actually, only GOD can reveal
the heart and mind of man. These guys were almost understanding, in
their frustration, that only GOD, who is separate from all our
limitations, could solve their problem. Look, by the way, at your
deepest problem in life. God can solve it if you let Him.
I used to LOVE the ideas contained in philosophy. I would quote this
philosopher or that, and delight in my newfound "understanding" of
life. But there reaches that time where no philosophy, no scientific
answer, no political or sociological idea, no religious concept even ---
none of that can get us through. We need to turn to the living God and
be made new in Christ.
Have you already turned to Him? Praise God, that’s very good. I
also find this, that much like God’s mercies in my life, I must be made
"new every morning" as in Lamentations 3:23. It says in that verse
"Great is Your faithfulness." I know that we people tend to be
unfaithful, and as these men almost saw, we need to be made new in Him;
ever new in Christ our Lord, and no longer knowing it all, to follow HIM
instead of our own understanding.
Verse 12. "For this reason the king was angry
and very furious, and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of
Babylon."
Dr. Lehman Strauss said of this verse: "Little wonder the king
issued his strong decree. I do not blame him at all. I admit the
penalty to be severe, however, these men who were trained in the king’s
university to interpret mysteries were frauds." He goes on to relate
them to modern ministers (we are all ministers who are in Christ), that
if we "fail to declare the whole counsel of God as revealed in His Word,
the Bible, then do not be surprised if you are held in contempt." Dr.
Strauss saw an aspect of this situation - that God was judging the wise
men through the king.
As I was entering a parking space, a pick-up truck raced-up, nearly
hit my car, and then blew his (or her) horn. I was incensed and yelled
something-or-other. At that moment, I looked up and saw that that
someone in another (third) car was staring at me in open-mouthed
amazement. I then thought of the cross that hangs over my rear-view
mirror and the "prison ministry" statement on my rear license plate.
We are often not so different from this king who "lost it" and these
"wise men" who were frauds. Paul reminds us that WE "are letters
(epistles) of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the
Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of
flesh, that is, of the heart. It didn’t MATTER whether or not I was
right about the other person and the parking. What matters is that God
has sent us, one to another, to reflect HIM into this world. When I
yelled, I failed "to declare the…counsel of God," and brought myself
into contempt before an unbelieving world. Daniel, on the other hand,
was a man who properly represented God to those around him.
Verse 13. "So the decree went out, and they
began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions,
to kill them."
This was no joke – they were KILLING these "wise men" and there was a
"Wanted Dead" (no "Alive", just "Dead") poster on our guys. Most of us
have not seen how dangerous life can be. We can be walking along fine
one moment, and the next we are gone. And it can be DANGEROUS to serve
the Lord our God as Daniel did (it’s even more dangerous to NOT serve
Him, but that’s another message).
Remember that it was God who started all of this in the first place.
He was the one who gave the dream to Nebuchadnezzar (and was
instrumental in the withholding of the meaning), fully understanding
that the "wise guys" (excuse me, I mean wise "men") would be in
trouble. At this time, men were being violently killed, for not
knowing, not understanding.
Verse 14. "Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel
answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to
kill the wise men of Babylon;"
Now, Daniel was one of the newest "wise men of Babylon" and, of
course, was one of the men Arioch had "gone out to kill." I don’t know
about you, but I LIKE Daniel’s treatment of this "captain of the king’s
guard" and of the whole situation. He met him straight on, for one
thing. To "counsel" and "wisdom" I would add COURAGE, for Daniel did
not hide somewhere; he went straight to the one doing the killing. Jim
Couillard pointed out how CALM Daniel appeared in all of this.
I’ve known a lot of people who were about to lose something – health,
job, career, marriage, a business. Most people become a)
forceful, and b) devious, when faced with such loss.
I’m sure that Daniel’s "counsel" and "wisdom" came from God and so did
his courage. There is a CONFIDENCE that comes from knowing you are in
God’s will, as Daniel was in His will. There is a strength that comes
from truth. And courage, along with calm.
Verse 15. "He answered and said to Arioch the
king’s captain, 'Why is the decree from the king so urgent?' Then
Arioch made the decision known to Daniel."
I’m sure Arioch was surprised at the directness and lack of fear on
the part of Daniel. In response, he may have shrugged and said to
himself, "What the heck, this guy’s gonna’ die anyway; might as well
tell him what’s what!"
You may conclude that Daniel had lost everything anyway (country,
manhood, all) – and therefore he could be strong because he had nothing
to lose; and that IS part of it, for God will allow the removal of that
which keeps us distant from Him. There was so much more to Daniel – He
trusted in God. No matter what the outward circumstance, he trusted in
God.
