Daniel who is exalted (Daniel 2:46-49)
Lecture 25 Daniel Exalted (Daniel 2:46-49)
2:46-49
Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell down and worshiped Daniel, and commanded him to offer gifts and spices to him. The king answered and said to Daniel, “Your God is indeed a god of gods and Lord of all kings. And he was a revealer of secrets, and the king exalted Daniel and gave him many precious gifts, and he set him to rule over all the provinces of Babylon, and made him head over all the wise men of Babylon. and made him to rule the way, and Daniel was in the royal palace.
The words in today's text are the reaction King Nebuchadnezzar showed after hearing from Daniel the dream and its interpretation. It can be speculated that there were two thoughts in King Nebuchadnezzar's mind. One can think of it as being somewhat reassured. Because didn't Daniel continue to comfort the king with his words? "The king is the king of kings, and God has specially chosen him, and God has given the king the kingdom, authority, power, and glory. The king has a golden head. And while you reign, as you have seen in a dream, A stone will not strike an image, and God has shown great favor to the king, and he has revealed God's will to the king." He comforted me in this way. So, he must have been able to give him some comfort in the thought that something as worrisome as he thought would not happen in his lifetime.
Then another one would have been astonished. How did Daniel know of the dream he had dreamed and had forgotten, something that only the gods could do? You must have had such a wonderful heart. So King Nebuchadnezzar is worshiping Daniel's god by paying deep respect to Daniel. Let's look at verse 46. “Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell down and worshiped Daniel.” I have a deep respect for Daniel. By doing so, you are worshiping the God of Daniel. Daniel is worshiping the god of Daniel by paying deep respect to Daniel in the sense of being God's representative and God's servant. Then he said, "I commanded him to offer gifts and spices to him."
In verse 47, there are three things that King Nebuchadnezzar praised the god of Daniel. First, "Your God is indeed the God of all gods." He is the supreme god among the gods. We can see from these words that King Nebuchadnezzar did not believe in monotheism like we do, but was polytheistic. He called it "the god of all gods." The god God is also seen as the god of a certain nation among other gods. I had the wrong view. In the midst of polytheistic thinking, he recognized the God of Daniel as the supreme god among other gods.
Second, he said, "He is the ruler of all kings." Daniel's God is the one who establishes and destroys kings. After the king of Babylon was overthrown, God established the Medes and Persians. After the abolition of the Medes and Persia, the Greek Empire was established, and after the abolition of the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire was established. He acknowledged that he is the One who establishes and destroys the kings of the kingdoms of the world.
Third, "Can reveal these secrets, and your God is a revealer of secrets." God is a revealer of secrets. He praised God in these three ways.
And then, in verse 48, King Nebuchadnezzar exalts Daniel. “Then the king exalted Daniel,” he said. Daniel was lifted up. There is an explanation right after how it was raised. What did you give Daniel? I gave you a present. Not a trivial gift, but a "precious gift." It's not about giving a little, but "a lot". There are two words related to gifts. The words "precious" and "a lot".
And how did you build Daniel again? It is recorded in two ways. First, "to rule over all Babylon." What has happened today? He became prime minister. Another is, "He made the elders of all the wise men of Babylon." What would your job be today? Since the doctor acts as an advisor to the king, you can think of the position of chief of staff or chief justice of the Supreme Court. How old is Daniel now? Mid teens. At the young age of 15 and 16, he became Prime Minister, Chief of Staff, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I hope that your children will have the precious history of becoming a head like Daniel.
Daniel made up his mind even at such a young age. He resolved not to defile himself with the king's delicacies and wine. So, God exalted Daniel. If Daniel had defiled himself with the king's delicacies and the king's wine, Daniel would have vanished without a trace in history like everyone else.
The same is true. There are many temptations in our lives today. Please make up your mind like Daniel. Please do not defile yourself with the temptations of the world. God will surely exalt us when we give up the riches, complacency, and all honors of the world and look only at Jesus, make up our minds for the Lord, resist temptation, and keep us clean. May this precious blessing be with you all.
Then in verse 49 we find something we should imitate from Daniel. “The king also appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to rule over the city of Babylon, as Daniel had requested. Daniel's three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were Babylonian names. The Hebrew names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Daniel did not forget the three friends he shared with him and the three friends who prayed together to ask for God's mercy.
How are we? When things go well and we are elevated, we ignore and forget the friends who have been kind to us. But Daniel was not. He did not forget the three friends who loved him, helped him, and lived with him when he was elevated. I asked the king. Three of my friends heard it and asked me to try it. So, at Daniel's request, the king appointed three friends to rule over the city of Babylon. In today's terms, it would be a governor. I made him sit in a high place.
Think about whether we have neighbors or friends who loved us and prayed for us. We pray for them too, and if you think of the grace they have given you, I hope that you will be able to call me today. There are such people. Are there people who take it for granted and forget about them even though they have shown them kindness? We often encounter such cases. Then, you don't express it outwardly, but on the inside, aren't you upset? It's about changing your position and thinking about it.
On the other hand, there are those who have shown small kindnesses that are insignificant, but do not forget them, appreciate them, and strive to repay them. I want to be this kind of person. Today, thinking of our friends, thinking of those who loved and prayed for me, I hope that all of you will be able to warm up even one phone call with a grateful heart.
Looking at the last part of today's text, where was Daniel? “Daniel was in the palace,” he said. So, Daniel served as the head of the administration and served as an assistant to the king. Why are these words written at the end? In chapter 3, King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image and held the inauguration ceremony. Daniel's three friends were in attendance. Then, because Daniel's three friends did not bow down, they were thrown into the furnace. Where was Daniel then? If Daniel had been there, of course he wouldn't have bowed down. Daniel must have been thrown into the fiery furnace.
But only three were thrown into the furnace. At that time, Daniel must have been guarding the royal palace for some reason. Daniel's three friends served as governors, but when the king called them, they came to the plain of Durah. Only three of Daniel's friends were thrown into the furnace while maintaining the foundation of faith. To tell you this, Daniel's three friends were appointed as governors, and it is recorded that Daniel was alone in the royal palace.
I hope that this day as well, me and all of you, who make up our minds and keep our bodies and minds clean without polluting our bodies and minds with worldly things. And I hope that all of you will have a warm heart who will not forget their gratitude and pray for them while thinking of our dear friends.