Daniel 2 Dare to Trust Gods Wisdom

Theological Proposition/Focus: God's wisdom is higher than man's wisdom.

Homiletical Proposition/Application: God has laid out a master plan and a wise person will trust in that plan rather than man’s wisdom.

Introduction:

Image: There are all sorts of places where we are tempted to trust man's wisdom.

Take a second and think about all the places where man's wisdom has been pitted against God's wisdom lately, Creation vs. the Big Bang, marriage between one man and one woman, abortion, euthanasia, transgender, and the list goes on. Here is something I want you to realize, many people who support unbiblical ideas have spent a lot of time thinking carefully about these ideas. The problem is not a lack of thinking, the problem is trusting man's wisdom instead of God's wisdom.

Setting the Stage:

We have started working through the book of Daniel and I will admit that there are going to be some real challenging passages to preach from. Today's passage is one of those passages. Not because it is theologically challenging but rather because I think it is challenging to take some of these passages and come up with meaningful practical applications. Nevertheless, I believe that all of the Bible is applicable today and this passage is no different.

We left off after Daniel 1 with Daniel and his three friends in Babylon serving as royal advisors. Daniel and his three friends had taken a stand for God and God rewarded that stand. Now, as we begin chapter 2 we find ourselves wondering, "How are these four followers of God going to impact one of the greatest empires the world has known?" This is the setting in which we find ourselves today.

Daniel chapter 2 is a long chapter and many of you have read it before so today what we will do is take one section at a time and read it together.

In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.”

4 Then the astrologers answered the king, “May the king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

5 The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”

7 Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

8 Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.”

10 The astrologers answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”

12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.

14 When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15 He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.

Body

There is a supernatural reality that has a real and present impact on each of us (1-16).

So, here is the situation, the balance we must strike. Not everything that happens in your life is the direct result of some supernatural event. We have the complete Word of God and so normative life is not for God to communicate via dreams, visions, or special revelation beyond Scripture. We have everything we need in God's Word. However, there is a supernatural world and we must acknowledge that world.

Nebuchadnezzar was in an interesting position he had dreams that troubled his mind. We don't know all the details but Nebuchadnezzar came to believe that these dreams had some deeper meaning. Since there is a supernatural reality we need to understand that

It is natural to look for meaning beyond the natural (1-3).

Please understand what I am saying. I am not saying that every dream, every feeling, or anything like that is a message from the supernatural, what I am saying is that it is natural for us to wonder if there is some connection to the supernatural. This also means we need to be careful.

Some happily take advantage of our natural tendency to look beyond the natural (4-9).

Within the ranks of the Babylonian royal court there were a number of astrologers, sorcerers enchanters and magicians who sought to take advantage of the supernatural. The text makes it clear that these were charlatans. These individuals did not possess special knowledge instead they were seeking to take advantage.

Unscrupulous attempts to take advantage of the supernatural, at times, paint God's people in a bad light (10-13).

In the case of Nebuchadnezzar, he saw right through the lies and so he demanded much more than what these charlatans could deliver. When they failed to deliver the king became rightfully angry. Here is something that I want us all to understand, Christians, churches, those who follow God, sometimes have an uphill battle because there are so many who have abused a claim to God.

This is exactly the situation that Daniel and his friends found themselves dealing with. So what are we to do when we find oursleves fighting an uphill battle of this nature?

Look at what Daniel did. Daniel asked for time. Why would Daniel ask for time? Because sometimes what the one who follows God needs most is time for prayer, time to draw on God's wisdom, and time to exercise godly tact.

Image: Sometimes I must remind myself to slow down.

At this point most of you know me pretty well and know that I am an action-oriented person. I like to get things done and I like to move fast. However, there are times when we need to slow down. There are times when I need to slow down. Often, in my life this comes by reminding myself to take a minute and pray before pressing send. It is amazing how much God teaches me in those short moments of prayer!

MTR: Determine to tactfully and wisely interact with those who do not know God.

17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 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 20 and said:

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21 He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. 23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

God's people have extraordinary tools at their disposal (17-23).

