There Is No Other God (Daniel 3:1-30)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into a fiery furnace, by Chris Torre

King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue. It was ninety feet high and nine feet wide. He set it up in the Dura Valley in the province of Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar then ordered the chief administrators, ministers, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to assemble and come for the dedication of the statue that he had set up.

So the chief administrators, ministers, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. They stood in front of the statue the king had set up.

The herald proclaimed loudly: “Peoples, nations, and languages! This is what you must do: When you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, lyre, harp, flute, and every kind of instrument, you must bow down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Anyone who will not bow down and worship will be immediately thrown into a furnace of flaming fire.”

So because of this order as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, lyre, harp, flute, and every kind of instrument, all the peoples, nations, and languages bowed down and worshipped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

At that moment some Chaldeans came forward, seizing a chance to attack the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar:

“Long live the king! Your Majesty, you gave a command that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, lyre, harp, flute, and every kind of instrument should bow down and worship the gold statue. Anyone who wouldn’t bow and worship would be thrown into a furnace of flaming fire. Now there are some Jews, ones you appointed to administer the province of Babylon—specifically, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who have ignored your command. They don’t serve your gods, and they don’t worship the gold statue you’ve set up.”

In a violent rage Nebuchadnezzar ordered them to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were brought before the king.

Nebuchadnezzar said to them: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: Is it true that you don’t serve my gods or worship the gold statue I’ve set up? If you are now ready to do so, bow down and worship the gold statue I’ve made when you hear the sound of horn, pipe, zither, lyre, harp, flute, and every kind of instrument. But if you won’t worship it, you will be thrown straight into the furnace of flaming fire. Then what god will rescue you from my power?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar: “We don’t need to answer your question. If our God—the one we serve—is able to rescue us from the furnace of flaming fire and from your power, Your Majesty, then let him rescue us. But if he doesn’t, know this for certain, Your Majesty: we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you’ve set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his face twisted beyond recognition because of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In response he commanded that the furnace be heated to seven times its normal heat. He told some of the strongest men in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the furnace of flaming fire. 

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound, still dressed in all their clothes, and thrown into the furnace of flaming fire. (Now the king’s command had been rash, and the furnace was heated to such an extreme that the fire’s flame killed the very men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to it.) So these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell, bound, into the furnace of flaming fire.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in shock and said to his associates, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the fire?”

They answered the king, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

He replied, “Look! I see four men, unbound, walking around inside the fire, and they aren’t hurt! And the fourth one looks like one of the gods.” Nebuchadnezzar went near the opening of the furnace of flaming fire and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire. The chief administrators, ministers, governors, and the king’s associates crowded around to look at them. The fire hadn’t done anything to them: their hair wasn’t singed; their garments looked the same as before; they didn’t even smell like fire!

Nebuchadnezzar declared: “May the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be praised! He sent his messenger to rescue his servants who trusted him. They ignored the king’s order, sacrificing their bodies, because they wouldn’t serve or worship any god but their God. I now issue a decree to every people, nation, and language: whoever speaks disrespectfully about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s God will be torn limb from limb and their house made a trash heap, because there is no other god who can rescue like this.”

Then the king made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego prosperous in the province of Babylon. (Common English Bible)

Daniel’s three companions in the fiery furnace, by Adrianoupolitis Konstantinos, 1725

At the core of today’s story, and of the entire book of Daniel, is the assertion and demonstration that there is no other God but Yahweh.

King Nebuchadnezzar believed that he himself was big stuff. It turns out, not so much. Even the great king ended up confessing that there is no other god who is able to deliver like the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When the mighty king looked into the fire, all of his pomp and control and wrath and power proved to be nothing before the One God of all.

The earthly king threw all of his weight into showing how powerful and great he could be; and all of that unleashing of kingly destructive force did absolutely nothing to even singe the hair of the three worshipers of God.

Nebuchadnezzar did a lot of talking, a lot of posturing, and showed a lot of anger. Conversely, God said nothing, and was supremely successful over him. Turns out that Nebuchadnezzar was only a little yippee puppy barking in front of the large Mastiff dog who could squish him with but a movement of his paw if he wanted.

