The purpose of the Book of Daniel is to encourage the people of God in times of suffering. This chapter focuses on the suffering of God's people due to their loss of national freedom. There is a prediction that Israel will face a lengthy period of foreign domination. However, God is in control, and eventually, the people of God will enjoy the final victory when the Messiah comes. The study is broken into two parts. The first part will look at the historical circumstances of Daniel. In the second part, the nightmare dream of Nebuchadnezzar will be interpreted by Daniel.
Outline
I. Introduction (2:1)
ll. The Demands of Nebuchadnezzar (2:2-11)
A. Convening the State Department (2:2)
B. Conversation at court (2:3-11)
1. First request and reply (3-4)
2. Second request and reply (5-7)
3. Third request and reply (8-11)
Ill. The Decree of Nebuchadnezzar (2:12-13)
IV. Daniel's crisis (2:14-30)
A. Daniel's confidence (2:14-16)
B. Daniel's preparation (2:17-23)
1. Fellowship (17)
2. Prayer (18)
3. Praise (19-23)
C. Daniel's testimony (2: 24-30)
__________
1) Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him.
This is a nightmare, not a simple dream. lt was so disturbing to him that he could not sleep. Nebuchadnezzar, the conqueror of Babylon, the victor over Assyria, the plunderer of the great City of Hamath, who routed the Egyptians at Carchemish is filled with fear. God shakes him up. How? He creates in his mind a frightening image which topples and crashes to the ground. God is the source of this dream. Daniel says to the king, “there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets, and has made known to king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days, Daniel 2:28.” This nightmare is a revelation from God. Here is the most powerful man in the world, and he is impotent in the hands of God. How big is your God! There was a subtitle of a book which read, “When the people are big, and God is little.” Daniel had a big God, and he rested in his Sovereign, Almighty God.
lt is remarkable that no matter how rich or powerful you are, these things do not guarantee you happiness or peace of mind. Here was a great man. He had riches, status, lands, and power. When he said, "jump!" you said, “how high.” Two men are set in contrast to one another, Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel. Daniel, a teenager at this time, who had cause to be frightened was, on the other hand, filled with confidence. Nebuchadnezzar, on the other hand, is filled with fear.
2) Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
Nebuchadnezzar calls for help. This is his State Department. This group is made up of some interesting divisions. First, there are magicians. The Hebrew word for “magician” refers to those who wrote with a pen. The magician was not like Houdini, the illusionist, but rather more like scholarly scribes. They were the ones who kept all the legal documents and acted as the King's historians. Then we have the astrologers. They were trained in the sciences and primarily studied the movements of heavenly bodies, the planets, and the stars. Unfortunately, their science was perverted by their fallacious and groundless belief that they could predict the actions of nations and the outcomes of events by the stars. They are comparable to today’s
Crystal ball gazers, tarot card dealers, and horoscope reading members of the occult. Then we have the sorcerers. The men who professed to have power with evil spirits. These were the group that practiced the evil of necromancy. They sought to speak to the dead. Those who hold seances are called “sorcerers.” Finally, we have the Chaldeans. Here is the priestly family who led the nation in the worship of the Babylonian gods. Quite a group. Keep in mind that these men represent the most brilliant, powerful, and influential group in the kingdom. They are summoned to the court by Nebuchadnezzar. An emergency meeting of the State Department is called. 1
3) And the king said to them, “l have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream."
Nebuchadnezzar makes a simple request, “I want to know what this nightmare means.
4) Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.
Seems like a legitimate request.
2. Second request and reply (5-7)
5) The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap.
Nebuchadnezzar is insane with worry and fear. He is at wit's end. He decides to exact the worst punishment his mind can conceive. They will be torn apart, limb from limb, their wives and children will suffer the same consequences, and their property will be destroyed, and the place of where their homes stood will be declared a city dump. Nebuchadnezzar means business.
6) “However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.”
The positive enticements to explain the dream are much to be desired, but they are overshadowed by the negatives that are so terrifying. Death and destruction of all that one owns, including their family and fortune.
7) They answered again and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.”
Again, the request seems reasonable.
