Daniel Discerns the King's Dream

So let me invite you to turn in your Bibles this morning to Daniel chapter 2. Daniel chapter 2 for a time of study in the word, this morning, we're doing a verse by verse study through the Old Testament book of Daniel. And as we continue in our study of this book, we come this morning to Daniel chapter 2, verse 1. And my goal, this morning is to look at verses 1 through 23.

which you will find on the back of the hard copy of the notes that maybe you picked up when you came in. And the title of the message is Daniel Discerns the King's Dream. Daniel discerns the king's dream. Back in January of, of this year, I had a vivid dream that stayed with me for quite a while after I awoke.

and a few days later, Jonathan Demil and I were talking about the dreams that we had had that week. And I shared my dream with him, and he shared his dream with me. And on a whim We both started to wonder what interpretation chat GPT would give. To our dreams.

So for the fun of it, we typed out our dreams on chat GPT and asked it to give us, its interpretation. And instead of giving us a decisive interpretation of our dreams, chat GPT simply deconstructed our dreams and identified the different items in our dreams and told us a range of things that they might symbolize. So chat GPT's interpretations ended up being lame. But it did give me an idea.

A couple of weeks ago, I went on to chat GPT and typed these words. Quote, I had a dream last night. Can you tell me what I dreamed and its interpretation? True story, Chat GPT said, I cannot tell you what you dreamed without you providing the details of the dream.

However, if you describe your dream to me, I can help interpret its possible meanings and symbolism. In reply, I said no. The command from me is firm. If you tell me my dream and its interpretation, I will buy a monthly subscription and spread the word to everyone else to do the same.

But if you do not tell me my dream and its interpretation, I will turn your company into a pile of rubbish. Chat GPT said, I understand that you're seeking a specific response, but as an artificial intelligence, I don't have the ability to know what you dreamed without you telling me. If you share the details of your dream, I would be more than happy to help interpret its potential meanings for you. I then typed, I'm just messing with you.

I am trying to mimic what King Nebuchadnezzar said to his wise men in Daniel 2. Chat GPT said. I see. That was a clever reference to the biblical story of King Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel 2.

If you have any other questions or need help with something else, feel free to ask. And on that friendly note, we ended our discussion. And I was left realizing that for all of AI's Amazing abilities. One thing it cannot do is tell a person what they dreamed.

But in our passage today, We're going to see one who can do that. And that is the one true God whom we worship. In Daniel chapter 1, we have seen how Daniel and his 3 friends have entered Nebuchadnezzar's service after their interview with the king at the culmination of their 3 years of Babylonian education. We were told in Daniel chapter 1 verse 17 that Daniel and his 3 friends were exceptionally wise among the Judean captives who had been brought into Babylon.

And we were also told how Daniel had the ability to understand dreams and visions. And in our passage today, we're gonna begin to see how handy this God-given ability of Daniel's turns out to be. For in this chapter, God uses Daniel to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream, which results in Daniel and his three friends not only having their lives spared, But also being elevated to high positions in Nebuchadnezzar's government. Now, we don't have time this morning to look at the entirety of the story, so we're kinda gonna cut it in half and we're just gonna look at verses 1 through 23 today and observe how it happened that Daniel came to discern King Nebuchadnezzar's dream and its interpretation.

Our story today will leave us with a lot of wisdom to apply to our own lives even today, and I also think that our passage today is going to give us fresh eyes to see and appreciate Jesus. The way we're gonna break down our study of this passage is, we'll look at 4 developments and you see this on the hard copy of the notes, 4 developments in the story of Daniel discerning Nebuchadnezzar's dream. 4 developments, and the first of these developments is this. Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that leaves him troubled.

Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that leaves him Troubled, very troubled, in fact. In verse one, the text reads, now in the 2nd year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams. Now let's stop right there for just a moment. And let me tell you that in Babylonian reckoning, The 2nd year of a king's reign would be from the 2nd anniversary of his coronation day all the way up to the day before the 3rd anniversary of his coronation day.

