What's the Meaning of This?
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Maybe you’ve seen this before...
If you have, don’t say anything!
I’m going to read your mind!!
Think of a number 1-10
Multiply by 9
If two digits, add them together
Subtract 5
What letter corresponds to that number?
Think of a country that begins with that letter?
Take second letter of that country, think of an animal that begins
Think of that color...
That’s funny, there are no gray elephants in Denmark!
How many of you did I get?!
If I didn’t, you probably already knew what I was doing
The truth is, I CAN’T READ YOUR MIND!
The beginning is a math trick...
No matter what number, you end up with 4
Few countries begin with D - Maybe DRC, Djibouti or Dominican Rep.
Denmark is most obvious
Same for elephant - maybe an emu, elk or eagle...
Of course, elephants are gray...
You notice people that do this have control...
You only thought of what I wanted you to think of
No one steps back and says, “Hey, you’re thinking of potato salad!”
Wow, how did you know?!
Today, King Nebuchadnezzar will put his guys to the test
Prayer
Prayer
1 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him.
2nd year doesn’t seem to make sense
Found an older Greek copy saying 12 years...
I think it’s the 2nd year of his reign over Judah
You’ll see Daniel only responds after they are sentenced to death
I think Daniel was still in 3 years of training at Babylon-U
Not present for for presentation
King has crazy dreams - can’t sleep
Not a big dream guy, but sometimes they happen
Maybe you’ve heard this
Tasha’s dream at 3:00AM
Take it or leave it...
I’m hesitant because some people go too far
Every dream is a message, everyone with a dream is a messenger
I had a dream Jesus came down for the rapture in a speed boat
We’re not going to start wearing life jackets to church...
Some say, “that ended after the Apostolic age”
I think it’s just different
God’s seasons ebb and flow
Sometime’s God is loud - like when Jesus came
Sometimes He’s silent - like 400 years of Malachi
Right now, He’s more quiet until Jesus returns
No one tells God when He can or can’t do something
In Daniel’s time, God was loud in the life of Daniel
WHY? God’s nations were no more
God’s working to bring them back to Him
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is highly unusual and scary
2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”
King has invested in human library
If you want help, no shortage of people to give input
Counselors, psychics, horoscopes, self-help, Oprah, Suzie next door
He knew this dream was from God - or something powerful
Didn’t want to trust just anyone
He calls the best of the best
4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.”
Makes sense right?
You want to know what it means, you gotta tell me the dream!
5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.”
Wait, no content?!
How do you review a movie without watching it?
How do you take an eye exam with no letters on the board?
How can you tell what a dream means without hearing what happened?
Great question!
Clearly they claim to know the meaning!
Nebuchadnezzar thinks, “Whoever sent the dream to me...”
“...Can send the meaning to you!”
What would you do?
Tell me what my dream was or I’ll kill you!
Had to be terrifying!
What do hostage negotiators do in movies? They buy more time...
7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” 8 The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— 9 if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.”
They’re caught! What are they going to do?
I remember when I got caught
Brand new skateboard from CCS
My mom pulled in the driveway - threw skateboard in bushes
Had to lie and almost had it!
Neighbor came to the door - left this in bushes
I was caught! What could I do?! Lost the skateboard for a month
Nebuchadnezzar says quit stalling and tell me, or you die!
They’re caught, they don’t know what his dreams are
The can’t fudge their way through this one
So they just cop to it:
10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. 11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
BINGO!
That’s the whole point! That’s what Nebuchadnezzar is looking for!
He won’t know if their interpretation is right
The could say PB&J means he’s tired of being sandwiched
He won’t know if that’s right or they made it up!
But he will know if they correctly say what he dreamed!
This is part of a theme we saw...
We saw it last week, we’re seeing it here, we see it all through Daniel
Not a challenge for them; it’s a challenge to hear from God!
He wants to hear why God sent this dream
They say, no human can know that!
I know! That’s why I need proof God’s showing it to you!
We don’t even know if Nebuchadnezzar totally remembers the dream!
You ever wake up with a crazy revelation type dream
You have to write it down quick or you’ll forget it!
Maybe Nebuchadnezzar wants his wise men to help him remember
These are the best of the best in that day!
They’re going to create a legacy
These men are probably the founders of the Magi!
You know, the three wise men of Jesus’ birth!
Scholars think this is how they learn of the bright star leading to the king
Daniel teaches them the king of the Jews is coming
Then preserve it for hundreds of years
Now Nebuchadnezzar says tell me my dream! - They can’t
Only God can do that
K - Then you die
12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He declared to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.
Daniel hadn’t heard of the king’s demand
Why? Like I said, Daniel was at Babylon-U for 3 years
This is year 2 of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign
When he hears, Daniel thinks of something right away!
What do you do when you hear something is terribly wrong?
Simple. You pray.
17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 and told them 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.
Know what I love?
All the other guys had no expectation from their gods
Something’s impossible? Ain’t gonna do it
Only the gods can do that, definitely not me!
Daniel though, lets see what our loving God will do!
The one I have a relationship with
Corrie ten Boom: “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
If you truly know God, you truly have nothing to fear!
Here’s what happens:
19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
22 he reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and the light dwells with him.
23 To you, O God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and might,
and have now made known to me what we asked of you,
for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”
Daniel got the answer he was looking for
Notice his prayer:
He thanks God for His power
He thanks God for communicating with him
And He thanks God for having his back
He hasn’t even confirmed with Nebuchadnezzar yet!
He might go, “EHH! Wrong!” And chop off his head!
But Daniel knows God...
And he also knows that the king is going to be killing the wise men soon
So Daniel calls out in a hurry!
24 Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.”
25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” 26 The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?”
The king is tired - he hasn’t slept
He’s stressed - the dream has scared him
He’s angry - his expensive human library is worth nothing
And now Daniel says he has the answer
A 2nd year college student at Babylon-U
A teenage with no experience
Just a Jewish captive...
This had better be good!
Here’s what Daniel says:
27 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: 29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 30 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.
What a beautiful answer
I would hope that our hearts might be like this
Here are some things to notice:
1. No man can do this - he pushes credit away from himself
2. There is a God in heaven who can do this
3. God is showing you the future
4. This is a gift for YOU, Nebuchadnezzar
Interesting that God would show kindness to a pagan king
God surely loves all His creation
And then, Daniel tells the king his dream
But we’re going to skip that part today...
Next week we’ll talk about the dream and it’s meaning
For this week, here’s what you need to know:
He tells the dream in vivd detail
He leaves nothing out
The interpretation is solid
And most importantly, he was 100% accurate
Let’s skip the dream and go right to Nebuchadnezzar’s response
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. 47 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” 48 Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court.
Clearly, the king was impressed
Daniel was a foreign slave about to be executed
Now the king in bowing down!
Daniel becomes the top wise man, and got his friends promoted
There’s a key here: Daniel wasn’t special for his ability
No great knowledge, no skill, not power
Just a trust in God
The king knew that: God of gods and Lord of kings
Know what’s crazy? When Daniel woke up that morning he had no idea
First, he didn’t know he was going to die
Second, he didn’t know he’d become the top dog!
It’s amazing how fast God’s blessings turn around...
5 minutes before...
Jesus broke bread, thousands were hungry
Touching His garment, a woman bled 12-years straight
Jesus said, “Come forth!” Lazarus was dead
It only takes a moment to turn things around
Maybe this is your moment...
Take your moment
Communion
Communion
The bread:
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
The cup:
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.