8) The king answered and said, “l know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm.
Your stalling. You're trying to buy time to cover your inability to do what you say you can do.
9) “if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and l shall know that you can give me its interpretation.”
The king has been suspicious of them. Apparently, their prognostications haven’t been very accurate. They reply with three objections.
10) The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king's matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean.
11) “It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."
1. Humanly impossible was their first objection (vs. 10). They were right. The answer was outside their ability.
2. Their second objection was “unprecedented.” Again, they were correct for no ruler of the past ever made such a demand.
3. Their last objection was “only the gods possess such information." But wasn’t it their job to make contact with the gods and get an answer?
12) For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13) So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.
How often we see the innocent suffer with the guilty. The failure of the magicians, sorcerers, astrologers, and Chaldeans causes Daniel and his friends to be seized as well. They work in the State Department. Therefore, they are guilty by association.
14) Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon;
15) he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, “Why is the decree from the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel.
16) So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation.
Daniel did not know the dream when he made the request, but he knew the One who had the answer. Daniel is walking by faith and not by sight, and we see his inner strength. What do we do in the time of crisis? How do we handle problems? The steps that Daniel takes are an example to us. First, he brings God into the picture. He will not look at his circumstances without remembering who God is. God is Sovereign; therefore, He is the one in charge. Secondly, God is all-powerful; therefore, He has absolute power. Absolute power trumps royal power. God is everywhere present; therefore, he is not alone for God is with Him.
B. Daniel's Preparation (17-23)
17) Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,
Battle partners! Galatians 6:2 reminds us, “to bear one another’s burdens.” We need each other. A Christian without friends in the Lord is poor, indeed. Do you have someone you can call and share your concerns? Loneliness and isolation are a problem for many people. The remedy is to establish with others a loving and caring relationship. This is one of the purposes of the Church. God is in the world today building His church--a spiritual family. In this family, we give of ourselves to each other, and in return, we establish wonderful relationships. How many friends in the church do you have to call upon in a time of trouble?
18) that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
The God we call upon in prayer must not be a stranger to us. We must know Him. God was Sovereign and in absolute control of all things. His life was in the hands of God (John 10:27-29). No one could take his life without God's permission (Romans 8:31-39). His God was Omniscient so he would ask God to tell them the secret of the bad dream and its interpretation (Hebrews 4:13).
19) Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
Daniel does not have a vision; he has a dream. Visions occur in the daytime; dreams occur at night. Daniel gave praise to God. At no time do we find Daniel carried away with his own importance? Daniel is the only person in the world that knows the nightmare and the interpretation. He is about to save the day. He is not a glory grabber. Daniel gives God the glory and the credit because he is orientated to the Grace of God. He does not earn, deserves, or merit the incredible privilege that God has given him. Dr. Billy Graham on Larry King Live was asked how he felt being on the list of the ten most important men in the century. “Larry, I don't understand it,” he replied. I am thankful that people think of me like this, but my success is God-given. l am just a poor sinner saved by His grace.“ Here is the principle: The more we know about God ,the greater God becomes, and the greater God becomes, the less important we become, and the less important we become, the greater God is able to use us, and the greater God is able to use us, the more important things we do.
Another application is that we find Nebuchadnezzar fearful and angry. Fearful because of the nightmare and angry at the powerlessness of the State Department. The State Department is scared to death, and if they don't die in the furnace, they will all have heart attacks and die of fright. Daniel conversely is calm, cool, and collected.
20) Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.
21) And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
Daniel praises God for His Eternality and Omniscience. These attributes speak of the boundlessness of God. A life that has no beginning and end and knowledge that is total, perfect, and complete. All that can be known, God knows.
Two important words now express time as organized by God (Jesus used this phrase Acts 1:7; Paul used this phase 1 Thessalonians 5:1. Times in Hebrew is IDDAN, and its Greek equivalent is CHRONOS. CHRONOS is where we derive the word “chronology.” What does it mean? Time is looked at from the standpoint of a succession of events, one following after another. This concept of time is expressed theologically as the dispensations: Volition, Conscience, Human Government, Patriarchal, Law, Church, Tribulation, Millennium, and the Eternal State. God is in control of the succession of events or the dispensations.
