“The Foolish & The Wise” Daniel 2:1-30

INTRO> It is August 28th, 1963 a young black baptist preacher and 250,000 people make the 1 mile march from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial and there this preacher named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, delivered one of the greatest speeches EVER given. in 2002 the library of congress officially accepted into the library time magazine said in 2016 that this speech is in the top 10 greatest acts of oratory in history! The name of the speech… “I have a dream!” But did you know, that wasn’t the speech that was planned? Dr.King arrived in Washington the night before, exhausted from all the travel, he sat down to write his speech. He struggled writing it. During the speech, the people where hot and tired and Dr.King was clearly loosing his audience. But there was a lady there name Mahalia Jackson (PIC). She sang before Dr.King preached, as she saw what was happening (PIC) she yelled out, “Tell them about the dream Martin.” Dr.King had preached his dream a few months early in Detroit. He clearly changed direction and thunders the words, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”  http://www.history.com/topics/i-have-a-dream-speech

APPLICATION> God used a gospel singer to inspire a young black preacher to inspire a nation to turn from the sin of segregation. Amidst rising technology, science and the like God used a speech to actually change people? Wow…. that’s a lot like the way God works..

• • • “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;” 1 Corinthians 1:26-27

CONTEXT> That’s also a lot like our passage today. We see a compare and contrast in these verse’s we see what foolishness and wisdom looks like. “In light of this chapter- Daniel is saying that life is a dead in street without a God who discloses what the future holds. He is telling exiled Israel that there is no need to be in awe of the pagan culture, despite the trappings of splendor for it is nothing but empty and dark.” Dale Ralph Davis, Daniel pg 43

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Big Idea> What the culture calls foolish God uses to reveal his wisdom.

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1. Foolishness is restless, wisdom is peaceful.

• • • • v1 “Ned had dreams his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him…” The language is strong here, literally meaning that he was disturbed and his sleep “broke away” Recurring, troubled dreams. God was speaking to him and troubling him.

APP> Isn’t it interesting, literally the most powerful and successful man in the world who has everything… can’t get a good nights rest? *ILL> The artist known as “Pink” had a hit song entitled “sober” that was realized in 2008, and won her a grammy. In it there is a line that says, “I don’t wanna be the girl who has to fill the silence The quiet scares me ’cause it screams the truth.”

APP> The world always over-promises and under-delivers.

• • • v14 “then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion…” Daniels life has just been threatened and he responds with soundness and wisdom?

APP> What the king desires the slave possess.

2) Foolishness is helpless, wisdom is prayerful.

• • • • v10 “The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “there is not a man on earth who can meet the kings demand..” How frustrating is that? He has everything at his fingertips expect the one thing that he needs!
      • v12 “because of this the king was angry and furious…” Interesting isn’t it? They don’t give him what he wants so he throws a fit. “One of the great evils of idolatry is that if we idolize, we must also demonize” said Jonathan Edwards in his book ‘The Nature of True Virtue’.

APP> How much of your time is spent expecting from people what they were never meant to give you?

• • • • v17-18 “and told them to seek mercy from God of heaven concerning this mystery..” I love it, Daniel goes to his boys and they go before the Lord!

APP> True wisdom is not found in going around God but rather going to God.

3) Foolishness is prideful, wisdom is humble.

• • • • v26 “Are you able to me known to ME the dream I have seen..” Now, how did this whole thing get shut down? Because the king shut it down because something wasn’t going his way. Everything revolves around him…

*ILL> Here is a pic of our Solar System. (PIC) It revolves around the Sun. It it didn’t we would die. Our planet was made to orbit around something…. and so are you.

• • • • v28 “there is a God in heaven..” v30 “not because of any wisdom that I have…” Do you see what Daniel is doing here? He is deferring to God! How awesome is that! And he is telling King Neb, listen.. .this whole things isn’t even about you!

Close> Do you see what’s going on here? How Daniel is the mediator for King Neb? That he literally brings God to him? A exiled slave is the mediator for a king that has everything? Sounds familiar right?

• • • • “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,  who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:5-6

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Big Idea> What the culture calls foolish God uses to reveal his wisdom.

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Closing Questions:

• • • What if what you think is foolish in your life is the very way God is revealing his wisdom to you?
    • Are you demanding from people what they can never give you?
    • Do you realize the access and power you have to God through prayer?