Dreaming With An Answer

INTRODUCTION: As we approach this second chapter of Daniel, and look at the continued story of this prophet, I would like to take a moment and share some interesting thoughts – to kind of bring us up to speed …

As a young teenager, Daniel and several friends were taken to Babylon in the first group of captives. This occurred somewhere around (605 B.C.).

Daniel was trained with both his friends and other captives for civil service in Babylonian. Daniel and his friends almost immediately face a conviction trial concerning the food they were to be served. You will remember last week that Daniel and his friends were committed to honoring God and were successful in their desire to keep themselves pure and clean. God subsequently blessed them with favor, position, and prestige.

As we move further into the book we will see a few interesting things of note:

§ Daniel was advanced to the highest positions in the administration of three empires, and his lifetime spans the entire period of Judah’s Captivity.

§ Five incidents illustrate Daniel’s relationship with these world rulers:

o his decision not to defile himself with pagan foods (Daniel 1: ca. 602 B.C.);

o his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream (Daniel 2: ca. 595 B.C.);

o his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream (Daniel 4: ca. 567 B.C.);

o his reading of the writing on Belshazzar’s wall, when Daniel was at least 80 (Daniel 5: ca. 539 B.C.);

o and his being cast into the lions’ den (Daniel 6: ca. 537 or 536 B.C.).

§ In addition Daniel experienced, at least four times, special revelations of the future.

o Those recorded in Daniel 7-9 were probably given during Belshazzar’s reign,

o Those in Daniel 10-12 were in the first and third years of Cyrus’ rule.

§ It should be noted that the Book of Daniel is written half in Hebrew and half in Aramaic, the language of the Gentile world of Daniel’s day.

o The Aramaic portion, Daniel 2:4-7:28, seems to concentrate on Gentile issues.

We pick up the story with Nebuchadnezzar having a dream and being so moved by the dream that it wakes him up, yet, he is unable to correctly remember the dream. He will know it when he hears it, but cannot remember the details of it. His commands to his wizards, etc. are to both interpret the dream and to tell it to him first. The punishment is death. Daniel finds out about this, asks for time to consult God.

I DANIEL’S INTERACTION WITH GOD FOR AN ANSWER – 2:17-23

A The greater the issue the more to pray about it

1 Daniel involves his friends immediately

2 Often we wait to get others involved until the issue has grown.

a Pride may keep us from asking the help of other

b Fear or response may keep us from asking the help of others

c There is a difference between asking others for help in prayer for what we are going through, and it is QUITE another to “solicit” help for what others are going through.

1) One is biblical – the bearing of one another’s burdens

2) The other is biblical – the sin of gossip!

B Daniel petitions the “God of Heaven”

1 Phrase occurs

a 2 times in Genesis

Genesis 24:3 I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living,

Genesis 24:7 "The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ’To your offspring I will give this land’--he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there.

b 1 time in 2 Chronicles

2 Chron. 36:23 "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: " ’The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you--may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.’ "

c 6 times in Daniel

Daniel 2:18-19 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. [19] During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven

Daniel 2:37 You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory;