Episode Transcript
Daniel chapter 2.
Daniel chapter 2.
God willing we'll be expounding the first two verses this morning.
We finished up chapter 1 last week.
And if this is your first time with us, we study verse by verse through an entire book of the Bible.
This is a teaching church.
We want you to leave each Sunday knowing the Bible a little better than when you walked in.
Daniel chapter 2 verse 1 and 2.
The title of today's message is "A Bad Night's Sleep."
How many of y'all have ever had a bad night's sleep before?
Man, that's a lot of us.
But how many of y'all ever had a bad night's sleep because of something laying heavy on your heart?
Once again, a lot of us.
The night time is a special time sometimes to hurt, isn't it?
Night time is a special time sometimes to seek for answers too.
I've struggled seeking for answers in the night many, many times.
And I'm sure you have as well.
If we'll look here now in Daniel 2 verse 1, it begins by saying, "In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar."
Let's pray.
Father, we thank you so much for your precious word.
Thank you for these dear people here today and those who've tuned in online.
I pray, dear Lord God, that every eye will be upon you this morning.
Our ears will be open and attentive to your word.
May you receive honor and glory as we receive the food, Father God, that we need from you.
Feed us this morning with the bread of life, we pray in Jesus' wonderful name.
Amen.
"In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar."
Now this phrase has baffled many Bible expositors.
And perhaps it has already come to your mind this morning.
Does anyone already see the problem with the math?
We see a lot of heads shaking right now.
If you've been with us since the beginning of the study of Daniel in chapter 1, then we'd know that in the last chapter, King Nebuchadnezzar had Daniel and his godly friends taken captive and they stood before King Nebuchadnezzar after three years of training, of learning the Chaldean language and having a good Chaldean education.
And now after all that has taken place, after the three years of training has taken place, we're told in chapter 2, which clearly happens after chapter 1, the events clearly happen after chapter 1 when you read it in context.
We were told that the events taking place in chapter 2 is taking place in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.
Now historians try to resolve this by saying that Nebuchadnezzar had reigned as a co-ruler with his father and historians do say that as some kings did with their sons back then.
So before his father died, that his father made him king and they figure that this is the second year of Nebuchadnezzar reigning alone after his father died.
And that may be the case, but I believe the most natural sense of these words, and in fact as I was reading, as I was studying for this message, transitioning from chapter 1 to chapter 2, this was my natural understanding that this is simply happening in the second year of Daniel and his friend's service to King Nebuchadnezzar.
The following years after he and his friends first stood before the king in chapter 1.
Now you remember the original writings did not have chapters and verses.
And so if you remember the original writings did not have chapters and verses, in the original writings this is not chapter 2, this is just the following verse after the last verse of chapter 1.
So let's look back at Daniel chapter 1 verse 21 and let's read this together.
"And Daniel continued even unto the first year of King Cyrus."
Now let's read it together.
"And Daniel continued," it says here, "even unto the first year of King Cyrus."
And in the second year, you see how that goes together?
"Daniel continued," here we go, "until the first year of King Cyrus," next, "and in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar."
You see how that makes sense?
So we're looking at Daniel, us being told that Daniel ministered as an advisor to the king, for many years, through many kings, through the reign of many kings.
And so after it tells us that he continued through the first year of the reign of King Cyrus, it now says, "and in the second year," talking about the second year of Daniel ministering, and then he reminds us that it's still during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar.
And in that second year of Daniel's service, and his three godly friends' service, then we're told here that Nebuchadnezzar started to dream, he started to have these dreams.
Look here, if you would now, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams.
I dream some of the craziest dreams sometimes.
My wife dreamt a crazy dream last night, I'm not going to tell you what it was.
It was so crazy, it would be a big distraction to you if I told you.
You'd be thinking about that crazy dream.
Something about an animal on her... no, I'm not going to tell you.
You'll have to ask her later.
There's an animal on her arm, and it's a crazy dream.
But it was funny.
But the kind of dreams that Nebuchadnezzar's having here, they're not those kinds of dreams.
