On the last day of 2009 there was a blue moon. No, the moon did not change color, but we did see two full moons in a month; something rare. How often this happens, I don't know, but perhaps the term rare will give us a clue. In the old testament, there is the story of something rare and although some of the important parts occurred at night, it had nothing to do with the moon. Read on to find out....
Daniel 2:1-24 WEB (R)
(1) In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him.
(2) Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.
(3) The king said to them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.
(4) Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, O king, live forever: tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
(5) The king answered the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if you don't make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
(6) But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.
(7) They answered the second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
(8) The king answered, I know of a certainty that you would gain time, because you see the thing is gone from me.
(9) But if you don't make known to me the dream, there is but one law for you; for you have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, until the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.
(10) The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man on the earth who can show the king's matter, because no king, lord, or ruler, has asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean.
(11) It is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
(12) For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
(13) So the decree went forth, and the wise men were to be slain; and they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.
(14) Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, who was gone forth to kill the wise men of Babylon;
(15) he answered Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
(16) Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.
(17) Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
(18) that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
(19) Then was the secret revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
(20) Daniel answered, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are his.
(21) He changes the times and the seasons; he removes kings, and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding;
(22) he reveals the deep and secret things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
(23) I thank you, and praise you, you God of my fathers, who have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we desired of you; for you have made known to us the king's matter.
(24) Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and said thus to him: Don't destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show to the king the interpretation.
Daniel is one of my favorite Bible characters; he is in exile, but exactly where God wants him to be. And God gives him knowledge through dreams and visions in order to reveal HIS WILL. I enjoy the rare and unusual, like the Ripley's believe it or not because of its shock factor. Daniel's knowledge must have really shocked those around him as he told something he shouldn't have known. God has a way of making his will known in ways that would never occur to us, and even though dreams and revelations were rare, they still happened; you might say... once in a blue moon.