Daniel: Remembering Who's King in the Chaosਨਮੂਨਾ

Sweet Dreams

Sometimes, my wife gets angry at me for something I did in one of her dreams. I try to reassure her that it was merely a dream and that I would never hit on one of her friends, but it seems to take her hours to shake the feeling of suspicion that I’m living some sort of double life. In those moments, I want so desperately for her to realize that her dream has no meaning; no bearing on reality. I think Nebuchadnezzar would’ve felt similarly. He had a pretty unique dream about a statue and because of this dream, “his spirit was troubled” and he wasn’t able to sleep. I bet Nebuchadnezzar wanted to believe that his dream/vision had no bearing on reality, but deep down, he knew his dream had a meaning. In Daniel 2, we read about Nebuchadnezzar’s quest to find someone who can reveal the meaning of his nightmarish vision. Through a series of God-ordained events, Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and reveals its deeper meaning: Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom are temporary, but God and his kingdom are eternal. Surprisingly, Nebuchadnezzar responds well to this revelation and acknowledges that Yahweh is the “God of gods” and promotes Daniel to rule over “the whole province of Babylon”. As we read this text, we still clearly see God’s hand behind the events unfolding in Daniel’s life. Daniel is being placed purposefully by God, first, as an exile in the king’s service, and now as a ruler over the most powerful empire in the world, not for Nebuchadnezzar's glory nor Daniel's, but rather, for God's. Echoing back to Chapter 1, we’re reminded that God places us purposefully. Sometimes, we’re placed in situations we don’t like, but sometimes we’re placed in positions of high status and success. You may get a promotion and a pay raise at work. You may be a father. You may be a leader at church. Regardless, we’re reminded that God may put us in positions of success and power so that we can glorify him in places where people normally glorify themselves.