My Shine Would Be Bright If I Knew What Daniel Knew. Series

REVIEW OF CHAPTER 1 AND INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER 2

In Chapter 1, we discovered that Judah was taken captive by the Babylonians. They destroyed the city and its temple, taking items from the temple back to Babylonian, killed many of the Jews and taking into capacity many Jewish men and women and children. Among the children was a young boy about the age of sixteen (16) named Daniel. He with all the other captives made the seven-hundred-mile journey from Judah to Babylonian.

When Daniel gets to Babylon, he quickly discovers that King Nebuchadnezzar’s plan is to remove the Jewish ways from him and replace them with the ways of the Babylonians. First, they attempted to change his name from Daniel which means God is my judge, to Belteshazzar which means keeper of secrets. Secondly, they attempted to change his diet and get Daniel to violate the Jewish dietary laws. And the third thing, the Babylonians were going to spend three years teaching him their ways and culture to get him to neglect his Jewish ways and his god.

That’s serious stuff for a sixteen-year-old to deal with, but things worsen in Chapter2. The King has dreams that trouble him and deprive him of his sleep. He calls in the wise men of the country and Nebuchadnezzar wanted them to interpret the dreams with one big wrinkle. You first tell me the dream and then tell me the interpretation. The wise men answered it cannot be done and once again asked the king to tell them the dream and we will tell you the interpretation. The king in verse eight (8) says that you are trying to gain time (you are stalling). The Chaldeans say that there is no man who can give you the dream and the interpretation. Only a god who came down in the flesh could give you the dream and the interpretation. The king got angry at their answer and gave the order to the captain of the guards that the wise men are to be killed. Daniel and his friends were studying to be wise men, so they were included in the ones to be executed.

So, get the picture in Chapter 1 the king is trying to change Daniel into one of the wise men of Babylon, and now in a quick about face, in Chapter 2 the king is now trying to kill all the wise men which includes Daniel and his friends. It tells me that this king is a very loose cannon. Daniel asked the executor why the urgency to carry out the order, and then Daniel asked permission to see the king to request more time. And the king granted him more time. And what Daniel knew about His God caused him to shine. Let’s see what Daniel knew.

BIBLE VERSE

Daniel 2:1-16 (NKJV)

1 Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him.

2 Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So, they came and stood before the king.

3 And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.”

4 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap.

6 However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore, tell me the dream and its interpretation.”

7 They answered again and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.”

8 The king answered and said, “I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm:

9 if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.”

10 The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean.

11 It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”