Today’s reading is Daniel 2 where we read of Daniel interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream which saved the lives of him others who the king was going to kill because they could not interpret his dream, as well as which led to the king declaring Daniel’s God to be the one true God (Daniel 2:47) and led to him giving Daniel and his friends rulers over provinces in Babylon (Daniel 2:48-49).
In Daniel 1, we read things were very bleak for Daniel and those jews who were of royalty or with a great physical appearance or knowledge, and really all jews for that matter, because King Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon besieged Jerusalem and brought many like Daniel and his friends in exile to Babylon. We see in both Daniel 1, and here in Daniel 2, that Daniel was convicted in his faith and trusted in God’s sovereignty despite circumstances.
Daniel’s trust and belief in God’s sovereignty is apparent in Daniel 2:16 where he made a request to the king that he would interpret the king’s dream before he actually had interpreted it. Then, he gives us another great example of what to do under the most dire circumstances, he asked his friends to seek God’s mercy, presumably through prayer, in Daniel 2:18. In Daniel 2:19, only after Daniel shows conviction and faith in God’s control and protection and has them come to God in prayer, the dream is revealed to him.
How does Daniel then respond once God reveals the interpretation of the dream to him? He gives glory to God in Daniel 2:21-23 and gives all the credit to God to King Nebuchadnezzar directly in Daniel 2:28 saying, “but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made to know to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days…” As a result of this, King Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan, glorifies God, “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.’”
Daniel gives us a great example of faith and trust in God’s sovereignty and goodness in the most dire of circumstances, as well as an example of giving Him the credit and the glory.
This causes us to reflect and ask ourselves, what are circumstances I am facing now where I need to come to God in prayer and trust in God’s power and sovereignty in the outcome?
“To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21