Daniel goes in and gives the interpretation that could cost him his life. He is about to tell Nebuchadnezzar, whether he likes it or not, that his kingdom is going to fall. This was a huge risk, and the only way Daniel was able to do this, if self was moved out of the way. Remember, his initial desire of God was that he and his fellows would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon…to ‘destroy not the wise men of Babylon’. Now, Daniel is going before the king to inform him that Babylon was going to fall. God’s power is a changing power in our life, self is no longer front and center…it is God and others centered.
24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
Identify the difference between Arioch and Daniel.
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Daniel overcame self with the help of God. He became God and others center. In contrast, Arioch tells that king: “I” found a man…that will tell you the interpretation of your dream. Arioch is self-centered, and seeks so credit in solving the king’s dilemma. In his haste, Arioch does not ask Daniel about the interpretation. If he would have, he might not have taken Daniel before the king. It is possible that God used Arioch’s self-seeking desire for recognition to get Daniel in before the king.
26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;
28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
How did Daniel answer the question of Nebuchadnezzar?
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Daniel is a politician in training, but God is the one who is training him above and beyond his Babylonian education. Daniel told the king that nobody else had the ability to know the dream and its meaning, but God could and did. God gave Daniel a heavenly political answer to the king…this was masterful. Daniel took no credit for the answer – he bypassed himself and directed all the glory to God. The answer pointed Nebuchadnezzar to God of heaven and earth.
This is the place where we should find ourselves, directing people to God. It is not about us, we are eclipsed, it is about pointing others to God. This is where God wants us to be and this is where we can be of most help to others.
29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
What do you think Nebuchadnezzar was thinking at this point?
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Daniel was not only going tell the king what he dreamed, but he also told him what he was thinking about before he went to bed. Nebuchadnezzar gets his dream back, and was taken back with awe. Not only did Nebuchadnezzar receive the dream, it was given to him through a teenage boy who was still in the Babylonian training program. Up to this point, Nebuchadnezzar has not been impressed. In fact, he has been unimpressed by his wise men; so he needed his heart to be prepared to be receive what God was showing him. God set this up perfectly for Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel, and many others.
Just as in Daniel’s case, God does not use us because of our years of experience or our wealth of knowledge, or because of the letters behind our name…God uses us because we are available, because we found His purpose for our lives. No matter how broken our life may be, God wants all the pieces and God can use those pieces.
What was meant by “that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart’?
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The reason why the dream and its interpretation were shown to Nebuchadnezzar was to humble him. To show him that his empire, splendid as it was, was only one in a succession, and that the whole system of world-empires would be overthrown before a kingdom set up by Jesus Christ.
Remember, Nebuchadnezzar took the vessels from the temple in Jerusalem and placed them in his temple before his gods. He was proud and thought mightily of his conquests. He thought he had plundered the God of the Israelites, not knowing that God allowed the conquest for a planned purpose.