What is the point of this Daniel chapter 2? On one hand, the passage demonstrates that God is superior to the gods and magic of Babylon. I certainly think that is the primary point of the chapter. But beyond that primary point of the chapter I think there are some secondary points and one of them is for us to realize that God has given us some important and valuable tools to use when we interact in the fallen world. One of the first tools that jumps out of the text is Daniel's friends. Notice

Those who follow God are not alone (17).

Daniel's friends are mentioned by name. Why? Because we had already been introduced to them in chapter one, but also because Daniel was not alone. Daniel was not called on to do this by himself. Yes, Daniel was the leader, but he was not alone. Notice the names of the friends, they are the Hebrew names. These four had gone through Babylonian enculturation, they even had their names changed. But no efforts by Babylon could change their identity as followers of Yahweh and so the text refers to them by their original Hebrew names. Notice what Daniel does, he takes his problem to his friends.

God has placed you in this church for a reason. Here you have friends that you can support and who can support you. We need to realize that we are not alone and when trials come we can turn to people who will support us.

So, what does Daniel ask of his friend group? He asks for them to pray!

The most powerful tool in the arsenal is prayer (18).

How many times have you heard someone say something like "well all I can do is pray..." No, don't say that like it is a defeat! You can pray and that is huge! Prayer is the most powerful tool we have available. I do want to draw your attention to the prayer. Do you see the prayer there in verse 18? No! there is no prayer that Nebuchadnezzar might be struck down, removed from office, or destroyed for his completely pagan, unfair, and unreasonable demands. In fact, the prayer itself is not even mentioned. Why not, maybe because it is not about the specific words of the prayer but rather about the act of praying!!! All we know is that Daniel and his friends ask for mercy that they might not be executed. God, save us! Have compassion on us.

What is revealed to us is that God answered the prayer and in verses 19-23 the word-for-word response of Daniel is recorded.

The glory belongs to God alone (19-23).

As I studied the text I was struck by the fact that Daniel's specific prayer for mercy is not recorded instead his prayer of praise in response is what is recorded.

Notice the prayer we see that God is a God of both wisdom and power. We see that God changes the unchangeable. We see that wisdom and knowledge come from God!

So, in light of this, I want to challenge you to try something. We often pray with a particular motive in mind. That motive may be our own health, wealth, protection, etc. And I am not saying there is anything that is necessarily wrong with this (I think it can be wrong). In fact, verse 18 really does suggest to us that Daniel prayed with his own safety as the primary motive. However, I want you to try something this week. I want you to pray this week for something with the goal of giving God the glory. This doesn't mean you can't pray for yourself, but pray that God might receive the glory.

Maybe you have a big meeting at work. Instead of just praying that you will have the right words. Pray that the words you use might bring God glory! Maybe you have a relative who is sick, don't just pray for their recovery, pray for an opportunity to give God the glory through their sickness or recovery.

MTR: Determine to pray with others, fervently, and with the goal of giving God the glory.

24 Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.”

25 Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means.”

26 The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”

27 Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these:

29 “As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

31 “Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

Real wisdom comes from God (24-35).

Since real wisdom comes from God, God deserves the credit (24-28).

With the right information in hand, Daniel begins the process of stopping the executions and telling the king the dream. The story of how Daniel arrives before the king is detailed in verses 24 but where I want us to focus is The contrast between the words of Arioch and Daniel. Notice in verse 25 what Arioch says to the king "I have found!" Arioch had done essentially nothing! Daniel found Arioch, Arioch did not find Daniel. Yet, who is trying to take the credit here? Arioch. Notice what Daniel says in verse 27 when Nebuchadnezzar asks if Daniel can tell him what happened in the dream. No! Daniel tells the king exactly what the king had heard before, no man can do this. However, King, there is a God in heaven who can do what you ask and that God is going to reveal to you. I think the contrast is stark. Arioch takes upon himself far more than he deserves. Daniel gives all the credit to God.

Daniel further uses the opportunity to give Nebuchadnezzar an important lesson on who God really is. Unlike the so called gods of Babylon who the magicians would manipulate to serve their own purposes, the God of the universe cannot be manipulated because He alone is God. The reality that Nebuchadnezzar needed to realize was that

Since real wisdom comes from God, God gives wisdom to whom He chooses (29-30).

