You Would Gain the Time - Daniel 2:8

In the book of Daniel, Daniel said, “in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams” and his servants said, “tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if you will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if you show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, you 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 will show the interpretation of it”, and in Daniel chapter two and verse eight Daniel shared how King Nebuchadnezzar told the Chaldeans, “I know of certainty that you would gain the time” where we read,

The king answered and said, I know of certainty that you would gain the time, 

because you see the thing is gone from me.

The verse reads, “The king answered and said, I know of certainty that you would gain the time, ...” Daniel began with the words, “the king answered and said” which means “the royal ruler and leader, Nebuchadnezzar, replied, responded, uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “I know of certainty” or “I, King Nebuchadnezzar, truly and reliably certify, perceive and understand” “that you would gain the time” which means “that you, the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans, desire to buy up and purchase the duration and appointed time”. Daniel shared how King Nebuchadnezzar responded by telling the “magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans” that he knew they were delaying their answer to him.

The verse continues, “... because you see the thing is gone from me.” Daniel added the words, “because you see” which means “since and on account that you, magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans, observe, notice, distinguish and discern that” “the thing is gone from me” or “that his statement exists as separate and apart from me”. Daniel shared how King Nebuchadnezzar accused the “ magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans” of delaying their answer because he told them they would either be penalized or rewarded for revealing and interpreting his “dream”.

When we consider Daniel's words in this verse, we discover how King Nebuchadnezzar knew the “magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans” were “gaining the time” or delaying their answer to him. They were aware that he would destroy them and their homes if they could not reveal what his “dream” was and what it meant. They did not know the answers, and they were in trouble. King Nebuchadnezzar would surmise that they were frauds if they could not answer him, so they were delaying their answer. God knew all these things, and He knows everything about us as well. He knows we have sinned and come short of His glory, (See Romans 3:10,23) and those sins lead to death. (See Romans 5:12; 6:23) God sent His Son Jesus into the world to die in our place on the cross, and He raised Him from the dead three days later so when we yield our lives to Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us the assurance of His Holy Spirit who shall guide us into all truth and keep us in Him for all eternity. 

Next time Daniel shares how King Nebuchadnezzar tells the Chaldeans, “tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me the interpretation thereof”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".