This morning we are continuing our journey together through the book of Daniel and courage.  This morning we are coming to chapter 2.  Before we get there - by way of having us think about the big picture of what God may have for us as we study through this book together - before we to chapter two we begin with a short story.

Picture a cruise ship.  Royal something or other.  In the main dining area the party is in full swing.  Speeches are being made by the captain, the crew, and the guests enjoying the week-long voyage.  Sitting at the head table is a seventy-year-old man who, somewhat embarrassed, is doing his best to accept the praise being poured on him.

Earlier that morning a young woman had apparently fallen overboard, and within seconds this elderly gentleman was in the cold, dark waters at her side.  Screaming for help.  What saved her life.  The woman was rescued and the elderly man became an instant hero.

After all these accolades - speeches - when the time finally came for the brave passenger to speak the dining room fell into a hush as he rose from his chair.  He went to the microphone and, in what was probably the shortest “hero’s” speech ever offered, spoke these stirring words:  “I just want to know one thing - who pushed me?”  

Do you ever feel like that?  Like you’ve been pushed into life - shoved into a situation that requires an ability or courage or something you just don’t have.  Do you ever feel like that?  Life is a swan dive off the 40 meter platform into a bowl of Jell-O.  Only there’s no Jell-O.

Last Sunday we began talking about courage.

It takes courage to live for Jesus - at school - at work.  To not go there - when going “there” means participating in conversation and stuff that we know is ungodly.  Not falling for the allurement of peer pressure.  To not get sucked in by our society with its degrading morals - our  society that’s growing increasingly hostile to the things of God.  To not conform when the pressure to conform is enormous - maybe even job threatening.

It takes courage to live for Jesus in our homes when we’re ridiculed by our families.  It takes courage to say, “We’re just not going to do that.”  When no one else seems to see that there’s a problem.  Courage to make different choices in how we use our time and ability and resources.  Courage to tithe when finances are really really tight or we’re getting pressure to spend our time and money on stuff that we could easily rationalize that we really really need.  Forgiveness takes courage. 

It takes courage to stand for Jesus - to share Him with others - to silence that little inner voice that tries to talk us out of it.  Courage to do what’s unpopular - misunderstood - ridiculed - even though its right before God.

Sometimes we just need courage to get up and face a new day - to just keep going.

Are we together?

That’s what we’re looking at here in Daniel.  What does this courage look like for us living for Jesus in the greater Merced metroplex?  Where does it come from?  How can we have that kind of courage in our lives?

This morning - coming to chapter 2 we’re looking at 49 verses.  Which is a ton of verses.  Meaning the pastor has most probably totally lost it.  So, let me give you some hope that we’ll be done before Green Bay finishes off the Cowboys.  We’re going to walk through these verses following the outline on your Message Notes - unpacking as we go along - and then we’ve got one point of application we’re going to focus on at the end.  2 hours tops.  We’re okay?

Daniel 2 - starting at verse 1 - our introduction to Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream.

Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar - which is about 602 BC - meaning that Daniel is now about 17 and probably just finished his 3rd year of court training - Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him.  Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans - these are advisors to the king - native to Babylon - trained in the occult - looking to ungodly places for their wisdom - Nebuchadnezzar commands them - to tell the king his dreams.  So they came in and stood before the king.  And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”

Verse 1 says that Nebuchadnezzar had “dreams” - plural.  Meaning that night after night he’s been dreaming the same dream over and over.  The word “anxious” literally means he tossed and turned all night - fitful - restless.  He’s not just mildly interested to understand the dream - he’s stressed out and desperate.

Verse 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.”

Which sounds like either a snow job or they’re stalling or both.  “Tell us what you dreamed and we’ll make up something that sounds really good.” 

The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm - meaning I’m not stupid - 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.  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.”

They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” 

The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time - meaning, “Quit stalling.  Either you got what it takes or you’re the bunch of lying con artists that I always thought you were.” - because you see that the word from me is firm—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.”

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.  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.”

Verse 12:  Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.  So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.

Let’s pause.  Three things we need to see and hold on to before we move on.

First:  Nebuchadnezzar actually remembers the dream.

Have you ever tried to remember a dream?  Sometimes there are dreams we’d like to forget.  But ever toss and turn all night and then not know why?

