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Weekly Message | February 10th, 2008
Passage: Daniel 2:1-49
Key Verse(s): 2:44
This is the year of Presidential Election. In Democratic side, Hillary Clinton, an experienced powerful woman, and Barack Obama, an inspiring young man, are the final two remaining candidates. John McCain might be the Republican choice. I read the biographies of these three people—they are impressive with their accomplishments. Keep in mind that one of them will lead for 4 years or at maximum 8 years. These days China and India are two rising nations. These changes have occurred within the past 30 years.
Have you ever thought that Iraq and Iran used to be world powers? The center of the world was not Washington D.C. or New York. Just imagine the days when the people of the world paid attention to Baghdad, Iraq as the center of the world politics. Today’s passage is from the Babylonian palace, the place of modern Iraq. At the climax of the absolute power of the king Nebuchadnezzar God speaks through Daniel.
First, Daniel’s response to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (1-18). Look at verse 1:"In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep." Just one year had passed since Nebuchadnezzar was enthroned as King of Babylon. In the second year of his reign, he had dreams. Until now he engaged in so many battles and destroyed many lives. Outwardly, the kingdom was solidly established. Probably, he had many sleepless nights thinking about the future of his kingdom. One night God revealed his wonderful plans through his dreams. The content of his dreams deeply troubled his soul.
Evidently, in the middle of the night, the king summoned the senior wise men of his kingdom such as magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers. He said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means." Then the king demanded that they interpret his dream but he did not tell them what it was. The wise men pleaded with the king to tell them the content of the dream. The king instead said, "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." "Cut into pieces" were probably Nebuchadnezzar's favorite phrases. That was Nebuchadnezzar's way of dealing with incompetent and useless people. Nebuchadnezzar also promised gifts, reward and great honors for anyone who would interpret his dreams.
The wise men made a second petition and foolishly said, "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." (10-11). Their words suggested that Nebuchadnezzar was wrong and foolish. The king felt so insulted that he ordered the immediate execution of all the wise men of Babylon. As a practical man Nebuchadnezzar concluded that these so called wise men were highly paid but useless in time of real need. They did nothing to comfort his soul; instead they wounded his pride. So the decree was issued to put all the wise men to death. By the instant decision of this absolute ruler all these knowledge experts in Babylon including Daniel and his friends were to perish.
When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke with wisdom and tact. He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Daniel did not challenge the king but focused on the harsh decree itself. Arioch could have just killed Daniel. Instead, he explained the matter to Daniel. Daniel knew how to make friends with people inside of the palace. Arioch gladly arranged for Daniel a meeting with the king.
By faith Daniel went in to the king. He came up with a solution for him with one condition—just a little more time. At this Nebuchadnezzar, touched by Daniel's sincerity, granted his request. Daniel had no idea how to go about it. By faith Daniel tackled this hard challenge. Daniel met his three friends--Hannaniah, Mishael and Azariah. He humbly shared his burden and asked their prayer support. Daniel urged them to plead for God’s mercy concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends (along with all other wise men) might not be executed. Daniel certainly remembered God’s promise stated in Psalm 50:15, "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will honor me."
Crisis comes to all of us—unexpectedly and seemingly so unfairly—in one way or another. We all have no control about its sudden coming to us. The only control is our response. Is crisis in this life really worthy of losing one’s mind? By faith either we face it with wisdom and tact or in fear we try to escape from it. Either we seek prayer support and ask God’s mercy or we have no one to turn to and stay in despair. Keep friends around you especially those who pray for you. In ordinary time invest yourself in knowing God.
Second, Daniel declared God’s rule to the king (19-35). During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision (19a). It is not uncommon that praying people experience seeing a vision, particularly the spiritual state of others in their prayer. In a much higher level, Daniel was seeing the vivid picture of the statue in his vision. Upon seeing the vision, Daniel did not hastily run to the king. Daniel showed his deep reverence toward God. Let’s read Daniel’s prayers: “"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21 He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. 23 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." As he praised God, Daniel's heart was filled with God's glory and power. After worshipping God he could stand before the king with the wisdom and peace of God.
The next morning Arioch the commander took Daniel to the king. On seeing Daniel, the king asked him, "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?" Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these: "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. Then Daniel described the dream:
"You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. there is a God who made heaven and earth and can reveal mysteries."
It is easy for us to focus on the content of the dream. Here, I would rather emphasize Daniel’s proper handling of God’s revelation. There was no hint of pride in him. In humility he worshiped and praised God. In boldness he proclaimed and honored God to the king. Here, we consider our proper attitude as we handle the mysteries of God as Bible teachers. Humbly and boldly proclaim God.
