THE HANDLING OF A CRISIS -- Tomorrow:
"And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon." (Daniel 2:13-18)
Devotion 14 of 28
" . . . and that he would show the king the interpretation."
Other versions read, "in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king" (NASB), "so that he might interpret the dream for him" (NIV), and "and he would tell the king the interpretation" (NRSV). Although the text does not say so, Nebuchadnezzar must have recalled Daniel when he came before him. There was nothing in Daniel's past that would infuriate the king. His righteous life would now lend itself to the favor of the king. We will find that the king will not treat Daniel as an enemy or an impostor. There are at least two reasons for this. First, Daniel had given the king no cause to think he was either. Second, the Lord was in the matter, softening the heart of the king, and making provision for the announcement of a heavenly purpose.
There are two things to be seen in this case. There is an element of certainty associated with both of them. That, of course, is as it should be, for "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Heb 11:1, NIV).
FIRST, TIME TO KNOW
Daniel was not stalling for time like the wise men before him. He was anticipating meeting with the Lord on the matter. The wise men of Babylon asked for Nebuchadnezzar to help them. Daniel would ask his God for the answer. He wanted time with the Lord, not merely time to think. At this point, thinking would do no good apart from the Lord, for the dream itself was not known, much less the interpretation. This was a time to trust and inquire of the Lord. God had given him knowledge, but NOT all knowledge. He had been granted wisdom, but NOT all wisdom. He could interpret all manner of dreams and visions, but not on his own.
Second, AN ANSWER WOULD BE GIVEN. The wise men of the empire said they would give an interpretation if only the king would tell them what he dreamed. Daniel asked nothing from the king but a little time, guaranteeing "he would tell the king the interpretation" (NRSV). He did not say he might be able to obtain "the interpretation," for that would have offered no consolation to the king. Faith enabled Daniel to be certain that he would, in fact, receive what the king required.
ONE FURTHER OBSERVATION
An additional observation should be made. Note the apparent confidence with which Daniel made his request. He guarantees that a little time will yield the precise thing the king desires: "in order that he might declare the interpretation" (NASB). He does not say that an interpretation could possibly be forthcoming, but that "he WOULD tell the king the interpretation" (NRSV). This is the reasoning of faith. The believer knows that required things will be obtained when they are sought from God by faith.
Confidence and assurance are inherent in faith itself. For that reason it is written, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Heb 11:1, NIV). Therefore, the words Daniel spoke were not the expression of a timorous and doubtful soul. He was persuaded that time spent with the God whom He consistently served would yield the required results.
I cannot overemphasize this marvelous benefit of living by faith. When we do not quench or grieve the Spirit of God, we will not be disappointed when we throw ourselves upon the Lord. If we sow to the Spirit, the Spirit will bring a rich harvest to us. That is a guarantee (Gal 6:8). It is not possible to sow to the Spirit and reap a disappointing harvest!
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for the strong expectation and confidence that are inherent in faith.