Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• God speaks to Nebuchadnezzar
• A despotic man
• He made a wild demand - explanation
• Yet God speaks to him in a dream
• Daniel and his friends were put in great danger
• Man's extremity is God's opportunity
• Daniel goes to Arioch
• Daniel is given an audience with the king
• Daniel asks for time and calls a prayer meeting
• God gives Daniel the interpretation of the dream
• Do we call upon God in our extremity?
• This chapter tells us that God answers the prayers of His people
• How much do we believe that God will answer our prayers?
• Overview:
• Lessons about how to testify (v24-30)
• Lessons about history and the kingdom of God (v31-45)
• Lessons about divine intervention (v46-49)

Lessons about how to testify (v24-30)

• Daniel has received an answer to prayer (v24)
• He does not rush into the kings presence - he follows protocol
• Although he had heard from the King of Kings, he could not rush into the presence of the earthly king
• We must not rush into situations
• Arioch claims credit for the answer to prayer (v25)
• Once God has answered your prayer, others might want to come alongside and take credit
• This does not matter, be humble
• Daniel does not take credit - he acknowledges God
• Daniel highlights the inability for men to interpret the dream (v27)
• Daniel reminds Nebuchadnezzar that he must not go back to the wise men, astrologers, magicians and sooth sayers
• We must show people that only God has the answer
• Daniel reminds Nebuchadnezzar that only God knows (v28)
• We must point men and women away from ourselves and towards God
• Daniel is not taking credit (v30)
• God exalts the humble and puts down the proud
• Daniel is highly exalted at the end of the chapter
• Are we humble?
• Do we take credit - are we humble?
• Summarizing comments

Lessons about history and the kingdom of God (v31-45)

• The interpretation of the dream speaks about Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom and the coming kingdoms after, including the kingdom of God
• A statue made of different materials
• A little stone strikes the statue and it shatters
• The little stone grows into a great mountain
• Each empires gives way to another empire but the kingdom of God supersedes all empires
• The kingdom of God will last forever

The empires

• The interpretation: (v37-38)
• Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom would one day pass away
• The Babylonian Empire gave way to the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians (the silver trunk and two arms)
• The splendor of each kingdom is inferior to the previous empires
• (The strength of the Roman kingdom was stronger than the previous empires)
• The Greek Empire came next (the two bronze upper legs)
• The Roman Empire (the two iron lower legs)
• Some scholars dispute when Daniel was written due to the accuracy of the prophecy
• God had given Daniel the interpretation
• The ten toes - maybe 10 kings
• All empires came and went
• One day all the kingdoms of the world will be swept away by the kingdom of God

The Stone

• God's kingdom begins in small ways
• The 12 apostles
• Pentecost
• The stone is spoken in Gen 49 - Jesus Christ

Lessons

• Every human king is but dust in the sight of God
• Your kingdom will fail and another will come
• People are nothing in the hands of almighty God
• There is no 'Christian kingdom'
• There is the invisible kingdom of God that exists throughout the world
• We are not be too patriotic
• Our citizenship is in heaven
• Only the kingdom of God will prevail and last forever and ever
• Jesus Christ is a stone - an offense and stumbling block
• Many today don't like Jesus' claims
• To those who believe He is the foundation stone
• Luke 20:17-18
• To those who do not believe He is the grinding stone
• The kingdom of God is all about Jesus

Lessons about divine intervention (v46-49)

• God had divinely spoken into the life of Nebuchadnezzar
• He fell prostate before Daniel
• Is Nebuchadnezzar worshiping Daniel or a foolish action for one who recognises that God is the God of gods (v47)
• Nebuchadnezzar has come to acknowledge the one true God of heaven
• Though he makes this confession, he is not converted (chapter 3)
• We must be measured about those who make a profession of faith
• We must remember the parable of the sower
• We must continue to pray for people
• God does humble, save and convert Nebuchadnezzar
• We must not interfere but pray
• Nebuchadnezzar promotes Daniel and his three friends
• God uses Daniel for the good of the kingdom
• We see that God is over all things
• We must pray for authorities
• God's kingdom rises up above all other kingdoms