Dissolving of Doubts
Today’s Verse:
Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation. ~Daniel 5:12
King Belshazzar saw the fingers of a man’s hand writing on a wall. The sight of this greatly shook him up. The Bible says, "The king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another." His wife told him how Daniel was uniquely gifted and able to help the king interpret what the writing meant. Among the things said about him, the queen said that Daniel was a dissolver of doubts. Let us see, this morning, what it means to be a dissolver of doubts and how this applies to us.
We see the character.
Daniel is described as a man with an excellent spirit. The actual meaning is that he was extraordinary in his spirit. Even though the queen and the king were pagan idolaters, the queen said that he had the spirit of the holy gods. Daniel’s life and testimony indicated that he was a man filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit. God’s criteria for spiritual men and their service is that they are men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. A Spirit-filled man walks in the Spirit. He is led by the Spirit. He has a unique power only from God in dealing with difficult situations and people. A Spirit-filled man is known by his fruits.
We see the competence.
He was noted for his knowledge, understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences. He was a man competent in the Scriptures. He studied to shew himself approved unto God, "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." As a prophet of God, he could foretell the future. He possessed the truth of God’s Word and could correctly interpret world events and hard-to-be-understood situations, and he could guide the men of his day in understanding the world according to the Word of God.
We see the capability.
He is referred to twice as a dissolver of doubts. The literal meaning is that he was someone who could untie knots. The Aramaic word for dissolve is also translated as “loosen.” This was not a unique capability that he was born with. I believe it speaks to the ability that a Spirit-filled man has in helping unbelievers come to the truth of God’s Word and find freedom through a saving relationship with our Lord. It is helping someone bound by fear to find freedom by trusting in God. It is helping someone bound in a trial to find freedom as he walks through his fiery trial (see Daniel 3:25). I believe it is helping someone who is anxious to find the peace of God for his life. Being a dissolver of doubts is a vital ministry that we must exercise through a Spirit-controlled life.
We see the commendation.
Daniel was brought into the presence of Belshazzar. He read the writing on the wall and told the king of the judgment of God on his life. He left no doubt in the king’s mind that he was a wicked sinner whose day of judgment had come. Daniel was rewarded for telling the king what no other man could tell him. I believe that even greater than Belshazzar’s acknowledgement of Daniel is that God acknowledged him by putting him in the kingdom to point the Chaldeans and Persians to the Lord. Don’t leave doubts in the minds of an unsaved person if you are a Christian and if you can show him that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Let your life untie the knots that someone else might be in.
Have a faithful God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 2 Chronicles 35-36