Get Wisdom From God
Get Wisdom From God.
It is amazing that about 25 years of classroom learning (preschool, Kindergarten, elementary, middle school, High school, college, graduate school and post-graduate) does not impact wisdom to any human. We receive knowledge but not wisdom. This is confirmed by everyday living and observation of people. We have seen, heard or read many stories of people with the most education doing things that even a child would not do. We shake our heads and wonder, and say, “and this person is a doctor, a PhD, etc?” We may gain some worldly wisdom but not God’s wisdom. The wisdom of God comes to us by God revealing His wisdom to us.
Another word for God’s wisdom is mystery (it is that which cannot be obtained by unaided human reasons). Mystery is “the secret purposes of God that he reveals only to his chosen prophets and apostles”, for example God’s revelation to Apostle Paul (Roman 11:25). God’s wisdom saves us from death and dying as we will see in the case of Daniel and friends. You and I need God’s wisdom today like never before. All wisdom belong to God and “if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Lord, I lack wisdom today and I am asking for your wisdom. I pray the same for you. God’s wisdom always points us back to God to know Him better.
Daniel 2:1-23
1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers [a] to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means. [b] “4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, [c] "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."
5 The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me."
7 Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it." 8 Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me."
10 The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men."
12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.
14 When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15 He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said:
"Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21 He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. 23 I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king."
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Let’s meet king Nebuchadnezzar who was king of Babylon from 605-562 BC. It is said that he assumed the throne after the death of his father (Nabopolassar) who was the founder of the Chaldean dynasty. This was a powerful dynasty that had conquered many other nations such as Egypt, Syria and Palestine. King Nebuchadnezzar is used to having his way because of his military strength and power.
2. There is limit to human and military strength when God intervenes. Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream. Today, we see God’s intervention in displaying his sovereignty over the affairs of man. As we speak, all of air traffic in Europe is paralyzed because of volcanic eruption in Iceland. I love it when God occasionally lets the world know that “all wisdom and power belong to Him” vs. 21.
3. Note that even the best schooling for three years (Daniel 1:5), Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men and astrologers could not tell him his dream and interpretation.
4. King Nebuchadnezzar is asking for the impossibility. One thing is to ask the magicians to interpret the dream if he narrates it but to tell the king the dream itself and then interpret it is impossible from human reason. God allows impossibilities to occur so He can display his power. Are you willing to entertain and welcome impossibilities in your life? "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! ….. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men." vs. 10-11. With God, all things are possible.
5. The consequence of defying the king was death. All the astrologers and wise men including Daniel and his friends were on the death roll. Nothing more than dying gets our attention. We are all afraid of death. The only place to run is to God in death situations. Daniel and his friends ran to God.
6. Note the wisdom of God in the life of Daniel. “Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact” vs. 14. We need God’s wisdom and tact to confront deadly issues in our lives and to interact with people. Do you have a difficult boss, spouse, child or neighbor? Approach them God’s wisdom and tact. Lord, grant us wisdom and tact (common sense which unfortunately is not common).
7. Look at Daniel and friend’s prayer. We must pray and “plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery” vs.18. Do you have a mystery right now in your life – a mystery illness, job or relationship situation? Plead for mercy from God for wisdom in this situation. No one else will save you and me except God.
8. I am most impressed by the prayer of thanksgiving and adoration to God from Daniel. Daniel truly understood that God is sovereign and owns his life. I thank God that I belong to the God who has seasons and times under his control; the God that knows what is in the dark; the God who is light Himself and the God who gives me wisdom and discernment.
Do you lack wisdom today? I do. Get wisdom from God. “7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you” Proverbs 4:7-9. This is my prayer today. Lord, grant us wisdom to know you. Amen.
It is amazing that about 25 years of classroom learning (preschool, Kindergarten, elementary, middle school, High school, college, graduate school and post-graduate) does not impact wisdom to any human. We receive knowledge but not wisdom. This is confirmed by everyday living and observation of people. We have seen, heard or read many stories of people with the most education doing things that even a child would not do. We shake our heads and wonder, and say, “and this person is a doctor, a PhD, etc?” We may gain some worldly wisdom but not God’s wisdom. The wisdom of God comes to us by God revealing His wisdom to us.
Another word for God’s wisdom is mystery (it is that which cannot be obtained by unaided human reasons). Mystery is “the secret purposes of God that he reveals only to his chosen prophets and apostles”, for example God’s revelation to Apostle Paul (Roman 11:25). God’s wisdom saves us from death and dying as we will see in the case of Daniel and friends. You and I need God’s wisdom today like never before. All wisdom belong to God and “if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Lord, I lack wisdom today and I am asking for your wisdom. I pray the same for you. God’s wisdom always points us back to God to know Him better.
Daniel 2:1-23
1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers [a] to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means. [b] “4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, [c] "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."
5 The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me."
7 Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it." 8 Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me."
10 The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men."
12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.
14 When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15 He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said:
"Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21 He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. 23 I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king."
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Let’s meet king Nebuchadnezzar who was king of Babylon from 605-562 BC. It is said that he assumed the throne after the death of his father (Nabopolassar) who was the founder of the Chaldean dynasty. This was a powerful dynasty that had conquered many other nations such as Egypt, Syria and Palestine. King Nebuchadnezzar is used to having his way because of his military strength and power.
2. There is limit to human and military strength when God intervenes. Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream. Today, we see God’s intervention in displaying his sovereignty over the affairs of man. As we speak, all of air traffic in Europe is paralyzed because of volcanic eruption in Iceland. I love it when God occasionally lets the world know that “all wisdom and power belong to Him” vs. 21.
3. Note that even the best schooling for three years (Daniel 1:5), Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men and astrologers could not tell him his dream and interpretation.
4. King Nebuchadnezzar is asking for the impossibility. One thing is to ask the magicians to interpret the dream if he narrates it but to tell the king the dream itself and then interpret it is impossible from human reason. God allows impossibilities to occur so He can display his power. Are you willing to entertain and welcome impossibilities in your life? "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! ….. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men." vs. 10-11. With God, all things are possible.
5. The consequence of defying the king was death. All the astrologers and wise men including Daniel and his friends were on the death roll. Nothing more than dying gets our attention. We are all afraid of death. The only place to run is to God in death situations. Daniel and his friends ran to God.
6. Note the wisdom of God in the life of Daniel. “Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact” vs. 14. We need God’s wisdom and tact to confront deadly issues in our lives and to interact with people. Do you have a difficult boss, spouse, child or neighbor? Approach them God’s wisdom and tact. Lord, grant us wisdom and tact (common sense which unfortunately is not common).
7. Look at Daniel and friend’s prayer. We must pray and “plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery” vs.18. Do you have a mystery right now in your life – a mystery illness, job or relationship situation? Plead for mercy from God for wisdom in this situation. No one else will save you and me except God.
8. I am most impressed by the prayer of thanksgiving and adoration to God from Daniel. Daniel truly understood that God is sovereign and owns his life. I thank God that I belong to the God who has seasons and times under his control; the God that knows what is in the dark; the God who is light Himself and the God who gives me wisdom and discernment.
Do you lack wisdom today? I do. Get wisdom from God. “7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you” Proverbs 4:7-9. This is my prayer today. Lord, grant us wisdom to know you. Amen.
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