Daniel's bold display of God's power

Death Sentence

From an angry, furious king who had a restless night that lead to no relief from his advisors a death sentence was given, and in the process of being carried out. A look back will help us to look at where we are in the passage today so to keep in context.

Death sentence issued: (Dan2:12-13)

The kings advisors could not do as he demanded to be told the dream and the interpretation of the dream so he issued death sentence on all the wise men.

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were not there but heard about the death sentence.

Executioner sent out (Dan2:14).

Arioch, captain of the guard is name executioner and goes out to start killing, though some were killed back i (v.13) too, but now looking or Daniel and his companions.

This lead to a bold, but respectful purposed request (Dan2:16) and that lead to seeking prayer partners (Dan2:17-18) Then came revelation and praise (Dan2:19-23). That leads us to our passage today.

Bold, but respectful purposed request (Dan2:15-16)

So what is the rush? Hold on, Daniel appeals to Arioch and then the king for time to tell the king the dream and the interpretation.

Remember there is no history that Daniel can do this, has done this, but Daniel is confident God will do this through him.

Seeking prayer partners (Dan2:17-18)

Daniel was quick to get time to pray, not just pray alone but to get prayer partners involved to seek mercies from God concerning the secret

Revelation and praise (Dan2:19-23)

Prayers answered, Daniel had the secret revealed in a vision in the night and gave praise to God for doing what He confidently proclaimed by his actions would happen.

Daniel is a man of resolve, may we follow his example

This morning I have broken down our passage into:

God’s power at work in Daniel (Dan2:24-26)

God’s power displayed before the king (Dan2:27-30)

God’s power in the dream (Dan2:31-35)

But first, it is important to read it in context

Daniel 2:24–25 NASB95

24 Therefore, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and spoke to him as follows: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Take me into the king’s presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king.” 25 Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king’s presence and spoke to him as follows: “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!”

Daniel 2:26–27 NASB95

26 The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.

Daniel 2:28–29 NASB95

28 “However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. 29 “As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.

Daniel 2:30–31 NASB95

30 “But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind. 31 “You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome.

Daniel 2:32–33 NASB95

32 “The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

Daniel 2:34–35 NASB95

34 “You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. 35 “Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?

God’s power at work in Daniel

God’s work in Daniel, an example for us. As we look at this section, see what you see the work of God in Daniel and is that same work possible today in us?

Daniel already had the mystery (dream) revealed to him (Dan2:19)

Daniel already, by faith, by resolve, already praised God for what He was going to do (Dan2:20-23)

Now, Daniel steps up, speaks up (Dan2:24)

What does Daniel do (v.24)? - goes to the executioner (Arioch) and he makes a demand, respectful, but still a demand.

Why do you think Daniel made this demand? - have to think back some

First that he did not want he or his friends, to be killed (Dan2:18) there is a good assumption that this would impact the other wise men who had not already been killed (Dan2:13).

He already told the king that he would tell him the dream and the interpretation (Dan2:16)

Then, Daniel goes before the throne (Dan2:25)

I think it is worth noting in (v.25); who is talking, who takes credit?

Daniel does not care about credit, he wants God to get the glory, we can learn from that too, can’t we? It’s not about us, it’s all about Him.

The kings response, a question (Dan2:26; also referenced Dan1:20)

The king had a question, or is it really a statement of what he said to all the wise men before and confirming nothing is changed?

I think it is more of the later than the former for Daniel had previously been tested and found 10 times better than the rest (Dan1:20)

Daniel 1:20 NASB95

20 As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.

Daniels desire, Daniel’s place was to glorify God not be be a yes man to the king.

Look back at (v.24) we started with “Therefore” so we need to know what came before to see how it applies to our section now.

Daniel knew God was compassionate and merciful (v.17-18)

Daniel knew God was able and willing to reveal the mystery (v.16, 22)

Daniel knew God was alive and well so he was able to go before the king, with no fear of consequences knowing God had this!

insert illustration/story of personal faith and stepping out in it.

Daniel, a man resolved for God, went before the throne of the world and was willing to stand up for God and the truth, regardless of consequences. Remember he was under a death sentence already, he had nothing to lose, everything to gain in pointing the world (the king) to God. Remember Daniel is a transformer, not a conformer.

