HEROES #6: DANIEL’S FAITH, FRIENDSHIPS AND FAVOUR
KEY TEXT: Daniel 11:32b.
“But the people who know their God will be strong and carry out great exploits.”
THE BIG IDEA: What do you do when you are faced with a difficult or impossible situation? Daniel found the answer in faith, friendships, and favour from God.
BACKGROUND TO THE STORY:
“Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. 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. And the king said to them, "I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.” (Daniel 2:1-3).
· Remember, this is the King who brought Daniel and his friends to Babylon.
· The King had a problem, and went to a ‘worldly’ source to find help.
THE STORY: (Daniel 2:4-6,10-11).
“Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation." 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. 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…”
· v.4 – The king seemed to be having his doubts about these so-called magicians.
· v.5 – Two options: If you can’t tell the dream: Cut to pieces, homes burned.
· v.6 – If you can tell me the dream, gifts, rewards and great honor.
· He put them to the test – if you’re real, tell me my dream, AND the interpretation!
“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. 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.”
· v.10 – The Chaldeans whined, “It’s not fair! It’s impossible!”
· v.11 – important observation: “No human can tell the king – only ‘the gods’.”
SETTING THE STAGE:
“For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.” (Daniel 2:12-13).
· Daniel and his friends were in trouble! WHAT DID DANIEL DO?
DRAMATIZE: First of all, what COULD have happened?
1. Daniel could have heard about the decree and went home to be with his friends, to play one last round of Rock Band on the X-Box before they died.
2. He could have had a pity party and said, “Woe is me! Nothing we can do!”
3. He could have ran away. “Run away, run away!”
4. BUT – Daniel didn’t do any one of those things.
“Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon; he answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, "Why is the decree from the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel. So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.” (Daniel 2:14-18).
There are three things we want to consider from this story:
1. Daniel’s FAITH: He sought mercies from the God of Heaven.
2. Daniel’s FRIENDS: He had good friends he could go to for prayer support.
3. Daniel’s FAVOUR: God gave him counsel and wisdom.
I. DANIEL’S FAITH: What do we know about Daniel’s faith?
1. Man of Integrity: “Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him.” (Daniel 6:3).
2. Man of Prayer: “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” (Daniel 6:10).
3. BUT – even though Daniel was a godly man of integrity and prayer, he also knew the necessity of having good godly friends.
II. DANIEL’S FRIENDSHIPS: What do we know about Daniel’s friendships?
“Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions.” (v.17).
QUOTE: “Note, Praying friends are valuable friends; it is good to have an intimacy with and an interest in those that have fellowship with God and an interest at the throne of grace; and it well becomes the greatest and best of men to desire the assistance of the prayers of others for them. St. Paul often entreats his friends to pray for him. Thus we must show that we put a value upon our friends, upon prayer, upon their prayers.” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary).
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:19-20).
• There is power in the prayer of agreement!
• One can put a thousand to flight, two can put ten thousand to flight! (Deut. 32:30).
1. GET INVOLVED WITH HOME GROUPS: Even though they’re not starting up for a month, when they do I encourage you to GET CONNECTED. We need each other! We need to pray for one another, love one another, and bear one another’s burdens! (Youth = youth group!)
2. PRAY TOGETHER! Find a prayer partner today.
III. DANIEL’S FAVOUR:
“Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.” (v.19).
· God answered their prayer! And the first thing Daniel did? He thanks the Lord!
“I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what WE asked of You, For You have made known to US the king’s demand.” (v.23).
· Notice the humility of Daniel – “WE” and “US”. He didn’t take credit for it.
· He could have said, “YES! I’m God’s man of faith and power for the hour!” But no.
“The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?" Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, "The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.” (v.26-28).
· What the secular astrologers and magicians could not do, GOD DID.
· Daniel gave God the glory, “BUT there is a God in Heaven…”
· RE: The latter days. Come and join us Thursdays for our Bible study in Revelation!
“Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.” (v.48-49).
· Because of Daniel’s faith and his friendships, God gave him favour!
· And Daniel didn’t forget his friends.
CLOSING:
· What challenge are you facing in your life?
· Maybe your life is not in jeopardy like Daniel’s
· But maybe it seems just as difficult and impossible as Daniel’s was.
· Call on the Lord in faith, pray together with Christian friends, and God will give you favour!
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
