Daniel 2: God's Kingdom - The Only One That Will Never Be Destroyed
my notes play this is Daniel chapter 2 is a big chunk. So it's 49 versus its long that it is me D. It is some good stuff. We're not going to I'm not going to do that to you. I understand the concept of the Mind only absorbing a certain amount of information in a given amount of time. And so we're going to respect that for everyone a little bit and we're going to want to summarize Arts of Daniel chapter 2 and kind of go through and then we're going to primarily 25 through the end we're going to really dig into that trunk of the scriptures account to look at this today. Again, if you want to notes there's some in the back is also spot in your bulletin to take that would go ahead and go to the Lord in prayer before we begin this father. I thank you so much for your word. I thank you that this week cuz I've been studying and I'm prepping how you just kind of spoken to me how you moved my life some of the experiences that that we had this week. Father I pray that is we we go through this hunk of scripture. This is big section here in Daniel chapter 2 that you would put me aside that you would speak that you would you would be the one who is her not me father. I pray that that is we see this we see Christ revealed to us in scripture and in the end illuminated to us and what happens here and we pray Lord that you would just bless this time. We have to Worship You is a presentation in the hearing of your word in Jesus name. I pray amen. the very beginning of Daniel chapter 2 we see Nebuchadnezzar the King right now. He's the same guy from chapter one came in and took over to the the Kingdom of Israel were actually the kingdom of Judah from Jehovah, the God gave neberkenezer Judah and in this regard to Nebuchadnezzar is having like Disturbed sleep. Insomnia. He's sleeping on this Disturbed sleeper has this reoccurring dream, but it's Kind of a nightmare to him a bit. It's disrupting him. It's just got him upset. And so he brings in his crack team of experts to come in and interpret the dream. He brings in all the wise man all the Chaldeans all these people to come in to interpret his dream, but in verse 5 of chapter 2 of Daniel he throws in something a little unusual and in this is this is where it gets going to where he says not only going to interpret my dream. I want you to tell me what my dream is right? Don't don't just come in and in Say Okay King. Just tell me your dream and then I tell you my dream and then you tell me what I want to hear because that's that's typically what was going on is is that the king would say I had a dream last night. I want my dream interpreters to tell me what it means. This is my dream and this time he's like no, I need you to tell me the dream reveal the dream to me and then reveal the interpretation of the dream to me. I'm tired of yes men around me. I want to know for real what's going on here. And I'd only does he do that. He says now and if you can't do that mind you all of the wise men in Babylon. We're going to be executed and your household with you. Actually the scripture says I want to tear you limb from limb. Like I just I can't even fathom that kind of execution drawn quartered. I don't know what was going on with that was he was going to have them destroyed utterly and completely they couldn't do it. Now the chaldaeans of these wise men. They they go to the Kings impossible if he's like, I don't care is what I want. I'm the king in and so they go to him asking him to do this and it really doesn't look at verse 9 indicated it these guys probably had been yesamintu The King and I have probably lied to him in the past and tell him what he wanted to hear verse 9. Says if you do not make the dream known to me there is but one sentence for you, you have agreed to speak speak of lying and corrupt words before me till the times change their for tell me the dream and I shall know that you can show me this interpretation have been kind of playing the Yes Man game a little bit. They've lied to him to give him what he wants to hear and he's he's over that he's tired of that. He wants the truth. I find it fascinating that God has provided for wise Hebrew young men who worship the one true God Yahoo to provide him the truth have that conversation this morning a little bit and small group that this is the truth the word of God and they're going to give him the truth from the one true God and that's a beautiful beautiful thing. And in the chaldaeans just go ahead make tell Nebuchadnezzar. What you're asking us to do is impossible. An inverse 12 Nebuchadnezzar gets to the point that he's he's just he's angry enough that he's like fine. You tell me it's impossible that sentences it is. I'm carrying them out. Now I call he calls out the the head of his garden is royal guard arioc and he sends arioch out to actually go about the executions get it done. ariakas antenna arrives on to Daniel hananiah mishael and Azariah
and when he arrives to them
Daniel's a little like hey, wait a second. What's the urgency here? What's going on any explains the situation the Daniel look at it. Just that chunk. I know I've summarized kind of quickly that that chunk of verses 1 through 13 that it should remind us the fact that God has done all of this to bring himself Glory right to remove the people of Israel from the land. He had promised them back in Genesis with Abraham and he's put them now in Babylon for his glory that sounds weird, but he's doing it for his or he's going to be a long-term Glory or we we are short-sighted compared to God that God has a long game that we don't understand always and in so he's running this this out to godfried season possible scenarios. In the lives of his people and here's an impossible scenario. I want you to tell me my dream and then tell me the interpretation of my dream, but I'm not going to tell you my dream. I want you to literally read my mind while I'm sleeping.
