fore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye 10 The Chaldeans answered before the 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. 12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. Critical moments are the best tests of one's religious faith. The ancient wise men of Nebuchadnezzar's realm could not make known the king's dreams. No doubt Daniel and his companions frequently wondered why they had been taken from their homes and compelled to pass through the rigorous training of a Babylonian court. Mysterious are the providences of God. Little is much when God is in it. God had all along been preparing the way for Daniel. Realizing that he has been duped and that the religion of the wise men was powerless to give an interpretation of his dream the king orders the death of the tricksters. In a wonderful way Daniel whose life was threatened by the decree is brought before the king and to him is committed the interpretation of the dream. A great flood swept through a valley one spring and so mighty was the torrent that it carried away the home and mill of a poor man. Broken hearted and discouraged he questioned the wisdom of the Almighty. Soon the waters subsided and as the man looked over the ruins of what once had been his property, he saw something on the bank which the waters had washed there. It looked like gold and what was his amazement when he closely examined it, to find it was gold. The storm waters which had made of him a beggar had also made of him a rich man. Let us not rebel at God's ways. His ways are past finding out. (b) PRAYER. 2:14-23. 14 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: 15 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. 16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation. 17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: 18 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. 19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever for wisdom and might are his: 21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: 22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. 23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter. Life's emergencies are the best opportunity for the exhibition of Divine grace and wisdom. Exercising themselves unto prayer, Daniel and his companions got into touch with the omnipotent God, who was at the other end of the prayer line. The answer came. Instead of rushing out into the world and telling every one, Daniel quietly praised God. A young woman, who was in the will of the Lord, was visiting a sick friend. Seeking to re turn to the Mission with which she was connected she found herself seventeen miles away and with no money in her pocketbook. She was due at a service that evening, and in order to keep the appointment, it was necessary for her to take the next car. She waited at the corner, debating as to what she ought to do. It was through no fault of hers she was in this situation. Remembering the promise "My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" she hailed a car as it approached. After taking her seat she began to pray very earnestly. The conductor began collecting fares and as he came nearer and nearer to where she was seated, she more desperately held on to God. The car stopped to take on additional passengers. As it started, the conductor, having reached her seat, said "Fare please." Just then a gentleman took a seat beside her. What was her delight to hear him say, "How do you do, Miss B., have you paid your fare yet?" To which she réplied, "I have not," with the result that he proceeded to do so. How changed our skyline would be if, in every extremity of life, instead of fretting, we would quietly seek to practice the power of prayer. (c) PROPHECY. 2:24-49. 24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. 25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; 28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; 29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. 30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart. 31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. 32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. 36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. 39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. 46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshiped Daniel, and com. manded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. 47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. 48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise of Babylon. 49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king. There is a God who revealeth secrets. Thus spake Daniel to the king. Piece by piece he weaves together the vision. What the king saw in his dream was prophecy. The great image composed of various metals was broken in pieces by the stone cut out from the mountain. The stone was none |