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