I firmly believe, as Daniel did, that when we lose something in this
world, God gives us much MORE in return. Yes, Daniel had lost a great
deal (everything, actually); but God had given Daniel of HIMSELF, just
as He longs to give Himself more fully to you and to me. Let us receive
trouble and loss with HOPE, knowing that God has much GOOD in store for
each one. Trust in God.
Verse 16. "So Daniel went in and asked the
king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation."
Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t known (from what I have read) for being an
ACCESSIBLE king. He had already shown that he did not approve of those
who would "gain time." Again, we see the COURAGE of Daniel in
approaching the king. We also see Daniel’s TRUST. He TRUSTED in God
that he was God’s man, in God’s place, doing God’s work, following God's
will, no matter how obscure all this must have seemed at the time.
But, wait a minute – he was a eunuch in the court of a pagan king,
and he had a death sentence over his head. When you might think, if
only I was like DANIEL, THEN I could trust in God; remember this:
1) from an outward perspective, Daniel had NOTHING
going for him (what he would have thought his life should be), and
2) Every one of us is in God’s perfect setting for our
lives. You might respond, "Well, you don’t know what’s happened to ME…"
And the answer is, that’s right, I don’t, but God does, and I DO know
what happened to Daniel.
And Daniel trusted in God.
"Oh Christian, do not thou be saying, 'Where are the swallows gone?,
they are gone, they are dead.' They are not dead; they have skimmed the
purple sea, and gone to a far-off land; but they will be back again, by
and by. Child of God, say not 'the flowers are dead; say not the winter
has killed them and they are gone.' Ah no! Though winter hath coated
them with the ermine of its snow; they will put up their heads again,
and will be alive very soon. Say not, child of God, that 'the sun is
quenched,' because the cloud hath hidden it. Ah no; he is behind there,
brewing summer for thee; for when he cometh out again, he will have made
the clouds fit to drop in April showers, all of them mothers of the
sweet May flowers. Ah so! Above all, when thy God hides His face, say
not that He hath forgotten thee. He is but tarrying a little while to
make thee love Him better; and when He cometh, thou shalt have joy in
the Lord, and shalt rejoice with joy unspeakable. Waiting exercises out
grace; waiting tries out faith; therefore wait on in hope; for though
the promise tarry, it can never come too late." -- C.H. Spurgeon.
If you lose everything today, you will gain infinitely more. For God
is love. No matter WHAT your circumstances, breathe "yes" to Christ,
and trust in Him.
Verse 17. "Then Daniel went to his house, and
made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his
companions,"
What do you suppose was Daniel’s PURPOSE in going to his friends?
For most people, it would be to gossip and complain; to express fear:
"Do you KNOW what’s happened? Did you HEAR what the king’s going to
do?" And then, for most people next would be the expression of anger:
"What are we going to do?" There’s lots of us eunuchs here in Babylon;
We’re wise men; let’s figure out an armed uprising! They’ll be so busy,
they won’t have TIME to kill us." Etc.
Actually, what they did is what we ALL should do, and it’s in verse
18.
Verse 18. "That they might seek mercies from
the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his
companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon."
Daniel’s purpose in meeting with them was – PRAYER! To seek "mercies
from the God of heaven." Notice it says that they "might not perish
with the rest of the wise men of Babylon." Why didn’t Daniel pray for
THEM (the other wise men), you might ask, and that’s a good question. I
see two reasons:
1) Daniel prayed as the Lord DIRECTED him. God
gives us both a LEADING in prayer and a CONTEXT within which we pray,
including prayer for our family, if we have one, our boss (Rom. 13) –
those around us. God had specifically given each of these poor, ruined,
but also very BLESSED boys, TO one another, and I’m sure they prayed FOR
each other – and did it OFTEN.
2) The Chaldeans should have been praying for
themselves. If the "wise men of Babylon" were really wise, the issue of
them being prayed for would be moot – THEY would be praying for
themselves, right at that very moment. The concept of an "Intellectual"
who does not pray is an oxymoron. Chronic failure to pray is a disease
of the soul.
Verse 19. "Then the secret was revealed to
Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven."
Daniel’s PERSISTENCE in prayer is interesting. Perhaps if you and I
persisted more in prayer (months, years, whatever it takes), we would
get more answers.
If you are in Christ, you will receive information and/or insights
that can be understood only from and by the Spirit of God. It is
interesting that sometimes those NOT in Christ will receive information
– Keep in mind that Nebuchadnezzar, at this time, was not of God, and
yet this information was being revealed to HIM. God blesses us all in
many ways, even when we do not trust in Him.
