Daniel 2:1-17
“In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.” Then the astrologers answered the king, “May the king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.” The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.” Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.” Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.” The astrologers answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 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.” This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death. When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.”
Daniel 2:1-17 NIV
An impossible situation started with a sleepless night. We have all probably had those kinds of nights. Something keeps us up, we are restless, or our minds cannot rest. Like Nebuchadnezzar, we may have a really bad dream or nightmare. Nebuchadnezzar had a bad dream that was so bad, it unsettled him. We will soon see that God was at work in the darkness of his mind. When Nebuchadnezzar awoke, his dream bothered him so much that he wanted to find out the dream’s meaning. He was desperate to find the truth. Therefore, he called for help.
Nebuchadnezzar probably recognized that his dream was important. The ancient Babylonians believed that dreams were messages from their gods; thus, understanding a dream correctly was crucial for their future. In this case Nebuchadnezzar apparently feared that his strange dream contained an ominous message for him and he needed to find out what that message was.
However, Nebuchadnezzar made a critical mistake. It is a mistake we all have or probably will make. We ask the wrong people for help. When you have a sleepless night, who are you going to call? Dream-busters. Unfortunately, Nebuchadnezzar did not ask for the best help he had. If you recall, he had just found in the previous chapter that Daniel and his three friends were the brightest of all his wise men.
Nebuchadnezzar expected his interpreters to tell him what he had dreamt. This was not the normal procedure. Ordinarily, when a king had a dream that he wanted to know its interpretation, he would recount the dream to his wise men, they would then consult some books they had about common dream symbols, and then they would give the king an interpretation.
Nebuchadnezzar felt that the wise men were stalling for time because they saw that he was serious about executing them if they did not interpret the dream immediately. If they could not reveal his dream to him, then he felt that he could not trust their interpretation. Either way, this was an impossible demand. Are there things you expect that are impossible?
Perhaps you expect you those close to you to just know what you are thinking? Perhaps you expect your loved ones to change into the people you want. Do you think you will find joy or security in your job, your health, or the future of the nation? Do you expect things to go a certain way in your personal life or in the life of the church that only God can do?
Perhaps you expect to earn God’s favor. Do you expect that you can do enough good things to earn God’s favor? Do you believe you can do enough bad things to lose what God has given you? That, too, is impossible because He has said that your salvation is based on His grace and not your works.
I do not know what Nebuchadnezzar expected to accomplish by killing all of his wise men. That would have left him with no wise counsel. This included Daniel and his friends, which was quiet unfair for them as they were not summoned to the king and they were not a part of the discussions with the king. They were innocent bystanders who were going to be killed because others could not fulfill the king’s impossible demand. Keep in mind that Daniel was most likely a teenager at this time. He was not the old prophet with a long white beard that many imagine him to be.
In a way, we really ought to feel sorry for Daniel and his friends. Daniel was trying to live faithfully in an ungodly world. He was trying to make the best of a bad circumstance. He had already proven his resolve by not compromising his faith and convictions with the king’s meal plan. And now, after he competed the king’s training and was preparing to serve in the highest court of the land, he was dealt a crushing blow of which he had no control. This could have been Satan’s attempt to get rid of Daniel, which is what the enemy tries to do to God’s people.
These verses encourage us to remain faithful to God in difficult circumstances. These verses encourages us to seek God in those impossible situations. When we face those situations, we should turn to the one who has all the answers and is an ever present help. These verses encourage us to place our hope in Jesus Christ and not in a nation, an earthly king, or in anyone else.
Our hope cannot be our political parties or our political process. Our hope must be in Almighty God, who alone can turn hearts back to Him. Our hope is not dependent on whether the world order stabilizes or disintegrates, or whether America falls or recovers, or who leads the country, or who is appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Our hope rises above the trouble and chaos of this present world, enabling us to stay focused on our future reward and to endure whatever situation we face in this world, however impossible it is. Our hope is in Jesus Christ!!! Be a Daniel in Babylon!!!
Father thank You for this day and the breath of life we have in Your Word. Lord open the floodgates of heaven and let Your abundant blessings flow over my friend and family today. Lord help us to be men and women who obey Your Word and pray Courageously at all times. Lord use my friend to be someone’s blessing today. Be a blessing.
Father, we love You. Amen !
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