The news, at some level, must have been stunning. Daniel and his buddies, along with all the other 'wise men' of the kingdom were to be killed. The King had ordered it, so be it! Why, you ask? Because the wise men couldn't interpret the King's dream. Well, not actually. For the King, you see, didn't tell them the dream that he wanted interpreted. In fact, he demanded that the wise men first tell him what he had dreamt that so disturbed him and then interpret the dream!
Yep, you read that right. It would be somewhat like me telling my children that if they cannot tell me what I am thinking of, then I will punish them on the spot. Who could do that? Well, the wise men got it right - 'no one, O great King, but the gods can accomplish this feat,' they replied. Well, King Nebuchadnezzar, being the benevolent and humble King he was . . . flew into rage and demanded not only their death, but all with the title of 'wise men' (or even wise men in training) to be killed. And sometime you think we got it bad with our leaders?!?
In the midst of impending death, Daniel does something extraordinary: he throws Himself on the mercy of God and seeks His face! No, he doesn't try to reason with a mad king. No, he doesn't try to claim 'foreigner' status or 'in training' status do get out of the punishment. No, he doesn't try to run, hide, argue, fight, be right, etc. He throws himself on the mercy of His great God. In verse 18 of Daniel 2 we find these words, "and (Daniel) told them (his buddies) to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon." Verse 19 tells us that God revealed to Daniel the mystery which he sought!
What an amazing thought. That is that when no one else is able and when no one else can answer, God is both able and can answer the deepest mysteries life has to offer! The first step for you and me is to actually seek Him out! Deuteronomy 4:29 is probably a Scripture Daniel stood upon during this difficult time, "But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." The same is true for us today. Are you looking for salvation and deliverance? Are you looking in all the wrong places and listening to all the wrong voices? Slow down the pace and take some time to seek Christ and His Kingship in your life! He is the great deliverer and He has done a work for you and me that we cannot do for ourselves.
When Daniel receives his answer from the God of Heaven he pulls no punches before this 'great and powerful' King. He confronts him and lets him clearly know that there is none in his kingdom with this ability, but there is a God who can 'reveal' such knowledge. Read the words of Daniel himself in 2:28 - 29, "Daniel answered the King and said, ‘No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery the King has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to the King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days." Booyah! No one the King has trained can help him and the implication of this is that the gods whom the king serves are inadequate as well - in fact, they are no gods at all, they are merely idols - wood, stubble and hay, that have no power and pose no solutions in life!
Daniel only has the answer because the God of heaven has revealed it to Him. You know, this same God reveals mysteries to you and me as well. In fact, the greatest mystery of all, the one mystery that still causes men and women of all tribes to stumble today, is the mystery of the Gospel. This, too is revealed by God and only by God. Paul sums it up in Romans 1:16 - 17 when he says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." There you have it - Paul is not ashamed of the Gospel because in it God's power of salvation unto righteousness has been 'revealed.' That is what God has done for you and me today!
The news should, at some level, be stunning to us today. We are on a path toward death. Yep, we begin dying the moment we are born. The only one EVER to defeat death is the person of Jesus Christ. He defeated death so that you and I might live with Him tomorrow and for Him today! Seek Him First today! Hear clearly His mystery of salvation as revealed to you and me in and through Jesus Christ! Respond and Believe so that you, too, my escape judgment and death and stand as witness before Him in this world!
Immeasurably More!
Biz
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