Title Dream Interpretation 3 (Daniel 2:40-43)
Lesson 23 Dream Interpretation 3 (Dan 2:40-43)
2:36-43
This is the dream, and now I will give the interpretation before the king. Regardless, he gave them into the king's hand to rule over them all, and the king is his golden head. After the king there will arise other kingdoms that are inferior to the king, and thirdly, a kingdom like brass will rise and rule the whole world. and iron crushes all things and overcomes; and as iron crushes all things, so the kingdom will crush and grind nations; and the king saw that his feet and toes were some clay of a potter and some iron. A kingdom will be divided, and the king will see a mixture of iron and clay, and the kingdom will be strong with iron, but its toes are made of iron and some clay, and its kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. The king saw that iron and clay were mixed; they would mix with other races, but they do not join one another, just as iron and clay do not mix.
King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. I saw a giant statue in my dream. The statue was in the shape of a human. It was divided into four main parts. The head was made of gold, then the arms and chest were of silver, the belly and thighs of bronze, the calves and feet and toes partly of iron, partly of clay. What did each of these four parts represent? It was said to represent your country. Which country did gold represent? Babylon. The silver symbolizes the Medes and Persians, the bronze symbolizes the Greek Empire, and the iron and clay symbolize the Roman Empire.
Daniel interprets it. First, he explains in comparative detail about Babylon, ruled by King Nebuchadnezzar. Because King Nebuchadnezzar, who was now hearing the interpretation, was trembling with fear. Daniel reassured the king with a spirit of comfort. First, the king is the king of kings. Second, the king is a specially chosen being by God. Thirdly, the king comforted me by saying that he was the foremost being as a golden haired person.
Today, like Daniel, I hope that if there are people around us who are anxious, worried, and afraid, we hope that you will be able to comfort us with warm words, and I hope that you will also make many precious friends like Daniel around you. So I hope that no one breaks my heart. I hope that I will have only friends who warmly comfort and embrace me like Daniel.
Daniel briefly explained the second and third kingdoms in one line. See verse 39. “After the king comes another kingdom that is not as good as the king.” He only said that the second kingdom was a country that was not as good as a king. "A third kingdom will arise like bronze and will rule over the whole world." In this way, the third country simply ended with one line.
However, the fourth and final countries are described in detail. Please see verse 40. The fourth country was called Rome. “The fourth kingdom will be as strong as iron.” The Roman Empire was a very strong country. Just look at the verb in verse 40 to get an idea of how strong it is. "Iron crushes and triumphs over all things; just as iron crushes all things, so will a kingdom crush and crush nations." The verb is in a very strong tone. As we watch this, does it look good to the eyes of the Roman army riding iron chariots and trampling the neighboring countries? When you read the Bible, visually draw it in your head and read it more realistically. Doesn't it remind you of Roman chariots crushing, grinding and trampling their neighbors? So strong.
But even this mighty Roman Empire had its weaknesses. The text shows what weaknesses there were. I think we can learn a lesson here. Let's look at verse 41. “And when the king saw that his feet and toes were some clay of a potter and some iron, the kingdom shall be divided.” He said the country would be divided. could not be unified. That was the weakness. There was no strength to wield absolute power like Babylon under the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. No matter how strong it is, if it splits, it means nothing, right?
Do you remember the fairy tales you heard as a child? A father fell ill and died leaving behind three young sons. My father left a will. “Children, go out and bring a stick you can use for a stick.” The sons brought sticks. "Tie it together." Three sticks tied together. "Break it." Even the mighty eldest son couldn't break it. Again the father said. "Untie the ties. And try to break them one by one." Even the youngest son broke it easily. And his father's last words were "That's it. When you unite, you live because you have so much power, and when you disperse, you die. So even though you are young, join forces and live together as one."
That's right. It should not be divided. must unite. It's the same with any organization. The church also taught through the Word that Jesus would become a church with one heart and one mind. must be one. It must not be divided. And so are we personally. We decided to live a life that moves forward while looking to Jesus as we look to God. However, the heart must not be divided while looking at God and looking at the world. Then there is no power. Doesn't sunlight also burn paper when focused on one place through a magnifying glass? We have to come together to be strong. I hope that this day will be a day when we also focus our eyes on only one place, Jesus Christ.
God said to Abraham. "Abraham!" "Yes!" "You leave your native relatives, your father's house!" "Yes!" "Go to the land I will show you!" Abraham did not know where he was going, but he went forward looking only at God. I looked to God to the end. He looked to God until he offered his son Isaac as a burnt offering. So I got a wonderful blessing. Became the father of faith.
But Lot, his nephew, who followed Abraham, could not only look to God. I lifted my eyes and saw the Jordans. I saw Sodom and Gomorrah. How did it go? I lost everything.
Today too, I hope that you and I can all look to Jesus. Don't look at the world. "I won't look back!" he said. We need to become who we are, so that we can look only at God and set our hearts only on the Lord.
There are also weaknesses. Let's look at verse 42 from the second half of verse 41. “Because the king saw that iron and clay were mixed, the kingdom would be strong of iron, but its toes are made of iron and some clay, so it will be partly strong and partly brittle.” The Roman Empire was outwardly strong as iron. But the inside was corrupted and corrupted like mud. So the Roman Empire fell. The Roman Empire did not fall because of weakness. It was destroyed because it was corrupted and corrupted.
If you look at Romans 1, you can see how corrupt Rome was. I only read a few verses. Romans 1:26 et seq.
“For this reason God gave them up to shameful lusts, that their women also changed the natural use for the opposite, and in the same way, the men also abandoned the natural use of women, and their lusts seemed to be burning toward one another, and men and men were shameful. and received in himself a due recompense for their wrongdoing."
Sexually, the Romans were very depraved. Because of this, Rome eventually fell.
Rome was not only sexually corrupt, but also morally corrupt. Romans 1:29-31.
“Full of all unrighteousness, ugliness, greed, malice, envy, murder, strife, fraud, malice, gossip, slanderer, hater of God, reviler, arrogant, boastful, schemer of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, treacherous a merciless person, a heartless person, a merciless person."
This moral depravity was extreme. So it was eventually destroyed.
So are we. On the outside, it seems that we believe in God and live our lives as saints, but we must always think about whether we are truly holy and pure before God. I have to think about whether my heart is really filled with Jesus, or if it is not filled with worldly things on the outside, though it seems that I only look at Jesus on the outside. You should make this the subject of prayer. "Lord, I want to open the door of my heart. I want you to come into my heart at this time and settle down, and I want you to cleanse me of all the messy and filthy things in my heart. And light up my heart with your bright light." I know that such a prayer should be in this morning.
I don't know if any of you have come to the Lord with a frustrated and distressed heart. I don't know what your worries are, but just don't go back Please lay down all your heavy burdens under the cross of Jesus Christ. Will God be pleased when He sees our troubled hearts? Wouldn't God lament, "Why are you like this?" “I crucified my son Jesus for you. Forgive me for all your sins. I have justified you. I have guided your steps until now. Even now, I am protecting you like the pupil of the eye. I'll guide you along the way, preparing things for you. And I've even prepared a glorious paradise where you can live forever. What the hell are you so dissatisfied with?" Doesn't God say this?
I pray in the name of Jesus that you may shake off all your troubled and troubled hearts and return to light steps while thinking of God's amazing love and grace for me this morning, and restore all the peace you enjoy in the Lord with a bright and happy heart, a light heart, and a joyful heart. do.