10 The astrologers answered the king, ‘THERE IS NO ONE 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. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.’ Daniel 2
We said yesterday that ALL WORLDLY WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING IS LIMITED! Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of a vast empire and he had the best people of this empire on his staff, but they couldn’t meet his demands. They did however point to a higher realm in the spirit where the knowledge he needed was available. Unfortunately many today people today still seek to tap into this knowledge illegitimately, by the occult. (Like Saul with the witch of Endor, but it did him no good.)
12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 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. Daniel 2
The failure of the of the King’s advisors to meet his demands led to a crisis, (SOMETIMES A CRISIS CAN BE GOD’S CRISIS!) but Daniel came forth as the man of the hour. He went before the King to ask for time ‘so that he might interpret his dream for him’. Daniel and his friends were facing a death sentence but he knew that God could rescue them. They had already come out as the best ‘graduates’ after three years of training. God had been preparing them for a place of service and leadership, not for sudden death. Daniel may have taken some comfort from this.
Daniel explained the situation to his friends, it’s GOOD TO HAVE LIKEMINDED FRIENDS TO SHARE WITH IN A CRISIS. All of them prayed but Daniel was the one pressing into God for the answer they needed so badly.
19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said:
‘Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others. (The interpretation of the dream)
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning. Daniel 2
God spoke to Daniel in the quiet of the night when he was alone with his thoughts and He can speak to us in the same way if we ask Him. People say, ‘they’ll sleep on something and give their answer later’. Christians can ask the Lord to speak to them and illuminate His answer to our predicament while we’re asleep. God’s voice is often heard clearest in the stillness, like the young Samuel.
May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.