Hello and welcome to our program. Today we're in Daniel chapter 2. We'll be beginning in verse number 13. If you can, have your Bible ready. In our previous program, we looked at the circumstances that God's people were facing, the captivity, the captives themselves, and especially Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and the convictions of those four young people, and as a result of their convictions, the choices that they made. Daniel chose, he purposed in his heart, that he would not defile himself. Daniel 1 and verse number 8. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, later in chapter 3, we'll see that they purposed in their hearts as well. They made their choices. They said, we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou has set up. These men were men who trusted in the living God. They were men who could honestly pray the prayer of this song that we'll listen to now. Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days Let them flow in ceaseless praise Let them flow in ceaseless praise Take my voice and let me sing Always only for my King Take my lips and let them be Filled with messages from Thee Filled with messages from Thee so so Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect and use every power as thou shalt choose. Every power as thou shalt choose. Take my love, my Lord, I pour, At Thy feet its treasure store. Take myself, and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee. Ever only all for thee. In the first part of Daniel chapter 2, the focus has been on Nebuchadnezzar, and his dream, and his decree, and all his problems. But when we get to chapter 2 and verse number 13, the focus changes to Daniel, and it says there in Daniel 2 and 13, to be slain they're going to kill him well daniel is mentioned 18 times in daniel chapter 2 he's mentioned 65 times altogether in the book of daniel right now he and his fellow friends here are facing a crisis A crisis is a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger when a difficult or important decision must be made. Now, they're coming to get him. They're going to kill him. That's a crisis. There's a situation that is difficult. It is giving you some trouble, and it certainly is dangerous. So they need to make an important decision. What happens here? Well, we see the crisis, but we also see the calmness. Calmness is when we are not controlled by our emotions. Many years ago, Martin Luther said, feelings come and feelings go and feelings are deceiving. My warrant is the Word of God, not else is worth believing. Well, this could be a very emotional moment for Daniel and Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego. However, calmness is when we are not controlled by our feelings or by our emotions, and so we see the calmness of Daniel. It says, then Daniel answered, verse 14, with counsel and wisdom. And he said in verse 15, why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Eric made the thing known to Daniel. Then Daniel went in and desired of the king that he would give him time and he would show the king the interpretation. Well, we learn here, if you look at it carefully, how to have calmness in the midst of a crisis. And a crisis, we said, is a time of immense difficulty, trouble, or danger when a difficult or important decision must be made. You can't make those decisions under the impression of feelings or emotions. Well, you can, but it's not a wise thing to do that. Now the thing to do, if there's a storm coming, as we've seen quite a few storms in the news lately, they let them warn, they let them know, they warn them ahead of time, they say there's a tsunami coming or there's an earthquake and it's going to cause the floods to come in here, there's a hurricane. So what do people do? Well, they run out a week or so early and they get the supplies, they get all the food that they need, they go to the lumber store and they They pick up some lumber and they go where they need to go to get some sandbags and what they do is they get prepared. They got the food in the cupboard. They're going to put the lumber on the windows so the windows don't get smashed out. They're going to get to work with those sandbags and get those sandbags up there to stop the flood from coming in. Well, that's exactly what Daniel had done. He was only 15 years old, but he purposed, the word there is past tense, he had already purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself. We need to make some lifelong decisions about what we're going to do and what we're not going to do when the storms come along. However, just to make a decision, that's one thing, what we need to do is get ready for it. We need to get the spiritual supplies, the spiritual food, the spiritual sandbags, the defense against the storms that are coming, and we've got some storms coming ahead of us, believe me, we do. Well, he went next, we see, to his companions. Now, a companion is a person who shares the experiences of another, especially when these are unpleasant or unwelcome experiences. Well, we have one of those right now, and these four young people, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are facing a very unpleasant and unwelcome experience. So Daniel goes to those who are his companions, and boy, at a time like this, you need friends that stick closer than a brother, and he has some. And we read in verse number 17, then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions. Now those three, you remember, their names were changed to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And