These are dreams that were clearly remarkable dreams.
They were dreams that he knew did not come from his imagination, like our normal dreams do.
He knew that these dreams came from something more powerful than him, something above him, something beyond man.
They were dreams that were given to him by the Spirit of God.
They were such powerful and troubling dreams that Nebuchadnezzar knew they came from some ruling power above him.
And he knew some divine power was speaking to him through these dreams.
Look back in your text, wherewith, or on account of these dreams, his spirit was troubled.
If you have a pen and paper, you might want to underscore in your Bible the word "spirit."
Spirit.
His spirit was troubled.
Not knowing what these dreams signified, Nebuchadnezzar's spirit was troubled.
The Hebrew word translated "troubled" here literally means to tap, to beat regularly.
You listen to that?
Sometimes we think of trouble and it has the idea of like agitating water.
Here this Hebrew word means to tap, to beat regularly.
Tap.
Tap.
You see, the Spirit of God was tapping Nebuchadnezzar's spirit.
Tap.
Tap.
Rousing Nebuchadnezzar's attention, dealing with Nebuchadnezzar's heart.
Have you ever had God tap on your heart like that before?
He's rousing your attention.
He won't let you go.
He keeps troubling you.
He keeps giving you questions that you can't sleep until you get the answers to.
I've been there before.
This is the same word, by the way, that's used to describe how Pharaoh, now not Pharaoh during the time of Moses, but Pharaoh back during the time of Joseph, how Pharaoh felt after having his dreams about the seven fat cows and the seven lean cows.
It has the same idea of how Pharaoh felt back then, God tapping on Pharaoh's heart.
This is the same word, by the way, that's used to describe how God moved upon Samson's heart.
In Judges chapter 13 verse 25, Judges 13 verse 25, it says, "And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him."
It began to tap, tap, tap on Samson's heart.
At times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtol.
So when we're looking at the tapping here, the Spirit of the Lord tapped Samson.
The Spirit of the Lord is the one who does the tapping.
And so the Spirit of God is tapping on Nebuchadnezzar's heart.
Here's the Kingdom Truth for you this morning.
The Holy Spirit taps on people's hearts, knocks on people's doors.
He taps in a way that you cannot ignore him.
He taps so you can't find rest until you find answers.
Aren't you glad he does that?
If he didn't tap so you couldn't find rest, then you wouldn't find any answers.
The Bible says that Nebuchadnezzar's spirit was troubled.
Look back in your text, "And his sleep break from him."
And I know that many in here this morning know what it's like for God to be dealing with your heart over a particular issue.
To the point that you can't sleep because of it.
His sleep break from him.
This lets us know that this is one of the ways that God works with people.
We're getting to watch the Holy Spirit of God tap on Nebuchadnezzar's heart in the middle of the night and not allow that man to sleep because he wants Nebuchadnezzar to learn something that Nebuchadnezzar doesn't know he needs to learn.
And that's the way God does us.
He wants us to learn things that we don't know we need to learn.
And until he takes away that rest, we won't find the answers.
I've been there before.
And this is where Nebuchadnezzar was at this point in his life.
God was tapping and Nebuchadnezzar couldn't rest until he found answers.
Here's the Kingdom Truth for you this morning.
God sometimes removes physical sleep that he might impart spiritual rest.
Boy, isn't that good?
God sometimes removes physical sleep so that he can impart spiritual rest.
Psalm chapter 77 verse 4, Psalm 77 verse 4 says, "Thou holdest mine eyes waking."
That's what God does.
Sometimes he holds our eyes waking.
He keeps those eyes open and he won't let them close.
Brother Doug, has that ever happened to you?
Oh man, he says, "Thou holdest mine eyes waking.
I am so troubled that I cannot speak."
When God removes sleep, he does so that we might search our hearts in the stillness of the night and seek him for answers.
After saying that God held his eyes open, he wouldn't let them sleep.
The psalmist went on to say in Psalm 77 verse 6, "I call to remembrance my song in the night."
Now this is while God's holding his eyes open.
