University Park Bible Church

God Exalts the Humble:

The king’s dream renders the king helpless and the wise men speechless.  There is a contrast between Daniel’s response to the crisis and the king and his wise men’s response.  When Daniel hears of his coming death he too is helpless but knows the One to whom he can turn.  The four young men pray to the God of heaven, the God of compassion, who alone can reveal the king’s dream and its interpretation.  Many view prayer as an act of desperation; prayer is an act of faith.    And in this act of the story the humility of Daniel is remarkable: it is present in his approach to God, present in his praise to God, and present when he speaks God’s word to the king.
by Jeff Wagner

Text: Daniel 2:17-30, 46-49
Scripture Reading: Job 40:6-24 & 42:1-6

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God Rules Kings:

The king has a dream and it threatens to destabilize his whole world and, subsequently, the entire kingdom.  He is supposed to be the greatest of kings, with immense power and authority over everyone and everything in his kingdom (and indeed he is), yet a simple dream controls him.  All the wise men of his kingdom, which amounts to the wisest men of the known world, are unable to provide answers and are under condemnation for their lack. There is not power on the earth able to overcome the dream.  If kings with all their wealth and power and resources galore can not even control their own dreams, are made little and common by them, what does that tell us about our desperate need of the almighty God?
by Jeff Wagner

Text: Daniel 2:1-49 (focus 1-16)
Scripture Reading: Psalm 2

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