April 11, 2023
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Reading along with us in Daniel? Here’s today’s reading:
Daniel 2 (NIV)
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2 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, 3 he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.”............Continue Reading
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Early in the chapter, the king decides that he wants to have his wise men (astrologers, magicians and enchanters) to tell him the dream he had and what it means. Verses 10 and 11 reveal reality to these “wise men”: “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….” They, obviously, have not yet met Daniel’s God.
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.”
When Daniel was given Nebuchadnezzar dream and interpretation in a night vision. He gave all the credit to God. For Daniel and his friends had pleaded with God to reveal this to them so they wouldn`t be destroyed. He told the king that only God could reveal it. All four were rewarded although I think they were just happy to be alive and grateful to God. They were also reminded of how great God is and that He answers prayer. That He is above any earthy king. God gave the dream to Nebuchadnezzar revealing what was to come. 1st kingdom [ Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, 2nd kingdom silver Medes and Persia, 3rd kingdom bronze Greco–Macedonian Empire, 4th kingdom Roman Empire, The 3rd kingdom and those after it all happened hundreds of years after the dream. Then there is the feet and toes of clay and iron. This is believed to be the Revival Roman Empire. Ten horns or ten kings to the Beast [ Revelation 17; 12–13]. The stone cut out without hands and becomes a mountain destroys all these other kingdoms is The Kingdom of God. In Revelation Jesus comes back as King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the conquering King.
Daniel 2 King Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that were filled with prophetic messages, the astrologers couldn’t decipher only a true man of God and that was Daniel, and he never was fearful he asked God to reveal Gods message to the King. Daniel was so thankful to God when he did reveal the dream to him.
I loved that Daniel prayed with his friends
My Bible says prayer is more effective than panic and I truly believe that especially right now waiting for our daughter’s biopsy to come back, Where is my faith it’s in the Lord I trust him no matter what the outcome is like Daniel in all his situations he was put in.
Isn’t it awesome the way God orchestrates things so as to do the things that Daniel praises Him for: “He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them.”? As you consider who gave Nebuchadnezzar this dream and even the thought to have the magicians tell him the dream and not just interpret it (a strange and uncommon request certainly), and God is dong all this to reveal Himself to the king as well as promote Daniel and his friends. I just love hearing these false advisors squirm as they are asked to do something that just reveals the false source of their insights. And I just love how Daniel puts himself and God out there without knowing what God is going to do and then goes to his friends and asks them to pray for God to join Daniel on the limb that he just put him and God on. And God is faithful to answer and shows Himself to be the true God and shows Daniel to His agent in Babylon.
Just think how awestruck this king must have been as Daniel tells him his dream. Nebbi must have understood the big ask of having them tell him it. And what a dream it is..laying out the empires that would rule from his time to the time of Christ. And don’t miss how Daniel honors the king and the King of Kings in how he communicates it. We look backward and know the empires went Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and then Rome…and that the Roman Empire was divided and maintained some of its strength but it was also compromised by internal strife. And it was in the time of Rome that Jesus came, the One who would tell Pontius Pilate the only power you have over Me is what is given to you….if Me and My Father didn’t want this to happen, I could blow on you and turn you to chaffe…….but God uses this dream millennia before to reveal it. We can certainly can’t trust Him to orchestrate world events..things that are too big for us are not too big for Him. And He rules it all. That’s what Daniel shows us about our God.
Daniel 2
Daniel. Once again has no fear as he is approached to interpret and tell the king. He asks God for wisdom to interpret the dream. He prays about the meaning. He praises God as he is before the king before he tells him of his dream. What a picture the statue is Each kingdom has metals in comparison to their strength. And then the Rock that smashed the statue. Is an everlasting kingdom.!!!!
It is so cool how God reveals Himself to people and how elaborately and carefully each thing He does is entangled into another. Nebuchadnezzar gives the false prophets a chance to shine and of course they can not but God can and Daniel is sure to point out that something that seems so impossible like telling and interpreting the king’s dreams for him is not impossible for God, the one true God!
The king knew in his heart that his “wise men” would not be able to tell him what his dream was and interpret it, so he gave them an impossible task that, if not followed through, would result in death. And Daniel gives us a good example of how prayer works. He knew he had the true God behind him, and he bravely went in to the king to ask for more time. Then he asks his friends to pray to God with him for understanding and interpretation. They prayed with faith that God would answer, and so the Lord did so and he did so quickly. So Daniel praises God for it and he gives God the glory when he speaks to the king. And he doesn’t forget his friends who supported him as he requests the king to appoint them to high places of authority in the land. So God reveals to Daniel, his friends, the king and those who read his Word what nations would rule until the millennium reign of Christ. Pretty awesome stuff!
We see God’s sovereignty over the nations of the earth. God tells Daniel the dream and its interpretation because God wants Nebuchadnezzar to know His plans.
I think of the events of our world today. As Americans we focus on our own nation, but there are things going on in all nations right now that are very significant. We should be paying attention.
Daniel 2