His heart's troubled.
He's so troubled he can't speak.
He's probably crying.
He's probably moaning.
He's probably saying, "Oh God, I'm so troubled over this matter."
He says, "I call to remembrance my song in the night.
I commune with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search."
Those are three things.
While his eyes were open, he called to remembrance his song in the night.
He communed with his own heart.
His spirit made diligent search.
You know what we learn from all this?
We learn what to do when our eyes are open at night time.
That's what we learn.
When God taps your heart in the night about some matter, number one, call to remembrance your song in the night.
Oh, song in the night.
What is a song in the night?
Well, in Psalm 137, verses 3 through 4, Psalm 137, verses 3 through 4, the psalmist wrote about what it was like being a captive in Babylon.
Now remember, during this time, Daniel is a captive in Babylon.
And so this psalm here is quite timely for this message.
Psalm 137, verses 3 through 4, the psalmist wrote, saying, "For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song, and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion.'"
"Sing us one of the songs of Zion."
Zion was the capital.
Zion had the idea of the kingdom of Israel.
"Sing us a song from your kingdom."
And then they said, "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?"
The Lord's song in a strange land.
From this we learn that the Lord's song is one of the songs of Zion.
This is the song that God gives us.
The Bible says God gives us songs in the night.
And the songs God gives are songs of Zion.
Songs of His kingdom.
Songs of God ruling as king.
Jesus told us, "The kingdom of heaven is where?"
"It's within you," Jesus said.
"The kingdom of God is within you."
You get taken captive somewhere, that kingdom is just going with you.
We can sing of God ruling.
Man, it doesn't matter.
Remember, Nebuchadnezzar was in charge, but God was on the throne.
God was in control.
And so we learn that the songs of Zion is the songs of God ruling as our king.
Christian, when your heart is troubled in the night, you remember, no matter what that problem is, you remember that Jesus is your king.
You remember that Jesus triumphed over sin.
Jesus triumphed over death.
And Jesus will triumph over every enemy that we face.
Jesus will ultimately triumph over every sorrow.
The Bible says He'll wipe all tears from our eyes.
While you're troubled in bed, and your head is troubled, and your heart is troubled, and you can't sleep, and you're miserable in your present situation, there is a song that you've got to remember in the night.
That's the first thing that Psalmist said he did.
Nebuchadnezzar didn't have that song.
Nebuchadnezzar wasn't a believer at this time.
All Nebuchadnezzar had was trouble.
All Nebuchadnezzar had was a lack of sleep.
But no matter what our trouble is, no matter how much sleep we have, we've got a song of praise to sing.
Because ultimately, that trouble will be conquered by Jesus Christ.
Any trouble we face today is just a speed bump in the road.
It's not eternity.
God's in control.
When your heart is troubled in the night, never forget your song.
Blessed Redeemer.
You all want to sing with me?
Blessed Redeemer, Jesus is mine.
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine.
Heir of salvation, purchase of God.
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story.
This is my song.
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story.
This is my song.
Praising my Savior all the day long.
And that's the same song we have each and every day, each and every night, through each and every trouble in our life that we face.
When God taps on your heart, remember your song.
Number two, when God taps on your heart, the psalmist said, "Commune with your own heart and make a diligent search."
Commune with your own heart.
Make a diligent search.
That means introspection.
Think through your trouble.
Be honest with yourself.
Own up to any wrongdoings that you've done.
Make any internal attitude adjustments and repentance that you need to make in your heart.
For the God who taps the heart is the only one who can enlighten it.
Make diligent search.
After you commune with your heart, make diligent search.
Seek God for the answers.
Seek Him.
Rest in Him alone.
This was something, again, Nebuchadnezzar was about to find out.
He didn't have that ability at this time.
At this time, Nebuchadnezzar didn't know the Lord.
So when God started dealing with his heart, Nebuchadnezzar started looking for answers in the wrong places.
Look in verse two now.
"Then the king commanded to call the magicians and the astrologers and the sorcerers and the Chaldeans."
