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Bible Studies for those who love the Word or want to discover more.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Seasons of Change: Part 2 Daniel 2:20-23



Read Daniel 2:1-28a

We ended last lesson by asking what gave Daniel courage, confidence and decisiveness in the face of trouble. Was Daniel a superhuman? Was he just so extraordinary in character that none of the rest of us could ever be like him?  What was it that enabled Daniel to overcome and push through despite the stark truth that just about everything changed in his young life?

Remember that it was the intent of the Babylonians to use the best and the brightest to increase their nation’s abilities and power. Therefore, in Chapter 1 we can see the systematic structure designed to start the assimilation and reprogramming of these young Israelite men. They were to be given a particular diet, they were to be taught the native language, they were given new and pagan names, and they were schooled in all aspects of literature and languages.  The Babylonians were quite sure that their program would work.

But they knew very little about the faithful Israelites and their God. Daniel and his friends understood who their God was despite everything that had changed. They understood that God’s ways were perfect and his character was sure and steadfast even in the face of everything changing. Despite the fact that their home and families were far away, despite the fact that their city had been razed and ruined, despite the fact that their place of worship had been utterly destroyed, they had another fact—their God was still on the throne.

Having an unwavering faith in the nature and character of God can give anyone the ability to rise above any kind of trouble and change. This must have been what was at the rock bed of Daniel’s choice to not be completely assimilated into the Babylonian culture and religion. I hope you didn’t missed what 1:8 says, “But Daniel resolved . . .”

What is resolve? Is it the good, old-fashioned “I will pull myself up by my own bootstraps” attitude? That kind of attitude is based on self-reliance. Frankly, when you have lost everything self-reliance is shifting sand. 

Resolve can be defined as reaching a decision or making a determination or having a fixed purpose. Now, I can be resolved to get myself out of a mess. But can I really? Let’s think about those taken into exile. They had no means of escape—the Babylonian army and might were extraordinary. They had no means of rebuilding their wall or their temple—they no longer had any financial or building resources, plus they were 1,000 miles away from home. They had little or no choice in how they lived—they were told what to do every hour of the day. But they did have something that could never be taken away from them. They had a deep and abiding faith in God and the will to trust Him no matter what. These two things cannot be taken from any human being. If you do not have them, it is because you have simply surrendered them to your conqueror who has laid siege to you for so long.

Through the example of a young man who did not surrender his right to believe in God, we can learn how to overcome. John E. Goldengay, a fine commentator on the book of Daniel, made some note-worthy statements about Daniel.  Read carefully:
“. . . the fruit of [Daniel’s] work is not merely rewards and promotions (v. 48) but obeisance and recognition of his God (vv. 46-47) . . . Daniel is portrayed as a model for spirituality in his attitude of trust, expectancy and gratitude, expressed in his practice of prayer and praise in the fellowship of his friends. The contents of his praise expresses key affirmations about God’s sovereignty over human affairs and his revelation of the secrets of history which he alone knows . . .”[1]

O.K. Can we be truthful here? Not many of us know how great and good God is. In fact, our images of God are often distorted by broken human relationships, disappointment, sin, and disillusionment. How many times have we prayed and not yet heard the answer we wanted? How many times have we made deals with God and he didn’t hold up the end of the bargain, even though we failed? How often have we tried to conjure up a god that will always give us what we want when we want it? How many times have we given in to the siege works of addiction, selfishness, deal-making and manipulation? 

In the middle of changes that wrenched everything away, Daniel and his friends knew how to be stable and secure. They found resolve based on the true character of God. This resolve came from a deep understanding that God was indeed sovereign, trustworthy, powerful and gracious.  And because of this resolve, God honored them with great things. In 1:15-20 we see the specific things God gave to these men of resolve:  greater health, knowledge and understanding and, to Daniel, the understanding of dreams and visions. These three young Israelite men became ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters of the entire Babylonian kingdom! God gave them what He valued and knew was best for them. He gave to them precisely what they would need for the trials ahead and the decisions they would have to make. We see this specifically in Daniel 2.

Once again, we can observe the violent and unstable nature of the Babylonian way, and in particular, this is demonstrated in the character of King Nebuchadnezzar.  Let’s look at a couple of key verses that show this: 
Daniel 2:5-6
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."
Daniel 2:10-13
The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man 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 men."
    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.   

