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Good Thursday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you ever been troubled by frightening dreams, maybe even what you might call nightmares?
Yesterday I left you in King Nebuchadnezzar’s throne room. He had summoned Daniel, his trusted advisor and was about to detail a frightening dream he had experienced, hoping Daniel could interpret it for the king. Perhaps you remember more than 30 years before King Nebuchadnezzar had troubling dreams about a golden headed statue. None of the king’s wise men could interpret that dream and he was about to kill them when Daniel came forth and with God’s help, he interpreted the dreams for the king. Nebuchadnezzar, in his profound gratitude, had elevated Daniel to a very high position in Babylon. The record of that event is Daniel 2.
In the ensuing several decades much had happened in Babylon and the world of King Nebuchadnezzar as he had expanded the Babylonian empire including conquering and destroying Jerusalem. I wonder if Nebuchadnezzar was fearful that his current dream might be related to his dream of so many years before?
His challenge to Daniel was this: “I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream, interpret it for me…” (Daniel 4:9) King Nebuchadnezzar then described his dream which centered around a huge, magnificent tree which dominated the landscape and was visible from all directions. (Daniel 4:10-12)
Suddenly, into his dream came a “holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven. He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit…but leave the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.” (Daniel 4:13-15a)
I imagine the royal scribes in the king’s throne room were frantically writing down every detail as the king described his dream. Daniel listened very carefully. Of course, it would be only the Holy Spirit of God who could explain the dream to Daniel. For if God was speaking through this dream to the most powerful man in the world, Nebuchadnezzar, it would be essential that Daniel understand the interpretation given to him by the Holy Spirit, so Daniel could then explain it accurately and understandably to the king.
Nebuchadnezzar continued, now adding a very strange part of his dream. The messenger in his dream changed the pronoun from instructing the tree to be cut down to speaking about the tree as a person: “Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him. The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that all the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all the kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.” (Daniel 4:15b-17)
Nebuchadnezzar had paused, allowing the drama of this dream to sink in. Then the most powerful man in the world added this closing statement: “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you!” (Daniel 4:18)
I’m fascinated by Nebuchadnezzar’s respect for Daniel and his confidence in Daniel’s ability to hear wisdom from God and give the king a clear understanding for the application of that dream to his life. That phrase ‘the spirit of the holy gods is in you!’ amazes me! This was true of Daniel, and more than 400 years before it was true of King David. (1 Samuel 16:13) The Holy Spirit of God had guided Daniel, protected Daniel, empowered Daniel for more than 30 years in Babylon, and on this day, with King Nebuchadnezzar staring at Daniel, Daniel needed a fresh anointing, a fresh revelation of God’s truth through the Holy Spirit.
Pause with me for a few seconds, my friends. Can the same be said of you and me? Is the Holy Spirit of God resident in you and me, guiding and teaching, protecting and empowering you and me for all that God has called you and me to experience and accomplish in this life? Isn’t that what Jesus promised His disciples in John 14:16,17,26,27; 16:13?
Daniel’s record next makes this powerful statement about this tense moment in Babylon’s throne room: “Then Daniel, (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, ‘Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.’ Belteshazzar answered, ‘My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!” (Daniel 4:19)
Apparently, the Holy Spirit was already speaking the meaning of the dream into Daniel’s heart and mind, and it was terrifying. While King Nebuchadnezzar had a deep respect for Daniel, he also had a temper! Daniel had seen it more than once, remember the furnace and Daniel’s three friends, reported for us in Daniel 3? Daniel knew that if he spoke what the Holy Spirit was revealing in his mind about this dream, Nebuchadnezzar may fly into a rage and only very bad things happened when Nebuchadnezzar was angry!
Have you ever been in a situation where it was important that you speak the truth… hard, honest truth to someone, and you knew their reaction could be dangerous for you and for others? Would you agree this is one of the roles God calls His people to in our evil world?
That’s part of what Jesus meant when He said His people would be “salt & light” in this world, remember? (Matt. 5:13-16) Salt makes things better and retards decay. Light makes things brighter and dispels the darkness.
So, let’s pause here with Daniel while he awaits God’s full explanation of the dream, and let’s consider how important it is that you and I are faithfully truth tellers and truth livers, especially when the darkness of doubt or deceit is gaining ground in relationships or business or health care or education or even government!
Tomorrow we’ll hear Daniel’s God given explanation and watch Nebuchadnezzar’s response. For now, as we reflect, let’s worship with this song, and I’ll see you tomorrow…
Today’s Scripture: Daniel 4:9,13-19a.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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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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