Daniel 2:1-23 Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
One night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn’t sleep. He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood before the king, he said, “I have had a dream that deeply troubles me, and I must know what it means.”
Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.”
But the king said to the astrologers, “I am serious about this. If you don’t tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into heaps of rubble! But if you tell me what I dreamed and what the dream means, I will give you many wonderful gifts and honors. Just tell me the dream and what it means!”
They said again, “Please, Your Majesty. Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.”
The king replied, “I know what you are doing! You’re stalling for time because you know I am serious when I say, ‘If you don’t tell me the dream, you are doomed.’ So you have conspired to tell me lies, hoping I will change my mind. But tell me the dream, and then I’ll know that you can tell me what it means.”
The astrologers replied to the king, “No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.”
The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed. And because of the king’s decree, men were sent to find and kill Daniel and his friends.
When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. He asked Arioch, “Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?” So Arioch told him all that had happened. Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time to tell the king what the dream meant.
Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. He said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.”
WELL! What good is it being the supreme ruler of the most powerful empire if you can’t get one simple little wish granted? For a long time, Nebuchadnezzar has suspected that his magicians and wise men have been faking things, and now he has proof. One night, Nebuchadnezzar has a very disturbing dream; however, when he wakes up, all he remembers is how frightened he was during the dream. Interpreting a dream is child’s play; after all, there are well-laid down rules for dream interpretations. But if these magicians and wise men are worth anything, they ought to be able to describe the dream as well as interpreting it.
Naturally, the magicians and wise men are terrified! Nobody has ever made such a demand on them before and they have no means of satisfying the king. Not only that, but Nebuchadnezzar is known to fly into a temper over the slightest mishap. Now these poor men who have served the court for years are facing death and destruction not only for themselves but also for their families.
Fortunately, for these men who are shaking in their sandals, Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, decides to start by eliminating the Hebrew advisors. Perhaps Daniel and Arioch have become friends; at any rate, when Arioch arrives, Daniel questions him and then promises to go to the king and plead for more time.
This part of the story is so simply told that we might miss the miracle it conveys. As a supreme ruler, Nebuchadnezzar summons people to the palace; people do not simply drop in to visit Nebuchadnezzar. In the story of Esther, the king extends his scepter to Esther; were the king not to extend the scepter, Esther would have been killed. But Daniel not only goes to the palace but meets with the king and is given more time to solve the problem. Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar is feeling the slightest bit sorry he made all those threats and is looking for a face-saving way out. Besides, Nebuchadnezzar still can’t remember the dream and really wants to know both the dream and its interpretation. This Hebrew fellow Daniel seems to have sources of wisdom not available to the Babylonian magicians. Why not give Daniel a chance?
Daniel and his three friends pray earnestly, and that night, God shows Daniel both the dream and the interpretation. “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.”
We will pause the story here, but please study Daniel’s prayer of gratitude to God. “He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings.” When the shooting took place at the Catholic school in Minneapolis recently, it was the 44th school shooting to take place this year in the U.S. Schools are no longer places of refuge.
When terrible things happen, we wonder if God is still on the throne or if He’s gone on vacation. We must remember that terrible things have happened throughout history. Daniel and his friends were in Babylon because the Jews had failed to follow God and God had allowed the Babylonians to conquer them. But God still hears the prayers of believers and he still works through believers. “He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.”
God does not play favorites; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The God who helped Daniel and his friends will also help us when we cry out to Him. Let us worship Him and serve Him faithfully, for He is our help and salvation.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. Help us to trust that when we are in need of knowledge, courage, or strength, You are our Source. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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