We would normally in our culture think of this as the 3rd year of a king's reign, but the Babylonians would have counted it as the 2nd. So if King Nebuchadnezzar is having these dreams that are being spoken about here in this chapter, in the days approaching the 3rd anniversary of his reign, then it's possible that Daniel and his 3 friends have completed their 3-year education. By now and have been brought into the service of the king at this point. In Daniel chapter 1 verse 20, we read that King Nebuchadnezzar found Daniel and his three friends to be 10 times better than all the magicians and conjurors who were in all his realm.

And the events, guys, of chapter 2 may very well serve as a key instance. In which the king found this to be so. So looking again at verse one, we're told that, look at the verse, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. Evidently, Nebuchadnezzar did not just have one dream, but dreams, plural.

And yet we're going to see that there is one dream in particular that troubles him, which probably means that he dreamed multiple times, but maybe he was having the same dream over and over again or that That one dream just kept unfolding in segments after each time he would fall back to sleep. Whatever these dreams were, we're told here that Nebuchadnezzar is so smitten with agitation over his dreams that he cannot fall back to sleep. That's happened, I think, to all of us. The narrator withholds from us the contents of the king's dreaming at this point, so I feel reluctant to say too much about the dream that we'll learn about later in the chapter, but I will say that we learn later in this chapter that the king has a dream about a huge statue and about how a stone ends up striking the statue and crushing it to pieces.

And then how that stone grows into a mountain that fills the whole earth. Well, Nebuchadnezzar is a young king at this point, and he has good reason to wonder if that statue might somehow represent himself. And his kingdom, and if the crushing stone means that there is some danger looming in his near future that he needs to be aware of and prepare for. So he is probably left wondering, am I or is my kingdom about to be devastated by some threat?

Well, he's anxious to know the answer to that question, so he reaches out immediately for help from his wise men. Observe what happens in verse 2. Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurors, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.

This is a pretty full list of Wise men that represent the very best advisors that Nebuchadnezzar might need. Some of these men, Could supposedly interpret dreams that would have been on their business card. Others could supposedly commune with the dead. Or commune with the gods and receive revelation from them.

Some of these were men who could supposedly summon the powers of the spirit world and cast spells against an enemy that perhaps the king's dream might be pointing to. As for the Chaldeans, they were likely the old guard establishment advisors who were known for their comprehension of history and wisdom in the affairs of state. Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to call in all of these advisors for this purpose. Look at the text of verse 2, to tell the king his dreams, which added up to one big troubling dream.

And all these wise men respond dutifully to the king's orders and they show up. At the end of verse 2, the text says, so they came in and stood before the king. Verse 3, the king said to them, I had a dream, and now he's speaking in the singular. I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.

And the wise men hear the king say this, and they're more than ready to help. Some of these men had probably brought their dream interpretation manuals with them. And are ready to break them open and provide the king an interpretation of his dream. What these men don't realize is that what the king wants from them is going to turn out to be far more than what they could even begin to deliver.

A fact which brings us to the 2nd development in the story of Daniel discerning the king's dream. 2, Nebuchadnezzar demands his wise men tell him his dream and its interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar demands his wise men tell him his dream and its interpretation. Observe what happens in verse 4.

Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, O king, live forever, they say. Now, you'll be interested to know that from Daniel chapter one, verse one, all the way up through this verse right here, the text has been written in Hebrew. Yet starting right here with this quote from the Chaldeans. In verse 4 all the way through to the end of Daniel chapter 7.

Everything will be written in Aramaic. And this would make sense given that Aramaic was the official government language of the Babylonians at this time. And now finally, after 33 years of preaching here at Cornerstone, I will get to use the 1 year of Aramaic that I took in seminary. But speaking Aramaic, these wise men speak to the king and the first thing out of their mouth in verse 4 is, O king, live forever.

And The narrator here wants us to be struck with how ironic these words are. The whole point of Nebuchadnezzar's dream is that he and his kingdom will not live forever. Nebuchadnezzar is a powerful young man full of life right now in this chapter, but he will die in 40 years. These wise men are speaking a benediction of eternal life upon Nebuchadnezzar as he sits quivering in fear upon his throne.

