Daniel 2.17-Daniel Turns To Hananiah, Mishael And Azariah For Support In Prayer
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday February 28, 2012
Daniel: Daniel 2:17-Daniel Turns To Hananiah, Mishael And Azariah For Support In Prayer
Lesson # 41
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 2:1.
This evening we will study Daniel 2:17.
Daniel 2:1 Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 The king said to them, “I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.” 4 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 5 The king replied to the Chaldeans, “The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. 6 But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 8 The king replied, “I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that the command from me is firm 9 that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may know that you can declare to me its interpretation.” 10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean. 11 Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.” 12 Because of this the king became indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king’s bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. 15 he said to Arioch, the king’s commander, “For what reason is the decree from the king so urgent?” Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. 16 So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king. 17 Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter. (NASB95)
“Then Daniel went to his house” is composed of the temporal adverb ʾěḏǎ∙yin (אֱדַיִן) (ed-ah´-yin), “then” which is followed by the masculine singular proper noun dā∙niy∙yē(ʾ)l (דָּנִיֵּאל) (daw-nee-yale), “Daniel” and then we have the preposition lĕ (לְ) (lamed), “to” and its object the masculine singular construct form of the noun bǎ∙yiṯ (בַּיִת) (bah-yith), “house” which is modified by the third person masculine singular pronomial suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “his” and then we have the third person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal stem) active perfect form of the verb ʾǎzǎl (אֲזַל) (az-al´), “went.”
The temporal adverb ʾěḏǎ∙yin is a temporal coordinator and means “then” since it shows consecutive events in the narrative.
Here it introduces a statement that tells the reader the next event that took place after Nebuchadnezzar granted Daniel’s request for time in order to make a request from God to reveal to him both the content of king’s dream as well as its interpretation.
The word introduces a statement that tells the reader that Daniel went home and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah with regards to the king’s demand of all the wise men in the city of Babylon to make known to him both the content of his dream as well as its interpretation or be executed.
The verb ʾǎzǎl means “to return, go back to a place” and is used with Daniel as its subject and his home as its object.
Thus, the word denotes Daniel “returning” to his home and telling his three friends about the king’s demand, which he made of all the wise men in the city of Babylon as well as the consequences of failing to meet this demand.
The word denotes Daniel leaving the palace of Nebuchadnezzar and “returning” to his own residence.
The word does not mean “to go, depart” but rather “return” since Arioch apprehended Daniel at his home and was taken to the residence of the king from which place he returned to his home.
The noun bǎ∙yiṯ is in the singular and construct form referring to the residence or the dwelling place or home of Daniel.
“And informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and” which is followed by the preposition lĕ (לְ) (lamed), which is not translated and its object is the masculine singular form of the proper noun ḥǎnǎn∙yā(h) (חֲנַנְיָה) (khan-an-yaw), “Hananiah” and the masculine singular form of the proper noun mî∙šā∙ʾēl (מִישָׁאֵל) (mee-shaw-ale), “Mishael” which is followed by the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and” which is followed by the masculine singular form of the proper noun ʿǎzǎr∙yā(h) (עֲזַרְיָה) (az-ar-yaw), “Azariah” and then we have the masculine plural construct form of the noun ḥǎḇǎr (חֲבַר) (khab-ar´), “friends” which is modified by the third person masculine singular pronomial suffix –hû (־הוּ) (who), “his” and then we have the feminine singular form of the noun mil∙lā(h) (מִלָּה) (mil-law´), “about the matter” which is followed by the third person masculine singular hafʿel (Hebrew: hiphil) active perfect form of the verb yeḏǎʿ (יְדַע) (yed-ah´), “informed.”
The conjunction wa is a marker of a sequence of closely related events.
This means that it is introducing a clause that tells the reader that Daniel informed his three friends of the king’s demands and the consequences of not meeting it, which marks the next sequential event that took place after Daniel returned home.
The verb yeḏǎʿ means “to inform, make known” and is expressing the fact that Daniel informed his three friends with regards to Nebuchadnezzar’s demand that his wise men make known to him both the content of his recurring dream as well as its interpretation or be executed.
The noun ḥǎḇǎr means “friends, companions” and refers to Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
They along with Daniel were sought after by the executioners and were under the sentence of death.
