TITLE: CAN I GET A WITNESS
SCRIPTURE: DANIEL 2:9-24
I love when a writer of the Bible just stops what he is writing and beings to praise God. But it is even more impressive to me when someone who is not connected to Jehovah sees the work of Jehovah and has to praise Him, even if that person still does not become a follower of Jehovah. Nebuchadnezzar is such a man. This great king of Babylon that God uses as a servant to do his bidding doesn’t even know God in any personal relationship. Yet, Nebuchadnezzar sees God through the lives of the men of Judah that have come to work in his court.
In our text, we find an impossible situation started with a sleepless night. We have all probably had those kinds of nights. Something keeps us up, we are restless, or our minds cannot rest. Like Nebuchadnezzar, we may have a really bad dream or nightmare.
• Nebuchadnezzar had a bad dream that was so bad, it unsettled him
• We will soon see that God was at work in the darkness of his mind
• When Nebuchadnezzar awoke, his dream bothered him so much that he wanted to find out the dream’s meaning
• He was desperate to find the truth
• Therefore, he called for help
Nebuchadnezzar was many things, but gullible was not one of them.
• He knew that people could fake a very good answer
• What the king asked was impossible if you didn’t have supernatural power
The group the king assembled was made up of people who claimed to have such supernatural powers.
• They are more than just scholars
• These are people who have claimed to have some type of power from some god
Included in this group were the Chaldeans. Chaldean is used generically to describe the people of the Babylonian area who lived in the southern area of Babylon. Little is known about the tribe, but we learn from scripture that --
• God called ABRAHAM from the land of Ur of the Chaldeans
• That was Abraham’s home
• His father and grandfather worshipped the gods of that area
• Archeologists tell us the Chaldeans studied Astrology and Mathematics
• They were considered “wise people” and their gods gave them wisdom
• It is believed the wise men - Magi that came from the East to see the baby Jesus were Chaldeans
Let me give some context to this text for those that are not familiar with the Book of Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream started something which appeared impossible to stop.
• He demanded that his dream be told, and only after this that it be interpreted
• Let me make sure you understand what he just asked them to do
o Usually, you would tell the details of your dream and then they would interpret
o King said I will not tell you what I dreamed – you tell me what I dreamed and then interpret
• His advisors sought to reason with him, but to no avail
• Finally, in frustration, they told him that what he asked was unreasonable
Nebuchadnezzar felt the wise men were stalling for time (which they probably were) because they saw he was serious about executing them if they did not interpret the dream immediately. If they could not reveal his dream to him, then he felt he could not trust their interpretation. Either way, this was an impossible demand. I wonder this morning if there are things you expect that are impossible?
• Perhaps you expect your spouse to just know what you are thinking?
• Perhaps you expect your spouse to change into the person you want
• Do you think you will find joy or security in your job, your health, or the future of the nation?
• Do you expect things to go a certain way in your personal life or in the life of the church that only God can do?
• Perhaps you expect to earn God’s favor
• Do you expect that you can do enough good things to earn God’s favor?
• Do you believe you can do enough bad things to lose what God has given you?
• That, too, is impossible because He has said that your salvation is based on His Grace and not your works
These so called wise men not only admitted their limitations, but they also even acknowledged the inability of their gods. The king’s demand was beyond what they or their gods could do. Nebuchadnezzar then says, since you guys are of no use to me kill them all. They say ‘wait a minute dude - hold up – let’s not be so hasty’ – we know of a different kind of fellow who serves a God he calls Jehovah.
• It would take a God of a very different kind
• A God whose “DWELLING PLACE IS NOT WITH MORTAL FLESH”
• Nebuchadnezzar soon heard about the only God who could accomplish the king’s demand
• It was the God of DANIEL and of his three Hebrew friends, we know them as – SHADRACH – MESHACH – ABEDNEGO
• They serve the “GOD WHO IS IN HEAVEN”
There are people today who have dreams, and they deeply want to know if their dream is a premonition, a warning. They ask me or other people, “what do you think my dream means?” I don’t know!