God’s power displayed before King

God’s power works in you so that it can work through you so that your light can shine in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (Php2:13, 15)

I think it best we look at (vv.27-30) again, and we will break it down.

Daniel 2:27–28 NASB95

27 Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. 28 “However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed.

Daniel 2:29–30 NASB95

29 “As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place. 30 “But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.

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The wise men of the world cannot do what God can (v.27-28)

Hey King, I know you want to know about the future, God wants you to know too (v.29)

God is going to reveal to you the thoughts of your heart (v.30)

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In (v.27) what does Daniel say about wise men? - no one is able to declare the mystery to the King - that is a pretty bold statement before the king who trusted and called these men “wise” and they were his counselors and Daniel just discounted them.

In (v.28) who does Daniel say can declare the mystery? - The God who is in heaven, not only reveal but the reason it needs to be revealed to, about what is going to take place in the latter days. - Daniel’s boldness here after discounting the wise men, elevates his God. May we have the resolve, the boldness that Daniel has!

In (v.29) - it seems now Daniel gives some revelation and comfort to the king. Come on now, who does not want comfort, especially when it comes from the Comforter, God through His Word, by His Spirit. We all want to know the truth and find comfort in the truth

Look at (v.30) what does Daniel say about wisdom? - it is not because I’m wiser, it is because it is for our sakes to know what is coming, especially you king, since this is troubling him, gave him a restless night, made him furious and to assign an executioner to kill all the wise men. So not only is this to be revealing it is to be life saving too.

God’s power in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream

God’s power can be displayed in many ways, now we are going to see it displayed in the world (in a worldly king).

Daniel 2:31–32 NASB95

31 “You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. 32 “The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze,

Daniel 2:33–34 NASB95

33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 “You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.

Daniel 2:35 NASB95

35 “Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

We know thus far the king was having these thoughts, these visions while he was on his bed (Dan2:29)

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Nebuchadneezer was seeing a vision in a dream (v.31); it was vivid and in great detail

It was a descriptive vision (vv.32-33)

It was a troubling vision (v.34)

It was a promising vision (v.35)

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Have you ever had a dream that was very vivid that you could describe in great detail? Well, Daniel is telling the king what the king saw, was looking at, was thinking about.

In (v.31) what can we know about this vision, this dream?

it was of an image, and it was a great image

It was a splendorous image

It was an excellent image

It’s form was awesome

God’s powerful outcome, it was not about Daniel, it was for the king so the king would know what is coming. (v.30)

hat is coming. (v.30)

To this point (vv.30-35) we only know the dream we have no interpretation of it, we do know the end though.

Look at (v.35) how does it all end in this passage? - the stone, cut without hands, would become a great mountain and fill the whole earth. We have no definition about the stone at this point, but it is earth shattering, earth filling.

We can know from (v.34) there are things that had to happen before the end, there had to be a destruction before a filling. But, we do not know the definition of the destruction at this point, just that it was going to happen.

I was going to stop there, but I will give you some scriptures to consider about the stone (Mt21:42-44; Ps118:22-23; Act4:10-12)

Matthew 21:42–43 NASB95

42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone; This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.

Matthew 21:44 NASB95

44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

A rejected stone becomes a chief cornerstone; fulfilling the prophesy of David.

Psalm 118:23–24 NASB95

23 This is the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:22–23 NASB95

22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. 23 This is the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.

Acts 4:10–11 NASB95

10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 “He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.

Acts 4:12 NASB95

12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

confirmed by Peter with a very strong, bold statement, No other name, no other way! Now having said all that, know:

God always has a plan, it’s bigger than what we can ask or think. It is a good plan, God’s power in you to be resolved.

Be resolved in your faith

Be resolved in your obedience

Be resolved in your boldness to proclaim your hope

Be resolved to walk with Him, regardless of consequences.

Daniel was under a death sentence and it called for a boldness and a great measure of faith.

You were dead, but God made you alive! God calls for us to be bold, to be prepared, and be going, to share our hope, our faith with others. Chose to be resolved today to that!

Prayer