In the face of impending destruction and death, what would your reactions be? Would you capitulate and surrender yourself to the siege? Would you fold and let go of your God? What would you do? What could be done? John Goldengay reflected on this point of temptation:  “Jewish exiles might be tempted to find Israelite wisdom and Israelite faith in their God as Lord of history looking extremely unimpressive compared with the resources and power of Nebuchadnezzar.”[2]

Can we get a grasp on how crazy this situation was? There was no logic, no recourse. The king could not be reasoned with and lives were at stake. King Nebuchadnezzar was a wicked man whose mind and heart were torn with confusion and selfishness. He really had no idea that his own soul had been under siege and taken captive by evil and sin.

But Daniel was not tempted to give in to fear and hopelessness. He knew what could and should be done. Never surrender and never retreat because God is still on his throne. With a boldness and surety of who his God was and what He had given to Daniel, Daniel thrust himself into the throne room of King Nebuchadnezzar and begs for time! What boldness, what courage! Where did that come from? It came from Daniel’s firm faith in the one, true living God who was far more powerful than any Babylonian King. 

Daniel 2:17-18          
Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

The “natural” response from an individual who understands God’s will and character is to go to God. Daniel did not engage all the occult and magical practices he had been exposed to in his Babylonian training. He did not try to bribe or manipulate anyone. He did not curl up in a corner and escape the world. He did what he instinctively knew to do as a person after God’s own heart—he prayed to God whom he trusted. And more than that, he urged his fellow believers to pray with him, to plead the mercies of God. They prayed not only for themselves, but also for all the other wise men who were under death sentence.

When a situation is hopeless, the God of hope steps in.  Only God could rescue Daniel, his friends and all the wise men of Babylon.  And so he did.

Daniel 2:19
During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision.

Oh, the great power of God! Not only did he give Daniel the gift of understanding dreams and visions, but he revealed to him the dream the king insisted on keeping secret. This was a path of deliverance personally delivered by the Highest Power in the universe. No earthly king could match that kind of knowledge, wisdom or power. Daniel had full confidence in his God and trusted deeply in the mercies of God Most High. Out of his resolve and out of his trust he sang a wonderful song.  It is a song of truth and mercy, a song of praise and thanksgiving. It is a song of worship.   

  “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
       wisdom and power are his.

    He changes times and seasons;
       he sets up kings and deposes them.
       He gives wisdom to the wise
       and knowledge to the discerning.

    He reveals deep and hidden things;
       he knows what lies in darkness,
       and light dwells with him.

    I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
       You have given me wisdom and power,
       you have made known to me what we asked of you,
       you have made known to us the dream of the king."
Daniel 2:19b-23

Oh, do you know who God is? He is the One who wants to deliver you from your enemies. He is the One who wants to give you a way where there seems to be no way. He is the One who wants to help you in the midst of your trouble. He is the One who has already been working things out. 

In Daniel 10:12 we can read of the experience of God appearing to Daniel. It is a remarkable scene that holds a key to understanding how God works. This is what was told to Daniel, “Since the first day that you set your mind to understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard.” God is the One who loves you enough to work His miracles on your behalf even before you know He is working. And he is the One who is greater than any force that can come against you. 

How do we become like Daniel, who as Dr. Goldengay so aptly put it, was a model for spirituality in his attitude of trust, expectancy and gratitude, expressed in his practice of prayer and praise in the fellowship of his friends?

The first thing we need to do is to let God re-form his image in us. As we have observed before, our image of God can become warped or tarnished from human tragedy and disappointments.  Only as we let the Spirit of God transform our understanding of him can we begin to grasp who he is. Only as we let go of all the things that seem to be our security can we find the true Security of our lives.

Then we will be able to pray effectively, fervently and with great confidence expecting God to deliver us in His perfect way. We can release our humanistic and selfish expectations of God doing it our way and let him do it His way. We can erupt in praise and thanksgiving for Him. 

Just as Daniel understood, sometimes this takes praying together. He was quick to gather his friends and urge them to pray specifically. Perhaps that’s what needs to happen right now. Do you need prayer about a specific, seemingly undeliverable situation? Do you need the intercession of other believers so that the erroneous images of God and your off-target expectations of him could be removed? Do you need to spend time in prayer with your God who is willing and able to work his perfect will and future on your behalf, if you will only fully submit to Him?

Amen

M.R. Hyde
Copyright 2019


[1] Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 30 Daniel, John E. Goldengay, Word Publishers, Dallas, TX 1989, p. 42-43.
[2] Ibid, p. 54.

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