What divides us is often our RESPONSE. Daniel BLESSED the God of
heaven, which should be the reasonable response of every one of us, in
all things. Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel were both given INFORMATION, but
only Daniel (at this time) responded with praise. King Nebbie had
responded by killing people.
Verse 20. "Daniel answered and said:
‘Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are
His."
There’s a growing impatience in our society, our world. We want
wisdom and might but are unwilling to pay the price. True wisdom and
might come from Him. The world has imitations of wisdom, but I’m
talking about the real thing, where we receive from God.
Secretly, down inside, you may be PROUD of some aspect of yourself.
You may take pride in your ancestry, your intellect, physical strength,
cleverness, wit (that you’re such a funny guy), whatever. Now here’s
the secret of all true humility – FINALLY we recognize that all our
wisdom, our might, cleverness, good looks – ANY attribute we might have,
is God’s gift. Instead of having pride, we properly should be grateful.
I am fascinated when someone says "nice shirt," and I answer
"thanks," as though I made the thing on some kind of loom. Everything
we have, all we are, is God’s gift to us – we should be VERY grateful,
which leads to humility before Him. Wisdom and might are HIS.
Verse 21. "And He changes the times and the
seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the
wise and knowledge to those who have understanding."
These days, everybody talks about "El Nino" (or "La Nina") – that
it’s changing the seasons. Who really controls the weather – it’s God.
Let’s suppose one of us has a great employment, but who really gave the
job to us? Where DO wisdom and knowledge come from? It all comes from
understanding, just as the verse says.
Don Araiza has pointed out Job 28:28, a similar verse, which
indicates a difference between wisdom and understanding. The one comes
from the other, just as this verse says.
What IS understanding? It is the confident recognition that all good
things come from God. A thankful heart is a key indicator of true
understanding, and from that comprehension comes our first real wisdom
and knowledge.
Verse 22. "He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him."
"Darkness" in Scripture talks about that which is hidden. "Light"
is the reality of persons and situations – with the mask removed! We
can be scared of the literal darkness but people’s hidden motives can be
even more scary – but God sees right through us all.
Jim Couillard pointed out that the word "intimacy" is a way of
describing God’s understanding of us, and "intimacy" can be expressed as
"in to me see."
It is very good (for those who love Him) to recognize that "He knows
what is in the darkness." You need to look to him, for there is much in
life that is very difficult to understand, and what we do NOT know can
really hurt us. God understands it all. This is where TRUST enters in.
The "darkness" can be frightening – I may or may not (with His help) see
through the darkness. He does see. I will put my trust in Him, and He
WILL see me through, whether or not I fully understand.
I like it that "light dwells with Him." So many times in life we
meet people who have a smiling face but a hateful heart. It is not so
with God – He IS LOVE, and he has no hidden agenda. What we see is what
we get and He is full of love for every one.
Judgment yes, but with reluctance. Love also, with nothing held
back.
Verse 23. "I thank You and praise You, O God
of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, and have now made
known to me what we asked of You, for You have made known to us the
king’s demand."
Note Daniel’s trust in God in this. He was rejoicing in God BEFORE
the edict was lifted. He was rejoicing WHILE the sentence of death was
still on him, because he trusted in God.
Do you want to be reasonable? Rational? --- Then trust in God, even
when (especially when) the circumstances do not yet look favorable.
It is the reasonable act of every rational human being to give thanks
and praise to God. Daniel was smart and he demonstrated his
intelligence by recognizing that the "wisdom and might" he possessed,
came from God. This is clearly understood in that he had now been given
the impossible by God: "The king’s (secret) demand" was revealed to
him.
In the previous verse, it was stated that God reveals "deep and
secret things." He does precisely that for His people, which is part of
what the spiritual gifts are all about. Are you curious? Do you long
to know what life REALLY is about? Turn to God – He is waiting with
love to reveal all you need to know; all you need for LIFE in Him.
Verse 24. "Therefore Daniel went to Arioch,
whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went
and said thus to him: ‘Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me
before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation.'"
Arioch had the role of executioner is this. His job was to kill all
the "wise men" in the place, including Daniel. Babylon was, at that
time, the educational center of the known world. Had this order been
carried out, it might have been centuries, perhaps never, before
literacy would exist again in the western world. Many who write on this
section feel the "Magi" who much later visited the Christ child were
from this group. Some may have become Godly men as a result of the
legacy of Daniel’s faith in God. Because Daniel was a man of prayer, he
was able to go to Capt. Arioch. Because God is a God of love, Daniel
was given the interpretation, and because of that love, many lived who
otherwise would have died.
But, better than life itself (as we know it) is to have this kind of
faith in the living God, maker of heaven and of earth.
Verse 25. "Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel
before the king, and said thus to him, ‘I have found a man of the
captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation.’"
