This week's Bible Study - September 9, 2007
Feeling Anxious About the Future
 Background Scripture:
Daniel 2:1-3,27-29,36-44
Quote of the Week:
“Anxiety is fear of one's self.”
-- Wilhelm Stekl
When have you had trouble sleeping? For many people, when they have something big coming up, they think about the things that are unknown and it sticks in their mind. It impacts their thoughts, both day and night. From the time they wake up, it is one of the first things they think about - and when they go to bed, it's one of the last things they think about. It can be like a cloud that is constantly over a person.
Often, these things that keep one from sleeping become parts of their dreams. It may not be something that they dread, necessarily, but when their mind is focused on a work project, their dreams may revolve around them. I know that I have worked on certain things for such a long time that I have dreamt about them, in the strangest of ways. Sometimes, I have woken up, thinking that I have an answer - only to realize later that it was incomprehensible.
On other occasions, I've been preparing for long trips - to Europe or Asia - and it is almost all I can think about. When our minds are set on something that we are either looking forward to or dreading - or are spending a lot of time on - we find ourselves becoming more and more anxious - and often impacting our dreams.
Nebuchadnezzar was a very powerful king and he had many different advisors and other specialists that worked for him. The king was having many problems that kept him from sleeping. He had recurrent dreams and they bothered him from day to day - and kept him up at night. We've all had dreams - and at times, we may have dreams that recur on multiple occasions. Sometimes our dreams may have some meaning or they may relate to events in our lives. Some people put a lot of stock in their dreams, as if another world is speaking to them in all of their dreams.
The king summoned all of his smart people - the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers. He told them to tell him what it was that he had dreamed. I have heard some refer to this cast of characters much like the bar scene in the Star Wars movies. When you think of the images that come up when you think of magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers, you probably don't think about the advisors to the President.
Apparently, these people had risen to their position based upon some history of doing something that was recognized by the king. Perhaps they had been able to give meaning to previous dreams that the king had. However, this task was much more than interpretation - it was to tell the king his dream. This was not any old dream - it was very troubling to the king, making the task much more important.
The specialists were more than happy to interpret the dream - they just needed the king to tell them what the dream was. The king was somewhat unreasonable - okay, more than somewhat. He told them that if they could not tell him his dream and interpret it, he would have them cut into pieces. However, if they told him his dream and its meaning, they would receive great honor. Apparently, life wasn't going to be the same, no matter what happened. The specialists reiterated that they would be happy to interpret - but they needed to know the dream. The king said they were trying to gain time and he became more irrational. Sounds like some high level managers I've known. I always remember troubleshooting problems and being asked how long until I figure it out. Good question. If I knew that, there wouldn't be a problem, would there?
The astrologers and others told the king that he was being unreasonable and that no man could tell him his dream. In history, no other magician or wise man had been asked such foolishness. It was simply too difficult. This made the king so furious that he was ready to put them all to death - and he ordered their execution. Arioch, commander of the king's guard, was to put these men to death. Daniel heard of the plight and he asked for an audience with the king. Daniel didn't tell the king he couldn't do it, but he did ask for more time. In that time, he went back to his friends and asked them to pray specifically for this situation. What a key ingredient that we often forget. We are faced with seemingly impossible tasks, and we give it our best - but have we asked that others pray with us, for us?
That night, Daniel had a vision in which he understood the dream - the mystery was revealed. God is the source of many mysteries to mankind and he holds the answers to many of the questions that we have. We should seek His wisdom and then we should do as Daniel did, praising God for the revelation. Daniel praised the worthiness of God, who has all wisdom and power. Specifically, Daniel praised God for the answer to his dilemma - the specific answer he had asked for.
Daniel found Arioch and told him that he had the answer to the king's dream. Can you imagine the situation that Arioch was in? He had been ordered to execute all of the astrologers, magicians and so forth - because the king had lost patience because they could not do as he asked - impossible, as it was. Arioch was taking a big risk with Daniel - because if Daniel could not relate the dream and its interpretation, the kind would likely have Arioch killed along with the others.
Daniel approached the king and started out by speaking of the impossibility of the task that had been given. No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner could explain what the king had asked. If Daniel had stopped there, the king would have surely killed him on the spot. However, Daniel clearly stated that there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. Daniel had the revelation of the king's dream - because God had given it to him.
Another key lesson to be learned is this - give credit to where credit is due. Sometimes, I think we do ask God for help in seemingly impossible situations - and I do believer that God has come through for all of us. However, when this happens, we tend to forget to give credit to God. We roll with the goodness and silently (or not) applaud our efforts. Have we been guilty of stealing God's thunder in our own lives? God often works in our lives for the benefit of others. What has God done for you that you are keeping to yourself? Do others know how God has provided for you - has given you hope and how he has blessed you in so many ways? Or, do you just play it off as being 'lucky'?
