Daniel 1:21 – 2:12 – The Magicians Mess Up
Nebuchadnezzar was a bundle of nerves; the iron willed strongman reduced to a quivering wreck by the events of the night before. He may not have understood the finer points, but it didn’t take Sherlock Holmes to work out that the news wasn’t good. So he gathered together his best and brightest mystics to explain the mystery, but to no avail. Their plan was to listen carefully to the details, twist them into some plausible sounding message, and convince the king that they knew what they were talking about.
A less wily man might have been sucked in by their request in v4, but this king knew better than to have the wool pulled over his eyes. So he gave them a test: they were to prove that their interpretations were genuine by first describing the dream itself (v5, 9). Any fool can talk the talk. Can these guys walk the walk? The answer was an emphatic NO.
For all their supposed wisdom, these men were powerless to fulfil the kings request (v10). For all their persuasiveness, they were powerless to quench the king’s thirst for blood (v8). Now their lives dangled by a thread, held in place by the whims of a maniac king. Even before we get to the dream itself, these men of worldly wisdom are exposed for the charlatans they were.
Yet notice the contrast with Daniel in 1:21. He “was there until the first year of King Cyrus.” That verse is like a flash forward, 65 years into the future. You can be sure that these wise men were toast by then; even the Babylonian Empire itself was gone. Yet, by God’s every day grace, Daniel stood firm day after day and outlasted them all.
Surely there’s hope for us in that? The world seems to be in a constant state of upheaval, yet God equips his saints to keep going. Have you been slowly and steadily walking in his ways for many years? You are a triumph of the grace of Jesus Christ.
Questions
- Can you think of believers who have slowly and steadily been walking in Christ’s ways for decades? What about them stands out?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks for an older member of your church who has been walking faithfully for many years.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.