Seasons in the Hebrew is ZEMAN, and its Greek equivalent is KAIROS. These two words looked at time in longer periods; such as we do when we speak of the seasons Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. However, they are representative of the theological concept “The Ages”: The Age of the Gentiles, the Age of the Jew, the Age of The Church, and the Age of Christ. The dispensations and the ages, “times and the seasons,” explain God's timetable for history and teach the principle: God controls history.
22) He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.
It is comforting to know that God knows what is in the darkness. The world situation is very dark at times. Difficulties come upon us which we do not understand. The darkness surrounds us. God knows what is in the darkness.
23) “l thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king's demand."
Daniel rejoices, praising and thanking God.
Daniel’s grace orientation and spiritual maturity are magnificent. As that great hymn says, “To God Be The Glory."
24) Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation.”
25) Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, “I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation.”
Note the “I” word, “I have found a man." Arioch wants the credit. Daniel came to him. Arioch did not have anything to do with this. But this is a revealing contrast between two types of people, and unfortunately, they can be found among Christians as well: The glory-grabbers and the glory-givers. It is evident that Daniel is the glory-giver for he says, “but there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets.” See the remaining verses 26-30.
1. Daniel's confidence is based upon a knowledge of and trust in the character of God. Daniel's God was Sovereign, Powerful, and Awesome. Satan does not want believers to have confidence in God. He wants them to be self-confident, self-reliant, and trusting in themselves. Daniel, on the other hand, does not have self-confidence, but rather divine confidence. Daniel understands, “I am limited, but my God is not.” Which is better? We want our confidence to be in God and not in ourselves, Proverbs 3:5,6.
2. How did Daniel get this strong faith? Was he born with it? No! He came by it the same way you and I do, by studying the Word of God and growing in grace. How else could He know that His God was sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, righteous, eternal, true, and never changing? See Daniel 9:2.
3. Daniel called upon the Lord, and when you read his prayers, you see the absence of several things like; “Lord if you get me out of this jamb l will do anything. Lord you are making a big mistake l could be a big help to you in Babylon. l could be a witness. Or Lord, you're not fair to me. “
4. Fame and fortune do not guarantee happiness. Nebuchadnezzar could buy anything but peace of mind.
5. God uses prepared believers. Daniel was God’s man in the crisis, and many Babylonians will be in heaven because of Daniel.
6. Prayer is the believers “hotline" to God. Daniel was a great man of faith, but Daniel was also a great man of prayer. See Daniel 6:10.
Acknowledgment
At my side, as I prepared this commentary on Daniel, are my notes taken at Practical Bible Training School listening to my professors Dr. Marion Lowe, my teacher in the Old Testament, and Dr. Floyd H. Barackman, friend and teacher of Theology. These men wrote no book on Daniel, but they are ever-present in my understanding of Daniel. For historical background, The Cambridge Ancient History Vol. 3 - 5 was beneficial. Dr. Leon J Wood’s books on (1) The Survey of Israel’s History, and his own Commentary on Daniel, significantly contributed to my understanding of the persons and events in the Book of Daniel. No commentary begins with a blank sheet of paper, and my debt to these works when not footnoted is always present.
Below is a list of sources I used in preparing these messages:
Brown, F., Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. (1977). Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Whitaker, R., Brown, F., Driver, S. R. (Samuel R., & Briggs, C. A. (Charles A. (1906). The Abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew-English Lexicon of the Old Testament: from A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by Francis Brown, S.R. Driver and Charles Briggs, based on the lexicon of Wilhelm Gesenius. Boston; New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company.
D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible Dictionary (3rd ed.), Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Leon Wood, A Commentary on Daniel, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1973.
Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology. Vol. 4. Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1948.
Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things To Come. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969.
Ryrie, Charles C. Basic Theology. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1981.
Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Babylon, Babylonia. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 247). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
Kitchen, K. A., & Mitchell, T. C. (1996). Chronology of the Old Testament. In D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible Dictionary (3rd ed., p. 186). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.