• JOEL 2:28-29 “AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS AFTERWARD, THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT UPON ALL FLESH; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS, YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS: AND ALSO UPON THE SERVANTS AND UPON THE HANDMAIDS IN THOSE DAYS WILL I POUR OUT MY SPIRIT”
Dreams in the Bible and visions in the Bible are different from each other.
• DREAMS are usually interpreted as the result of a natural process, such as sleeping or dreaming
o In this case, the dreamer does not know what has happened to him or her
o With Dreams, it feels more like you are a character in a movie; you can be participating or observing
o The environment does not resemble where you currently are, and it can seem as if you are viewing from behind a veil sometimes
• VISIONS, on the other hand, are considered supernatural events oftentimes while awake
o These events are when God imparts special revelation
o With Visions, you might feel as if you are interacting or living out the experience. It is more tangible
o The environment can depict exactly what you see in the physical setting, in that period, though it is a spiritual encounter
Does God use dreams today? As we will see in Daniel 2, I believe we are moving closer but not yet in “the last days.”
• From reading the Bible, God doesn’t give dreams to confuse people
• You may have a dream, and it may have some connection to your spiritual walk
• If it is from God, the meaning of the dream will also be given
• Even in this case, God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to know what his dream meant
When a person thinks their dream is from God, many times people go about trying to interpret their own dream based upon their own wisdom. That can be a very slippery slope. I come back to what the wise men of Babylon said to King Nebuchadnezzar in DANIEL 2:11 “NO ONE CAN SHOW IT TO THE KING EXCEPT GOD.”
God may communicate through dreams or visions even today, but we need to carefully check any such guidance we receive with Scripture and godly counsel to be sure it is from the Lord.
• Anything which contradicts Scripture is not from God
• Our minds and even Satan are capable of producing great deception in such subjective areas
If you have a dream and feel that perhaps God gave it to you, prayerfully examine the Word of God and make sure your dream is in agreement with Scripture. If it is, prayerfully consider what God would have you do in response to your dream. In Scripture, whenever anyone experienced a dream from God, God always made the meaning of the dream clear, whether directly to the person - through an angel - through another messenger. When God speaks to us, He makes sure His message is clearly understood.
• I CORINTHIANS 14:33 “FOR GOD IS NOT A GOD OF CONFUSION BUT OF PEACE. AS IN ALL THE CHURCHES OF THE SAINTS”
Dreams play a significant role in the Bible, and they are often regarded as a means through which God communicates with people. Throughout the biblical text, dreams are used to convey –
• Messages
• Provide guidance
• Offer prophetic insights
• Reveal divine will
In our text, Daniel and his friends are a part of this group of “WISE MEN” OF BABYLON” but were not a part of the group that the king called that morning.
• When Daniel learns what is happening, he goes to the king and asks for time
• Daniel says he will give the interpretation, but can’t at that moment
• So he asks the king to set a time for him to come back and give the dream and the interpretation
Let me footnote here for a moment. We need to make sure we have heard from God before we attempt to speak for Him. We need to be more like Daniel and take some time to be sure we have heard from God before opening our mouths and telling someone that God told you this or that and it does not line up with the character or attributes of God. Let’s be real!
• We say that God told us this or that
• Two weeks later change our mind and say God now said something else
• God is not Schizophrenic!
• God is not Bipolar
• God does not suffer from ‘split personality’
We better be careful and stop playing with God. You remember when King David did all his dirty, dastardly deeds. It was the Prophet Nathan that came and told him about that dream with the Ewe Lamb. King David said who would do such a thing, Nathan, give me his name and I will have him put to death before the sun goes down. Prophet Nathan said – KING DAVID YOU ARE THE MAN. You better stop playing with God!