Daniel sought these three to accompany him in prayer in order to request that God would make known to Daniel both the content of the king’s dream as well as its interpretation.
The noun mil∙lā(h) means “the matter” and refers to the reason why Nebuchadnezzar ordered the execution of the city of Babylon’s wise men, which was that they failed to meet his demand to tell him the content of his recurring dream as well as its interpretation.
Daniel 2:17 tells the reader that after Nebuchadnezzar granted Daniel’s request for time Daniel returned to his home.
Daniel 2:18 tells us that Daniel wanted time in order to go to God in prayer and request that He reveal to him the content of the king’s dream as well as its interpretation.
Upon arriving home he immediately informed Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah with regards to the king’s demand of the wise men and the consequences for failing to meet this demand.
Daniel 2:18 says that the purpose of informing them about the matter was so that they might accompany him in prayer to the Father.
Now, the question arises, couldn’t Daniel pray by himself?
Of course, however, he also knew about the power of corporate prayer.
In 1 Timothy 2:1-8, Paul urgently requests that corporate prayer be made by the Ephesians on behalf of all unregenerate humanity.
Prayer can have a phenomenal effect in the human realm.
One of the most overlooked aspects of prayer and fellowship in Christianity today is that of corporate prayer.
Daniel and his friends believed in it.
The fact that corporate prayer is overlooked and ignored in the church-age impacts the witnessing of the church in this country and the world.
Church-age believers are commanded in Scripture to be dedicated and devoted to two different dimensions of prayer: individual prayer (Mat 6) and corporate prayer (Mat 18:19-20).
Since we are individual members of one body (1 Co 12:27), we should pray as such.
As members of the body of Christ, we are not only to meet together to hear and study the Word, but we are also to pray together.
Jesus Christ taught the importance of corporate prayer in the Gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED…. 19 Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” (NASB95)
The church at Antioch fasted and prayed together before sending out Barnabas and Paul (Acts 13:1-3; 14:23).
It was at a prayer meeting in Philippi that God opened Lydia’s heart (Acts 16:13) and, at another prayer meeting in Philippi, that He opened the prison doors (Acts 16:25).
Paul prayed together with the pastors at Ephesus before leaving them (Acts 20:36; 21:5).
According to Acts 2:42, the early Church demonstrated their unity before the world by meeting together and being dedicated and devoted to the apostle’s teaching and commands to fellowship, observe the Lord’s Supper, and pray.
Daniel also informed them about the matter because their lives were threatened as well.
By telling his friends, Daniel was being a witness to his friends.
He wanted to strengthen their faith in the Lord by allowing them to see God fulfill his request to make known to him both the content of the king’s dream as well as its interpretation, which would result in the glorification of God.
Daniel wanted his friends to be a witness to God answering his prayer.
Daniel 2:17 also makes clear that Daniel and Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were friends.
The basis of friendship is reciprocal and self-sacrificial love and consequently, mutual interest.
A true friend loves you to the forgetfulness of himself and you in turn love him to the forgetfulness of yourself.
Friends are always seeking each other’s interests.
Friends share things with each other and are not selfish.
They do not withhold things from each other.
True friends are relaxed with one another and respect each other’s silence with one another.
A friend loves to the forgetfulness of himself.
True friends seek each other’s interests.
A friend loves at all times whether in adversity or prosperity (Prov. 17:17; 2 Tm. 1:16).
Daniel also reveals that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah had many hours of wonderful hours of fellowship together in the Word of God, which created a bond of friendship, loyalty and devotion towards one another.
This deep bond of friendship, loyalty and devotion that existed between these four was based upon their mutual respect for the Word of God.
They all loved the Word of God and it was at the center of their relationship as evidenced by their willingness to obey the dietary regulations of the Mosaic Law and not eat the food and drink prescribed by Nebuchadnezzar even though it could result in the loss of their lives.
This principle of friendship is taught in 1 Samuel 20:23 where the Lord was between Jonathan and David’s friendship.
True and abiding friendship is based upon respect for the Word and respect is the highest form of love that exists in the human race.
There was a great respect that existed between Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah which was based upon love or respect for God’s Word.
In order for friendships among Christians to be sustained for a lifetime, there must be a mutual love and respect for the Word of God!
True friendship between Christians is based upon both parties obeying the command to love one another (John 13:34; 15:12).