And you know, I just think we go out to eat and if it's not like the little automatic soda makers, you know, we had to go up me self serve your soda. I don't even get Leah so because I'm not sure I'm going to get the mix of icing and pop right? Right. I can't read her mind for that. Exactly. We've been married eight years and I got to be cautious of this right? I can't imagine read my mind while I was sleeping and tell me what I swore. I saw my head and then tell me what I saw my head what it means. It's an impossible situation. That is put before these men. They cannot read the mind of Nebuchadnezzar and because of that they will not Escape the Fate of the impossible situation see impossible situations have a fate about them and they have a failing us to them and I feel wavy when we're in them verses 1 through 13. We see here is that unbelievers respond differently to those impossible situations than do Believers, right? The chaldaeans get nervous and they get worrisome and it kind of talk back a little bit to the king. right and then Nebuchadnezzar
you respond in anger. And we see that that that this is this is the pattern for non-believers are there in an impossible situation that is put before them. They respond with frustration and anger at the Chaldeans refresh rate. We can't do what you're asking us to do. Nebuchadnezzar was angry because they couldn't do what he they were being asked to do and they reacted in that manner and Nebuchadnezzar anger was so extreme. And these men and their households executed. This is fonts doesn't create any solutions. This is how you solve an impossible situation. Not a good way of going about it. It games them nothing. It doesn't make the situation any better. Verses 14 through 16 know after arioch is kind of explain to Daniel what's happening? We see a little bit of how believers. Go about the approach, right? I love as I read through Daniel how calm Daniel is in all of these situations right chapter 1. I don't want to eat that food dispenser to file me. And I know you could behead me for it, but I don't want to eat that food. You just calm and cool about it. Right we're going to we're going to see in chapters 3 and 4 how calm Daniel is about things and in just here. He's real calm. You just call me if roaches are you talking he says what's going on explain the situation and then he asks calmly for an appointed time. Would it would have pleased the king to give me some moments of time to come up with a solution for?
and in the Lord anointing blesses Daniel here In this and that he does get that time and in Daniel shows us that Believers in the Lord should approach these situations with wisdom and faith that God is going to take care of this and that's what Daniel did he approached? You know, it was kind of a either I win or I don't but doesn't matter. I'm going to be with God when I'm done situation. So I kind of went even when I don't win. Dies the game Christ in and so they know how that approach.
understood that God was completely in charge of the situation The Book of Daniel should show us so much about God's sovereignty as we read through it and we study it with faith in God makes a situation easier for everyone Nebuchadnezzar and said no to time before but God was in this request and time was given Because God was in the request. It not been in the chaldaeans request. He was in this request.
Verses 17 through 19 Daniel doesn't waste that extra time given to him though noticed that church. God will give us time and we request time of him, but we are not to waste it. Daniel doesn't. He immediately goes back to hananiah Azariah. Mishael. He says boys. We got some praying to do list in besiege God or an answer here, and I want you to pray that I get the dream and that I that I can be able to return it and they did that. And they prayed asking God to reveal that dream of that interpretation. And God did that it gives Daniel of vision at night. It says we don't know what amount of time Nebuchadnezzar had given but he got a vision at night.
