King of Kings

Face to face with the king, even Daniel must have quaked. However, his words were clear and confident. They contained within them a faith that takes God seriously and will not allow him to be excluded from public life. He states the dream which is, in visual form, an outline of “things to come” (v 29). The statue is portrayed in all its magnificence and then it is smashed to smithereens by the rock which transforms into a huge mountain.

Daniel stated the dream boldly and gave the interpretation without any spin. In many ways, it is very disturbing to the king, for it puts him firmly in his place. Whomever he might think he is, in the course of history he is simply one king from one dynasty in one period. However unique he would like to think himself to be, he is, in the end, simply one of a line and that line will be swept away by forces stronger and more powerful than him. It will, in the end, be God’s kingdom that endures.

Trying to salvage something from this verdict of history, the king can at least take comfort that he will outshine his successors and that the ultimate calamity will not occur in his lifetime. His foolishness is shown in that, having acknowledged God as the one who reveals mysteries and controls history, he then gets on with his normal life, leaving God out of his calculations.

However, God is not yet finished with the king! A desire to know the future does not exempt anyone from right living in the present.

Respond in Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Lord of history, I worship you as the Lord who will reign forever. As I face challenges in my life, I put my hand in yours. Show me what really matters in life. I surrender my priorities to yours. My hope is in you. I pray in your name, Amen.

Colin Sinclair