Remaining Holy in a Hostile World: Daniel 2--Speaking Truth to Power

Introduction

Matthew 10:16–26 (NKJV)

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Jesus told these words to His disciples and we read them last week at the end of the sermon. Daniel, his three friends, and all the wise men of Babylon were about to be killed by order from the King. The King had many restless nights after having a dream. He had called in his wise men to tell him the dream and the interpretation. No one was able to tell what the dream was and Nebuchadnezzar was not going to tell it. Therefore he knew them to be lying people and ordered their death. Daniel and his three friends were also to be part of this group. Last week, Daniel and his three friends did what they knew they should, they prayed. They went before the LORD God in prayer and God revealed the dream and what it meant. Daniel praised the LORD for the answer in a Psalm before going to the King. Daniel still has no idea how the King will respond, but God had given him the answer.

An Audience Is Given (Daniel 2:24-25)

Daniel 2:24–25 NKJV

Therefore Daniel went 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; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation.” Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, “I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation.”

Reading these verses I pictured that scene in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy and three friends go to see the Wizard down that long hallway. Yet, while they are scared I believe Daniel was more steadfast (not cocky or prideful).

He goes back to the body guard for the king who was to be the executioner of the wise men of Babylon. The deed had not yet started. There had been a delay thanks to Daniel. He was the person who was standing in the gap for his three friends, all the wise men of Babylon, and himself.

As a mentioned last week, Daniel’s gift from God of getting on the right side of people is a blessing. He was able to get on the side of the chief of the eunuchs, the servant of the chief, and now with the Body Guard of the King. He is just a teenager, but God was the one who was given him favor with these people.

His message to Arioch:

Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon (or cause the wise men of Babylon to perish / be destroyed)

Take me / Escort me (NET) to the King.

I will tell the King the interpretation

Once again, Daniel is putting himself out on the line. He had put himself out on the line asking for more time and now he was putting himself out on the line by asking for an audience with the King. Daniel has the answer from God, but how the King will respond he does not know.

Arioch takes Daniel in haste before the king. There is no delay in bringing him to the King. The Greek word (from the LXX) is spoude (spouday) and it sounds like a word meaning speed.

Daniel is announced by Arioch.

Man (young man)

Of the Captives (from the Captivity) of Judah

He will make known to the king the interpretation

The stage is set. The spotlight is on Daniel as he approaches the throne. God’s Got This.

Response of the King (Daniel 2:26)

Daniel 2:26 NKJV

The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?”

Nebuchadnezzar speaks first before Daniel says a word. We are reminded that here in Babylon he goes by Belteshazzar.

The King asks him a simple question that the wise men were asked. Can you tell me the dream AND its interpretation?

Sometimes we are asked questions that we do not know how to respond to. Daniel didn’t know how to respond to this question BEFORE he prayed with his friends. He needed the answer from God. His own skills and knowledge was not going to save him. He needed God’s guidance. We need that too. Yet, how does he respond when speaking truth to power.

Truth to Power / Glory to God (Daniel 2:27-30)

Daniel 2:27–30 NKJV

Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these: As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

Imagine that you are in front of the President of the United States one on one and he has asked you a question that if you get it wrong you could be killed for it. Daniel is in the court of the most powerful King in the world (the known world). He has influence across what we call the Middle East into Northern Africa. He is powerful. Yet, Daniel has come come to the King in the name of the Lord of hosts.

Daniel begins by stating what the Wise Men had said. Daniel 2:10-11 “The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.””

Daniel says that the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers could not declare this secret / this mystery (mysterion) in LXX.

Nebuchadnezzar already knew this, hence the decree to kill them all. His patience is already at a tipping point.

Daniel then points to the answer. Whereas the wise men had said that the only ones who tell the king the dream were the gods, Daniel declares that there is A GOD in Heaven.

Daniel points back to the One true God before he answers the King. God is the One who had given the King the dream in the first place and God was the One who gave Daniel the dream and the meaning. All glory and honor to God. God reveals or uncovers the secrets. In the LXX it is not the exact same word, but has the root of same Greek word where we get the name Revelation or Apocalypse (Greek word for unveiling, revealing, uncovering).

This is the Revelation of God to King Nebuchadnezzar.

What God has made known to the King is what will be in the latter days.

New Living Translation Chapter 2

But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

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.

There is a build up before the dream is revealed.

Joseph speaks truth to Pharaoh

Genesis 41:9–16 (NKJV)

Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day. When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream. And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.” Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

The Apostle Paul speaks Truth to Power (Agrippa)

The Apostle Paul had many occasions where he had to speak truth to power. One such occasion happens in Acts 26 when Paul is before Agrippa. Here his defense is his testimony.

