"He changes times and seaons; he removes kings and sets up kings..."

Daniel is a superstar of obedience and faith. His divine reward for following Mosaic Law is revealed in Daniel 1:17--"As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams." Chapter 2 begins with Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dreams. As you know, Daniel offers to interpret the king's dream. Notice what happens in 2:17-18--"Then Daniel went to his house, and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon." Before Daniel would interpret the king's dream, he sought the prayers of his friends. I hope to remember that the next time I hesitate to share something weighing on my spirit.

That night, God graciously provided the interpretation of the king's dream to Daniel in a "night vision." What is Daniel's response? Praise! Verses 20-21:

"Daniel answered and said: 'Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings...'"

Because of his obedience, Daniel is blessed with health, wisdom, and the ability to interpret strange dreams. Daniel's focus is singular and unwavering, never forgetting the source of his gifts and blessings. During his interpretation of the king's dream, Daniel reminds Nebuchadnezzar "the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory..." (v. 37). Daniel's message is: "I didn't do this and neither did you!" In exile, surrounded by pagan government and culture, Daniel does nothing but praise God, thank Him for His gifts and blessings, and keep His commands. The king's response in verse 47 is AMAZING: "Truly your God is the God of gods and Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery."

Daniel is my hero: respected and promoted by his pagan culture for doing nothing other than maintaining laser focus on God. Would we get the same response from our culture? More important, does it matter?

We missed everyone helping with DNow last week, but had a great meeting with everyone who came. This Sunday we'll cover the last lesson in our OT survey: The Return. Have a great week and see you Sunday!