Nebuchadnezzar’s been dreaming the same thing over and over again.  He’s probably got it memorized.    He remembers enough of this dream - perhaps all of it - in such detail - that he’s not only bothered by it but he can easily test his advisors.  If they try to snow him he’ll know.

That’s significant because that means that this isn’t any ordinary dream.  Nebuchadnezzar is given this dream and he’s suppose to remember it - suppose to understand it.  God is at work here.

Second notice that The wisdom of the world strikes out.

These advisors are stalling to save their skins.   But in stalling what they come out with is a really honest and true statement. 

Verse 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.”

Difficult is an understatement.  The word here in Aramaic is “yaqar.”  It has the idea of precious - like a priceless diamond.  Unique - one of a kind highly valued - honored above anything else. 

At night - when we dream - our minds are grinding away - processing - unfinished business from the day.  But this isn’t just a dream.  It’s a vision - it’s a message from God - and only God knows what that message is about.

All the magicians, conjurers, sorcerers, astrologers - the wisest of the wise - all the PhD's - the most learned of the learned all come up with one big fat zero.  No king has ever asked what Nebuchadnezzar is asking because its pointless.  There isn’t anyone alive who could give an answer to the king. 

The wisdom of the world has no clue.  Because the wisdom for this is uniquely a God thing. 

Third - notice that There are lives on the line here. 

For lack of an answer these wise guys are going to literally come apart at the seams.  They’re going to be beside themselves if they don’t come up with an interpretation.  Point being:  This is serious stuff.  The situation is grave.  Literally.

Verse 14 brings us to Daniel and his friends.  Daniel’s Response.

Last Sunday we looked at these four teenage boys - at that time about 14 years old.  They’re hauled off as prisoners - taken from everything they knew - dragged across the desert - and dumped in a strange culture - foreign language - a plethora of gods.  Daniel and his friends that Nebuchadnezzar tried to indoctrinate and make into Babylonians.  Four boys who seemingly have nothing going for them except they appear wise - even for foreigners.  And they’re buff - good looking dudes.  Hotties.

These 4 teenagers are hit with the pressure to conform to the world they’ve been dumped into or they can choose to trust God and obey only Him.  Tough stuff.  Been there?

Now - they’ve just graduated top of their class from “Advisor to the King University” and for a graduation present they get backed into this life or death issue.

Have you ever felt like things are spinning out of control?  Or, they’ve already spun out of control?  The few bright spots in our lives are just speed bumps slowing us down before we go over the cliff.

Verse 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 - Death knocking on the door - 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.  And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.

This is the Kobayashi Maru - the no win scenario with lives on the line.  Nebuchadnezzar the great and terrible - is already ticked - already given the order - ordered the execution of whole groups of people and no one even protested.  That’s unquestioned life and death power and authority. 

Daniel asks for more time.  “Would it matter if this took just one more day?”  That’s courage in the face of the worst this world can offer.

Notice that Daniel is stalling.  But he’s stalling with courage - prudence and discretion - not panic.  It’s a strategy that we see over and over again in this book.  Respect men.  Honor God.

First, Daniel’s respecting Nebuchadnezzar.  He “requested” more time.  “Request” translates an Aramaic word that has the idea of asking for a favor.  Not demanding.  But seeking the king’s permission.  Why?  To do what the king has commanded.

Second, Daniel is stalling because Daniel is honoring God - knowing that he needs time to seek out God in all this.  He knows that the answer isn’t in the wisdom men.  He needs to go to God.

We’d avoid a whole lot of trouble for ourselves if we’d loose our pride and the tyranny of the urgent pressuring us to do something and learn to respond by first going to God.  Amen?

Verse 17:  Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 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.  Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night.  Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

Two things to notice here.

First:  Daniel goes to God.  Daniel doesn’t freak out - or panic.  He calls a prayer meeting - 4 teenage boys gathered at Daniel’s house.  There’s purpose - focus - calm.  There’s no pressure put on God.  Just a request for compassion.  They’re praying to “the” God - the only One who has the answer.  Its in God’s hands.  That’s where it needs to be.

Second:  God answers.  Almost seems trite to point this out.  But, haven’t you ever been in a situation and prayed and wondered if God will answer?  This isn’t new truth.  But, in the heat of what requires courage we need to be reminded that God does answer prayer.