I like this Arioch. Sometimes, in order to be a servant, to do a
good job, people must do that which is distasteful. In such situations,
we do well to pray. Execution probably crosses ALL of our lines as to
how far we will go for job security. Notice how far he went with the
king, "…he WILL make known…the interpretation." He went so far that if
Daniel were to fail, his own life could have been lost. Nebuchadnezzar
did not like failure.
Think of it. Why did Arioch place himself at such risk? He probably
had a family and certainly had a career. Was he a secret believer?
Probably not, at that time. Most certainly, the real answer is that
Arioch’s receptivity was part of God’s answer to Daniel’s prayer. When
you pray, don’t give up. Note Daniel’s PERSISTENCE in prayer through
this section.
Verse 26. "The king answered and said to
Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, ‘Are you able to make known to me
the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?"
The "moment of truth" had come for Daniel. He had to "deliver the
goods" or he would have been instantly dead – literally (and maybe
Arioch, too). On your job, you may wear the right clothes, speak well
and drive the right car, but at some point, you have to do what your job
title dictates or lose the job. Same with our witness for Christ –
there is a moment of truth for all.
Daniel, like the other "wise men" had the problem that what he was
expected to do was – "impossible". Essentially, the king insisted
Daniel read his mind, or at least legitimately be in touch with a
competent power, higher than himself. In accepting challenges, you
ultimately succeed not by your abilities, but by the Spirit of God
(whether or not we recognize the fact at a given moment).
We WILL encounter the impossible, and then we will KNOW it really was
God that brought us through. He really LOVES you and me.
Verse 27. "Daniel answered in the presence of
the king, and said, ‘The secret which the king has demanded, the wise
men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare
to the king."
We try to avoid many of the pressures of life. God, on the other
hand, is allowing those pressures to reveal our true natures and to
bring us to Himself, and the troubles of the human race will only become
worse as time goes on.
Believe it or not, there are times coming to the world, so difficult
that even (smile) the POLITICIANS won’t be able to get us through. All
of our expertise will eventually fail. In the convalescent hospital
where I periodically teach on Sunday afternoons, there are former
medical doctors, retired teachers, a retired Catholic priest – all of
them have reached a point in life where it is obvious the only resource
that can truly help them is God. There’s a lot of education and
intelligence in that room, but none of it can be APPLIED anymore, for
themselves or anybody else.
They have no resources – except prayer, and prayer is the best of
all. All of us must come to realize that prayer is stronger than our
strength; more intelligent by far than we are. Prayer can SOLVE the
impossible. Prayer, defined as applied faith in God, will get us
through.
To transliterate what Daniel was saying to the king, "There’s
problems in life that PEOPLE just can’t handle." You might think about
that. There will come a time for every one of us, where youth,
intelligence, money – none of this will matter anymore. NOW is the time
to turn to God, lest each one comes to regret that so little of life was
given to Him.
Verse 28. "But there is a God in heaven who
reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will
be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon
your bed, were these:"
"But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets" (which is to say
He loves us and gives us what we really need). When we reach the place
where we are ill, or unemployed, unfulfilled in some way, or just
unbearably lonely, we have HIM, our Savior and Lord.
Daniel’s situation required the imparting of INFORMATION, so the
aspect of God here shown is that He "reveals" what we need to know. And
He does. But there is more.
He is the Healer of the brokenhearted. He KNOWS what you REALLY
need. Have you thought about that? Even though YOU are YOU; you don’t
really know what you need. "I think I’ll get a new car" you say – it’s
nice for awhile and then not so nice. The MONEY – finally you get it,
but something is still MISSING! I may be HEALED of something-or-other
but we need MORE. What is it that we need?
We need Him. Abandon yourself to the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus. Let Him express His love fully, in and through you. He DOES
heal the broken-hearted and You will find that HE is the one you have
always wanted – all this time. Instead of letting Him be ALMOST as
important as some person or situation, let Him be your all-in-all.
Verse 29. "As for you, O
king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would
come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to
you what will be."
It is still not clear whether or not king "Nebbie" (as I like to call
him) (fortunately, he’s not still around to have me put to death) – had
forgotten what he dreamed, or remembered the dream but was withholding
the information. Whatever. Either way, he was about to be shocked off
his throne by the accuracy of "Daniel’s" information.
There are a lot of people who play around with the supernatural, by
the way, and then are shocked at the reality behind this playing
around. Notice that Nebuchadnezzar really HAD been given a real vision
of the future, though to HIM, an obscure one.
The Pharaoh of Egypt had been placed into a similar situation as we
see in the book of Genesis (chapter 41). God will use the hopes and
dreams of even godless men, and He inserts into our lives Godly men like
Joseph and Daniel (His gifts to us). God’s purpose in all things is
that each of us finds true joy in life, which is to say, to learn to
trust in Him.
