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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
How much would you be willing to pay for a clear and accurate prediction of what the rest of your life will be? What questions would you have for the person who could give you that prediction with assurance it is true and will happen?
Join me again please, 2600 year ago, in the great city of Babylon and the most powerful ROOM in the world… the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar who was at time, undeniably, the most powerful RULER in the world! You may recall that yesterday we were in that palace with Daniel, the young Jewish captive, taken from Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar’s army, in 605bc. (Daniel 1)
Daniel was in a 3-year, intensive, Babylonian leadership training course. King Nebuchadnezzar had some dreams and none of his magicians or astrologers or wise men have been able to meet the impossible demand Nebuchadnezzar had for them. Do you remember what that demand was and do you remember what the punishment would be for ALL the advisors to the King if they were unable to meet the demand?
Daniel chapter 2 has the account of this historic, remarkable event. King Nebuchadnezzar had demanded that the wise men first tell him WHAT he had dreamed and then give him an accurate INTERPRETATION of his dream! Of course, his trusted advisors had told King Nebuchadnezzar that his demand was impossible. In fact, they said: “What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods and they do not live among humans.” (Dan. 2:11)
Of course, with this statement those sorcerers and magicians were telling the truth, but also giving themselves a death sentence, for Nebuchadnezzar had declared if his demand was not met, they would all be executed, including the new young ones in training and that would include Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. (Daniel 2:12,13)
As we saw yesterday, Daniel, however, called his three friends and together they turned to Almighty God in passionate prayer, presenting the desperate situation to God and requesting the answer, which only the one, true, living, God of Israel could provide. Very soon God responded to Daniel by giving him a clear understanding of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and its meaning.
Daniel requested an audience with King Nebuchadnezzar and courageously, boldly said: “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come!” (Daniel 2:27,28)
In that moment I assume anyone else who was privileged to be present in King Nebuchadnezzar’s throne room held their breath. The scribes grabbed their writing utensils and tablets. History was being made! A Jewish captive, in the Babylonian leadership training program, was claiming he had an encounter with God, the supreme, divine Being, and
Daniel was prepared to give the most powerful man on this planet, God’s clear prediction of the future!
For Daniel, this was an opportunity to become world famous, extremely wealthy and highly influential with King Nebuchadnezzar or, of course, if Nebuchadnezzar did not like what he heard, Daniel knew he would likely be killed. Think about the significance of that moment. The words Daniel next spoke give us tremendous insight into Daniel’s character and his qualifications for God selecting him for this significant and strategic role, as trusted advisor, for 64 years, to the most powerful leaders in the world. (Daniel 1:21)
Daniel said, “As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the REVEALER of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me NOT because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.” (Daniel 2:29,30)
Oh my! Do you hear Daniel’s humility with courage, confidence and clarity? Do you hear Daniel making sure the most important man in the world understands there is a supreme being more important and wise than he is…God! And that God reveals mysteries, even into the future where no human being can see!
I assume Daniel had studied the Jewish prophet Isaiah who had written about 100 years before. Perhaps Daniel was thinking about this verse when he spoke those words to Nebuchadnezzar: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool…These are the ones I esteem: those who are humble and contrite in heart and tremble at My word.” (Is. 66:1,2b)
Now let’s look closely at the vision Daniel explained to King Nebuchadnezzar, I hope you have your Bible open to Daniel 2:31 “Your majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue – an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance.”
I wonder if Daniel paused right there as Nebuchadnezzar’s eye widened and maybe his mouth dropped open? How did Daniel know that? He was right, that is exactly what the King had seen in his dream! Nebuchadnezzar probably leaned forward, anxious to hear what Daniel would say next, and perhaps turning to his scribes demanded that they make sure they write down every word this young Jewish man says, every word! Don’t miss anything! May I urge us to also make sure we don’t miss anything? Do you know why?
This vision God gave Nebuchadnezzar in about 602bc points forward in time and includes you and me and our time, and even things yet in our future which God will accomplish!
Daniel continued: “The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth!” (Daniel 2:32-35)
My guess is by now King Nebuchadnezzar is either standing up from his throne in amazement, speechless, or has fallen back on his throne as though almost having a heart attack. What just happened is humanly impossible. There is no logical explanation. Daniel had accurately, in every small detail, described the dream King Nebuchadnezzar had several days before, yet neither Daniel nor any other human being had heard from the King even one word about the dream.
Only God could have given Daniel this detailed, accurate information! This experience was why Daniel so resolved to not let anything, including the King’s banquet table, tamper with the deep, powerful relationship God was building with Daniel. This was why Daniel did not allow his emotions to hinder or unravel his reverence for God, his pursuit of knowing God, even when Daniel was dragged off from his home and family as a prisoner of war!
We need to pause right here to consider what we can learn from Daniel in pursuing and nurturing our relationship with God and not allowing anything or anyone to interfere! Tomorrow will be exciting as we begin to dig into Daniel’s God given explanation about the dream and the significance of both the statue and the rock! Here’s a great worship song and I’ll meet you right back here tomorrow…
Today’s Scripture: Daniel 2:29-35.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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