Verses 20 to 23 record Daniel’s Prayer.  What does a giant of the faith pray in the midst of the worse case scenario?  What would we pray?

This is coming straight out of Daniel’s heart and relationship with God.  What is an example for us of courage at the heart level - and why that courage.

Verse 20:  Daniel answered - Daniel’s prayer is a response to God who’s spoken to Daniel - Daniel Dialoguing with the Divinity - Daniel answered and said, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to Whom belong wisdom and might.  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; He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.  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.”

Notice first - Daniel emphasizes God’s power - His authority - His strength.  God has complete control over all of history - all the strange twists and turns and phases and seemingly random events.  God is in control of all of it.  Only by God’s choice do kings have their temporal authority. 

Nebuchadnezzar is Nebuchadnezzar because of God.  God holds Nebuchadnezzar’s leash.  God’s authority and power is not diminished because of who’s in power in Washington or Moscow or Pyongyang.  God has power and authority over all that comes against us. 

Second - Daniel emphasizes God’s wisdom.  Whatever great achievements humankind has produced - whatever we may pride ourselves in - we don’t know nothin’.  All the deeper - existential questions of life and death that we don’t even have a clue about God knows the answers to.  Only in God is ultimate truth found.  Only in Him is there true understanding and wisdom.  

God - our creator - the creator - sees from beyond the extremities of what exists.  He sees all of this from a perspective that we can’t even begin to go there.

Going to the world for wisdom - for truth - for instructions on “how to do life” - that’s just the blind leading the blind.  100% ongoing epic failure.

The third part of the Daniel’s prayer is sheer gratitude.  When God comes through for us - which He does quite a bit.  Right?  We need to not come up short in our gratitude?

God reveals to Daniel what God alone knows.  God bringing His Divine authority and wisdom into the lives of Daniel and His people.  He alone is worthy of all our gratitude.  To God alone be the glory and praise. 

Courage at the heart level is about God.  Life is about… God.  Trusting the God who alone is worthy of trust.  God who gives true wisdom and understanding.  God who promises to come through for His people.  Who alone is able to come through for His people.  And who really does come through for His people - us.  Even in the no win scenarios.

Going on - verses 24 to 45 bring us face to face with God’s Sovereignty.

Therefore - because God revealed to Daniel the meaning of the dream - 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.”

Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him, “I have found - Arioch taking credit for what God is doing.  Which is arrogant foolishness.  But all we got if we don’t have God.  Arioch’s got nothin’ if isn’t for God. 

We should never take credit for what God does.  Which is what the world does.  Deny God.  Its all about us.  Humanism.  A foolish dangerous position to be in.  Alone with only ourselves to trust in.

“I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.”

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?”

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 - which in a kind of ironic way Daniel shows respect for all those wise guys.  They got it right.  They really don’t know.  Respect men.  Honor God.

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.

Daniel giving credit to whom credit’s due...  Honor God.  Courage comes as we stand in the wisdom and power and knowledge and understanding and promises of the almighty God of creation and not our own foolishness.

Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:  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.  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.

When Scripture repeats something it does it for emphasis.  In other words, “This is important.  Don’t miss it.”  Same thing here.  Over and over we’re told, “Give credit where credit is due.  It’s not Daniel.  It’s God.  God is in control of what’s going on.  Get the point?”  Who’s in control?  God.  In all His sovereignty.

Coming to verse 31 - you’ll see on the back side of your Message Notes a diagram of the dream.  Hopefully that will help to visualize what God reveals here - the dream and it’s interpretation.  Who reveals this?  The sovereign God.

Verse 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.  The head of this image was of fine god, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.  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.  Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like 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 a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”

Can you imagine the wise men of Babylon listening to this.  “That was on the tip of my tongue.  I was just about to say that.”  Never in a million years could they have come up with any of this.  This is so totally a God thing.

Verse 36:  “This was the dream.  Now we will tell the king its interpretation.  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, and into whose hand He has given, wherever they may 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. 

Where does Nebuchadnezzar’s authority come from?  God.  Who’s sovereign?  God.

Verse 39:  Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.  Cutting through a lot history - the silver empire was Medio-Persia which began with Cyrus The Great conquering Babylon in 539 BC.  The Bronze was the Greeks under Alexander the Great who invaded Persia in 334 BC.