The experience of King Nebuchadnezzar is a telling lesson on all earthly rulers who presume to be supreme and all-powerful in their position.

And even in the great king’s confession of God’s true might and power, it’s almost tongue-in-cheek, as if Nebuchadnezzar himself is delusional enough to think that he’s the one who is setting up God as God. For those who are familiar with the prophecy of Daniel, they know what’s coming up in Nebuchadnezzar’s future that will purge him of that idea once and for all.

In truth, whatever strength Nebuchadnezzar had, it was God-given. In reality, you and I are recipients of God’s grace and strength; not a one of us conjured up our own success.

Things like a pompous attitude, a spirit of self-centeredness, and a position of hubris are totally out of sync with the values of God’s rule and reign on this earth. We fret and strut upon the stage of this planet in vain; the Lord is really the One who holds it all. Carrying the world on our shoulders is to be way out of touch with our job description as humans. Such a thing will only make us look as foolish as old King Nebuchadnezzar.

In between a rock and a hard place, within the throes of trouble, there is no step by step formula in dealing with it. Even in searching for clear instructions betrays that we desire to have situations within our own control. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not presume upon God, but fully trusted God and knew that they had no control over the circumstance other than choosing their own attitude in it.

All of the officials had gathered before Nebuchadnezzar’s statue; but by the end of the story they stood as witnesses to the work of the true God. Their worship of the statue had gained them nothing; they ended up under a new threat from Nebuchadnezzar. The king commended Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s defiance of his decree, but followed it with a new decree commanding the worship of their God.

King Nebuchadnezzar commanded others, but he himself did not worship. His death-threat is hardly a fitting way to bring people to worship the true God. That sort of behavior ought to highly instruct us in this American  election year cycle.

The oppressor does not have the last word. God creates a future beyond oppressive human systems.

Sovereign Lord, I pray that You will right all wrongs taking place in our world; and vindicate those being treated unjustly. Keep us from taking matters into our own hands, for vengeance is Yours, not mine. In Your grace and mercy, give justice and peace to all who have been cruelly and unfairly treated by their fellow humanity. May injustice and carelessness end, and may all people be drawn into Your saving arms of grace. Amen.

Jesus Shows Up (John 20:19-31)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The Doubt of St. Thomas, by He Qi

It was still the first day of the week. That evening, while the disciples were behind closed doors because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.”After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy.Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.”Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you don’t forgive them, they aren’t forgiven.”

Thomas, the one called Didymus, one of the Twelve, wasn’t with the disciples when Jesus came.The other disciples told him, “We’ve seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger in the wounds left by the nails, and put my hand into his side, I won’t believe.”

After eight days his disciples were again in a house and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus entered and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand into my side. No more disbelief. Believe!”

Thomas responded to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus replied, “Do you believe because you see me? Happy are those who don’t see and yet believe.”

Then Jesus did many other miraculous signs in his disciples’ presence, signs that aren’t recorded in this scroll. But these things are written so that you will believe that Jesus is the Christ, God’s Son, and that believing, you will have life in his name. (Common English Bible)

Mosaic of Doubting Thomas, Cathedral of Monreale, Italy

When Jesus shows up, there is peace. Wherever Jesus goes, the Spirit of God is there. When Jesus appears, people believe.

The Meeting

After the crucifixion of Christ, the disciples were huddled together, mostly in fear of being found out and put out by the religious authorities. Out of nowhere, Jesus showed up, smack in the middle of the anxious group of men.

Christ in the center makes all the difference. From this central place, Jesus bestowed to the disciples his peace. The very first word the risen Christ spoke to his disciples was neither a command to stop being afraid, nor a rebuke for sitting around and doing nothing, or disappointment because they all ran away in the final hour of need at the crucifixion.  

Instead, the first word of Christ was a gift of peace. The presence and peace of Christ melted the disciples’ fear. Christ-centered peace is graciously given; and so, it only makes sense to gratefully receive it.