God showed Nebuchadnezzar what was going to happen because He was a God who knew. He is the God who knows the mysteries of the universe. God is a God of real wisdom not just the manipulations and desires of unscrupulous men who are seeking their own gain! In fact, Daniel continues on arguing that he, Daniel, has not earned God's favor but rather God had chosen to use Daniel. I want us to understand how profound this statement is. Daniel recognizes one of the most important theological realities. God does not choose to work through anyone because they of what they bring, God brings all the tools to the table and chooses to work through someone because of His grace!

Since real wisdom comes from God, God chooses how that wisdom is communicated (31-35).

The dream that Nebuchadnezzar had was a relatively simple dream. He dreamed of a large statue that was amazing to look upon. The head was gold, the chest and arms silver, belly and thigh of bronze, legs of iron, and feet mixed with iron and clay. A rock struck the statue in the feet and smashed them everything broke up and blew away like chaff (essentially as dust). The rock grew and became a mountain. That was the dream. God chose to communicate with the king through that dream. This does not mean God is communicating with you through a dream (in particular, you have the completed Word of God) but that is what he did for Nebuchadnezzar. You see, since God has real wisdom, he is the one who dictates how he chooses to communicate that wisdom.

Image: If someone offered you $50 bucks you wouldn't try to dictate how you recieved it.

Can you imagine someone coming up to you offering you a $50 as a gift and looking at them and saying nah, I will only accept bills in denominations of $20 or less. Nevertheless, this is often what we do with God. We want God to tell us what to do, say, think, etc. God says, yes, just read my Word, we say, but I want it in a different format. Can you just send an angel to tell me. No! Wisdom comes from God, we need to accept it in the form he has chosen.

MTR: Set aside your wisdom and draw on the wisdom of God by making Scripture a priority in your life.

36 “This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 37 Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.

39 “After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

“The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

Theologians have debated extensively what each aspect of the statue or idol represents but I don't know that we are supposed to spend so much time on those details. I think the point that we are supposed to focus on is the simple fact that

God is sovereign (36-45).

First notice that

God placed Nebuchadnezzar in the position of king (36-38).

Daniel flat tells us how to interpret the head of Gold. The head is none other than Nebuchadnezzar. The precious head of gold is the king of Babylon who rules a prosperous glorious empire. But before we get too far into singing the praises of Babylon look at what Daniel says. God has given the dominion, power, might, and glory to Nebuchadnezzar. Yes, he is great, but only because God is greater.

God was in control of all the events that would happen (39-43).

After Babylon, there would be three more major kingdoms. Scholars debate exactly who these kingdoms represent and I am far from an expert but I will give you my position. I think the second kingdom is Medo-Persian kingdom that conquered Babylon. The two silver arms may represent the two-nation nature of that kingdom being the combination of both Media and Persia. The Belly and thighs represent the Greek empire under Alexander the Great. Bronze is stronger than either gold or silver. Under Alexander the great, the Greek empire extended over what seemed to most as the entire earth. In 63 BC the Romans conquered the Greeks and formed an empire that was known for its strength and power. The Roman empire crushed all who opposed it. However, as time waned on the power that was the Roman Empire began to weaken. While two metals together form an alloy that is stronger than either before. Iron and clay don't mix and the result is much weaker.

The point here is that God knew exactly what was going to happen in the world because he was in control of the events of the world.

Something else, the statue really is an idol. In the ancient world, there were all sorts of statues erected of gods. Here, in the dream God has done something, he has shown Nebuchadnezzar a deep reality. Most humans also worship themselves. We worship humanism, the creations of our hands and minds. We worship our governments, our societies. It is fitting that Nebuchadnezzar sees human history as an idol because for so many human history is an idol! The stone that strikes the idol is the reality that we need to embrace. The stone reminds us that

God will establish His eternal Kingdom (43-45).

I should say, that when the tribulation comes I suspect that there will be 10 distinct kingdoms that form in the tribulation as other theologians suggest. Really, it doesn't matter. What matters is that the toes are destroyed under God's kingdom!

Isaiah 2:2-3 speaks of the "mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains;" In the Psalms, God is often called the rock. the point is that a Jewish audience would easily recognize the rock as being God and the mountain as representing God's final kingdom. God is sovereign and although the world is fractured we can hope in his eternal kingdom.

So what do we do with this?

MTR: Worship God (46-49).

46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”

48 Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. 49 Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.