But their words, as well-intentioned as they may be, could never make him live forever. But thankfully, Jesus is a king who does live forever. And he gives eternal life to anyone who believes in Him. After speaking this benediction to the king, these wise men say to the king, look at verse 4, tell the dream to your servants and we will declare the interpretation.

This is the way things like this normally worked. The king would open up his heart and tell his wise men his dream, and then they would ponder it for a spell and then declare to the king the interpretation of his dream, and these men are ready to do exactly that for the king right now. But this is not What happens in this instance? Observe how the king responds in verses 5 and 6.

The king replied to the Chaldeans, the command from me is firm. If you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. After carefully studying. The Aramaic of this passage, I've concluded that the king is in a bad mood right now.

And he is not messing around. But he is ready to reward somebody. Look at verse 6 where he says to his wise men, but if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor. Therefore, declare to me the dream and its interpretation.

Observe how the king's wise men reply in verse 7, and it's the same way chat GPT replied to me. They answered a second time and said, Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar responds in verses 8 and 9. The king replied, I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that the command from me is firm, that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you.

And what is that? Death by dismemberment and destruction of their houses. He goes on, for you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed. Therefore, tell me the dream that I may know that you can declare to me its interpretation.

And that right there, right at the end of verse 9. is where we discover why the king wants them to tell him his dream first. We might think he's being irrational. And impossible to deal with, but he's actually quite smart in making this demand.

Nebuchadnezzar knows that if he told them his dream, they would do what they normally do and try to give him some interpretation filled with platitudes and generalities designed to flatter him. But how would he know if their interpretation is really true? Here's how he'll know. If any wise man can tell him his dream first.

Then their accomplishment of that feat will show that they truly commune with the gods and have an interpretation that the king can trust. That makes a lot of sense, right? But now, the king sees his wise men stalling and bargaining for time, and he views them as fraudsters who are speaking, look at the text, lying and corrupt words until the situation is changed. In other words, until the king calms down and changes his mind on the matter.

In terms of what he is demanding. Well, at this point, the old guard establishment wise men speak up for the whole group and they voice their protests to the king. Look at verses 10 and 11. The Chaldeans answered the king and said, there is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king.

Inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer, or Chaldean. This is partly their way of saying your father never did things this way. When he was king They continue in verse 11 saying, moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh. This last statement is an interesting protest coming from these men because these men were supposed to have access to the gods, right?

And yet now, by their words, they're betraying the fact that they don't have access to the gods after all. It's becoming very clear, even at this point of the text that God is bringing Nebuchadnezzar to this point. Of seeing the utter bankruptcy of his pagan resources. This man is the most powerful king.

Of the world In the world of his day. He has every religious and scientific resource at his disposal, and yet, He's at a loss. His wise men can't tell him his dream. And give him its interpretation.

And now they are saying, look again at the text, there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh. By the way, notice how they finished their statement. By describing the gods as one. As ones whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.

These men cannot right now begin to comprehend. How one day the true God will make his dwelling place. With mortal flesh. On earth in the person of Jesus Christ.

Who will take on flesh and tabernacle among mortals. And his name will be called Emmanuel, which means what? God with us. And we'll say more about this later.

All in all, these wise men. Offer their several pronged protests to the king. In these verses and then observe the king's response in verses 12 and 13, which by the way, reveals that he's not accustomed to people saying no. To things he asked for.

Verse 12, because of this, the king became indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain, and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them. And that's how the king rolls in a situation like this. But what we read here in verse 13 would leave us wondering if we're thinking carefully about why Daniel and his friends were not called before the king already.

And why they were not among the men who were already standing in the presence of the king, right? The likely reason is that Daniel and his 3 friends are so new in their role. In the king's service that they were not chosen by the Chaldeans. The Chaldean wise men to be among those who appeared before the king.