And I love what happens next that they saw God answer the prayer and Daniel could have ran right off immediately and said King. I have your answer didn't he got his answer from God? and then inverses 20 through 23 he takes time to thank God. He just praise this prayer of thanks before God. He doesn't run right often to to Nebuchadnezzar and reveal the dream. He remembers who God is and takes time to praise him and thank him bring the god of creation. And now the god of his salvation again.
I mean the only true source of wisdom and understanding.
Daniel's this example for us to take a tough and seemingly impossible situation to prayer before our Lord.
I keep coming back to these times where it where I had to just fall before God and into say now what? September 3rd of 2015 was my biggest now watt to Dayton. I am asking to not have any bigger now watch than that. I got to I get pulled out of my classroom by by dr. Terhune the assistant superintendent and I have no idea what's going on. And he says I need you to come with me and I need you to bring all your things. You're an elementary school teacher and ask you to pull all your stuff out of your classroom and go with the assistant superintendent to the principal's office. There are a million and five things running through your head and none of them are good. None of them. Am I in trouble? I don't know how many times poor Terry Terhune had to hear me ask am I in trouble? Am I in trouble? Am I in trouble? No, you're not in trouble. I didn't believe him cuz I wouldn't be being pulled out of my classroom. If I were not in trouble. Is this a good thing? Maybe I'm getting some award and I don't know about it. I don't know. No, it's not exactly a good thing, but I don't feel comfortable telling you in the hallway.
I walk into the principal's office the two secretaries of Post Road elementary school or frying. This does not bode well. They're already in tears. I walk into Jill Vulcan my principal the time I walk into her office and there are two officers. One looks like he's a DEA agent. I found out later. He's the the chaplain the Marshall Police Department. He's got a beard.
All of mine as long as Charlie's hand and he's got one of those Medallion badges around his neck the other officers in uniform.
Yeah, there's a million and six thoughts now running through my mind. I sit down Jules crying my principal. I've not seen Joe cry before.
The author who is the chaplain introduces himself, I'm Russ Cochran Chaplin the Marshall City Police Department. I'm here to inform you that your parents have been involved in an egg. Father's been killed mother is in a coma and she'll be airlifted to IU Methodist Hospital.
It's an impossible situation for me to wrap my head. I have no clue what's going on. And those you that were with us during that time know that it was a lot of I don't know. What's next watch next Watson. I didn't think that that was going to be I mean that's about stuff. That's a kick in the teeth a beat down. What I remember then was trying to think to myself.
How does this work out? How does this play out? If moms in such critical condition? Am I planning two funerals now or my planning one? Am I had how does this work? I'm a faithful to keep a mom going while honoring make my dead father. How does this what about my dad's seven siblings? I got a call. Because I found out on the way down that the Bloomington paper had already published a photo of the accident and Mom and Dad's names. A for all of the next of kin are notified.
I'm in an impossible situation of ballet. But I remember calling Leah who was on a field trip with Heritage at the time.
And I think you prayed. You may not remember it but I do. Enter prayer wasn't God's in charge of this. He'll figure it out for us. We just need to be faithful.
give or take Daniel Hiers in arguably a much more impossible situation because it's not just his family directly involved. It's the family of however many of these wise men in Babylon. There are all of them at all of their families are going to be destroyed and Daniel recognizes that and he just simply takes this impossible situation. And he reminds us to respond to God through prayer and I love the prayer that he has. 10 verses 20 through 23 that that he praised the seven beautiful characteristics of God. And the first thing he Praises God is eternal. He recognizes God's eternality is he's praying you are.
Forever and ever and blessed be your name. And then he recognizes God is being all-knowing and ever present.
Even recognizes God is Sovereign among the Nations. He changes times and Seasons. He removes Kings and sets up Kings. He gives wise wisdom to the wise knowledge to those who have understanding.
He recognizes God is generous with his gifts of wisdom knowledge and understanding. Reveals the deep and hidden things he knows what is in the darkness and the light dwells with him?