The Reality

Jesus showed up, then showed off his hands and his side. He was not fabricated out of the disciples’ imagination; he was not some ghostly apparition. Rather, Christ was standing in the middle of them, very real, very physical, and very alive.

Christ gave his disciples real truth: actual wounded hands and side, on a real body. Christ is risen and alive – not just spiritually, but physically. Since the resurrection of Jesus really happened, then nothing else matters; our joy is complete. We have what we need.

The Mission

As Jesus was sent by the Father, so Jesus sent his disciples; and he is still sending us, his disciples, out into the world. Just as Jesus came not to condemn the world but to save it, so we go out with words of grace and peace. The church exists for the life of the world – to bless it with the presence and peace of Christ.

“Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (John 12:44-46, NIV)

Our spiritual DNA makes us little Christ’s walking around, doing the will of God, for the benefit of a world in darkness. We bear the name of Christ: Christians, proclaiming a message of life, delighting in God and creation; and not destroying the earth and its inhabitants.

The Gift

We are not alone. The Holy Spirit has been graciously given to us by Jesus. Although our mission is a big one, our resource for accomplishing it is even bigger. Jesus gives the Spirit in the same way he gives himself – as a sheer gift with no strings attached. Just as God breathed life into the very first people on earth, so Jesus breathes on the disciples and gives them new life and a new heart.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws… and you will be my people, and I will be your God. (Ezekiel 36:26-28, NIV)

The Privilege

Christ has redeemed us, forgave us of our guilt and shame. Now, we pass on the forgiveness to others. The special mission of the Church is giving Jesus to others with grace and peace, so that they may believe he is truly the risen Lord; and so, receive Jesus, the Spirit, forgiveness, and purpose in life, with Christ at the center of all things.

For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” (John 3:34-36, NIV)

The Appearance

When Jesus appears, its good if we also show up to see him. It seems Thomas was late for church and missed the beginning of the service. He wasn’t with the other gathered disciples. Nobody knows where he was or what he was doing. But the important thing is that he did eventually show up, because showing up is the beginning of a changed life.

The Witness

After Jesus showed up, the disciples bore witness to what they saw and heard to Thomas. Yet Thomas, bless his doubting heart, wasn’t having it. He’s a realist. He wants proof, some actual physical evidence. Thomas was clearly a tactile learner because he needs some touch to believe any of this crazy talk of his disciple brothers.

The Risen Lord appears to St. Thomas and the apostles, Catacombs of St. Callixtus, Rome, Italy

Sometimes Thomas gets a bad rap, but he is really our Everyman. Doubt and skepticism are an important part of a full-orbed and honest faith. Jesus gave Thomas some space, time, and respect to begin wrapping his head and heart around this new reality of resurrection. I wonder if we all can do the same with others.

The Middle

A second time, Jesus showed up in the middle of the disciples. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us – and didn’t become a ghost and hang out in secret places. Once again, peace is given by Jesus to his followers. Both appearances happen on a Sunday (which is why Christians worship on Sunday); and both meetings are literally Christ-centered (which every Christian meeting is supposed to be). Every Sunday; and Christ in the middle. Keep those two together forever, and you cannot go wrong.

The Invitation

There’s no beating around the bush with Jesus. He immediately engaged Thomas and invited him to touch the wounds on his very real body. Christ knew Thomas’ hangup, and went right to it. Thomas wanted evidence; Jesus offered it. If we get anything out of this encounter, it’s that the risen Christ honors honest doubt.

The evidence is here. Now believe it, and stop disbelieving. We have documentary evidence of the Old and New Testaments; the Church’s witness in Creeds, Confessions, and contemporary narratives of changed lives; and the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, look into them carefully and draw a sound conclusion.

The Confession

“My Lord and my God!” That’s the confession and the conclusion Thomas drew from the evidence – not only that Jesus is real, alive, existed, a good teacher; or other people’s Lord and God – but that he is my Lord and my God.