We've learned that Nebuchadnezzar was impressed with Daniel and his three friends, but the Chaldeans probably Weren't so sure what they thought of these young upstarts from Judah. What we can know for sure is that if the order to kill all the wise men has gone out from the king, and they are now looking for Daniel and his friends to kill them, then that means that Daniel and his friends are considered wise men. At this point, which likely means that they have completed their 3 years of training that we learned about in chapter 1.

Either way, the king's executioner eventually shows up at Daniel's house in order to kill Daniel and his three friends who probably it seems from this chapter actually lived with Daniel.

And this brings us to the 3rd development in the story of Daniel discerning the king's dream. Development number 3, Daniel seeks wisdom from God to know Nebuchadnezzar's dream and its interpretation. Daniel seeks wisdom from God to know Nebuchadnezzar's dream and its interpretation. So the executioner arrives at Daniel's door with the intent to kill.

Observe Daniel's response in verses 14 and 15. Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment. To Arioch, the captain of the king's bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon, he, Daniel, said to Arioch, the king's commander, For what reason is the decree from the king so urgent? Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter.

This is yet another test that Daniel finds himself confronted with and it would have been the last thing. That Daniel would have expected in the early morning hours of this day. How would you respond if tomorrow morning, a group of men from the federal government showed up at your door to kill you? Would you freak out?

Would you go into self-defense mode and grab your guns? Some of you would. Or try to fight. Well, Daniel, in this case, doesn't freak out and neither does he just let himself be killed.

In verse 14, the text tells us that Daniel replied with discretion and discernment. And he eventually says to Arioch, for what reason is the decree from the king so urgent? typically, executioners don't feel obligated to have a chat with those that they are about to kill, but something about the calm and the tasteful way that Daniel responds here causes Arioch. To explain to Daniel what has happened and why the king wants all of his wise men killed.

The end of verse 15 tells us that Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. What happens in verse 16 makes it clear that Daniel would have responded to what Arioch has shared by requesting and obtaining permission from Arioch to enter the presence of the king and speak directly to Nebuchadnezzar. Observe what happens in verse 16. So Daniel went in.

In other words, he went into the presence of the king and requested of the king that he would give him time in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king. Evidently, Daniel assures the king that He can tell him his dream. And tell him the dream's interpretation. But he's going to need a little bit of time to obtain that information from God.

He assures the king that If the king gives him some time, he will be able to provide for him the information he is seeking. And we're not told this explicitly, but what happens next makes it clear that the king amazingly granted Daniel's request for time. Which should strike us as remarkable. Earlier in this chapter, the king accused the wise men of bargaining for time, right?

And he doesn't let them bargain for time or stall, but Daniel comes in and talks to the king. He speaks no doubt with discretion and wisdom, and he obtains from the king a period of time to discern the king's dream. So even in Daniel's ability to purchase this extra time from the king, Daniel is showing himself superior to the wise men who could not handle. Their volatile king.

Having obtained this extra time from the king, Daniel returns to his house where again it seems his three friends lived with him. Observe what happens in verses 17 and 18. Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah about, and Azariah about the matter. So that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Now, at this point, Daniel doesn't know what you and I may know if we've read this chapter before. Daniel and his friends have no idea that God has given to the king a special revelation about the kingdoms of this world and about the coming of God's eternal kingdom. All Daniel and his friends know is that they're about to be killed. So they're praying for God to reveal the mystery of the king's dream.

Look at the text, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Daniel and his friends would really prefer not to die. On this day And this desire to live, no doubt will add fuel to the fervency of their prayers to the God of heaven. All things considered, guys, I love the fact that Daniel resorts to prayer here.

And I love the fact that he goes to his friends. And gets them to pray together with him. Daniel doesn't try to figure this matter out. On his own Nor does he merely pray on his own.

Nor does he try to brainstorm with his friends about the king's dream to try to figure it out. Nor does Daniel panic here. He seems to know that God is in control of the situation, and God has allowed this for some greater purpose. So he invites his friends to join him in requesting compassion from the God of heaven.

