God reveals King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream unto Daniel (2:14-30)

 

2. God reveals the King’s Dream to Daniel (2:14-30).

 a. Daniel’s response to the crisis (vv. 14-23).

 i. Daniel’s predisposition: his poise, demeanor, and mindset.

•  v. 14: Daniel’s wisdom again evident: Daniel’s prudence and discretion forestays his execution; Arioch (like Ashpenaz and the Melzar in ch. 1) is found persuadable by Daniel.

•  v. 16: Daniel’s faith again evident (cf. 1:12-13): Daniel requests an appointment with the king—even before receiving revelation from God—trusting in the power of prayer.

• In contrast to the elder wise men (v. 8), Daniel is granted extra time by the king.

 

ii. Daniel and his friends seek the Lord in prayer and petition (vv. 17-19a).

• Though Daniel “understood all kinds of visions and dreams” (1:17)—he still seeks the Lord! James 4:2: “You do not have because you do not ask.”

• The power and special effectiveness of corporate prayer (Gen. 4:26, Matt. 18:20, 2 Cor. 1:11).

• Plurality in prayer a central reason for not forsaking corporate assemblage (Heb. 10:25).

•  The court astrologers could only seek the mute testimony of the stars—but Daniel and his friends knew the Maker of the stars!

•  The “mystery” (i.e., something that can only be known through Divine revelation) was granted in a “night vision” (v. 19a). Amos 3:7: “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets.”

 

iii. Daniel remembers the Lord in thanksgiving (vv. 19-23).

Daniel does not forget to glorify the Lord in a great and beautiful prayer of praise (unlike 9 of 10 lepers in Luke 17:11-19)! Luke 17:18: “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”

 Elements of Daniel’s Prayer:

1.    Wisdom & power are ascribed unto God (vv. 20 & 23); therefore men ought to praise and bless His Great Name…

2.    He is sovereign over the times & seasons, determining the duration of events (v. 21)…

3.    He is sovereign over the destiny of nations, freely raising up and deposing monarchs (v. 21)…

4.    God is the Source of all wisdom, sovereignly granting “wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding” (v. 21)...

5.    As a sovereign act, God reveals deep and hidden things—those things that would otherwise remain unknown to humans (v. 22)...

6.    God can do this because He is sovereignly omniscient and thus knows those things that are concealed in the darkness…

7.    The light of full knowledge dwells with the Sovereign and Omniscient One (v. 22)!

b. Daniel presented before the King (vv. 24-30).

 i. A surprising statement…

v. 24b: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon!”

 o   Question: “Why not?”

 

o   Did not Joshua, following God’s command, exterminate and destroy entire cities within the Promised Land of Israel?

 

o   Did not Elijah command the destruction of the Prophets of Baal?

 

o   Why not take advantage of the situation, cleanse the land, and destroy all rival religious opposition to the God of Israel?

 

o   Answer: Daniel understood the times and the meaning of the king’s dream!

 

o   This was the Gentile world—not the unique Theocratic Nation of Israel.

 

o   It is Messiah—the Stone in the vision (vv. 35 & 44)—who will establish a worldwide Theocratic Kingdom, subduing and ruling the Nations with a rod of iron (Ps. 2:9; Isa. 11:4; Rev. 2:27, 12:5, 19:15).

 

o   Had Daniel attempted to execute and impose such a theocracy in ancient Babylon, this would have represented an improper anticipation of the Lord Jesus’ Millennial work.

 

o   The times of grace & judgment are at the Lord’s discretion.

 

o   This lesson must be apprehended in the present Church Age!

o   We are called to fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20).

o   We are not called to establish a martially imposed theocratic kingdom (e.g., medieval Catholicism, later European state churches, modern post-millennial Reconstructionist Theory, etc.).

 

ii. Daniel commends God before the king as the true Source and Revealer of

Divine wisdom (vv. 26-30).

 

o   Daniel highlights the difference between God’s Servants and the teachers of worldly wisdom (v. 27).

o   Daniel honors God, not himself, and gives God the undiluted glory and full credit (vv. 28-30).

o   Recalls Joseph in Egypt (Gen. 41:16: "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.")