Weapons that Move the World

Mighty kings in the Bible who thought they were God were troubled by one of the most impotent forces on earth - dreams. Consider that Pharaoh's troubling dream spooked him enough to search out and find Joseph, who could interpret them successfully. Now, in Daniel 2, we have a repetition of that theme in scripture. 

Daniel 2:1 (ESV) In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him.

Not only does the king experience troubling dreams, but he cannot sleep. One could harken back to Esther 6 when Xerxes suffered the same affliction and called for the chronicles of his reign to be read to him. The story turned on that simple moment, and here in Daniel, dreams and insomnia do their work to open doors of opportunity for God's chosen ones living in exile. 

Nebuchadnezzar calls for the magicians and enchanters to come and solve the problem, but UNLIKE Pharaoh, there will be no telling of the dream. Nebuchadnezzar has flushed out the manipulative tactics of the "experts" and wants to find a real sorcerer who doesn't need the dream's details to interpret the dream for him.
Daniel 2:4–5 (ESV) Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: 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.

Later, we get a hint of Nebuchadnezzar's exasperation with his inner circle:
Daniel 2:9 (ESV) 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.”

In verse 10, the response of these "wise men" reveals the nature of the rest of Daniel's story. God is undoubtedly involved in the lives of His chosen. 
Daniel 2:10 (ESV) 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.

No man can do it, God can. The theme of Daniel's testimony as it was with Joseph.
Genesis 41:16 (ESV) Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

Israel has lost land, freedom, prominence, and their military here in exile to Babylon. But they till have God. Sometimes God strips His people of the things they have so they can understand He alone is all they need. 

First, the bad news for Daniel, though:
Daniel 2:12–13 (ESV) Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.

In response to this death sentence, Daniel does three things:
1. He approaches those involved in the king's affairs with wisdom and discretion.
Daniel 2:14 (ESV) 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.

2. He asks for time to do what the king asks.
Daniel 2:16 (ESV) And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.

3. He gathers his brothers in the faith to pray,
Daniel 2:17–18 (ESV) Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 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.

Discretion, time, and prayer. These are not the weapons of kings but of God's servants. They are the tools we need to employ when the world seems like it's about to destroy us. Daniel's life was hanging in the balance, and his grace under pressure, a simple request, and praying friends turned the tide. 

Could it really be that simple for us? 
YES!

God honors humble acts of faith rooted in Spirit-inspired steps involving prayerful cooperation. Earth moves NOT on the armies of men, but on the prayers of God's saints. 

What do you need to approach with those simple weapons? You may look at your Nebuchadnezzar and think you can do nothing. You're wrong. You can pray with friends and answers will come.

Daniel 2:19 (ESV) Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

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