In this sermon, the preacher draws parallels between the story of Daniel and the plight of sinners who are under the sentence of death. He emphasizes that it doesn't matter what men say or think, but what God's word says. The preacher explains that all have sinned and are condemned already, just like those in a death cell waiting for execution. However, he points out that there is hope in Jesus Christ, who came to save sinners and is our wisdom, deliverer, and savior. The sermon highlights the ignorance of human wisdom and the need for salvation through Christ alone.

Turn with me to the 2nd of Daniel, the 2nd chapter which has been called one of the great pivotal chapters of the Bible. Dr. Pettengill used to speak of Daniel chapter 2 as a biblical mountain peak. Why so? Well, as we shall see, here we have the grand outline of God's program for the period of Gentile supremacy. In other words, the entire history of the Gentile nations, from the time of King Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled around the time of 600 B.C., the entire history of the Gentile nations, from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to the second coming of Christ, is clearly portrayed in this chapter. It is the period which the Lord Jesus referred to as the times of the Gentiles. Now, the remarkable thing is that this great prophetic history was given to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, one night as he dreamed. Apparently, before going to sleep, he had been in deep thought concerning his kingdom. And he was wondering what would become of the kingdom after he passed from the scene. I think that's indicated in verse 29, where we read, As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed. What should come to pass hereafter? And he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. Now, Nebuchadnezzar was thinking of the future. And why not? If all men would consider their future and would properly prepare for it, they would have no reason to fear it. But the sad thing is that most human beings are all wrapped up in the present. And seem quite indifferent about that which must surely come to pass. The Old Testament prophet said, prepare to meet thy God. Why? Simply because we know not what a day will bring forth. And since we are eternal creatures who must someday give account of ourselves to the eternal God, it is only wisdom that we prepare to meet him. Are you interested in your future? Well, you should be. However, it is wrong to seek the counsel of fortune-tellers in such matters. It is wrong to seek the counsel of sorcerers in such matters. It is wrong to turn to astrology in such matters. My friends, it is right and it is better to seek the one who made the stars. Almighty God will take your life in his hands if you'll commit it to him. And he will direct you in paths of righteousness. And he will lead you ultimately to that land of fadeless day where all of your dreams of peace and joy and happiness will surely come true. Nebuchadnezzar was in bed thinking about his kingdom. He was exercised concerning the things which were to come. And I tell you, friends, he was a wise king in being exercised concerning the future and that which must surely come to pass. God saw his concern and spoke to him in a dream. However, Nebuchadnezzar failed in that he sought the counsel of the ungodly relative to the dream's interpretation. And thus we read in verses 1 and 2 that in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams wherewith his spirit was troubled and his sleep break from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians and the astrologers and the sorcerers and the Chaldeans for to show the king his dreams. And so they came and stood before the king. Oh, how sad that the king in his spiritual need resorted to magicians, sorcerers, and astrologers. He should have turned to Daniel and to Daniel's God and to Daniel's companions who according to chapter 1, verse 20 were ten times better in all matters of wisdom and understanding than all the magicians and astrologers in the realm. Yet like so many people today in dire need he went to the wrong source for help and information. He sent for his magicians according to chapter 2, verse 2. He sent for his astrologers and the sorcerers so that they might stand before him and show unto him his dreams and the interpretation thereof. Oh, can't you see these men? This must have been a great day for them. I don't suppose that it was too often that they were called into the presence of the king. This was a singular opportunity. Can't you see them putting on their best and getting all excited because of this opportunity which was theirs to show off their intelligence? But what a shock they were in for. Let's read about it. Beginning with verse 3. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac, O king, live forever, tell thy servants the dream and we will show thee the interpretation. