“Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. So the king spoke, and said, ‘Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you.’ Belteshazzar answered and said, ‘My lord, may the dream concern those who hate you, and its interpretation concern your enemies!’
Daniel begins to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream starting at verse 19.
19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. So the king spoke, and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream concern those who hate you, and its interpretation concern your enemies!
Daniel was reticent to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream because of the negative implications on the king. The dream dumbfounded Daniel. He did not want to bear bad news; nevertheless, Daniel faithfully interpreted the dream to him.
PRINCIPLE:
Communicators of God’s truth should tell the unvarnished truth about God.
APPLICATION:
As Daniel was not afraid to say, “You are the man,” neither should we be afraid. No communicator of God’s truth should pull any punches. God’s viewpoint is not easy to take sometimes. Neither should a teller of truth be audacious but true to truth.
No honest preachers or teachers tell people just what they want to hear. They do not take a poll to find out the prevailing opinion on things. They tell the truth. They will do it with discretion, but they will do it. Tellers of truth represent light in the darkness. If they do not tell the truth, few will trust their word.
