Paragraph # 2 Study # 1
October 9, 2022
Broadlands, Louisiana
(Download Audio)
Thesis: The promise of God produces both wisdom and prayer which result in the promise being fulfilled.
Introduction: In our last study we saw that Daniel switched from writing in Hebrew to the language of the Chaldeans/Babylonians because he had a message for the Babylonians and all other later readers: what men cannot do to avert disaster, God can do, and does do for those who believe Him.
This evening we are going to return to this message and look at it in terms of "how" the promise of God is to be used by men of faith.
- I. The Threat Of The Failure Of The Promise.
- A. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah had already been settled into their "kingdom roles" under the authority of King Nebuchadnezzar.
- B. They, however, were not allowed to the summons of the king for the various types of "wise men" as it was given in 2:2.
- 1. We have no indication of why they were excluded, except for the probable fact that they were assigned roles in the lower echelons of "the wise men of Babylon" (2:13) [in their case, the "all" of 2:2 is apparently limited by someone who does not have the will, or ability, to exclude them from the "all" of 2:12].
- 2. We simply know that they were excluded (2:15).
- C. The decree went forth from the king and was committed to "Arioch" to carry out (2:14).
- 1. This "Arioch" was, according to 2:14, the head of the king's bodyguards, which would indicate a man of extraordinary military prowess with weapons.
- a. This name is said to be a blending of the Hebrew word for lion and a Persian word that indicated a "likeness to" (a lion) and it may have meant something like "Lord of the Swords".
- b. This name is found in demonology to be a demon of war and chaos.
- 2. We know this "Arioch" was not above twisting things to his advantage (as we see in 2:25).
- 3. Obviously the king wished for all of Babylon to be intimidated and fearful of this man (he was to tear the wise men to pieces and make their homes a pile of rubbish).
- II. The Reaction Of Those Who Believed The Promise.
- A. Daniel used "discretion" and "discernment" in addressing Arioch and simply asked for an explanation of the king's demand.
- B. Daniel, apparently, sought permission to see the king, himself, and was granted it.
- C. Daniel told the king that if he gave him a bit of time, he would give the king what he was demanding.
- D. Being given that "bit of time" Daniel got his companions together to pray for the information they needed to fulfill the king's demand.
- E. All of Daniel's actions are to be viewed through the lens of his "faith" in God's promise through Habakkuk.
- 1. Daniel persists in recording what happens when a person "believes" God.
- a. The "believing" does not simply "sit back and do nothing".
- b. The 'believing" sponsors prayer to God for His action, because "faith", by its essence, is dependence upon God to fulfill His commitments.
- 2. Daniel does what the situation requires: he seeks the solution of God for the predicament.
- III. The Response Of "The God Of Heaven".
- A. He revealed the information that was necessary to stave off the demand of the king in a night vision.
- B. He chose this method this time as a way to frustrate the king's command and to give the king the information that he sought.
- IV. The Reaction of Daniel.
- A. He declared his gratitude to God in the form of an acknowledgment of God's provision (2:23).
- B. He declared...
- 1. That God's penchant for "blessing" according to His promise should be always acknowledged.
- 2. He declares that God is the possessor of...
- a. Wisdom.
- b. Power.
- c. Sovereignty over "times and epochs" (a hint as to the content of the vision).
- 3. He declares that God is the One who "removes kings and establishes kings".
- 4. And he acknowledges that God s the source of Daniel's "wisdom", "knowledge" and "understanding".
- 5. He acknowledges that God "reveals the profound and hidden things" because "He knows what is in the darkness and the light dwells with Him."
- 6. He attributes to God the wisdom and ability to give the king the answer he demanded.