Not only did Daniel give God the credit, but he also deflected it so that it didn't appear that Daniel was wiser than all other men. It was purely God's doing. God worked so that the king would hear and understand his dream. The dreams that the king had been having were to reveal what was to happen in days to come. And, then Daniel told him the dream. The dream showed a large, dazzling statue, made of many different metals. The head was made of gold; the chest and arms were made of silver; the belly and things were made of bronze; the legs were made of iron and the feet were made of a mix of iron and clay.
You can imagine the king starting to nod, as the dream was starting to become more and more real and memorable. I'm sure he asked Daniel to keep going. Daniel told him that he saw a rock, made not of human hands that struck the feet of the statue and smashed the iron and clay, causing the other metals to break into pieces and fall onto the floor and be blown away. The rock became a large mountain and filled the whole earth.
Daniel had done what none of the others could do. He had told the dream to the king. This was the impossible task. Can you imagine how the others felt? How did Daniel do this - and if it was his God, how could they get access to that knowledge? It was just as if they had seen the world class practitioner in their field and he had astounded them.
Daniel had done the hard part, and I can imagine all of the others wanted to get in on the interpretation of the dream. However, Daniel continued with the dream's interpretation. Daniel told the king that he was the king of kings. God had given him dominion and power and might and glory. All that Nebuchadnezzar had was from God. Isn't it amazing that God uses all types of people for his purposes? The king was the head of gold at the top of the statue.
Following Nebuchadnezzar, there would come another kingdom that was inferior to his. And, then another kingdom that was more inferior. And, then a fourth kingdom that was strong and crushing others. Although these kingdoms were inferior to Nebuchadnezzar's, they were still strong and powerful kingdoms. As the later kingdoms came, they would become more and more divided. They would be partly strong, like iron, but partly brittle, like clay. The people would be a mixture and would not really be united..
When this kingdom came that was not united, God would set up a kingdom that would never be destroyed. As opposed to the previous minerals, this kingdom would be like a rock, a mountain. No other kingdom would follow this kingdom - and it would crush all other kingdoms - enduring until the end.
The king didn't interrupt at any point along the way - to correct or ask questions. After Daniel was finished, the king fell prostrate before Daniel and declared that he should be honored. The king said that Daniel's god was the God of Gods and the revealer of mysteries. Surely, the other astrologers could not believe what had happened, but they also had to give honor and praise to God.
Closing
Who was anxious? Well, the king couldn't sleep and he was tormented by the recurring dream. He was anxious to have this mystery revealed. He learned that man could not reveal it, but God could. The wise guys (astrologers and the like) were worried - they were going to lose their lives because they couldn't do the impossible thing. They pled for sanity and fairness but were told they would be put to death. When we are worried or concerned, we need to learn to turn to God's truth and wisdom and away from our own. As Christians, we know this, but as Christians we often resort to the same tactics that nonbelievers follow. Where will you turn?
What do we learn from how Daniel approached the situation?
First, we saw that Daniel took stock into the problem. He wanted to understand what the situation was. Sometimes, we forget this part and we just turn to God and ask him to do something along the line of 'fix it'. This isn't wise. We need to dig enough into the situation at hand to know what it is that we need to ask of God. Sure, we may not know everything that is entailed, but we need to take a stab at understanding the problem. You'll never get the answer right, if you don't know the question.
Second, we saw that once Daniel understood the problem, he got with his friends and asked for their specific prayers on his behalf. Do we take our issues to our friends - do we have others that will pray for us? And, if so, do we actually tell them what we need prayers for? It is a humbling experience to ask for prayer, because you can't do something that you want others to think you can do. Many accountability groups exist, but many of them never really pray for the specific needs, because they remain hidden. Who can you take your specific needs to and trust that they will pray for you? And, are you a person that others will do the same to?
Next, we saw that once Daniel knew the solution, he stopped and praised God, thanking him for his provision and praising his goodness. When God has provided for you in the past - maybe in finances, or relationship, or career issues, or guidance - have you stopped to thank him? Are we just like the nonbelievers who call on God in the time of distress, but do so out of selfish ambition - only to get something and go on? Is there something you need to praise God for now?
Lastly, we saw that Daniel told others where his help had come from. Do others know about the hope that resides in you as a believer? Do they know how God has provided for you in tangible ways? We are all witnesses of what God has done - and we all have many testimonies of how God is at work in our lives. Are we willing to take the opportunity to share what God has done with others? It may be taking a risk, as many people feel uneasy in speaking of spiritual things. It is real easy to speak of things in human terms, but are we concerned that people will think that we are kooks because we attribute anything to God?
Where do you need help? Are you willing to turn to God and ask for his guidance and his wisdom? Or, are you going to keep it all to yourself. It's your choice.
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