Scripture Daily

Context No. 1407 of 4322 · Daniel (Greek)

Context · Reflection

Daniel (Greek) 2:17-23: in context

17Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret, and that Daniel and his companions would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20Daniel answered, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are his. 21He changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding. 22He reveals the deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. 23I thank you and praise you, O God of my fathers, who have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we desired of you; for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

King Nebuchadnezzar has demanded that his wise men tell him both his dream and its meaning, on pain of death, and Daniel and his companions are under the sentence with the rest. Daniel goes home and tells his friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, urging them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that they might not perish. In the night the mystery is revealed to Daniel in a vision, and his first response is not to run to the king but to bless God: blessed be the name of God forever, for wisdom is his; he changes times and seasons, removes and sets up kings, reveals deep and hidden things, knows what lies in darkness, and the light dwells with him.

Two habits of Daniel are worth learning from this scene. The first is where he turns in a crisis: faced with a death sentence and an impossible demand, Daniel gathers his friends to pray, to seek mercy from the God of heaven, before he does anything else. His first move in an emergency is not frantic action but prayer, and prayer with others, asking God for the mercy only he could give. The second is what Daniel does when the answer comes. The mystery is revealed, his life and his friends' lives are saved, and he could rush straight to the king with the good news; instead he stops and blesses God, pouring out thanks and praise before he acts on the answer. He does not grab the gift and run; he pauses to worship the Giver. And the praise he offers names something worth holding onto: God reveals deep and hidden things, knows what lies in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. What is hidden from us, in the dark, unknowable, is not hidden from God; he sees into it, and he can reveal what we could never uncover ourselves. Daniel's pattern is a good one: in crisis, turn first to prayer with others; when answered, stop to thank the God who alone knows and reveals what is hidden, before rushing on to use his gift.

In a crisis, do I turn first to prayer, and when God answers, do I stop to thank and bless him before rushing to use his gift, trusting the God who knows what lies in the darkness and reveals what I could never uncover myself?

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