Third, Daniel interprets the King's Dream (36-49). Look at verses 36-38: "This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 37 You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.” Daniel said, "You are that head of gold." The head of gold stands for king Nebuchadnezzar and his empire Babylon and its civilization. Nebuchadnezzar fell into the illusion that he had made his empire and the glorious civilization of Babylon with his own hands. But Daniel says God made the empire and civilization and gave it to him to rule over. King Nebuchadnezzar must have been shocked when his inner thought was revealed on the surface. At this point, Daniel expounds that God is the Sovereign Ruler and King. Nebuchadnezzar is his servant, even though he was the most eminent king in human history symbolized by the head of gold.
According to Daniel, the chest and arms made of silver refer to Media and Persia.(5:31, 8:20) In the time of Belshazzar, King of Babylon, Media and Persia allied army forces and attacked the Babylonian empire and ruled it alternately. The belly and thighs of bronze represent the kingdom of Greece.(8:21) As we know well, Alexander the Great conquered Media, Persia, Macedonia and Egypt and established, in name and reality, the kingdom of Greece. Many Bible students say that the legs refer to the Roman Empire because her empire extended like two legs to the nations of both west and east. In verse 41, the feet and toes represent various nations which are partly weak and partly strong.
The statue refers to the kingdoms of the world and explains their characteristics. The statue also tells us of human civilization in allegory. Babylon (626-539 B.C.) was really rich and awesome. Medo-Persia (539-330 B.C.) was impressive. Greece (330-53 B.C.) was huge and wide. Rome (63 B.C.-A.D. 476) was cruel and violent. In the statue we see that gold deteriorates into silver and silver into bronze and bronze into iron and iron into clay. By the estimation of value, gold is better than iron. But by the degree of strength, iron is stronger than gold. Where there is no God, there is no value system in men's hearts. So inferior kinds of people, who have the crushing power of iron, crush all the good things of the world and make men worthless.
Daniel’s interpretation contains two important messages. First, kingdoms and nations rise and wane. Kings and kingdoms are made from the dust of the ground and for the time being exist in the world and go back to the dust of the ground. Nothing is forever. Second, the real message of this vision was not about Nebuchadnezzar. It was not about the dazzling kingdoms (Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome).
This chapter reminds me of St. Augustine. Augustine was born in Tagaste (modern Algeria) in 354 and died in A.D. 430. Many of us know about his conversion story through the prayers of his devout mother Monica. But it is equally important to know about his later years. In A.D. 410 (when he was 56 years old), the city of Rome, with all its glories, was taken by barbarians and fell. The mighty kingdom was gone, just two decades after recognizing Christianity (with the decree of the emperor Theodosius in A.D. 391). Augustine was living in the violent time of massive changes by non-Christian influences. He also fought against the false teachings within the Church. Was he despairing about these changes in this world? In his later years Augustine devoted to writing massive volumes of “City of God”. Here, his message is similar to what Daniel delivered to Nebuchadnezzar. In the summer of 430 the Barbarians were besieging the city of Hippo as Augustine lay dying within. Shortly after his death they captured the city. He did not die in despair but with the hope of the kingdom of God.
Look at verses 34-35: “While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.” Here, the rock strikes the feeble foundation of human civilizations and smashes them (34,35). While kingdoms of the world rise and wane, the kingdom of God ever increases and continually extends until it fills the whole earth.
Look at verse 44: “"In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” Jesus came to this world as King of kings and Lord of lords. Peter refers to Jesus as the cornerstone (I Pet.2:7-8). People, because of their sins, rejected him like the stone the builders rejected. Yet, this kingdom grew up quietly but forcefully. Because Jesus is the solid rock, whoever trusts in him will never be put to shame and will inherit the kingdom of God. On the other hand unbelieving people will stumble and be crushed over this rock. Truly, the kingdom of God is forever.
Look at people who are so successful and happy. Do you sometimes wonder what message do we really have for them? Do you ever ask, “What can we do with the teenagers who seem so weary of the Bible stories?” The glimpse of glory in eternal kingdom is not far from us. The reality of awesome God is real. Even so, God reveals his awesome and mighty mystery through people like Daniel who deeply love God.
Nebuchadnezzar saw the awesome glory and power of God through Daniel's humble and bold faith. So he fell prostrate before Daniel. In that way he was honoring the God of Daniel and made a confession of faith (47). Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all his wise men. Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
The kingdom of Christ prospers and endures while the worldly kingdoms rise or fall and people live as they want. God’s people live through the changes in this life. They live among the people do all the normal things—with promotion, crises, challenges and responses, faith and honor. In that way, this life goes on. The question is, “Where do you belong?” Are you a part of the eternal kingdom or a part of passing world. Where are you? Where will you be? What do you do with your life?”
February 10, 2008. Toledo UBF.
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