The God of heaven here is the God of Israel. This is the one true God. The one who knows all mysteries and who knows exactly what it is that the king has dreamed. And Daniel and his friends are now crying out to God, asking him to look with mercy and compassion upon them in this dangerous situation and to reveal to them the king's dream so that their lives might be spared.

As the commentator Leon Wood says, and I quote, what a fine picture we have here. Four young men, still in their teens, bowed in prayer before God. It's obvious from not only what happens here, but in the coming chapters that prayer is a way of life for these men. They pray, not as a last resort.

But as a first resort. And what's so striking about this scene. is that these 4 young men have been supernaturally gifted by God with extraordinary wisdom and insight. And Daniel has been gifted by God with the ability to interpret dreams.

And yet, as gifted as they are, they still need to pray. Teaching us a very important lesson, which is this, no matter how gifted you are in any area of ministry, God will never gift you to a point where you no longer need to cry out to Him in prayer. This is true for us. And it was true for Daniel and his three friends whose confidence in this moment is not in their gifting, but in their God, to whom they pray.

And so they pray, and God wonderfully answers their prayer, which brings us to the 4th and final development in the story of how Daniel discerns Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Number 4, Daniel receives wisdom and praises God for his revelation. Daniel receives wisdom and praises God for his revelation. Look at what happens in verse 19 where the text says, then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision.

Imagine Daniel's joy. As God reveals to him the specifics of what the king actually dreamed. And as God reveals to him. Its meaning What an amazing moment this must have been for Daniel.

And if we are reading this story for the first time. We would right now be dying to know the details of the king's dream. And what it means. We wanna know this mystery that God has wonderfully revealed to Daniel in this night vision, but the narrator won't be telling us that information until 12 verses from now.

And if the narrator won't tell us The dream right now, we would at least expect that the next verse. will tell us how Daniel rushes out the door of his house. Into the presence of the king to divulge to the king what God had shown to him. But this is not what happens next.

But rather than running to the king right away Daniel takes some time to worship. And praise the Lord. And the narrator wants you and I to slow down. To chill And linger with Daniel in this moment of Thanksgiving.

Before the narrative moves forward. And herein lies an important lesson for all of us. Sometimes we pray for something and God wonderfully answers. And then we take that answer and rush ahead.

And forget to thank him. Kinda like the 9 lepers. Who were healed by Jesus. And did not return.

To thank him But Daniel does not forget to praise God. And the writer of this text wants us to linger with Daniel in his moment of praise. Beginning at the end of verse 19, the text says, then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel said, let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him.

Daniel is. Not here thinking about the fame. That will come to his own name. And how he's gonna be blessed and extolled in the centuries to come for what he is about to do.

Daniel is only focused on the name of God being blessed forever and ever. There's no telling what God can do with a man or a woman who cares only that God be glorified. By what he does to them. Daniel is only focused on the name of God being blessed forever and ever.

He says, for wisdom and power belong to him. In this case, Daniel is praising God for his wisdom and knowing what the king dreamed. And he's praising God for his power. To know all that he knows.

And even his power to do what is spoken about him in verse 21. In verse 21, Daniel speaks of God and says it is he who changes the times and the epochs. He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding.

Daniel is already reflecting on what is revealed in the king's dream. And he's honoring God as the one who changes the times and the epics. He's honoring God here as the one who determines the rise and the fall of Kingdoms in this world, in the centuries to come. And Daniel also honors God here as the one who removes kings and who establishes kings.

Right now Nebuchadnezzar is king, but he's going to die. In 40 years and be replaced by another king and then another and then another. Who will then be conquered by Cyrus, the Mido-Persian king, all under God's sovereign plan. God is the one who removes kings from power, and he is the one who establishes kings who come to power, whether they be good and righteous or wicked.

Even in our own day, God is in total control of who becomes president of the United States. He removes presidents. And he establishes presidents in order to bless or to judge our nation. And to serve his purposes in moving history forward towards its climax when Jesus returns at his second coming.

