Living on a Dream

Austin A Wullschleger

Daniel • Sermon • Submitted a year ago

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A Deadly Dream

We see that Nebuchadnezzar is only in the second full year of his reign (a fraction of a year was considered a full year in Hebrew language so this would have been his 3rd actual year of reign and Daniels third year of training would have been completed) and Daniel is now one of his consultants at the age of about 17 or 18 years old.

Can you imagine being 17 and going before the president and trying to give him advice?

We aren’t talking about some old, wise fellow.

It says that Nebuchadnezzar had “dreams” that troubled him. While he was asleep he had several flashes of things that happened.

Because of these dreams he was “struck”. He couldn’t sleep and what he saw in the dream was terrifying to him.

Babylonians believed that dreams were messages from gods, so interpreting it right was incredibly important if you wanted to make the right decisions going forward for the kingdom. Along with fears the king was probably happening from other things happening in Babylon his anxiety led him to be extra cautious about how this dream is interpreted and that it is interpreted correctly. He doesn’t want someone making something up. Nebuchadnezzar will going to extreme lengths to make sure he understands this ominous dream.

So Nebuchadnezzar brings out everyone, the whole gambit of those who give him counsel he now brings. He brings the religious experts, the supernatural experts, the dark magic users, and the astrologers (the Chaldeans).

Now what we also know is that back then they had sort of a “dream manual”. A book that would help you to interpret the dream. Have you ever taken like a buzz feed quiz where you answer different questions and those specific list of answers that you give churns out a response with an anecdote about your personality or what might happen in the future for you. Or maybe a personality quiz. Essentially that is what these books would do. Provide sort of a formula to use in order to translate a dream. And they would be very long and difficult to understand unless you were an expect.

They were also really into astrology. Reading signs from the stars, they even were able to calculate that a year had 365 days, 6 hours, and 15 minutes, which it only about 27 minutes off!

We see similar things today. Astrology is very popular and common. People use astrological signs to tell them what their personality is, they use it to tell them what might happen to them in the future.

Many today like to use words like “destiny” or see “signs” in things like a cat crossing the street or believe in superstitions. I’m sure all of us have done this one way or another. Or if we say something is “fate” it is usually pointing to because one thing has happened then it means we have to do something else. But it usually isn’t pointed to God as the one who is controlling it all.

Now starting here in v. 4 when the Chaldeans speak, the language of the book of Daniel actually changes to Aramaic, and it will continue in Aramaic until chapter 7. It is the longest section of Aramaic in the Bible.

But here what Nebuchadnezzar says is “you need to prove to me you really know what is going on, not just tell me what I want to hear or make something up.” What he is saying is “go beyond the superstition and the signs and show me you really know what you are talking about.” This would be a challenge to them because they needed to know the dream in order to use their manuals to apply an interpretation. They try and trick him into telling them the dream but he won’t do it.

And what the king says is not just tell me the dream but that if you don’t you will be dismembered. This was something that the Babylonians would do to their enemies, and this type of punishment was not out of the ordinary. In fact we know that he killed King Zedekiah’s sons right in front of him, he had burned other people alive, and we will see later it isn’t the only time he tries that.

But if they were able to interpret the dream then there would be great rewards and esteem given.

Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t let them stall, he tell them they need to tell him his dream otherwise they will incur the penalty. He didn’t want to be mislead, he didn’t want to be lied to, he wanted proof that they had supernatural wisdom.

He may have also been wondering if someone else was conspiring against him and if the wise man might be able to pick him out. He wants them to prove they aren’t just trying to take his power.

The responds by the Chaldeans is “the gods are far off and we can’t reach them”. Now, why is this an interesting phrase?

-They are saying that their gods know the dream but they are unwilling or unable to pass it on to them. That they weren’t present to tell them what it is. In essence they are saying “whoever can actually interpret this dream is someone who is really in contact with the gods, unlike us.”

-They can’t stand up to the challenge.

-This is something Isaiah tells the Babylonians as well.