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me. If ye will not make known unto me the dream with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if ye show the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and the interpretation thereof. They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream and we'll show the interpretation. The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain time because ye see the thing is gone from me. If ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me till the time be changed. Therefore tell me the dream and I'll show you that ye can show me the interpretation thereof. The Chaldeans answered before the king and said, There's not a man upon the earth. There's not a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter. Therefore there is no king, no lord, no ruler that asks such things of any magician or astrologer or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requires. And there is none other than can show it before the king except the gods whose dwelling is not with flesh. For this cause the king was angry and very furious and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. And the decree was forth that the wise men should be slain. And of course included in this group were Daniel and his fellows. Now what was this? The king dreamed a dream of great importance. He wants to know the meaning of it. The wise men gather in the great council chamber to meet with the king and to hear the dream. But now the king can't remember his dream. What a predicament. What a dilemma and what a terrible plight for both the king and the wise men. They have no idea what the dream could be. And now they find themselves, dear friends, and note this. They find themselves under the sentence of death and unable to help themselves. Under the sentence of death and unable to help themselves. Certainly in all of this we have a picture of the utter helplessness of man and human wisdom to deliver us from the dilemma of sin. As we pointed out this morning in our message, we are not saved. We cannot find out the secrets of eternity by human wisdom. We are not saved by the wisdom of the world. There's only one answer to the sin problem. There's only one answer to the needs of the human heart. And that answer is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Now see the ignorance of these wise men. They said, and we have just read it, there isn't a man upon the earth who can make this known. But my friends, how wrong they were. There was a man, a man who by his wisdom brought deliverance, as we shall see, to all who were under the sentence of death. And his name was Daniel. How similar to the story of sinners who are under the sentence of death and who are unable to save themselves. Oh, I know that some of you don't accept what I'm saying concerning being under the sentence of death. But it really doesn't matter what men say or think. It's what God's Word says. And the Bible tells us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Bible says that we are all condemned already and that means that we are presently in our natural state in the death cell waiting for the execution of the sentence. Oh, but you say, preacher, you can't convince me of that. I have a wife and a family. I'm making lots of money and everything's going well with me. You can't convince me that I'm in a death cell waiting to be executed. My friends, you are if you know not the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. Here is a picture of the sinner's condition under the sentence of death, unable to extricate himself from the horrible pit in which he finds himself, unable to save himself. And now the wisdom of the world comes along and says there isn't a man who can make this known. But there was a man who had the answer, praise God. And that answer was so profound and so deep and so meaningful that it actually brought deliverance to all who were under the sentence of death. Isn't that wonderful? I would like you to turn to a book in the Old Testament that we don't read very much. But in these verses we have a picture of man's predicament, man's helplessness, and also we have a picture here of one and only one who could help man in his plight. Turn to Ecclesiastes. Now don't lose your place in Daniel. But Ecclesiastes is right after Proverbs and before the Song of Solomon. Look at the ninth chapter and verses 14 and 15. Now in these verses, my friends, you may not notice it immediately, but look again and again and you will see here that we have the story of man's fall, his hopeless plight, and his marvelous deliverance by a poor, wise man. Ecclesiastes 9, 14 and 15. There was a little city and few men within it. And there came a great king against it and besieged it and built great bulwarks against it. Now there was found in it a poor, wise man and he, by his wisdom, delivered the city. Yet no man remembered that same poor man. Now, my friends, the little city speaks of the world. You say, how can that be? Well, when you consider the little world in light of all the millions and billions of planets and stars, it is just a little city in this great universe, is it not? The little city speaks of the world. The few people in it speak of Adam and Eve because it started out that way, didn't it? With very few people in it. And then came along this wicked king, Satan. He came and besieged the city and set up bulwarks about it, entrenching those that were within it. He came and by tempting them to sin brought upon them their hopeless dilemma. However, their salvation was realized by a poor, wise man. It tells us in Ecclesiastes that this wise man was found. And you'll remember that 2,000 years ago a babe was found in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. And oh, how poor he was. Not even a little cradle, not even a little soft pillow for his head. So poor was he. But how wise because he was the son of God. There was found, thank God, in this city 2,000 