Jesus cared enough for Thomas to specifically meet him personally at his point of need. The grace of God keeps coming and never runs out. Jesus is filled up to the full in both grace and truth.

The Believer

Thomas had the physical evidence. But it doesn’t take that to truly believe. God blesses those who’ve never seen nor touched, but still believe. Jesus was thinking of you and me, and not only the people in front of him at the time. The Lord Jesus blesses us with the gift of peace, grace, and faith.

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9, NIV)

The Conclusion

All this is for our benefit, so that we, too, may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Since Jesus is alive, he continues to bless us with his presence, power, and peace. Jesus is with us:

  • through the Word of God, giving us his peace, showing up and meeting needs people.
  • at the Table in the sacrament of communion, bringing grace and forgiveness
  • in the person of the Holy Spirit, enabling and energizing us for mission and ministry to the world

It’s a life worth living, a Christ-centered life, full of God’s blessing. Amen.

Handling a Stressful Situation (Daniel 2:24-49)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream, by David Martin (1639-1721)

So Daniel went to Arioch, the man the king had appointed to wipe out Babylon’s sages. Daniel said to him, “Don’t wipe out the sages of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will explain the dream’s meaning to him.”Wasting no time, Arioch brought Daniel before the king, telling him, “I have found someone from the Judean exiles who will tell the dream’s meaning to the king.”

In reply the king said to Daniel (whose name was Belteshazzar), “Can you really tell me the dream that I saw, as well as its meaning?”

Daniel answered the king, “Sages, enchanters, dream interpreters, and diviners can’t explain to the king the mystery he seeks.But there is a God in heaven, a revealer of mysteries, who has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the days to come! Now this was your dream—this was the vision in your head as you lay in your bed:

“As you lay in bed, Your Majesty, your thoughts turned to what will happen in the future. The revealer of mysteries has revealed to you what will happen. Now this mystery was revealed to me, not because I have more wisdom than any other living person but so that the dream’s meaning might be made known to the king, and so that you might know the thoughts of your own mind.

“Your Majesty, you were looking, and there, rising before you, was a single, massive statue. This statue was huge, shining with dazzling light, and was awesome to see.The statue’s head was made of pure gold; its chest and arms were made from silver; its abdomen and hips were made of bronze.Its legs were of iron, and its feet were a mixture of iron and clay.You observed this until a stone was cut, but not by hands; and it smashed the statue’s feet of iron and clay and shattered them.Then all the parts shattered simultaneously—iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. They became like chaff, left on summer threshing floors. The wind lifted them away until no trace of them remained. But the stone that smashed the statue became a mighty mountain, and it filled the entire earth.

“This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its meaning:You, Your Majesty, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given kingship, power, might, and glory to you!God has delivered into your care human beings, wild creatures, and birds in the sky—wherever they live—and has made you ruler of all of them. You are the gold head.But in your place, another kingdom will arise, one inferior to yours, and then a third, bronze kingdom will rule over all the earth.Then will come a fourth kingdom, mighty like iron. Just as iron shatters and crushes everything; so like an iron that smashes, it will shatter and crush all these others.As for the feet and toes that you saw, which were a mixture of potter’s clay and iron, that signifies a divided kingdom; but it will possess some of the unyielding strength of iron. Even so, you saw the iron mixed with earthy clayso that the toes were made from a mixture of iron and clay. Part of the kingdom will be mighty, but part of it will be fragile.Just as you saw the iron mixed with earthy clay, they will join together by intermarrying, but they will not bond to each other, just as iron does not fuse with clay.

“But in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will be indestructible. Its rule will never pass to another people. It will shatter other kingdoms. It will put an end to all of them. It will stand firm forever, just like you saw when the stone, which was cut from the mountain, but not by hands, shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. A great God has revealed to the king what will happen in the future. The dream is certain. Its meaning can be trusted.”