Thanks God for giving Revelation and knowledge and knowledge is God is being faithful to his people. Any notices that and thanks God for answering prayers to you. Oh God, my father's I give thanks and praise you have given me wisdom and Mike and have now known made known to me what we asked of you or you have made known to us the King's Manor. And that brings us kind of the point of screw for a really really want to read and dig into. So here it is chapter 2 verse 24. Therefore Daniel went to arioch when the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon and he 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. The Marriott brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said this to him I have found Among The X-Files from Judah a man who will make known to the king in the interpretation. the king declared to Daniel whose name was built this hazard. Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen in and its interpretation? Daniel answered the king and said no wise men enchanters magicians or astrologers can show the king the mystery that the King has asked. 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 your dream and the Visions in your head as you lay in bed. Are these To You O King as you lay in bed come fought 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. I have more than all the other living. But in order that the interpretation may be known to the king and that you may know the thoughts in your mind.
You saw or King? And behold be old a great image this image Mighty and of exceeding brightness stood before you and then its appearance was frightening the head of this image was a fine gold its chest and arms of silver. It's a middle and thighs of bronze its legs of iron and its feet partly of iron and partly of play.
and as you looked a stone was cut out by no human and
and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay. And broke them into pieces in the iron the clay the bronze to Silver in the gold all together were broken into pieces and became like chaff of the summer threshing floors. the wind broken in pieces
I'm sorry 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. This was the dream now. We will tell the king its interpretation. I liked it. He says we there. Uo King The King of Kings to whom the god of Heaven has given the kingdom the power and the might in the glory and into whose hand he is given wherever they dwell the children of man the beasts of the field the birds of the heavens making you rule over all of them. You are the head of gold another kingdom inferior to you shall rise after you and yet a third Kingdom of bronze we shall rule over all the Earth. And there should 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. And as you saw the feet and Toes partly a potters clay partly of iron and it should be divided by a divided Kingdom. But some of the firmness of the iron shall be in it just as you saw iron mixed with soft play and as the toes of the feet were partly in iron and partly clay so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly.
As you saw the iron mixed with soft play so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together just as iron does not mix with clay. 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 into pieces all the kingdoms and bring them to an end and it shall stand forever. Just as you saw a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand. And that it broke the pieces of 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. Ben King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and paid homage to Daniel and commanded that an offering an incense be offered up to him the king answered and said today in a truly. Your God is God of gods in Lord Of Kings and a revealer of mysteries. We have been able to reveal this mystery. Then the king gave Daniel high honors and Minnie great gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon and 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.
man
as weak as we dig into this. This is the scripture. We we see that not only does God know all things. Verses 28 and 30 Daniel has a snack in Nazareth. This conversation was Nebuchadnezzar about the dream and I love that Nebuchadnezzar asked Are you able are you capable of knowing the dream in interpreting it and and I love how Daniel answers and he says no, I'm not no one is you are asking a truly impossible feat except for one thing. My God does the impossible in the god of Heaven is going to answer this dream for you. He's going to tell you what it is. He's going to tell you what it means.
