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Until now, things have been remarkably comfortable for Daniel. But the true test of a person's character is how they behave under pressure. Imagine how you would respond if you suddenly learned that you were placed on death row not for anything you did, but just because someone else had a temper tantrum. Think about your thoughts, your actions, the emotional upheaval as you struggled to understand the logic in such a bizarre situation. Daniel 2:13-16 The decree went out that the wise men should be executed; and the officers of the king sought Daniel and his friends to be executed. Then Daniel spoke with wisdom and tact to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, who had come to kill the wise men of Babylon. He said to Arioch the king's captain, "Why is the decree so quick from the king?" Then Arioch explained everything to Daniel. Then Daniel went in, and requested of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation. Daniel was unaware of the reason for the decree, proving that he was not included among the wise men called before the king. This indicates that his three-year training program was likely not yet complete, though this event may have taken place near the end of that program. Note Daniel's response to news that he was headed for execution. He speaks with "wisdom and tact," the opposite response to Nebuchadnezzar's response to a problem, and very different from the response the wise men had. Daniel is able to speak personally to the king. This shows that the men he reported to trusted him. His ability to meet with the king might be the result of the favorable interview from chapter 1. Daniel 2:17-18 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would seek mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his friends should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Daniel's first action after speaking to the king was to call his friends and hold a prayer meeting. Sure, they were under pressure beyond their ability to fix, which usually brings people to their knees. But their prayerful response demonstrates their genuine faith in God. Daniel had been confident enough that God would provide an answer that he had personally met with the king asking for time. Daniel 2:19-23 Then was the secret revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, "Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his. He changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings, and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those that have understanding. He reveals the deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. I thank you, and praise you, O God of my fathers, who has given me wisdom and strength, and have made known to me now what we asked of you, for you have now made known to us the king's matter." Daniel praises God for three characteristics: His eternal existence, His wisdom and His power. God is recognized as the source of all wisdom and the source of all power. The essence of Daniel's prayer is prophecy and its interpretation. He recognized in the revelation of the king's dream and its message that God uses prophecy to prove that He is God, since only God himself can tell the future. Prophecy is one of the primary reasons for the existence of the Bible. 27% of all Scripture verses are prophecy! This dream is the beginning of many visions and prophecies Daniel will receive in his lifetime. Daniel 2:24-25 Therefore Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had authorized to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the meaning of his dream." Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said to him, "I have found a man among the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the meaning of his dream." Notice that Arioch attempts to take the credit for finding Daniel, as if it is only by his tireless efforts that this interpreter of the dream was found. He's looking for a promotion, but appears to have been unaware that Daniel already talked personally to the king about this issue. Daniel 2:26-28 The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and the meaning of it?" Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, "The secret which the king has demanded cannot be shown to the king by any of the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the diviners; But there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets, and makes known to king Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, are these; Daniel not only refuses to take any credit for what he is about to tell, but uses this as an opportunity to witness to the king about the God of the Hebrews. He tells the king that God is capable of doing what man (and the Babylonian gods) could not, then proves it by telling the king his dream and its interpretation. Notice that Daniel is not only going to interpret the dream itself, but even what he was thinking as he lay on his bed, trying to fall asleep! |
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