Verse 30. "But as for me, this secret has not
been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but
for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that
you may know the thoughts of your heart."
It is not because we’re really such bright guys that God uses us. He
often delights in using noticeably deficient people, so we cannot help
but realize it was God who did the work. Paul said "He has chosen the
foolish things of this world to put to shame the wise" (1st
Corinthians 1:27 & context). In other words, if we think that we are
intelligent or wise, we probably aren’t. Unless, of course, we
recognize and have the wit to acknowledge that every good thing about us
came from God.
Notice God gave this interpretation through Daniel for two stated
reasons: 1) "for OUR sakes" - that is, that the lives
of these "wise men" might be spared (and they might learn to trust in
God), and 2) that the king might know the thoughts of
his heart. God is the God of LIFE, and when He acts, it is to HELP the
people of this world. One of the greatest ways we are helped is when He
lets us discover who we REALLY are. In doing so, we learn our true need
of Him.
Verse 31. "You, O king, were watching; and
behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent,
stood before you; and its form was awesome."
We won’t get into the INTERPRETATION of this dream yet - it is fully
interpreted FOR us, starting in verse 36. What we’re going to look at,
right now, is the EFFORT God expends in communicating with us. "Where
is God," we lament. Why, He’s right here, in our dreams, our Bible, in
the message on Sunday morning, in the kindness some person just extended
to us – He’s all around every one of us.
In Arizona, I spent many years in the real estate industry, both in
sales and in mortgage banking. Sometimes, I would do very well. Other
times, nothing worked and there was little income. Three times, I went
6-months or more with no family income at all. Now, that’s not a
surprise, for LOTS of people mess-up their careers. What was a surprise
is this: God ALWAYS was there with us, preparing the way. Every time
we went without income, God had revealed it to my heart, BEFORE it
occurred. My response was to re-double my efforts – try harder. But it
always happened just as my "heart" indicated. The other amazing thing
is, that at the end of each half year, we still had a house, cars,
clothing to wear; we were adequately fed, and if any help had been
needed, we got it! God was faithful, and He prepared us in advance for
all that happened.
Verse 32. "This image’s head was of fine gold,
its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,"
I love the DETAIL here, and also what I am certain is the BEAUTY of
God’s imagery. In Arizona, in retrospect, I was given exact
information about a portion of our future. I SHOULD have rested inside,
delighted that God would bring us through. Instead I struggled, but
that’s another story, another lesson.
The point is, God will give you everything you need, in every
potential crisis of life. Do you need information? He already KNOWS
what will happen. It’s interesting that He will give you the
information and preparation you REALLY need, not just what you THINK is
needed. He uses events to shape and change us, and He will prepare us
for those events, if we will just – LISTEN to Him.
Notice the detail here – He already knows your future, just like He
knew about these empires, just like He knew about Nebuchadnezzar and
Daniel’s needs. He has wonderful information that He wants to reveal to
you. Sure life contains trouble, but He is greater than our problems
and He loves each one of us without limit.
Verse 33. "It’s legs of iron, its feet partly
of iron and partly of clay."
Notice the degeneration of the subject matter as the dream
continues. That which is valuable becomes less valuable as time goes
on. That’s true in our lives, just as it is in human history. That
which is young and strong becomes old and weak. There is no evolution
from this perspective, for the Second Law of Thermodynamics (Entropy) is
very true and there is only "de-evolution" operating in the world. Our
toys seem new and sophisticated but our motives are worse than ever.
As the world goes on, to grow in love would indicate growing
intelligence. However, the only thing that seems to really be growing
in our society is selfishness. Our toys are growing more-and-more
dangerous and any patience people have with one another is wearing
thin. There is no doubt that we (the people set in motion by the fall
of the Roman Empire) are partly of iron and partly of clay. We humans
are base in too many ways and we definitely don’t mix well together.
But never forget that He loves you and me.
Verse 34. "You watched while a stone was cut
out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay,
and broke them in pieces."
Now, this is what WE need in our lives – the "Stone" which is created
without hands. You see that analogy sometimes in other parts of the Old
Testament (we’ll touch on this again), of an altar with uncut stones.
The imagery is that, of course, what we REALLY need in life cannot be
obtained by our human efforts. It is the work of God that will change
and sustain us.
We get so TIRED of trying to make things happen. Recently, I was
given a tape on the "Y2K" problem in relation to the year 2000. The
commentators in the tape were full of advice on how to cope with "Y2K"
(store water; store food). That’s important but what is really needed
in our lives is prayer. It is not our efforts that will save us (our
efforts will ultimately be broken in pieces), it is the intervention of
God.
