Today we will return to Daniel’s prayer:
Da 2:23 “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.”
(1) The excitement in answered prayer. These four believers prayed and God gave the answer. This reminds us that as the children of God, we pray for each other … we share prayer requests and see answers. We ought to be filled with excitement that God hears and answers leading us to more prayer and more confidence in God.
(2) The confidence in the God who answers prayer. Daniel was equipped! He asked the king for time. He was given time. He and his friends prayed. God answered, giving the exact answer requested and required. Although he will be cautious, he enjoys confidence that if God heard the request and answered it as required, God would be with him as he pursues further interaction with the king. We too ought to stand extra tall when God answers our prayers giving us confidence, not in ourselves, but in God who answers because He too will go with us on our journey in His service. Remember our overriding theme is “Dare to be a Daniel”.
1) Equipped with God’s answer, Daniel approaches Arioch seeking and audience with the king.
Da 2:24 Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.”
He is so confident that he literally instructs Arioch (the king’s chief servant) not to put the “wise men” to death. Daringly and confidently he says … Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him. This is not arrogance. This is confidence that his God will stand by him through the ordeal because what he will say is the wording God gave him to say. This is the confidence pastors, teachers and spiritual leaders ought to have and enjoy. God tells us what to say and that is what we say. No embarrassment, no fear and no favor. He gives us His Word. Therein He tells us what to say … and we say it. We don’t manipulate it. We don’t alter or change it. We don’t add to it or remove from it. No … as He gives it we give it … like Daniel will do!
2) The relief of the servant.
Da 2:25 Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means.”
He was a relieved man. He knew Daniel and he trusted him. Note the words “at once” … immediately because he would then not need to search for and collect the “wide men” and execute them. His master, the king would be relieved from the sleepless, agonizing nights of frustration, torment, anger and possible fear. In a way it’s not that he found Daniel because the king was aware of Daniel and his abilities. He shone head over heels above the “wise men” and those educated at the Babylonian University of Political Science. Arioch and Daniel were standing in the king’s presence … this is the man who will tell you what you dreamed.
3) The king is eager …
Da 2:26 The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”
In other words … you’ll deliver on what I want?
4) Daniel is confident, yet humble as he talks with the king. The format of Daniel’s response is similar to the “wise men” … yet different.
(1) He admits no human will be able to provide the king with what he asks.
Da 2:27 Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about.”
This prevents the king from thinking he, Daniel has supernatural abilities within himself. This is vital because we have seen, even in our age where men are claiming to be “Jesus, God or a prophet” with abilities human beings don’t possess. Never idolize a pastor or youth worker or Church leader. They may fall and prove they are sinners themselves. Just recently this has become evident to me again. Man cannot do what the king wants. The devil can perform some miracles for he has limited powers and is able to duplicate some of the supernatural. The Bible tells us this. But note this, Daniel is building his case and the starting point is to prove the inability of man.
(2) He acknowledges there is a God and that God is in heaven and that God alone is able to reveal mysteries such as the kings wants answers to.
Da 2:28 “but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.”
This is key and strategic! It is not that there is a God as opposed to a god or gods … this God resides in heaven. He is not in the mountains or trees or dark temples of paganism. He is in heaven. It might be good for us to remember this. Our God is seated upon the Throne of glory in His Heavenly Realm. The King is on the Throne and Enthroned … He reigns Sovereignly, knowing all things all the times and about everything especially His people and their needs. The king is in Heaven! The king of Babylon is pagan, steeped in their religions and rituals.
Daniel wants to establish the fact that there is One God who lives far from man but is in easy contact with believing man. The wise men admitted they could not tell the dream and its meaning. Yet once the king pressured them they said only their gods would know what the king wanted, but the king refused to tell them his dream because he felt the interpretation and dream needed to come from the same mouth at the same time. There is much more to what Daniel said but that is for tomorrow. The point Daniel is stamping down in verses 27 & 28a is that no man can do what the king wants. Only the true, living God of heaven can. He has not yet said he is God’s spokesman. He has not claimed insight to the mystery even though he knows the answers the king wants.
Beloved, this is huge! This is why we work the theme “Dare to be a Daniel!” Daniel can’t but his God can. Daniel is weak, but his God is strong. Daniel knows very little but his God knows everything. Daniel wants us to see how huge, how great, how powerful, how Sovereign his God is. Is this your God? Yes, then stand tall in Jesus and His power.
Through Your Word Lord show me Your greatness. Amen.