To this honesty and humility that Daniel answers the king with it is really just amazing to me. Daniel takes no credit or himself rather. He gives all the credit all the glory to God. I love that is a chemically what's going on. He uses that that prefix or that pronoun. We we knowing that God is still in this as I'm telling you what's going on here. We will tell you the interpretation. God being part of that. We took us 30 1 through 45. We see Daniel revealing the content of the dream as well as interpreting the dream. Neberkenezer dream was as he saw this large statue. And the statue is made of many different materials the head of gold chest and arms of silver middle and thighs of bronze legs of iron feet of iron and Clay then the dream the stone fell off the statue. Does a stone cut by no hand of man fell? Landed on the feet. And it struck the statue and the statue crumbles and it completely obliterated that description of chaff in the wind those of us that put up. Hey, we didn't necessarily thrash. It's kind of a little bit most of us are pasta an era of threshing here. But some of us put up. Hay in the Summers you get that stuff off the top of the hay you put it through that Baylor and that went to pick up and it would just it was I don't know. It's not even power is finer than powder just gone obliterated. cuz I am a child of the of the late 70s early 80s, I think a little Marvin Martian and his little disintegrator Ray and he's going to disintegrate and it's just going to be gone when I think of the obliteration here and that's what happened. When this this rock the stone hit the foot of the statue in the stone that struck the statue becomes a mountain that fills the Earth verse 36 Danny begins his interpretation of the dream, but in in doing this he reminds Nebuchadnezzar that he may be the greatest King on Earth, but there is a greater King who is in heaven. right Only reason Nebuchadnezzar has a power he does is because the God has allowed it to happen. Never knez. Her does not have the power that he has on Earth at this time because he's Nebuchadnezzar. He has the power on Earth that he has at this time because God is God in heaven. Everyone has a power anywhere. Any reason God is God Of Heaven? Nebuchadnezzar has the greatest Kingdom on Earth, but it will not last there will be four more great kingdoms that will come behind him and each one of them will be strong, but they won't be as strong as Babylon gold the strongest up there. First kingdom is Babylon the next Kingdom that comes as we call the meadow Persians the medes and the Persians Cyrus was a mead as we start seeing Cyrus come in as we read through Daniel that Empires actually going to be coming in to play in The Book of Daniel see their conquering of Babylon the Greeks followed in the medes and the Persians. And then the Romans are kind of the last Kingdom represented in this statue. Some also talked about the Holy Roman Empire a little bit in that.
There's this all these things are debated. This is the most commonly accepted among solid the illusions of kind of what's taking place. If that last Kingdom the kingdom of iron and Clay God will establish an eternal Kingdom the kingdom of God the stone that destroys the statue of Jesus Christ, right? He is the Cornerstone he is the stone he is there there's so much description of him being the rock that this is it this is this is a little bit of a gospel you're in the Book of Daniel, but there is a rock coming once more solid whose kingdom will endure forever. Uo King Nebuchadnezzar your kingdom won't
And others will follow the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ will last forever.
Whether this is kind of an End of the Age prophecy or whether this is a coming of the Messiah prophecy is to be debated and debated and debated. I don't have that kind of time. We're not going to do that.
What we know hear what the truth is that Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and the Lord of lords and his kingdom there will be no end and that's what we're seeing here. Verses 31 through 45 we see the only God can know all things. This is just so neat. How how God knows what's going on like God gave Nebuchadnezzar the dream to God knew the dream before Nebuchadnezzar had it. God gave the dream. So. Of course knew the interpretation of the dream. God knows all things. We see that here. Not only that. God can do all things. Write again. I go to bed at night. I have a dream. Lee is not going to know my dream cuz it's only in my head in the middle of the night while I'm asleep. She can't know that what is God do cut to see how I can break that cycle. I'm going to tell Daniel in a dream or a vision at night. What Nebuchadnezzar was dreaming what I meant by that dream and gives those things he does all these things as well.
God knew Nebuchadnezzar's dream because he put it there God provided to Daniel the content of the dream and gave Daniel the interpretation of the dream and he revealed the truth of the might of God Nebuchadnezzar. That's a beautiful truth in this is there is a mighty God mightier than any King miter than any Kingdom miter than any principality out. There is Jesus Christ his kingdom will last forever and that truth is revealed in this scripture. Vs46 247 Nebuchadnezzar makes offerings for Daniel to the Lord. He recognizes the might of God and that Daniel is his faithful servant. Daniel is elevated by the King Nebuchadnezzar. And he's honored by him. Not buy anything Daniel have done These Arms were provided by God to bring God glory.
Last week its it was said that God used a military loss in Israel the bring about a spiritual victory.
among the Israelites
So here is this foreign King bowing down and giving honor and offerings to the Lord God of the Hebrews? And his servants. Is ordering them and elevating them up as well. This is one of those victories. God is using us for his glory. So Sid's are golden in preaching through Daniel here and studying Daniel deeply as we do it in in our small group Bible study time is to look at the question here. How does this bring us to Jesus right now? Where do we get Jesus in this will we see a kingdom that is Everlasting price. Kingdom is Everlasting that is that is a permanent, but Daniel. Is is a foreshadowing of Jesus. There's the Old Testament. A lot of times has what we call for Shadows Of Shadows of of Christ in them.