Verse 35. "Then the iron, the clay, the
bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like
chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so
that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image
became a great mountain and filled the whole earth."
We are still not going to deal with the interpretation (which starts
in verse 36). What is here is that our efforts, no matter how noble or
profound, will eventually become like dust or chaff on a threshing room
floor. Oh yes, there are rewards in heaven, but it is our faith in Him
and not merely our human works that will count.
Do we keep trying in such a context? Yes we do, for God WILL use our
efforts, and will gradually turn them into HIS works done through us.
Do we depend solely on OUR ideas and abilities? No, for in doing that
(choosing our ideas over God’s), we reveal a basic human foolishness.
Eventually our works will fail, but God’s works will stand.
As mentioned, I periodically speak to the people of a convalescent
home on Sunday afternoons. The people there have spent their lives and
apparently have little more to offer. Actually though, they have much
to offer. Prayer is a good example. When our physical beings become
much lessened, we are required to rely on others more. As Paul
indicated in 1st Corinthians, particularly in chapter one, as we become
weak, it’s a GOOD thing, for it is our opportunity to trust in God.
The "stone" that became a "great mountain" striking the earth, is
important. Jesus Christ is that "great mountain" and when He strikes
our lives, He has enormous impact on us, to the extent that He will
ultimately fill us – with joy, peace, faithfulness, and love.
Verse 36. "This is the dream. Now we will tell
the interpretation of it before the king."
What does all this mean? Not only this section in Scripture, but the
whole of life! We have many questions, and we often turn to
philosophers and scientists (and theologians) for the answers. They
don't know, either. Daniel and the others had reached a point where it
was clear that ideas, thought-systems, factual information, religious
concepts - none of that could be any help to them. We reach that point
as well.
Notice that God ANSWERED the deepest longings of these men, not only
Daniel’s, but also Nebuchadnezzar, Captain Arioch, the Chief Eunuch and
his Steward, Daniel’s three friends, the other "wise" men; all. A great
deal of our lives is spent in ducking away from troubles, one after the
other. God desires to answer OUR deep longings, to SOLVE the life
problems of those who simply ASK Him in faith. He will reach in and
answer your deepest need.
Verse 37. "You, O king, are a king of kings.
For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and
glory;"
The start of the interpretation is Nebuchadnezzar himself. This is
reasonable that it would start with him – for each of us, our reference
points in life are typically ourselves.
Nebuchadnezzar was the first true world emperor. His rule was
absolute, like nothing we see around us today at all. Later on,
Nebuchadnezzar went nuts and from the perspective that "absolute power
corrupts absolutely" his mental state will not be a surprise. Actually,
it’s not fully correct to say "power corrupts." The reality is that we
already ARE corrupt, and power only tends to reveal our underlying
nature, previously hidden by the need to pacify those around us.
Note that GOD gives sovereignty, power, strength and glory. If we
have some of that, it’s not us that gave it to ourselves at all. Our
sovereignty may seem to be very little and we may be embarrassed by who
we are. But it is only "little" in comparison with others – don’t look
at people for your authentication in life, look to God.
Verse 38. "And wherever the children of men
dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has
given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all – you
are this head of gold."
I would not have chosen Nebuchadnezzar to be the "head of gold." He
killed people, took away the manhood of boys, and generally made a
deadly nuisance of himself for just about nation and person around him.
I would not want him for a neighbor. But consider this, he was an
effective agent for the will of God, regarding both nations and
individual people.
He was truly God’s agent in relation to the need for Judgment upon
Israel, and he did the job when others might have drawn back. Your
judgment and mine (about situations) are not the same as God’s. You and
I want things like – an effective retirement plan! God knows we need so
much more – We need to learn to trust in our Lord.
What do YOU want? It might be an easy life, a fun life. Or, you
might sincerely want a return to God for the people around you. Most of
us are someplace BETWEEN those extremes. Nebuchadnezzar (and the
extension of himself which was the Babylonian empire) WAS the head of
gold. I would not choose him, but God, who knows infinitely more than
me – did. God’s choices form the basis of Romans 13 – We respond to the
leader, not based on what we think of them, but because of God’s choice
in selecting them.
As to OUR dependability in the sight of God, A. B. Simpson said it
very well: "God wants people that He can depend upon. He could say of
Abraham, ‘I know him, that he will command his children ... that the
Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken.’ God can be
depended upon; He wants us to be just as decided, as reliable, as
stable. This is just what faith means. God is looking for men on whom
He can put the weight of all His love and power and faithful promises.
God is drilling us, disciplining us to stability and certainty in the
life of faith. Let us learn our lessons and stand fast."