Verse 40:  And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks into pieces and shatters all things.  And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these.  Which describes the Roman Empire that came on the scene and destroyed all the previous empires - and Trajan who in 98 to 117 AD occupied Assyria - Babylon.

Verse 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.  And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.  As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage - in other words their going to try to form alliances in order to strengthen each other - but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 

Up until verse 41 there’s a consistent historical record that gives us great confidence in our understanding of which empires Daniel was describing.  Meaning what I’m about to say next is speculation.  People that have looked at this prophecy have come up with various interpretations.  What I’m about to share is what I believe is the best of these.  Take this with a huge grain of salt and do your own thinking and research.

What verses 41 to 43 may be describing is the division of the Roman Empire into two parts - two legs - east and west.  Ultimately which were further divided into smaller kingdoms.  While we have a number of kingdoms - or countries today - countries which combine together - through alliances and treaties - but don’t stick together - are not one country - while we have a number of kingdoms and countries today - it is very interesting - behind the scenes - how much of Rome has survived - in law - in architecture - in language - in religion - in culture.  So, there is a possibility that we are living today in what might be the toes of the feet.

Just speculating.

Verse 44:  “And in the days of those kings - what kings?  Maybe the kings of today - And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a 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, just as you saw that a 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 - meaning THE sovereign God who is greatest in power and influence and authority over all of His creation - the great God has made known to the king what shall be after this.  The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

Still together?

Verse 46:  Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered to him.  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. 

Almost seems like Nebuchadnezzar is starting to understand who really is sovereign?

Verse 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.  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.

When God repeats himself its not because God is loosing it but because God wants us to get it.  Verses 46 to 49 are The Pattern that we see over and over again in this book.  Helpful for us hang on to for us.

Daniel is confronted with a problem requiring courage - a life threatening no win scenario.  Daniel trusts God.  God shows up.  Daniel gets blessed.  Who’s sovereign?  God.  God who’s total control over everything that we see going on here.

Processing how all that relates to us and our having courage to face the stuff of our lives - one bottom line point of application:  The Purpose of the dream. 

Nebuchadnezzar is going to be dead, buried, and dust before any of this takes place.  What is God’s purpose in revealing to Nebuchadnezzar what’s going to take place down the line of future history.

Verse 45 tells us that what THE great God has made known - “The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

If Daniel got the dream right - and we assume he did because he got rewarded instead of torn in two - if Daniel got the dream right then we need to trust that the interpretation is also right.  What we know from history - the Medes the Persians the Greeks the Romans - subsequent history proves the accuracy of the interpretation - and the certainty of what’s yet to come.

The interpretation isn’t just for Nebuchadnezzar’s ego.  Its for God’s people - living in exile in Babylon - who wondered as to their future - their world having spun out of control.  The interpretation is for the people living in the times of the silver and bronze and iron - and even the clay toes - us. 

People today are looking at the middle east - exact same place where Daniel was - and people are wondering what’s going to happen.  Are we going to get sucked into some kind of world ending war?  Every time someone over their sneezes there’s a reaction over here.  What will all this mean for me and my family?

People are living in fear and despair and uncertainty.  The times - the epochs - the movements of history - they’re as uncertain today as ever - maybe more so.  And the wisdom of the world - the wise prognosticators of humanity have no answers.   Its like facing the no win scenario every day.  But, who’s in control?  God.  God who is THE sovereign God.   

A stone strikes the statue - crushes it - all the kingdoms of the world are blown away as chaff.  The stone becomes a mountain - the eternal kingdom of God.

The Apostle Peter pulls together several Old Testament passages and identifies that stone:  “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame… The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone...a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”  (1 Peter 2:6-8)

The stone is Jesus.  Mankind has rejected Him - stumbled over Him.  But one day He will return.  He will crush the kingdoms of this world and the foolishness of man.  God will set up His eternal kingdom.  The interpretation - here in Daniel - points to that ending.  The certainty that God - who is in control - according to His power and wisdom will do as He has purposed to do.

When we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ - knowing God’s control over what seems uncontrollable - what is spinning out of control - when we know the end of all the things we struggle with - that truth should empower us with courage.

Like Daniel - we can always go to God with confidence.  Like Daniel we can turn to God trusting in His power and wisdom over and in all things.  Like Daniel - as we move amongst people living in fear - we can point them to THE One who has the answers.  Who’s in control?  God.

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.