-Isaiah 47:12-13 “So take your stand with your spells and your many sorceries, which you have wearied yourself with from your youth. Perhaps you will be able to succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror! You are worn out with your many consultations. So let the astrologers stand and save you— those who observe the stars, those who predict monthly what will happen to you.”

-Reminds us of Elijah at Mount Carmel as well

-But the God of Israel comes down to dwell with his people in the tabernacle.

-One day Jesus will dwell as God with man.

-God will do what “no one on earth” can do.

A Godly response

From what this tells us, some people may have already started being put to death, but it may have been “about to be killed”. When the executioners come for Daniel he asks them a question. Why is the king do harsh in his judgment?

It says that Daniel responded tactfully and with discretion. What do you think that means? How do you think you would respond if someone was coming to take you to be executed?

-This word for tact means he spoke wisely and in good taste with the people he was talking to. He spoke respectably to them. So respectably that they grant him his request. This is the second time that we see a guard listen to Daniel and respond to his request because of his respect and mild-mannered nature of asking.

What does Daniels response in the face of this threat tell us about Daniel?

-He kept calm even under dire circumstances and serious fear of death and he was able to trust God in this stressful moment rather than panic.

-Daniel has what Philippians 4:7 tells us. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

So what is Daniel’s response after he is with the king? Again, what does this tell us about Daniel?

Where do you run when you have a difficult choice to make or when you need wisdom in a situation? Do you run to anyone? Do you try not to think about it? Do you just respond with anger or violence?

What happens if we respond with panic to a situation?

-It says that they fasted and they prayed.

-What good would it have done if Daniel had gone to his friends and just complained about what was going to happen?

-These 4 teens, with the threat of death, and they decide to pray.

-You are never two young to make a difference or to know how to pray or to think wisely about situations in your lives.

-The reason they had wisdom was not because they were “smarter” than everyone else, but because they had the God of the universe on their side.

-They called on the “God of the heavens”. That is the God over all of the Babylonian gods.

-Do you ever go to God with your personal problems? Or when there is a difficult situation you face?

Do you have friends you believe you could call on that would pray with you? Friends you could share difficulties with and you trust what they would tell you?

Luke 11:9-13 ““So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?””

After God answered his prayer Daniel praised God.

Here we have an incredible psalm of thanksgiving. As one commentator puts it.

Daniel (3) A Prayer (2:20–23)

This little psalm is a model of thanksgiving. No word is merely repetitive.… The symmetry and beauty of the poetry make their own contribution to the praise of God.

Daniel gives several reasons for praising God:

All wisdom belongs to God

All power belongs to God

God is sovereign over creation and over all nations

Nebuchadnezzar is the greatest ruler in the world at the time and yet he is unable to have any power unless the Lord gives it to him or have any wisdom unless the God of all wisdom gives it to him.

God gives his wisdom out to those who humbly desire Him

God can light the hearts of those in darkness and reveal Himself. Without God we can’t find ultimate truth, only in God can we receive divine wisdom and revelation.

God has been faithful for generations.

For what God has specifically done in the life of Daniel and his friends

We see that the prayers of God’s people, especially in community, have tremendous affect.

God also answered their prayer!

Godly wisdom

First, we see Arioch try to give himself credit while downplaying what Daniel is dong. But in Daniel we see no desire to discredit Arioch or give himself credit, nor to mention himself at all.

Daniel goes before Nebuchadnezzar and what does Daniel tell him?

-No human could interpret his dream

-Only God, the one and only true God, not a man made god, can reveal these mysteries

-Daniel, instead of taking credit for himself, gives the glory to God for the wisdom that He has received.

Essentially Daniel says “all your religion and beliefs are worthless and there is only one, Yahweh, who can help you.”

There are many things that happen in the world and happen in your life that are far beyond the wisdom that the world can give you. Answers that they can’t conjure up, they can’t find by being smart enough, you won’t get by reading enough books. All if it means nothing if you first don’t have knowledge of God and of His will. Something, only by God’s Word and through His Son, can we have the answer to. God can answer our prayers, give us wisdom, supply our needs, and give us strength.

1 Corinthians 1:20-25 “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.”

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