Verse 39. "But after you shall arise another
kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze,
which shall rule over all the earth."
The "inferior" kingdom which came after him, could only be the
Persian empire. All you have to do is open a history book to the
Babylonian empire, get to the end and then wonder, what’s next? On the
very next page of history the answer is PERSIA (the silver chest and
arms of the statue), which reigned supreme until the Greeks under
Alexander (the bronze kingdom) swept out of Europe all the way to the
coast of India. Alexander the Great wept, it is reported, staring into
the Pacific Ocean from the east, because he had no one left to conquer.
Little did he know about China, the Americas. When we think we know it
all, have done it all, there is still much out there we haven’t yet even
heard about.
Remember, there were other countries, other peoples in the world, yet
God has set up this imagery in relation to Nebuchadnezzar (in relation
to the people Israel, really), and is speaking of the first true
absolute EMPIRES of recorded history. Other successful groups (as for
example, the Maccabees) didn’t fit that definition for they were not
dominant like Babylon. This empire was utterly powerful, like nothing
we have ever (yet) experienced.
Verse 40. "And the fourth kingdom shall be as
strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters all
things; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces
and crush all the others."
There never was an iron kingdom like the Roman Empire. Again, these
word-pictures were great brushstrokes on a historical canvas that
stretched a long way into the future. For hundreds of years, Rome
would literally crush everybody in sight. (I am, by the way, amazed
that so many decide that dreams don’t mean anything. For if God
communicates through dreams in one generation, why not another?)
The "fourth kingdom" is Rome, one of the most fascinating sagas in
history. I went back to college after the Air Force, attending nights,
because I was CURIOUS about many things. I simply hadn’t LISTENED in
school before and had no idea what things like the Roman Empire were all
about. This little excerpt from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is perfect.
Rome would "shatter" all things, "crush" all the peoples around them;
literally "break in pieces" everybody in sight, and then absorb them as
part of the Roman Empire.
Verse 41. "Whereas you saw the feet and toes,
partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be
divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw
the iron mixed with ceramic clay."
After centuries of successful unity, the Roman Empire split in two.
The Eastern Roman Empire was based in Byzantium (later called
Constantinople and now Istanbul). The capitol of the West was, of
course, in Rome. It was never the same from that point and "iron mixed
with clay" is a good description, not only of Rome after the split, but
of the world since that time.
There is no real unity among us; no continuity; and whatever we can
rally around is very limited. The exception will be the antichrist, who
will SEEM, for awhile, to lead the world back to "Pax Romana" or the
"Roman Peace." He will ultimately fail to be a unifying force
and the world will fail with him.
Verse 42. "And as the toes of the feet were
partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong
and partly fragile."
This was the outcome of the Roman Empire – partly VERY strong and
part VERY fragile. Our lives are like that. We try so hard, many
times, and then we are abruptly reminded of our (terminal)
vulnerability. We have areas of strength and then suddenly we see our
weakness, and in it, our need of other people, our need of God.
Unfortunately, when we see our weakness and vulnerability, we tend to
deny we are like that. We look for these same negative characteristics
in people around us and then express contempt when deficiencies are
indeed found in others. People do have strengths and we all have such
great WEAKNESSES. All is known in advance by God. All of what we are
is a part of his gentle work to bring us close to Him. We are
"fearfully and wonderfully made," just as we are.
Verse 43. "As you saw iron mixed with ceramic
clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to
one another, just as iron does not mix with clay."
Have you noticed that in our day, people do not adhere to one another
very well? Nations rise against nations, people get divorced,
neighbors don’t like each other, and on and on. From the time before
Rome collapsed, there has been an increase in the process of division
among people, which is accelerating at this time. People seldom get on
well with each other and now it’s worse than ever. I think we need to
see that our differences are lasting and terminal, if God is not in our
lives. Without Him, our self-imposed isolation is – permanent.
But let Him in – ASK Him to enter the part of your life that is so
lonely. Then, that which is terminal in relationships becomes just
superficial. We must let God in Christ Jesus RULE in the relationships
of our lives – for we cannot govern ourselves.
Verse 44. "And in the days of these kings the
God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and
the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces
and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever."
Right in the middle of the time of the Roman Empire, Christ was born,
lived, and died for our sins. His kingdom consists of Himself (the
King) and His subjects (those who trust in Him). Outwardly, the world
appears the same since His kingdom was established. Wars, trouble,
divorce, unhappiness still are here, EXCEPT that the persons who truly
trust in Him, will find that the world is NOT the same. It continues
down the bumpy road to hell, but WE are changed. His kingdom is
literally WITHIN us; and it will stand – forever!
