Introduction
We took some time in a previous sermon to examine Jeremiah 29. In Jeremiah 29 we found clear instructions how the Jews should live while they were in exiles in Babylonian captivity. Yesterday we moved forward and started to discuss the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had in Daniel 2.
As we discuss this prophetic dream of Nebuchadnezzar I believe we need to be on guard against merely trying to understand the dreams and visions of the book of Daniel. Understanding is good, but God’s Word is never given just so that we can learn interesting facts. Daniel 2 is meant to give you a vision of who God is and in turn your response is to live for him and worship him.
Daniel 2
31 “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became pa great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. 39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage,3 but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up ca kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that fa stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
Retelling the story
1) Daniel and his friends are living in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court
2) The king has a dream with an image in it that he wants to understand
3) Nebuchadnezzar calls all of the wise men of the kingdom into his court and tells them that if they do not tell him what the image was and what it means he will dismember them and destroy their homes. BTW: The book of Daniel has so much to say when it comes to living as a Christian in the workplace.
4) The wise men don’t have the power to tell the king what he wants to know
5) Daniel tells the king’s guard that he can tell the king what he wants to know
6) Daniel and his friends meet together to pray
7) Daniel comes to the king and tells him the meaning of the dream
8) The king falls down on his face to praise Daniel
Understanding the dream
So, what in the world does this dream mean?
-The golden head represents Babylon
-The silver chest and arms represent Medo-Persians
-The stomach and thighs represents Greece
-The legs represent Rome
-The feet with ten toes is referring to a future time that is still to come. In Daniel 7 we are told about a vision with ten horns
-Rev 13 and 17 talk about these 10 kingdoms and it is something that is taking place in the very last days before Jesus returns
-The stone represents Jesus and his kingdom. “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Psalm 118:22
This Babylonian culture needs to see the lives of Godly men and women on full display
As I have already said, the book of Daniel is ultimately about God. But that does not mean that we can not learn from the example of Daniel. In this passage we see Daniel’s faith clearly revealing his trust in his sovereign God. For example, Daniel makes an appointment to see the king BEFORE God has revealed the contents of the dream to him. This is faith that God is going to show up and tell him what he needs to know regarding the king’s dream.
We must be people of courage and faith in everyday life. What areas of life is God calling you to be courageous and to step out in faith?
Our vision as a church is to be “Deeply Rooted In The Six Counties All Around us.” We need to be people of bold faith and joining God in the redeeming work that he is doing in our neighborhoods and cities.
How we respond to trials reveals what we believe about God
In 1 Peter 1:7 we read this, “so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
As Daniel went through some really intense trials his faith was revealing his deep faith in God. Question. What are the trials you are going through right now revealing what you believe to be true about God? Are your trials making Jesus look like he is really all you need?
We must understand the absolute necessity of prayer
17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18and 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. Daniel 2:17-18
“What the Church needs to-day is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use — men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men — men of prayer.” -E.M. Bounds
Jesus will one day return for a second time to rule on earth
Daniel 2 is revealing a double prophecy. It is revealing the first coming of Jesus and his second coming. The second coming of Jesus will be radically different than the first.
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. -Malachi 4:1.
Have you ever embraced Jesus Christ by faith?
If you know Jesus, are you living with a sense of urgency?
Our response must be worship, trust, and devotion
In verses 19-23 we see Daniel responding to the greatness and good of God by worshipping him.
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.”
Our ultimate response to the visions and prophecies of Daniel should not be detailed color-coded charts that show we have mastered the chronology of the end times. Our response to the revelation of who God is should be the same as Daniel, worship.
I have mentioned our vision on a number of occasions and will continue to do so as I preach God’s Word. Here is a brief video we made to try and communicate in greater detail what our vision is all about.
MichaelWallenmeyer.com 