In the second year of his reign,
King Nebuchadnezzar started having dreams that disturbed him deeply. He
couldn't sleep. He called in all the Babylonian magicians, enchanters,
sorcerers, and fortunetellers to interpret his dreams for him. When they came and
lined up before the king, he said to them, "I had a dream that I can't get
out of my mind. I can't sleep until I know what it means." The
fortunetellers, speaking in the Aramaic language, said, "Long live the
king! Tell us the dream and we will interpret it." The king answered the fortunetellers,
"This is my decree: If you can't tell me both the dream itself and its
interpretation, I'll have you ripped to pieces, limb from limb, and your homes
torn down. But if you tell me both the dream and its interpretation, I'll
lavish you with gifts and honors. So go to it: Tell me the dream and its
interpretation."
So what was King Nebuchadnezzar thinking when he
expected the wise men—the magicians and sorcerers—to tell him about his dream and interpret it? If they couldn’t do as
the King asked then they’d die. If they could do this miraculous thing, they’d
be rewarded! It seems a little unreasonable, actually totally unattainable, to
expect those wise men to tell the King his dream and explain its meaning. Had
he forgotten some of the dream? Was he testing the wise men to see if they were
really gifted? This would prove that Daniel is blessed to understand visions
and dreams. God spoke to prophets in visions and dreams (Numbers 12:6), but
Daniel is given the gift of understanding
other’s visions and dreams.
Have you ever had a dream that just mystified you—that stuck in your head and you wondered what it meant? Most of my dreams are so fleeting that I barely remember them after I wake up. I’ve recently heard advertisements on the radio for psychics who claim to be able to help people find answers to their probing questions. Unlike Daniel, the magicians, sorcerers and astrologers of Nebuchadnezzar’s palace “gift” and claims of knowledge were not from God. As Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 6:33NASB) "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Jesus wasn’t talking about dreams or interpretations, but on not worrying about earthly things…and that might be what we are actually doing when we focus on wanting to know what our dreams mean.
Lord, help me to know
You more clearly and to find my answers to the probing questions of my life in
You.
© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
Scripture from The Message, except where noted.
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