The Prophet Daniel, by Brazilian sculptor Aleijadinho (1738-1814)

Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed low and honored Daniel. The king ordered that grain and incense offerings be made to Daniel. The king declared to Daniel, “No doubt about it: your God is God of gods, Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries because you were able to reveal this mystery!” Then the king exalted Daniel and lavished gifts on him, making him ruler over all the province of Babylon and chief minister over all Babylon’s sages. At Daniel’s urging, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to administer the province of Babylon, but Daniel himself remained at the royal court. (Common English Bible)

That was a close one. All the wise men of Babylon, along with Daniel and his three companions, were nearly snuffed out by the rage of a powerful king. Good thing God is the One who is really in charge of things!

King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that his court sages tell him the troubling dream he had, along with an interpretation. Daniel alone was able to provide both the dream’s content and its meaning, precisely because he immediately went to prayer and beseeched God to reveal the mystery. A lot of lives were on the line. And God answered him.

Daniel calmly and confidently handled the life-or-death situation with some deft wisdom. There are likely two reasons for his ability to step into a situation fraught with such heavy stress: 1) he was already a consistent person of prayer; and, 2) he was truly doing this for the benefit of everyone, not just himself. In other words, Daniel was humble, full of faith, and concerned for the common good of all.

It’s interesting to me that Daniel didn’t get all caught up in the specifics of the dream. What was most important to him was communicating to the king that it was the Lord who provided the dream and its interpretation; and doing his very best to ensure something like this wasn’t going to happen again.

After being made the acting ruler over the province of Babylon, Daniel’s first act was encouraging the king to put his three companions in charge of the province. Daniel himself remained at the royal court, close to King Nebuchadnezzar. Not only was Daniel wise in how he handled the potential debacle, but he was also quite wise in discerning that he was needed courtside. I picture Daniel becoming something of Nebuchadnezzar’s handler – maintaining a significant position in order to check the ego and the arrogance of the king.

What stands out to me most about today’s story is not the particulars about ancient history, with the empires coming and going. It’s about Daniel doing what needed to be done, being willing to step into a stress-filled situation and take it on. Then, when things settled down and he was recognized and awarded, Daniel didn’t get caught up in the hoopla near as much as diligently worked behind the scenes for stability in the royal court. Such humility is worth emulating, and is much needed in today’s world.

Gracious God, have mercy on me. As the day unfolds, please grant me humility, kindness, and courage to move toward the situations you have in front of me. Bring glory to yourself, gentleness to my heart, and a good and just outcome. Amen.

What Can I Do in an Impossible Situation? (Daniel 2:1-23)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Daniel Interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream, by Mattia Preti (1613-1699)

In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule, he had many dreams. The dreams made him anxious, but he kept sleeping. The king summoned the dream interpreters, enchanters, diviners, and Chaldeans to explain his dreams to him. They came and stood before the king.

Then the king said to them: “I had a dream, and I’m anxious to know its meaning.”

The Chaldeans answered the king in Aramaic: “Long live the king! Tell your servants the dream, and we will explain its meaning.”

The king answered the Chaldeans: “My decision is final: If you can’t tell me the dream and its meaning, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into trash dumps. But if you do explain the dream and its meaning, you’ll receive generous gifts and glorious honor from me. So explain to me the dream as well as its meaning.”

They answered him again: “The king must tell his servants the dream. We will then explain the meaning.”

The king replied: “Now I definitely know you are stalling for time, because you see that my decision is final and that if you can’t tell me the dream, your fate is certain. You’ve conspired to make false and lying speeches before me until the situation changes. Tell me the dream now! Then I’ll know you can explain its meaning to me.”

The Chaldeans answered the king: “No one on earth can do what the king is asking! No king or ruler, no matter how great, has ever asked such a thing of any dream interpreter, enchanter, or Chaldean. What the king is asking is impossible! No one could declare the dream to the king but the gods, who don’t live among mere humans.”

At this, the king exploded in a furious rage and ordered that all Babylon’s sages be wiped out. So the command went out: The sages were to be killed. Daniel and his friends too were hunted down; they were to be killed as well.

