Please turn with me to Daniel chapter 2.  We are going on in our look at the book of Daniel and Courage.

The party aboard ship was in full swing.  Speeches were being made by the captain, the crew, and the guests enjoying the week-long voyage.  Sitting at the head table was a seventy-year-old man who, somewhat embarrassed, was 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.  The woman was rescued and the elderly man became an instant hero.

When time finally came for the brave passenger to speak, the stateroom fell into a hush as he rose form 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?” (1)

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 Jello.  Someone said, “The problem with life is there’s no time to practice.  It just happens to us.” 

Last Sunday we began talking about courage.  Courage to live for Jesus - at school - at work - in our families.  To not go there - when going there means participating in conversation and stuff that we know is ungodly.  To not get sucked in by this society with its degrading morals.  Courage to stand for Jesus in a society that’s growing increasingly hostile to the things of God.  Courage to do what’s unpopular - misunderstood - ridiculed - to face rejection - even though what we’re doing is right before God.

Courage to tear down and build a new facility.  Courage to tithe.  Courage to share Jesus with others.

Sometimes we just need courage to get up and face a new day - to just keep going - especially when life throws stuff at us that’s just totally unfair..

That’s what we’re looking at here in Daniel.  What does this courage look like?  Where does it come from?  How can we have that kind of courage in our lives?

Daniel 2 - starting at verse 1:  Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar - about 603 BC - Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him.  Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans - literally astrologers - four groups of occult practitioners - to tell the king his dreams.  So they came in and stood before the king.  The king said to them, “I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.”

Verse 1 says that Neb had “dreams.”  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 spoke to the king in Aramaic:  “O king, live forever!  Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 

This is snow job - right?  “Tell us what you dreamed and we’ll make up something that sounds good.”

The king replied to the Chaldeans, “The command from me is firm - “I’m not stupid” - 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.  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.” 

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

The king replied, “I know for certain that you are bargaining for time - “Quit stalling” - 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.  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.”

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 ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer, or Chaldean.  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.”

Underline the last part of verse 11.  Its crucial.  We’ll come back to it.

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.

Let’s pause.  There are three things we need to emphasize before we move on.

First:  Nebuchadnezzar remembers the dream.  Have you ever tried to remember the details of a dream?  Neb remembers enough of this dream - perhaps all of it - in such detail - so that he can easily test all these wise guys.  He’s been dreaming the same thing over and over again.  He’s probably got it memorized.  If they try to snow him he’ll know.

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

Second:  The wisdom of the world strikes out.  That part of verse 11 that we underlined.  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.  The wisdom of the world has no clue. 

Third:  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.

Verse 14 brings us to Daniel and his friends.  Last Sunday we looked at these four teenage boys - about 14 years old - hauled off as prisoners - taken from everything they knew - dragged across the dessert - Daniel and his friends that Nebuchadnezzar tried to indoctrinate and make into Babylonians - who have no standing - no résumé - no track record - no major accomplishment except that they appear wise - even for foreigners.   Suddenly, the four young boys are pushed into this life or death issue.

Verse 14:  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 said to Arioch, the king’s commander, “For what reason is the decree so urgent?”  Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter.  So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king.

This is the Kobayashi Maru - the no win scenario with lives on the line.  It took courage to go before Nebuchadnezzar the great and terrible - who’s already ticked - already given the order - ordered the execution of whole groups of people and no one even protested.  Unquestioned power and authority.  And here comes Daniel to ask 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.

Verse 17:  Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael 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.  Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision.  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 are a prayer that comes right from Daniel’s heart - a declaration of who God is why Daniel acts so courageously.  You’ll find the words to verses 20 to 23 in your sermon notes because I’d like to have us read this prayer out loud together - to get the truths there more cemented in our minds.

Starting in verse 20:  Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.  It is He who changes the times and epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings;  (God’s power)

“He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding.  It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him, (God’s wisdom)

“To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for You have given me wisdom and power; even now You have made known to me what we requested of You, for You have made known to us the king’s matter.” (Gratitude)

Daniel first 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.

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.  

The third part of the prayer is sheer gratitude on Daniel’s part.  God bringing His Divine authority and wisdom into the lives of Daniel and His people - faithfully sustaining them through everything.  Even the no win scenarios.

Going on - verse 24:  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 spoke to him as follows, “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon!  Take me into the king’s presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king.”

Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king’s presence and spoke to him as follows:  “I have found a man - notice how he takes credit for what God is doing - I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!”

The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make know to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?”

Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.  However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days - notice who Daniel gives credit to.

“This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed.   As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.  But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand 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.

That brings us to verse 31 and the dream.  You’ll see in your sermon notes a diagram of the dream.  That’s there to help us visualize what’s being  described.  A picture’s worth a thousand words.

Verse 31:  “You, O king, were looking and behold there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome.  The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.  You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.  Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found.  But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”

The wise guys of Babylon wouldn’t have guessed the details of this dream in a million years.

Verse 36:  “This was the dream; now we will tell its interpretation before the king.  You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory; and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all.  You are the head of gold.”  Where did Nebuchadnezzar’s authority come from?  Who’s in control?  God.

Verse 39:  “After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will 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:  “Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong a iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces.”  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:  “In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay.  As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle.  And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.”

Up until verse 41 there’s a consistent historical record that gives us great confidence in our understanding of which empires Daniel was describing.  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.

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 speculation.

Verse 44:  “In the days of those kings - what kings?  Maybe the kings of today - in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put and end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.  Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

Verse 46:  Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense.  The king answered Daniel and said, “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.”  Neb is starting to get it.

Verse 48:  Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.  And Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the kings court.    

Just like we saw in chapter one - there’s a pattern here we need to hang on to:  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 in control?  God.

One thought of application - how all this relates to us and our having courage to face the stuff of life and even stand up for God.  Here it is:  The Purpose Of The Dream.  Say that with me, “The purpose of the dream.”

Nebuchadnezzar is going to be dead, buried, and dust before any of this takes place.  So what’s the point in telling him what’s going to happen?

God revealed all this to Neb - what will take place in the future - to prove what? Verse 45 - that the “interpretation is trustworthy.”  If Daniel got the dream right - and we assume he did because he was rewarded instead of being torn in two - Neb by rewarding Daniel is used by God to prove the accuracy of the telling of the dream - so, if Daniel got the dream right then we need to trust that the interpretation must be correct as well.  Beyond Neb - subsequent history - the Medes and Persians and Greeks and Romans - subsequent history proves the accuracy of the interpretation - and the certainty of what will happen.

The interpretation isn’t just for Neb.  Its for God’s people - living in exile in Babylon - who wondered as to their future.  The interpretation is for the people living in the silver and bronze and iron - and even the clay toes. 

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 the price of gas goes up people are wondering if the economy is going to tank.  We’re looking at Washington and it seems that most of the government is only interested itself.  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.   

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 brings together several Old Testament passages and identifies that stone:  “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and He who believe in Him will not be disappointed…  The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone… A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” (1 Peter 2:6-8)

The stone is Jesus.  Humankind has rejected Him - stumbled over Him.  But those of us who consider Him precious know that one day He will return.  He will crush the kingdoms of this world and the foolish rebellion of humankind.  God will set up His eternal kingdom.  We’ve read the last chapter of the book.  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.

We leave here and we go back to our families - to work - to school - to doing the stuff of life.  But, if you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ - knowing God’s control over what seems uncontrollable - knowing the end of all the things we struggle with - how we do life should change.

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

Who’s in control?  God.

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1. Ted Engstrom, Motivation To Last A Lifetime