DANIEL 2:16
 

So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. [NKJV]
 

 So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation. [BSB]

WHEN TO BEG A RULER FOR YOUR LIFE OR TIME IN THE FACE OF DEATH, AND WHEN NOT TO BEG

What the other wise men heard and asked the king for further information, Daniel heard the same but asked the king for time.

*1* The other wise men of Babylon — Asked the king to tell them his dream and they will exchange that with telling the king the interpretation of the dream.

*2* But Daniel — Asked the king to give him "Time" (have Patience) and he will exchange that with telling the king the interpretation of the dream.

He was not asking the king to tell him the dream, but to give him time for him to fetch both the dream and the interpretation thereof from another reliable Source.

A wise man had pegged lack of enough information/resources as his limitation or lack of opportunity to do what was required of him. But a wiser man in similar situation came, not blaming lack of enough information or resources but, asking for time in the face of death. There are many things that were impossible to men in the past that have become very possible and easily common to men in the present; and the difference was basically "Time Difference" between then and now. Time is almost the greatest gift of grace to any living soul, and no talent, no gift or no ability/capacity, is better than time, for those who are dead and dwell in hell. 

That little time in the face of death means so much to the wise; one can edit his last will, last story, or change his fate/destiny at that his dying minutes. Daniel was asking for time at his dying minutes, instead of sudden death when the messengers of death came for his head. Somehow, what happened between Daniel and the king here reminds me of this parable of the Lord Jesus next:

[Matthew 18:23‭-‬27 NKJV] — Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

"Have Patience with me" also means "Give me some time."

WHEN TO BEG A RULER FOR YOUR LIFE OR TIME

There are occasions of men who at the verge of their deaths, suddenly asked and received more time and extension, including the people of Nineveh against the prophecy of Jonah.

Let's move with these three related cases:

*1* This Daniel's Case, in the face of the king's decree spoken by Arioch, Captain of the Guards.

*2* This Nineveh's Case, in the face of the Lord's Prophecy spoken by Jonah, the Prophet.

*3* This Hezekiah's Case, in the face of the Lord's Decree spoken by Isaiah, the Prophet.

Some things are common in these three occasions: The men that were meant to die or be killed by the message of the messengers, those men did not beg or prayed the messengers for that not to happen; rather they bypassed those Messengers and went to the King or the Lord, who gave the decree via those Messengers, and prayed or begged the Lord or King directly, rather than praying to the messengers or through them. And incredibly, the King or the Lord heard and granted their request, even when that meant setting aside the words or earlier messages of those Messengers because of the prayers of the targets/victims. Instead of begging or praying the messengers that brings your death, rather go to He who has the authority to suspend or cancel the death, and make your requests known to Him.

However, there's one Man who also went to God in prayer for the suspension of His death, but God did not approve that; and yet the Man would never beg the messengers or governor for Him to be released except to beg God, and since God will not do it for Him, let no one else do it for Him. He was no longer accepting or seeking deliverance from men after He sought the Deliverance from God and God did not approve. Who was that Man?

Not Moses who prayed God to allow him enter the Promised Land, but God refused to extend or approve more time (days) for Moses.

Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ was the Man who went to ask for more Time from God or cancelation of His Suffering and Death, when the night it must begin came upon Him, and the messengers of His sufferings and death were already on their way and close by to arrest and pick Him up to face His Judgment and Death. His way of requesting for extension or cancelation of time was by praying His Father, God, to let "this cup" pass away without Him having to drink of it; nevertheless, let the Father's Will be done.

WHEN NOT TO BEG A RULER FOR YOUR LIFE OR TIME

After the Lord Jesus Christ made attempts for cancelation or extension of Time, and that was not approved by God, the Lord Jesus Christ did not seek the same from men, even when men expected Him to beg for His release. One of the great Disciplines that the Lord Jesus Christ had was that whatever God will not give Him, He will never accept or receive that from men or from Satan. The Lord Jesus Christ will not go without God to get or receive something that God Himself will not give to Him. So if God will not give it to Him, He will never accept or collect it even when Kings, Governors, Presidents or Satan, made offerings to Him that free of charge. 

This means, everything that was found in the Lord Jesus Christ possessions were given to Him by God, including those men and women (sheep) He had. The princes of this world came and found nothing in Him (Jesus Christ) that was given by or taken from them, but found all that Jesus Christ had were God's gifts and true honest things, in His Possessions.

You don't understand the politics that played out during His arrest and trials: Satan, Pilate the Governor, and the High Priest, were all expecting the Lord Jesus Christ to beg or ask for His release, and that will be granted asap. But He was not asking any of them, after He asked God and God did not approve. 

*1* — The High Priest marvelled that He kept quiet without answering or defending Himself when His accusers were bringing up false accusations against Him. When they were tired of waiting for Him to atleast defend Himself if He will not beg, the high Priest became the one begging the Lord Jesus instead, saying to Him, "In the Name of God, I urge You to tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of the Highest God."

*2* — The Governor, Pilate, marvelled that He kept quiet without answering or defending Himself when His accusers were bringing up false accusations against Him. Pilate's wife saw a dream about the Lord Jesus Christ. And the first Lady, Governor's Wife, came to beg her husband on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ who was not begging for Himself. Pilate also raised a public election or voting for the people to choose between the Lord Jesus Christ and Barrabas, whom he should release for them; so that at least more people would by their votes beg for the Lord Jesus Christ who was not begging for Himself. And few people or about none of them voted or begged for the Lord Jesus Christ, but for Barrabas. At a point, Pilate was fed up with the Lord Jesus Christ not speaking for Himself or begging for His life or extension of Time. Saying:

[John 19:10‭-‬11 NKJV] — Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

Paul also was arrested and bound before a Governor named "Felix," who was expecting Paul to lobby or bribe him with money in begging for his release and that he would do for Paul. But Paul neither begged nor bribed him with money, and so he left Paul in detention until next regime or Governor took over (Acts 24:26-27).

So when I say Daniel went to beg for time from Nebuchadnezzar the king, I may not really be saying Daniel was begging for his life, but for the sake of the lives of other wise men. Knowing who Daniel was, and who his three friends were, they had similar life threatening cases and they never begged, especially when the friends were about to be cast into the furnace of fire and they never begged nor compromised, or when Daniel was about to be cast into a lion's den because one King made a decree that no man should beg anything from any God, except to beg only the king, so that all men would be begging the king and no man will be begging God or praying to any other gods, but to only the king.