Then Daniel, with wisdom and sound judgment, responded to Arioch the king’s chief executioner, who had gone out to kill Babylon’s sages. He said to Arioch the king’s royal officer, “Why is the king’s command so unreasonable?” After Arioch explained the situation to Daniel, Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time so he could explain the dream’s meaning to him. Then Daniel went to his house and explained the situation to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah so that they would ask the God of heaven for help about this mystery, in hopes that Daniel and his friends wouldn’t die with the rest of Babylon’s sages. Then, in a vision by night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel! Daniel praised the God of heaven:

God’s name be praised
    from age to eternal age!
        Wisdom and might are his!
God is the one who changes times and eras,
    who dethrones one king, only to establish another,
        who grants wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those with insight.
God is the one who uncovers what lies deeply hidden;
    he knows what hides in darkness;
I acknowledge and praise you, my fathers’ God!
    You’ve given me wisdom and might,
        and now you’ve made known to me what we asked of you:
            you’ve made known to us the king’s demand. (Common English Bible)

Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream, 1917

The King’s Trouble

Nebuchadnezzar was quite the guy – a stereotypical ancient king, in many ways. In our story for today, he certainly comes across as a demanding sovereign, expecting his wishes and commands to be done, no matter how difficult or unreasonable they seem to others.

The king was bothered by a troubling dream. So, in expected kingly fashion, Nebuchadnezzar called for his court appointed sages to explain it to him. And in an over-the-top expectation, even for an arrogant king, Nebuchadnezzar had no intention of telling them what it is he had dreamt.

The sages, of course, had no idea what to do with this exaggerated command. The king’s wise men replied that no one – except the gods – can reveal such secrets as what was dreamt. But in King Nebuchadnezzar’s line of thinking, since the gods of the sages cannot reveal the dream – and thus an interpretation of the dream – then those gods must be weak, ineffective, and useless.

The King’s Anger

In reading and listening to the story, we can feel the response of Nebuchadnezzar coming, and know that it isn’t going to be good. Indeed, the king flew into a rage. The wise men’s failure to provide the contents of the dream, and so, a solid interpretation for the dream, led King Nebuchadnezzar to order them all killed. In issuing such a command, this meant that Daniel and his wise friends were to be killed, as well.

Daniel was a Jewish exile, brought to Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Jerusalem. He was wise, godly, and even-keeled. Daniel calmly intervened and offered to do exactly what the king requested in the first place. All he asked was for some time. Then, Daniel immediately went to his godly and wise friends, and together they looked to the Lord in prayer.

Sure enough, just as God had come to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream, so God came to Daniel and revealed the mystery to him. Daniel’s prayer of thanksgiving makes it clear that the source of the wisdom is the God of heaven, and not Daniel himself. Thus, we are meant to make the connection that Daniel’s God is vastly superior than the gods of the court sages.

The King’s Limits

King Nebuchadnezzar’s sovereignty and control was not universal. It is God who grants wisdom. Yes, we do our part in gaining knowledge and understanding as best we can. We look into Holy Scripture for guidance and seek to obey biblical commands and live into divine promises. Yet, there is also an aspect of wisdom that is given by God.

Ultimate insight comes as a result of both human observation and learning, and divine revelation and response to prayer. Throughout the book of Daniel, a prominent theme is the importance of prayer as the prerequisite to receiving wisdom. Daniel and his three friends joined in prayer together, immediately after hearing of the king’s situation and command.

An even greater theme in the book of Daniel is that God can give wisdom because there is nothing hidden from the Lord; God understands everything. And it is this theological conviction which underlies prayer. Daniel and his companions were supported and emboldened by their knowledge of God.

Believers in every historical age have the privilege of beseeching God for wisdom when circumstances are rough and dire. As the Apostle James says in the New Testament:

My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. You know you learn to endure by having your faith tested. But you must learn to endure everything, so you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything. If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking. (James 1:2-5, CEV)

Whenever facing opposition and suffering, it is important to know that God is in control, and that divine enablement and insight is only a prayer away.

Blessed God, Light of the world, shine upon us and disperse the clouds of our selfishness and stubbornness, so that we may reflect the power of the resurrection in our life together. Amen.