You know there are some things my brothers and sisters that God hates. PROVERBS 6:16-19 “THESE SIX THINGS DOTH THE LORD HATE: YEA, SEVEN ARE AN ABOMINATION UNTO HIM”
• A proud look
• A lying tongue
• Hands that shed innocent blood
• A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations
• Feet that be swift in running to mischief
• A false witness that speaketh lies
• He that soweth discord among brethren
I am reminded of the song, “where could i go but to the Lord.”
• Daniel was facing certain death
• The king had made the proclamation and time was short
There are times when you really are at the end of your rope.
• There are times when life has dealt you and unfair hand
• What do you do in those times?
• When you don’t know what else to do
Daniel knew what to do. DANIEL 2:17-18 “THEN DANIEL WENT TO HIS HOUSE, AND MADE THE THING KNOWN TO HANANIAH, MISHAEL, AND AZARIAH, HIS COMPANIONS: THAT THEY WOULD DESIRE MERCIES OF THE GOD OF HEAVEN CONCERNING THIS SECRET; THAT DANIEL AND HIS FELLOWS SHOULD NOT PERISH WITH THE REST OF THE WISE MEN OF BABYLON.”
• Daniel went to his friends and together they went to God in prayer
• Prayer was not Daniels back up plan
• It was the plan
• God revealed the dream, and the interpretation and Daniel praised God
• The truth is, no one but God could do what the king asked
Daniel went to his prayer team. A prayer team isn’t just a spontaneous gathering that happens every once in a blue moon. It’s an organized, dedicated group of individuals bound together by faith and purpose. Think of it as a task force, but instead of mundane tasks, their mission is spiritual intercession. Being a part of a prayer team requires commitment - consistency - a heart that genuinely seeks God’s will.
This is a beautiful picture of four young men united in prayer. This was literally a life-and-death situation; therefore, they pleaded with God to have mercy on them.
• This is what we need to do
• When you face an impossible situation, have the faith and resolve of Daniel to go to the source of all answers
• Call your prayer team together
From personal challenges like illness or financial difficulties to broader concerns such as community welfare, outreach, and spiritual growth of the members – the prayer team covers it all.
• It’s like having spiritual warriors, always ready to battle in prayer for any need that arises
• Ever felt the atmosphere in a room change when a group of people sincerely prays?
• That’s the power of collective prayer, and a prayer team amplifies this effect
• Let me footnote here and tell you that you can’t have a prayer team that does not attend weekly prayer service
• You may have a few with advanced years and can no longer make it to weekly prayer meeting but you believe they paid their dues and attended for decades before age slowed them down
• You better believe these seasoned saints have a strong prayer life now at home
Daniel goes back to the King and tells him exactly what the other wise men of Babylon said, “NO MAN COULD DO WHAT WAS ASKED, BUT GOD COULD AND DID.” The point I want us to take home today is that it is not about your wisdom - your greatness - your understanding of scripture. What we share with people is no one but God can do for you what you want done.
• Our role is to give God all the glory
• Our good works are done, so that they glorify God
If our good works center upon glorifying us, we are nothing more than then the first group of men that went to the king.
• I want to be like Daniel and his friends
• I want to be a person of prayer who takes a message to those who need to hear it and give God all glory
--The Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream that only Daniel’s God could interpret
--Daniel made it very clear that the dream and the interpretation had come for the one true God
--Through this dream, King Nebuchadnezzar learned that only God’s Kingdom will last forever
--The King learned that God is wise and He reveals truth
--So King Nebuchadnezzar admitted that Daniel’s God was the best of all the “gods”
--CAN I GET A WITNESS?
--That He is the King of Kings
--That He is the Lord of Lords
--That He is the Alpha and Omega
--That He is the Beginning and the End
--That He is the Rose of Sharon
--That He is the Bright and Morning Star
--That He is the Wheel in the Middle of a Wheel
--That He is A Way Maker
--That He is a Promise Keeper
--That He is the Light in the Darkness
--That He is A Redeemer
--CAN I GET A WITNESS