years ago a poor, wise man who by his wisdom delivered the city. Praise God for the wisdom of the gospel. For the wisdom of God in sending his only begotten son into the world to die on the cross for sinners and in death wrestle with our foes and defeat Satan. Praise God he defeated that wicked king. And he rose from the dead triumphant over sin and death and hell and all our foes. And by his mighty power and wisdom this poor, wise man, Jesus Christ, the son of God, brought deliverance to this wicked world. And that deliverance is available tonight to every man and woman and boy and girl who is in the trap of the devil. Many of you listening to my voice are entrenched by Satan. You can't get out of the trap you're in. Your life is full of wickedness. And many times in the loneliness of the night you cry in your heart if I could only get set free from these sins. You can get set free because there is a man and the ungodly know little or nothing about him. But it's the man Christ Jesus who came into this world to save sinners. And he is our wisdom teller of secrets. He knoweth all things. He is our deliverer and our savior. Now we see that in great rage this evil king demands death to the astrologers, to the sorcerers, to the fortune tellers, yea, all the wise men. And this included Daniel and his fellows. But my friends, Daniel now comes on the scene. Verses 14 through 16. Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Ariok, the captain of the king's guard which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. He answered and said to Ariok, the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Ariok made the thing known to Daniel. Then Daniel went in and desired of the king that he would give him time and that he would show the king the interpretation. Now friends, at this point Daniel didn't know the dream. At this point he didn't know the interpretation. And yet we observe that there is no nervous excitement. All is calm as he approaches the problem from the divine standpoint. He asked the king for some time. He assures him of the interpretation of the dream. And then, believe it or not, he goes off to a prayer meeting. And say that was a pretty good idea in the midst of trouble. Bless his heart. Dear Daniel, confronted with such a major problem and difficulty, not excited at all because the God of Israel was his God and he knew that he could reveal secrets and all was calm because he was resting in the Lord. And in the midst of the problem, I repeat, he went to a prayer meeting. You say, preacher, where is that? It's right here. Verses 17 and 18. Then Daniel went to his house and he made the thing known to Hananiah, Michal, and Azariah, his companions, that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret. Say, that suggests a prayer meeting. That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Say, friends, isn't that the way to handle problems? Take them to the Lord in prayer. Cast your burdens upon the Lord. Trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass. See if he is not able to tell you the secrets that you need to know. See if he is not able to answer the problems that press in upon your life. My friends, I want to make a suggestion, and I get it from the book of Daniel, when you have problems that are too big for you and questions wherein you cannot find the answers, find a little group of people that know how to pray. Do you know what we need to do in these days, friends? We need to get back to the Bible and we need to get back to childlike trust in the God of Daniel, who is mighty to save and who is able to do all things for his people if we'll only trust him and bring everything to God in prayer. Was prayer answered? Verse 19, Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. My friends, God answered prayer in a marvelous way. And we find that Daniel, as God answers his prayer, bursts into an anthem of praise. Verse 23, He cries, I thank thee, and I praise thee, O God of my fathers. O Daniel's God, friends, is none other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And it's wonderful to know him as your Savior and your Lord and as the revealer of secrets who not only knows your future, but thank God will plan your future in that eternal home above. Verse 25, and I close with this, Aroch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus unto him, I have found a man. I have found a man of the captives of Judah that will make known unto the king the interpretation. My friends, I'm here to tell you tonight that I have found a man who is able to deliver you from your sinful dilemma. I have found a man that can remove the sentence of death that hangs over your soul tonight. I have found a man that can save you and bring glorious deliverance to you. Yea, who can impart forgiveness of sins and life eternal. Who is he? He is the man Christ Jesus who humbled himself and became a man and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross where he died for you and for me. And if you'll put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you'll be able to say with the songwriter, I've found a friend, oh such a friend. He bled, he died to save me. And not alone the gift of life, but his own self he gave me. I've found a friend, oh such a friend, so kind and true and tender, so wise a counselor and guide, so mighty a defender. From him who loves me now so well, what power my soul can sever, for I am his and he is mine forever.