Pastor and 1st Lady Mims

Mims Chapel Church

LESSON 3 • Third Week

DANIEL, DREAMS, AND
INTERPRETATIONS

Background Reading

Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 2 Chronicles 16:9; Jeremiah 29:8; Joel 2:28; Daniel 2:1-13; 14-18; 19-23

Devotional Reading

Daniel 2:36-47

Central Verse
"And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm."
Daniel 1:20 KJV

"Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom."

Daniel 1:20 NLT

Key Terms
Magician—One who performs tricks of illusion and sleight of hand; one skilled in the use of means, such as charms or spells, and believed to have supernatural power.
Astrologers—People who practice the supposed divinity and influence of the stars and planets on human affairs and terrestrial events by their positions and aspects.
Sorcerers—People who practice the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits, especially for divining.
Visionary—Someone who sees visions; a seer; one who has unusual foresight and imagination.

Introduction

God has always dealt with His people in dreams and visions. He always has someone who lives close enough to Him so that they can hear Him and are able to interpret the dreams and visions. If believers in the Church are not receiving dreams or visions, something is wrong.

God promised that in the last days, as He pours out His Spirit, old men would dream dreams and young men would see visions. The Lord promised that He would do nothing unless He revealed it to His servant, the prophet, (Amos 3:7). So, God gives dreams and visions to His church.

Many times, when God sought to get the attention of one of His people or one of the leaders of that era, He used visions and dreams. So many leaders kept men and women around them known as magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers who dealt with black and white magic. These people were a part of their cabinets and were there to keep them informed concerning dreams and visions. These people kept a set of rules and when they were told certain dreams and visions, they could relate to them and interpret them.

Discussion

God uses His prophets to reveal His will, guide His people, and foretells His plans. God used Daniel as a powerful prophet to call His people to repentance, justice, faithfulness, and hope, revealing His heart amid crisis and changes. He also used Him to interpret visions and dreams that challenged leaders to trust and recognize God, seek His kingdom, and live faithfully to Him. Amid a world filled with problems and changes, God's character has never changed, nor has His call to His people.

God is always looking for men and women that He can use for His glory. The Bible tells the believer that the eyes of the Lord go throughout the Earth looking for someone through whom He can show Himself strong. God does not use giftings or personal achievements, but availability and readiness of heart. He uses servants, visionaries, and partners.

When Daniel declared that he would not defile himself with food from the King's table, he made himself available to be used by God. God's holy people are willing to make sacrifices and be set aside for His use. Daniel could have lived any type of life: he was a teenager without his parents to look after him, but he chose to live a life dedicated to the God of Heaven that he had been taught about.

The decision that Daniel and his three friends made was life-changing for them, for they were numbered among the wise men of Babylon. When King

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, he sent for his wise men, but because he could not remember the dream, his men could not tell him themeaning of the dream. The Chaldeans answered by telling him that there was not a man upon the earth that could tell him a dream and its meaning, because he could not remember what he dreamed. They told him that only the gods could tell him. This caused him to become furious, so he commanded that all the wise men be destroyed.

The decree went out that the wise men be slain, and this included Daniel and his friends. Daniel, full of wisdom, sent word asking why the King was in such a hurry with his decree. Then, Daniel went to his house and talked to his friends, then communicated with God. And that night God revealed it unto Daniel in a vision. Daniel gave thanks and praises to his God for answering him.

Next, he sent word to Arioch, the man the King had sent to destroy the wise men. Arioch brought Daniel to the King in a hurry and told him that he had found a man from the captives of Judah who could make the dream and its interpretation known to the King. When Daniel came before the King, he let him know that his God in Heaven reveals secrets about what will be in the latter days.

Daniel told him what the dream was and then interpreted the dream. The King got so excited that he began to worship Daniel and commanded that the people should offer an oblation and sweet odors to him. He then began to proclaim that Daniel's God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets. Then the King made Daniel a great man, gave him many gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Then Daniel requested that the King set his three friends over the affairs of Babylon, but Daniel sat in the gate of the King.

Conclusion

Saints of God, it is important to acknowledge God in everything that we do, every decision that we make, and every place that we go; for then, He will direct every path. Just as God revealed Nebuchadnezzar's dream to Daniel, He can and will reveal things to you.

But like Daniel, everyone who asks must present himself unto God through commitment and faith. You have not because you ask not. Interpretation is
one of the gifts that God has provided for His believers, and it is needed in the body of Christ.

Questions

Who was Daniel and what made him so unique?
What is the purpose of dreams and visions in the Bible?
What life-changing action did Daniel take?
Why couldn't anyone interpret the King's dream?
What happened when Daniel interpreted it?

Essential Thought- "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the good and the bad."