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.”
12 For this reason the king was angry and very furious and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.
14 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;
15 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.
16 So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation.
1 Point #1
MY SHINE WOULD BE AS BRIGHT AS DANIEL'S SHINE IF I KNOW WITH CONFIDENCE THAT GOD GIVES GRACE TO ME WHEN OTHERS WHO DON'T KNOW HIM DON'T RECEIVE IT.
Daniel 2:8 (NKJV)
8 The king answered and said, “I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm.
The wise men had a problem. No way were they going to be able to tell the king the dream and the interpretation. If the king had told them the dream, the king would not know if the wise men were making something up to get off the hook. So, the king says I want the dream and the interpretation now. The wise men could not meet the king’s request. The king got angry and furious at their stalling and ordered the captain of the guards to kill the wise men. So, the bottom line was the king was furious because they asked for more time.
Enter Daniel in verse sixteen (16) into the presence of the king and this sixteen-year-old boy had the nerve to ask the king to give him some more time to get the dream and the interpretation. And the king granted Daniel’s request. Why?
If you love the Lord and are attempting to serve Him, you will get grace whether others don’t. The wise men of Babylonian were not serving the God of the Israel and they received no grace. Daniel asked for the exact same thing the wise men of Babylonian did from the king but got grace. The only difference is the God that Daniel served.
Listen people, you love God and serve Him, He will give you grace. And with grace comes boldness. That was certainly a bold step on Daniel’s part to ask for the exact thing that others were turned down for. But grace gives us confidence. God gave Daniel an opportunity that He did not give the others.
If I know in my heart that I have confidence because of God’s grace- there is no reason that I cannot share my faith with someone. It is my God given opportunity.
If I know in my heart that I have confidence because of God’s grace- there is no reason that I can’t get in the choir to sing, or teach a Sunday School class, or help with Vacation Bible School. It is my God given opportunity.
You and I should walk or tackle life with boldness because grace walks with us. Daniel knew that-do you?
2 Point # 2
MY SHINE WOULD BE AS BRIGHT AS DANIEL'S SHINE IF I ACTED THE SAME WAY AS DANIEL ACTED WHEN FACED WITH PROBLEMS.
Daniel shows us in Chapter 1 and 2 how he faced the problems that he encountered so that his light would shine even in the midst of the problem. And I believe that our light would shine if we learned these lessons from this sixteen-year-old boy.
The first one is found in Chapter 1. The king has ordered Daniel to eat the king’s delicacies and drink the king’s wine. It says in Daniel 1:9 (NKJV) 9 Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. There are a lot of Christians who don’t do their homework. God tells us in Romans 12:18 (NKJV) 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Think with me a minute. If Daniel had entered Babylonian, placed under this eunuch with a chip on his shoulder because things were not going his way, would you think Daniel’s request to be granted a (ten) 10 test of his diet vs. the king’s diet would have been granted. No way. I can hear the eunuch now: I am not putting my head on the line for you.
But it did not turn out that way. Daniel, when he arrived in Babylon, tried to be at peace with the eunuch. He made an effort to cooperate with the eunuch wherever possible and he did not go about stirring up mess. It was a mad situation, granted, but he was going to make the best of it. I believe all Christians can learn something about cooperating with one another and learn to overlook small offenses.
Let me tell you something as a Christian: how you approach people is important. If you want to be a person who shines how you approach others makes all the difference in the world. You may love Jesus but if you don’t have that shine, that person you are dealing with will never see it. The eunuch saw it and put his neck on the line for Daniel.
Do your homework and be at peace with one another so that your life can shine.
Then the next episode occurs in Daniel 2. In verse 13, we are told that the captain of the guards is looking for Daniel and his companions to kill them. Daniel is taken from his homeland, traveled seven hundred (700) miles to Babylon, forced to study the Babylonian ways and now the king wants to kill me and my companions. At this point, Daniel could have easily had a meltdown, he could have thrown a temper tantrum, started throwing things and yelling at the top of his voice that this isn’t right. This isn’t right; this is crazy.
Do you know any Christians when faced with a problem that they threw a fit? What do you think that does for your light to shine? Look what Daniel does in verse 14. Daniel 2:14 (NKJV) 14 Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch… He talks with the captain very calmly and very sanely. That’s the reason Daniel got in to see the king and request an extension. Do you think for one second that the captain of the guards would have let Daniel in to see the king in an iterated state yelling and screaming this isn’t right? No way, the captain of the guards’ neck would have been on the line. It was Daniel’s calm and clear headedness that got him in to see the king.
How calm and clear-headed you are when under a problem will determine if your light is going to shine. Do your homework, Stay calm and clearheaded.
3 Point # 3
MY SHINE WOULD BE AS BRIGHT AS DANIEL'S SHINE IF I HAVE THE SAME CONFIDENCE THAT DANIEL HAD ABOUT WHERE HE WILL SPEND ETERNITY.
In the beginning of Chapter 2, the wise man come into the court of the king at the king’s request to discuss some troubling dreams. These wise men when they enter the king’s court address the king with an interesting greeting. They tell the king, O King, live forever! It sounded nice but I don’t know how much stock the wisemen put in their own greeting. To them, it was more a sound good statement.
We go through nearly the entire Book of Daniel and when we come to the last chapter (Chapter 12 verse 2) Daniel addresses the statement that the wise men made to the king about living forever. Daniel 12:2 (NKJV)
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
The wise men were right. People do live forever. But in two different places. One lives in eternal life in heaven with Jesus. The other life in eternal life in hell (which we call now eternal damnation) where there is shame and condemnation forever. And so, the question is: how do you know where you are going? Daniel says it is your shine. Daniel 12:3 (NKJV)
3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.
It was his shine. What was happening in his life, he could not generate that type of response to his situations in his own flesh. God had a hold of him, and he shined. And if God has a hold of you are going to shine and you will know where you spend eternity. And that concept is further developed in the New Testament. 1 John 1:7 (NKJV)
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
4 Thought to Ponder
LET ME ASK YOU AGAIN. HOW IS YOUR SHINE? IT TELLS SO MUCH ABOUT YOU.
How you treat people!
How you respond to problems!
And where you will spend eternity!
