Daniel 2

Daniel 2:27-28a

Daniel answered the king and said, " No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries (ESV)

Reading through this chapter three thoughts occurred to me. First is the idea that God uses pagans. Here is a pagan king receiving a vision from God in a dream. Why didn't God choose someone holy, godly and Jewish? Why didn't God give this vision directly to Daniel? When we talk about total depravity we often misunderstand the term. By total depravity we do not mean that God cannot speak to or through lost individuals, nor do we mean that there is no possibility of compassion, goodness or moral purity in them. God often uses the lost to accomplish his purposes. Why? Perhaps it is simply to remind us of the truth Daniel understood so well. When God uses believers it is not because of them, but because of God's grace and mercy. Were all goodness in the world to be found only in believers we might be tempted to begin believing that it is because we are somehow inherently better than anyone else. The truth is, God uses us in spite of us, not because of us.

That brings me to the second thought that occurred to me in this chapter: Daniel's humility. The other wise men, magicians, etc. had acknowledged the truth that no man could do what the king was asking. It would have been easy, however, for Daniel having the answer to stand up and say, "I've got an inside track with God so I can do it even when no one else can." But that's not what he said. He too acknowledged that no man, including himself, could do what the King was asking. But... "there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries." That answer did not come from Daniel but from God who reveals mysteries. As a pastor it is easy, when someone compliments a sermon that I preach, to say "Thank you!" and take the credit for the message. It is even easy to begin to believe that I am somehow a better preacher than others when someone says, "That's the best sermon I've ever heard!" Of course it's not true, it is simply how they feel because God, by his grace, happened to speak to them in a powerful way through the message. When God works in peoples lives it is never about the messenger. It is always about the one who sent the message. 

The third thought that occurred to me in this chapter relates to Daniel and his friends. It is really easy when we rise to a certain level of authority, notoriety or popularity to forget those who got us there. Daniel's ability to reveal the king's vision came about because his three friends were praying. My uncle was buried yesterday. He used to pray for people when he would wake up in the middle of the night. Every Sunday morning at 8:30 he was in the pastor's study praying with the pastor and a couple other men. Other people behind the scenes who are never really visible support the work of the ministry through prayer, encouragement, service, giving, etc. They are not the ones who are seen on stage on the Sunday mornings, but the work of the ministry could never be done without them. It is really easy when the accolades come to forget where the real glory lies. Daniel, when he was promoted, made sure that his friends were not forgotten. Should we do any less? Who is going to replace my uncle at 8:30 on Sunday mornings in the pastor's study? The work of the ministry cannot go on without him any more than it can go on without someone in the pulpit. The pray-er is more important that the preacher.

Father, forgive me for how easily I begin to believe the lies about my own importance. Thank you for those who serve behind the scenes. Pour out your special blessing and encouragement on them today.

By His grace,

Rick Weinert