I Am Not...But I Know I AM
That's the title of Louie Giglio's latest book: I Am Not...But I Know I AM. And it's a fitting caption for what happens in the last half of Daniel 2.
The King has had a bad dream, and he's ordered his advisors to tell him what the dream was and what it meant. They reply that such a request is hopeless -- no one can do something like that except the gods. And, unfortunately, the gods don't live down here on earth where we can ask them.
Daniel and his friends pray to God, and God reveals the dream and its meaning to Daniel sometime during the night.
Daniel goes to the king, and the king asks, "Can you tell me my dream and its meaning?"
Daniel -- believe it or not -- says, "No."
Actually, what he says is better than that:
"Daniel replied, 'No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries" (Daniel 2:27-28a).
Later on, he'll say, "This mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men" (v. 30).
Well, if Daniel didn't get the revelation because he's smarter or wiser than the other guys, why did he get it? I think he got it because he asked.
See, the king said, "I am in charge. I am the center of the universe. I am unable to sleep."
The other wise men said, "No one can do this except the gods, and they don't live around here. So, it's no use asking."
Daniel said, "I am not smart enought to figure this out, but I know the one who is."
Here's what the back of Louie's book says:
I am not but God knows my name.
I am not but he has pursued me in his love.
I am not but I know the creator of the universe.
I am not but I have been invited into his story.
I am not but I know I AM.
The King has had a bad dream, and he's ordered his advisors to tell him what the dream was and what it meant. They reply that such a request is hopeless -- no one can do something like that except the gods. And, unfortunately, the gods don't live down here on earth where we can ask them.
Daniel and his friends pray to God, and God reveals the dream and its meaning to Daniel sometime during the night.
Daniel goes to the king, and the king asks, "Can you tell me my dream and its meaning?"
Daniel -- believe it or not -- says, "No."
Actually, what he says is better than that:
"Daniel replied, 'No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries" (Daniel 2:27-28a).
Later on, he'll say, "This mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men" (v. 30).
Well, if Daniel didn't get the revelation because he's smarter or wiser than the other guys, why did he get it? I think he got it because he asked.
See, the king said, "I am in charge. I am the center of the universe. I am unable to sleep."
The other wise men said, "No one can do this except the gods, and they don't live around here. So, it's no use asking."
Daniel said, "I am not smart enought to figure this out, but I know the one who is."
Here's what the back of Louie's book says:
I am not but God knows my name.
I am not but he has pursued me in his love.
I am not but I know the creator of the universe.
I am not but I have been invited into his story.
I am not but I know I AM.
posted by john alan turner at 10:25 AM
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