Pre Convert

Acts 26:1–11 NKJV

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. “My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

Converting

Acts 26:12–18 NKJV

“While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

After

Acts 26:19–23 NKJV

“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

Results

Acts 26:24–32 NKJV

Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!” But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.” Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.” When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them; and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.” Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Application / Conclusion

We at times will be asked to speak truth to power. While in the case of Joseph and the Apostle Paul their lives were spared, there have been countless others that have given their life for speaking the truth. We might be called to lose jobs, homes, family, friends, or our lives for the truth of God’s Word. Daniel and his three were to remain holy. In closing I want to look at the story of William Tyndale who spoke truth to power by translating the Word of God into the heart language of English in the early 16th century.

Jesus Freaks: Martyrs A Plowman’s Bible

“It would be wrong to translate God’s holy Word into English,” the Doctor of Divinity said sternly. “Only a language like Latin or Greek is able to fully convey God’s truth. English is a vulgar language — fine for plowmen and shopkeepers, but hardly suitable for the Bible.”

William Tyndale’s eyes blazed. He was a highly educated man, fluent in several languages, including Greek and Hebrew. “Not only can an accurate English translation be done, it should be done. The Scriptures of God are being hidden from the people’s eyes. The only way that poor people can read and see the simple, plain Word of God is if it is turned into their mother tongue, English.”

In the early 1500s, only scholars could read God’s Word. The only legal Bible was in Latin, which most of the common people could not understand. Since they could not read God’s Word for themselves, they had to rely upon what others told them it said.

It was illegal to own an English Bible or even memorize Scripture in English. In fact, in 1519, seven Christians were burned at the stake in Coventry, England, for teaching their children the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments in English!

Before long, the two men were arguing heatedly. Tyndale quoted Scriptures, the doctor quoted man-made traditions and church rules. Finally, the Doctor of Divinity shouted, “It would be better to be without God’s laws than without the Pope’s.”

Tyndale courageously replied, “I defy the Pope and all his laws! In fact, if God spares my life, I intend to make it possible for a common farmer, a plowman, to know more of the Scripture than you do!”

Within a year of Tyndale’s conversation with the Doctor of Divinity, he decided it was no longer safe for him to stay in England, so he traveled to Germany. There he lived under an assumed name while he worked to finish his translation. When spies from England found him in Germany, he escaped to Belgium, where he printed thousands of his New Testaments.

In 1526, Tyndale’s English New Testament began trickling into England. The Scriptures, now referred to as the “pirate edition,” were made smaller than conventional books. This size was easier to smuggle into bales of cotton and containers of wheat being shipped into England.

As copies poured into England, they were eagerly bought and read by all sorts of ordinary people, who often sat up all night reading them or hearing them read. When the Bishop of London discovered the New Testaments, he bought as many as he could on the black market, paying full price for them. He declared, “I intend to burn and destroy them all.” The merchant who had smuggled them into England gave the money to Tyndale, who then printed three times as many in a revised version. The Bishop of London had unknowingly become Tyndale’s foremost financial supporter!

When Tyndale heard the Bibles were thrown into the fire, he said, “I expected they would burn the New Testaments. I expect they want to burn me too! This may yet happen, if it is God’s will. Even so, I know I did my duty in translating the New Testament.”

Within the next ten years, Tyndale’s New Testament was widely distributed throughout England. Bible truths were now available to everyone, and many people discovered they could have a personal relationship with God based on His Word. At the same time, anyone caught with this illegal book faced severe persecution. Prisons were overflowing and thousands of Christians were executed. Weekly, reports of the persecutions would come to Tyndale, who remained in exile in Europe and continued his translation of the Old Testament. Two of Tyndale’s close friends were burned at the stake. Even church officials, once persecutors, became martyrs after finding truth in Tyndale’s work.

In the spring of 1535, a man named Henry Phillips arrived in Antwerp, where Tyndale had been hiding. In hopes of a reward, Phillips took it on himself to betray Tyndale. He befriended Tyndale, noting that he was “simple and inexpert in the wily subtleties of this world.” Before Tyndale knew what was happening, Phillips had set an ambush for him.

Tyndale spent the next eighteen months in prison near Brussels, Belgium. With the help of Miles Coverdale, he was able to complete part of the Old Testament. During his stay in prison, his powerful preaching and the sincerity of his life greatly influenced those around him. The jailer, the jailer’s daughter, and others of his household accepted the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior.

On October 6, 1536, Tyndale was taken from his dungeon and strangled. Then his body was burned. His last words were a fervent prayer: “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes!”

God honored Tyndale’s prayer. Within three years, the King of England gave instructions that a copy of the “Great Bible” completed by Tyndale’s co-worker, Coverdale, including Tyndale’s New Testament be placed in every church in England!

Tyndale’s translation was so accurate that 75 years later, when the King James Version of the Bible was published, it was based largely upon Tyndale’s work. In fact, about 90 percent of the words remain exactly as he wrote them!