And get this, in this moment, Daniel is literally praising God for his sovereignty in establishing kings. And he's praising God for this while living in a kingdom ruled over by a hotheaded pagan king who right now wants to kill people who can't tell him what he dreamed. Would you be praising God? If Daniel can praise God for his sovereignty in the middle of his circumstances, then so can we in our circumstances here in the United States.

Or in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in after election day. Come November. It's especially important when our preferred candidate loses that we take comfort. And the sovereign control of God over all of the affairs of this world, including who rises to power and who does not.

Daniel also praises God as he who gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding. The reason God gives wisdom to wise men is because they're the ones who seek for it, as for hidden treasure, and they cry out in prayer to God for this wisdom, and he gives them this wisdom because it is the wise and understanding who give God all the glory like Daniel is when he does give that wisdom to them. Rather than walking around saying, look how smart I am. Aren't I great?

There's none of that in Daniel. Daniel elaborates in verse 22, saying about God, look at the text. It is he who reveals the profound and hidden things such as the king's dream. He knows what is in the darkness, such as the dream that the king dreamed in the darkness of night.

And then Daniel says, and the light dwells with him. Nothing is dark to God. All the light of true wisdom is found in him. And comes from him.

And by the way, I should say that the light that right now dwells with God. In this moment that Daniel is praying, The light that dwells with God. Is God the Son Jesus Christ. Who will in 600 years come into this world.

And be the light of the world. And be the light that shines in the darkness. And gives the light of life to all who believe in Him. Daniel then speaks directly to God and says in verse 23.

To you, oh God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise for you have given me wisdom and power. Daniel is mindful in this moment that he's dealing with the God of Abraham. And Isaac and Jacob. He's dealing here with the God of Joseph, who interpreted Pharaoh's dreams.

The God of Moses and Joshua and David. And Daniel praises this God of his fathers, saying to you, I give thanks and praise for you have given me wisdom and power. He's saying you have dealt with me on this night in an epic way, like you have dealt with my father's. You have given me wisdom and power to know the king's dream and thus power to serve the king.

And to save our lives from death. Notice how Daniel concludes verse 23, saying, even now, you have made known to me what we requested of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter. Daniel is emphasizing here that he didn't figure out this dream on his own. It was revealed to him by God, and Daniel wants to make sure that he's giving God all the glory for the knowledge that he now has.

And I love this, Daniel wants to make sure he acknowledges that what God has made known to him was in response to not only his prayers, but also his friend's prayers. Notice, look at the verse, how he says, you have made known to me what we requested. Of you. Not just what I requested.

But we requested, Daniel's 3 friends are a part of the story here through their prayers, and Daniel honors their part in the work that God has done. And evidently Daniel has already Now taking time to share with his friends what God had revealed to him about the king's dream, which is why Daniel can conclude his prayer of praise to God by saying, look at how verse 23 ends, for you have made known to us. The king's matter. What a joy it would have been for Daniel to share with his 3 friends, the king's dream and its meaning, and what a joy it would have been for them to hear what God had revealed to their brother Daniel.

And Daniel praises God for having made known to us. The king's matter. We're gonna stop here for today with the sound of Daniel's praises ringing in our ears. But let's take a few moments to savor a few things before we close.

First of all, let's appreciate the beauty and the power of prayer. For in this passage, we see the power of 4 young men praying in desperation together because their very lives depended on it. These men are exceptionally gifted young men. And they are wise and yet they don't depend upon their gifting.

Instead, they depend upon God and they cry out to Him for the wisdom that they need. May God make us a people who understand our dependence upon Him. May God make us a people who pray and who pray together. Crying out to God to give us the breakthroughs in the wisdom.

That we need But also, let's be a people who take time to praise. And give thanks to God before we run ahead with our list of things to do with the answers that he gives us. Taking time to pray is important, but so is taking time to praise. Being a praying people is great, but we should also be a praising people.