The images that we see here is kind of interesting that Daniel Stansbury confidently in his faith.
Before a foreign ruler as he's facing execution.
This is his 1/4 Shadow here. He stands before a foreign ruler confident in his God knowing he could go to his execution in anytime.
Jesus Stan's confidently in his faith with the father. 4 pilot a foreign ruler facing an execution the foreshadow of what is yet to come now the difference here. Is that God for his glory Bears Daniel execution. God for greater glory and for our Salvation, thank you. I'm so thankful for that allows. Jesus to willingly go to the Cross to pay for the sin that we couldn't pay for.
So thankful that that's what took place there. Jesus willingly went to the Cross to pay for the sins that you and I can never pay.
as we look at Daniel chapter 2 We should also look at psalm 118:22. Elmwood 1820 to the stone that the reject that the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone. Then we look at Psalm 18 118:22. We one of them look at Luke 2017 through 18, but he meaning Jesus looked directly at them and said What then is it written that this is written the stone. The builders rejected has become the Cornerstone everyone who falls on that stone will be broken into pieces and when it falls it will crush him.
Jesus Takes a summary of Daniel chapter 2 and quote Psalm 118 118 22 and he's talking about him. Jesus is that stone?
Jesus is the stone his kingdom will endure forever but here's the thing. Be a citizen of the kingdom of God. You must have a relationship with the King. Daniel was only spared and given the mercies he had because he had a relationship with Nebuchadnezzar that allowed it through God's work. We can only be a citizen in the kingdom of God if we have a relationship with the King. You have to have a relationship with Jesus Christ to be a citizen in the kingdom of God.
There's no way around it. Today that's that's where we're at. I read through this and I thought what kind of kind of challenges they're here. Challenger is a gospel challenge. If you have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ that that you know that you're a sinner that what you do is a rebellion against a holy and just God if you understand that if you've been feeling that in your heart in your gut and you need to do something about it, then you go to Jesus you say I want to be forgiven I Repent I change but I can't change because of me I changed because of you enter into my life and change me. Fix me make me right before you and you surrender that over to him.
And then you tell others that I I confess that I'm a sinner and I confess that there's no one who can save me from my sin except Jesus Christ. And make that public. I tell people about it. I acknowledge that before my God, maybe that's what you need today. Maybe you need to confess that before him. Maybe you're going to in a spot where you psych you know, what I've been. I've been on a search for church home and maybe I need to say yes. This is my place. This is where I want to spend time. This is the family with which I want to worship. That's great. If you need more time, I'm okay with that too. I'm not I'm not pushing for any of this but I want you to ask God. What am I? What am I doing? Where am I at? Where's my walk asking deeply am I a citizen in your kingdom?
That's the most important thing right now. There will be a kingdom that will come it will endure forever. We can have the confidence in that this interpretation is true. And sure Daniel says this word of who Jesus Christ is is true and
we hold on to them. the challenge
Take away the am I in the kingdom of God? Do I have a relationship with the King YC his grace and mercy lavished upon me. If I have stepped away, and anyway, if I'm not walking with the king the way I should how do I get back to it? Today is we we take our time our time of invitation or time of challenge are our time of reflection. Ask yourselves those questions.
Father we thank you again for your word. We thank you for the truth. We thank you that you are a kingdom. It is enduring forever. Nothing shall ever stand against the king.
father is we Ask ourselves if we're a citizen of that kingdom do we know you? Do we have a relationship with the King? We don't. Holy Spirit move in our lives crack that shell around our hearts and in open us up asking for forgiveness. And changing our ways and then come in our lives and begin that that that process that changing process to make us yours.
All of this is just the place where we've asked some of us to just all home while we're sojourners waiting to become permanent Kingdom citizens with you. Encourage those folks as well. Just say yeah. This is where we want to be.
How do we know that your hand is is here and it's mighty and it's working. We just asked you would speak to our hearts challenge Us in convictus always. Listen, Jesus name I pray amen.