Man, aren't you glad that when you're troubled at night, aren't you glad when you have things that are bothering you so bad you can't sleep, that you got someone else to look to other than magicians and astrologers and sorcerers and Chaldeans?
Whew!
Thank God!
If you remember from last week's lesson, the word "occult," it describes the various ways that the world tries to gain spiritual enlightenment from something other than God.
In the above descriptions that we just read off, they were the spiritual gurus of their times who advertised and were thought to be the agents of the gods.
But they were all a bunch of fakes.
Only God can give us the answers to the questions that really matter in life.
Only God can.
Like most people, Nebuchadnezzar went to the resources that were familiar to him at the time, the resources that he was taught to seek growing up.
And that's what we all do.
It's a natural thing when God taps on our hearts.
It was part of his cultural belief system.
And God was about to shake his belief system to the core.
That's what God does.
God troubles people with questions that only he has the answers for.
He troubles us with problems that only he can solve.
And by doing so, God shakes the foundation of our belief system.
God breaks our confidence in the carnal things that we once trusted in.
And by doing so, God causes us to trust in the only thing left standing after God shakes it.
And that's the Word of God.
At this time, King Nebuchadnezzar was not a believer again, so in his fallen nature, and still in Nebuchadnezzar's unbelief, he resorted to the occult rather than God.
Look back in your text, "For to show the king his dreams."
The king wanted someone to show him his dreams.
He wanted someone to give him the answers he needed about them.
These troubling dreams created questions in Nebuchadnezzar's heart.
And now he's looking for answers to those questions.
Here's a kingdom truth.
God gives troubling questions that he might give us comforting answers.
God gives us troubling questions that he might give us comforting answers.
The problem was the king was looking for spiritual answers from godless people.
Only the God who gives us the questions can supply us the answers.
The world has a lot to offer.
It has scientists, engineers, musicians, chefs, entertainers, philosophers, physicians, rulers, and counselors of every kind.
But the people we look up to the most are in the same boat we're in.
We're all born troubled by sin and we need to be comforted by Christ.
Jesus is the answer that comforts our troubling questions.
I don't care what troubling question you've got.
I don't care what troubling problem you have.
If you're a Christian, you got cancer?
Jesus will fix that.
The resurrection is going to take care of that.
You got enemies?
Jesus will take care of that.
He's going to conquer all enemies and put them under his feet.
You got broken families?
Jesus will fix that.
Because as a believer in Christ, he'll reconcile all in one body through the cross.
If they'll believe in him.
Jesus is the answer that comforts our troubling questions.
But like most people, the king looked to the world first for his answers.
He called the wise men of this world, look back in your text, "So they came and stood before the king."
That they may give an attempt to give him answers that only God could supply.
I remember when I was seeking for truth, I was trying to figure out what religion was true.
I didn't want to die and be eternally wrong.
When I was trying to figure out what religion was true, I remember that I had a lot of people stand before me to give me answers.
A lot of people try to answer your questions.
A lot of people, even if they don't come to you in person, they'll come to you in the form of literature, form of books you read, something you read on the internet or whatever.
Wasn't much internet back in that time though.
But people from different religious persuasions, they passed their solutions before my heart.
But after passing their solutions before my heart, they all proved worthless to me.
They all gave me a set of rules to keep.
And I knew I was no good at keeping rules.
And at the end of the day, the only thing left standing was the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Because He kept all the rules on my behalf.
The gospel is the only comforting answer for the troubling questions that God gave my heart.
And many may stand before us today, but you remember this, only one stood in your place.
Only one!
And He is the only answer to the questions that trouble our hearts.
God willing we'll take back up next week in the next verse, as we go through this marvelous book.
Thank God, I may lose sleep, but I'll never lose Jesus.
Father, thank you for your precious word.
Thank you Father that even in the most troubling times of our lives, you give us songs in the night.
Thank you so much Lord, that we have more than magicians and astrologers, and sorcerers and Chaldeans.
Father, we have the word of God, that's alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.
On it we base our trust and our hope forever.
In Jesus' precious name we pray, Amen.