so he went to them, and he said that he desired that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning the secret that Daniel and his fellow should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Now that word desire, that he would desire mercies of God, in Daniel 6 and verse number 11, the same Hebrew word has been translated praying, and that's exactly what he's talking about here. This is a time that we need to pray. We are facing a crisis. Well, they did pray, and then in verse number 19 we read, Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are his. Then Then Daniel went to the house and said, we need to pray. Then was the secret revealed. That word then is in the Bible 2,168 times. It talks about a time when things begin to happen. Now, maybe you've thought about it, but are you preparing for the storm that's coming? Well, then you better get at it and prepare for the storm. Spiritually, I'm talking about. So Daniel goes to his companions and he's getting them to pray and God reveals the secret to Daniel. And then we want to look at the control we have here in verses 21 and 22. Control is the power to influence or direct people's behavior or a course of action or a course of events. Now what happens here, verse 21 says, and he, that is God, changes 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. He revealeth the deep and secret things. He knoweth what is in the darkness and the light dwelleth with him." And so God is in control and Daniel makes sure that God gets the credit. Now credit is a public acknowledgement or praise given when a person's responsibility for an action or idea becomes or is made apparent. God is obviously in charge here, and so in verse number three we see Daniel giving the credit to God. In verse 23 he says, I thank thee and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who has given me wisdom and might. and has made known unto me now what we desired of thee, for thou hast made known unto us the king's matter." So he gives the credit to God, and then we see him before the king in verse number 28, and in verse number 30, giving the credit to God. and he says in verse number 28 to the king there is a god in heaven that reveal the secrets and maketh known to king nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days he's not saying yeah i'm pretty special here i got it for you buddy you can give me a raise now he's giving god the credit Verse number 30, This secret is not revealed to me, for of any wisdom that I have is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. He gives all of the credit to God. Then we see Daniel's compassion, and I think this is an amazing thing. Compassion is concerned for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. And so in verse number 24, we see, therefore, Daniel went in unto Ariok, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went in and said unto him, destroy not the wise men of Babylon, bring me in before the king, and I will show unto the king the interpretation. Now it's interesting that he cared about these men. These men were wicked. They were constantly after him, trying to figure out how to get rid of Daniel. as well as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And so, you know, Daniel could have gone in there and said, well, yeah, go ahead, destroy them all. I've got the answer for you, so I should live. But he has compassion. Compassion. To be Christ-like is to have compassion. And Daniel was one of the most Christ-like people you'll find in the Word of God. Well, we see the consequence here. The consequence is the result or effect of a choice that led to an action. And here's the consequences. Verse number 25 says, Then Ariok brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah that will make known unto the king the interpretation. Well, this guy, he wanted the credit from the king. He didn't find the man. Daniel went to him. In any event, in 26, the king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belchazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 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 show unto the king, 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 vision of thy head upon the bed are these. And he goes ahead and explains to the king what he dreamt and what it meant. We'll look at it in our next program. Be sure to tune in. Well, here's a message and song that Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel could take for their own. Each step I take just leads me closer home. Each step I take, my Savior goes before me, and with His loving hand He leads the way. And with each breath I whisper, I adore Thee. Oh, what joy to walk with Him each day! Each step I take I know that He will guide me To higher ground He ever leads me on Until someday the last step will be taken Each step I take just leads me closer home At times I feel my faith begin to waver When up ahead I see a chasm wide It's then I turn and look up to my Savior I am strong when He is by my side Each step I take I know that He will guide me To higher ground He ever leads me on Until someday the last step will be taken Each step I take just leads me closer home I trust in God no matter come what may, for life eternal is in His hand. He holds the key that opens up the way that will lead me to the promised land. Each step I take I know that He will guide me To higher ground He ever leads me on Until someday the last step will be taken Each step I take just leads me closer home Until someday the last step will be taken. Each step I take just leads me closer home.