LIGHT OF DIVINE SECRETS (10)

“But as for me, this SECRET has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone else, but for our sakes...” – Daniel 2:30a

God is willing and ever ready to release the LIGHT of DIVINE SECRETS for the benefit of His Kingdom and humanity at large: “But as for me, this SECRET has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone else, but for our sakes who have made known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart” (Dan.2:30). Three years had passed since the arrival of the captives from Jerusalem. Daniel and his mates had graduated from the Babylonian schools, successfully passed the king's examination, and now belonged to the class of the Chaldeans, when suddenly they encountered an event of shattering repercussions. Nebuchadnezzar was gripped by a vision that plunged him, and the whole kingdom into turmoil: “His spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him” (Dan. 2:1).

The king remembered having dreamed something repeatedly and sensed its importance, but he had forgotten the content. So, he wanted to know not only the dream's meaning but also its content (Dan.2:4-5). The very fact that the king forgot the dream points to its divine origin. It was not a mere subjective fantasy. The king’s anguish and fear soon turned into threatful wrath that would not have spared Daniel and company! Daniel replied to the king’s fury with wisdom and tact. In the face of imminent death, he withdrew with his companions and prayed to the God of heaven concerning the mystery (Dan.2:18). Overnight, God of heaven responded with the Light of Divine Secrets (Dan.2:19).

Daniel later affirmed: “the SECRET which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who REVEALS secrets, and has made known to the King” (vv.27-28a). The expression “God of heaven” is used throughout the book and generally associated with the word “secret.” And, each time the association appeared, it emphasized God’s involvement in history (vv.27-30, 44, 45; Dan.4:36; 5: 23-24). The God of Daniel, as opposed to the one of the Chaldeans, does not remain secluded or indifferent to human events. Rather, He not only controls history but also reveals secrets. He communicates!

Even though revealing the meaning of the dream saved their lives, that was of secondary importance and did not even come up in Daniel’s prayer of thankfulness. What was primary was the destiny of the world – "what will be in the later days” (v.28, and the king’s salvation (v.30). The dream looked beyond Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom, into a prophetic future of God’s Kingdom. Behind the desire to know the secret lied a deeper yearning for God's reign on earth. Likewise, we’re candidates and recipients of the Light of Divine Secrets when our goals and motivations prioritize service to God, to humanity, to history, and to eternity.