That which is outward WILL be destroyed. Because He is in His
kingdom, all other competing systems WILL not last. I like permanence.
It’s nice to lean on a fence and have it hold my weight, without falling
over. His kingdom is a strong fence – stable and lasting. Nothing, no
one else but Him, will last for you.
This relationship to Christ will never be destroyed. Right now, we
don’t have even a CLUE what true permanence is all about – until we find
REST in Him.
Verse 45. "Inasmuch as you saw that the stone
was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces
the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold – the great God
has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream
is certain, and its interpretation is sure."
This "stone…cut out of the mountain without (human) hands" is
important. We see the precursors of this elsewhere in Scripture, as in
Exodus 20:25, where Moses was allowed to build an altar of stones, but
he was told "not…of HEWN stone." What’s really described here is God’s
work in our lives, as opposed to our own. As stated in verse 44, "GOD
will set up the kingdom".
As humans, WE want to set things up FOR Him. WHY are there so many
religions in the world, warring against each other? Because WE want to
hew OUR own stones, do the work only HE can do. As people, we tend to
set-up religions in OUR image, rather than His. There can be no peace
for us, except in His way, on His terms.
Let Him direct you, that you may allow His altar of love (Christ
Jesus) to be set-up in the center of your heart and life. At some
point, all that are in His kingdom will be completely formed in His
image. Toward that end, let HIM do His work in you today.
Verse 46. "Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on
his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should
present an offering and incense to him."
Falling on our faces before the work of God is a reasonable act.
Unfortunately, we tend to fall before the MAN who does the work for God,
rather than before God Himself. Nebuchadnezzar took it further and
commanded an offering be given Daniel, and incense be burned (incense is
a representations of prayer – see Revelations 5:8).
We’ll see in verse 47 that there was more going on in the king’s
heart than worshipping Daniel, but it is interesting that we DO mix-up
God’s man with God Himself. And when we do confuse the two, God will
sometimes correct us immediately for inappropriate behavior and
sometimes not until later.
The important things had been established – Daniel was shown to be a
person of faith who could be depended upon by the king, God was revealed
as God, and additionally, the lives of men were saved for another day.
Has someone been shown to you to be a person of true faith? Thank
God for them. Has your life been saved? Thank GOD, for He truly is
the One who is your Savior.
Verse 47. "The king answered Daniel, and said,
‘Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of
secrets, since you could reveal this secret."
Yes, the king fell in shock before Daniel, at the perfection of this
wisdom and knowledge, but now he is recognizing that only Almighty God
could do such things. It occurs to me that Nebuchadnezzar himself is
very intelligent. It’s like he is making great mental jumps, first into
error – that the eunuch-boy Daniel could have such truths, and then Into
real truth, that there are some things only understood in relation to
God.
Scripture says (1st Peter 2:21, 4:11, 2 Peter 1:3) that His power
(about things that pertain to life and godliness) is GIVEN to us, and is
not something we can achieve on our own. Something more than
intelligence was coming to Nebuchadnezzar – he was finding true FAITH,
which is God’s gift of Himself.
Verse 48. "Then the king promoted Daniel and
gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province
of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon."
"The authorities that exist are appointed by God" (Romans 13:1). Do
you have some kind of authority in your job, your life? It was given
you by God. It may be that God gave you authority to understand
computer hardware or software. It is God’s gift. You may have only
the authority to clean the toilets at work or you may be in charge of
many men – Yet it is God who sets us into the places in which we find
ourselves.
Some person may say to us, "You are the boss" but it is really God
(behind the person) Who is the real origin of all earthly authority.
And if we run into a wall in life and seem to have no power at all –
Remember that God has wisdom, greater than you and me. Sometimes it is
better to lose than to win. Nixon and Clinton both achieved life-long
dreams to become President of the United States. Yet the doorway to
victory was also the path to lifetimes of humiliation and ridicule.
Nixon fell and Clinton will be the subject of jokes for many years.
Verse 49. "Also Daniel petitioned the king,
and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the
province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king."
Remember the friends that God has placed into your life and heart.
These were men that had supported Daniel with words and prayer
(2:17-18). They courageously joined Daniel in the matter of the
vegetables (1:12 & context), and as we shall see in chapter 3, they were
men who trusted in God. Daniel remembered them, as we should also
remember.
Remember such people. (The worker in the next cubicle, the person in
the next pew, is not near you by accident). God places men and women
into our lives for a PURPOSE. It may be to help them like Daniel who
petitioned the king for jobs for his friends; it may be in the area of
prayer; perhaps just to LISTEN to the friend. Mostly we should listen
to God and let Him (through us) help our friend.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
ron@fridaystudy.org