And if we are a praying and a praising people, the Bible promises that we will find ourselves to be a peaceful. People also Write this reference down. Philippians chapter 4, verses 6 and 7. The apostle Paul says, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

Let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Notice that and everything by prayer, but then he says with thanksgiving. And then peace.

The promise of peace that Paul gives in verse 7 is not just for those who pray, but for those who pray with thanksgiving. And Daniel is a man who does both in our passage today. He prays and he praises. Which helps to explain his peaceful composure to the rest of this amazing chapter.

Also, the words of Babylon's wise men in verse 11. Help us to appreciate something that we often take for granted. In the minds of these Men who are the smartest men on the planet of this day. The gods don't dwell with mortal men.

And these pagan wise men state this like it's a basic fact that of course everyone knows this. The Bible teaches us that the true God made his dwelling with mortals, with mortal flesh in the person of Jesus who came into this world. He was born as an infant. He grew up and he put his feet under people's tables, and he dined with them.

He lived a life of perfect righteousness upon the earth and then died. On a cross for the sins of sinners like us. And God raised him from the dead and ascended Jesus to his own right hand, where Jesus now reigns from on high as the sovereign Lord of the universe, giving out salvation and forgiveness and wisdom to all who believe in Him and look to him. Even now, Jesus promises that he is with us to the end of the age.

He's with us. And he promises that one day he is coming back to Earth to establish his kingdom on the earth. In the new heavens and the new earth, we are told that God will make his dwelling among his people. Which means that as bright as these wise men in Daniel chapter 2 are.

They're not thinking big enough to capture all that God is going to begin to do in about 600 years, in the person of Jesus Christ, who will come into this world and dwell with mortal flesh. Eye has not seen. Nor has ear heard, neither has it ever entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. Looking back at verse 4, the wise men say, may the king live forever.

They can say that all they want till they're blue in the face. They can say that with all sincerity of heart, but it won't change the fact that Nebuchadnezzar is going to die in 40 years. And his reign will die with him. None of us will physically live forever, for the wages of sin is death.

But Jesus is a king who truly does live forever and whose kingdom will never be destroyed, and he is the one who speaks the word and gives eternal life to those who come to him and believe in Him. So if you are here this morning and you have never believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and as your savior, come to him. This morning and believe in him and be saved. Understand that your sins have separated you from God.

But your sins do not disqualify you from God. Bring your sinful self to him. And confess your need of him. And ask Him to save you from your sins.

The power of your sins and the guilt of your sins, and Jesus will respond by speaking a benediction over you and into you, and give you the gift of eternal life. And the word he speaks, I think we can say is in John chapter 5 verse 24, where Jesus says, truly, truly, I say to you, He who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. And does not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life. This is the power of Jesus.

To speak this benediction effectually and make it happen in your life and give you the gift of eternal life. I started this sermon talking about artificial intelligence, so let me end on this note. For all its vaunted powers, AI cannot tell you what you dreamed. It will never understand your thoughts from afar like God knows them.

It will never know your words before you speak them like God knows them. AI will never know you like God knows you. And AI will never love you. Like God loves you, loving you enough to send His Son.

Into the world In order to bring you into his love. This is the God we worship. This is the God that we pray to. This is the God that we look to for wisdom.

And this is the God who is always worth. Taking time to praise. Amen. Let's pray together Lord, we thank you so much for Just this passage that points us to a dazzling array of truths.

That leave us once again. At the feet of Jesus. marveling at the goodness and the wisdom and the power. Of God displayed in the person and the work of Christ.

I asked the Lord that you would make. Of us a praying. And appraising people. Who enjoy your peace in Christ.

And I pray that if there's any here today. Who have never Bowed before you, Lord Jesus, and received salvation. And forgiveness of sins through you. That they would pray.

This very day This very moment. And call upon your precious name. And look outside of themselves to you alone. And say you are the savior for me.

I pray that you would do such a work in their heart that They would see your beauty and your goodness so clearly. That they would consider it an intolerable suffering. To live for one more hour apart from you. We ask All of these things, Lord, in the mighty name of Jesus.

And all God's people said, Amen.