This is another look at the book of Daniel. It is titled, Prophecy of Daniel Chap 2 Commentary (Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream) Part 1
Click here for a previous study- Daniel 1 Commentary: Daniel’s Diet and Training.
Daniel chapter 2 Commentary
“And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.” Daniel 2:1
At this time Daniel had finished his three years of special education. Now the Lord opened the way for him to be of service, to help those poor people in Babylon who did not know of His truth, nor understanding of His love.“2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.” Daniel 2:2,3.
The king was proud of his great empire, and his beautiful capital city, Babylon. He hoped it would remain forever. He knew very well, however, as all men know, that someday he must die. Then what would happen to his great kingdom?
He was a heathen king and knew nothing whatsoever about the great God of Heaven. His only contact with God had been through God’s unfaithful people, the Jews, whom Nebuchadnezzar had been able to conquer and take captive. Since he conquered the Jews, who could blame him for thinking what his god was greater than their God!
The people of Israel should have taught the world God’s message – but they had failed. Instead, they became proud and arrogant and thought that they alone could be saved. Poor Nebuchadnezzar! In his ignorance, he did many wrong things, but God could see that his heart was honest.
Although the king was well educated in all the wisdom of the world, he did not know the wisdom of Heaven. This strange dream from heaven troubled him. He couldn’t even remember its details. God was preparing a way to humble the proud wise men and leaders of Babylon who professed to know the only true religion.
Through it, he gave His servant an opportunity to explain to them the truth which they did not know. What the Babylonians proudly called ‘higher education’ was utter foolishness. Some of their ‘wise men’ professed to be able to talk with dead people.
Among these men were some called ‘astrologers’, who professed to be able to read the future through movements of the stars. It was a custom of these professed wise men, when the king asked wisdom from them, to skillfully ask him many questions in order to draw him out and learn what he was thinking. Then through lying craftiness, they would devise an answer to satisfy the king. This is what they now tried to do.
‘5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore shew me the dream and the interpretation thereof.
7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.
8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew 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 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.’ Daniel 2:5-13.
At last, Nebuchadnezzar had seen through the ‘tricks of his so-called ‘wise men’. He recognizes all their hypocrisy and deceit. Being very tired after several days and nights without proper rest because of his worry over the dream, the king becomes very angry with is wise men: the same ‘wise men’ who professed to be able talk with gods who did not dwell with human flesh.
And now they confess before the king that their wisdom is only the ordinary wisdom of human beings! Now there is a real battle between the education of the world and that true education which comes only from God. Here are the ‘wisest’ men in the world, educated in every possible branch of learning of their time. On the other side stands Daniel, a youth coming from a despised people who are now conquered slaves.
But Daniel has received true wisdom and knowledge from God. We cannot approve of the anger and cruelty which Nebuchadnezzar shows toward his professed ‘wise men’. But we must remember that this is the anger of a man who now knows that he has been deceived very much by those whom he had trusted.
‘14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:
15 He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew 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 fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.’ Daniel 2:14-18 KJV
Do not forget that Daniel had received the highest marks in the examination at the close of his three-year college course. He was found to be ‘ten times wiser’ than the others, and yet he humbly seeks God for wisdom and asks his friends to pray with him and for him! True education doe not make anyone proud.
It was a good thing that the king had forgotten about Daniel when he first called his wise men to tell him what his dream was. Had he called him first, there would have been no opportunity to expose the empty pretensions of these ‘wise men’.
Daniel probably remembered the promise David wrote in Psalm 25:14: “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.’ Perhaps he remembered the promise in Proverbs 3:25,26. ‘Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.’
‘19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.’ Daniel 2:19-23. KJV
Notice: 1. Daniel’s confidence that the Lord had revealed to him the dream of the king. He did not ask the king timidly whether this might be his dream or not. Instead, he praised the LORD for revealing it.
2. We are reminded in reading Daniel’s thanksgiving that in our prayers to God we should remember to praise Him for His goodness and mercy to us.
3. We see how Daniel understood that his revelation had come in response to the prayers of his friends as well as his own. He did not take the honor to himself alone. The true Christian will not deprive others of the credit that belongs to them. ‘
24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.’ Daniel 2:24,25. KJV
We are pleased to see how Daniel asks to have the lives of the foolish ‘wise men’ saved, although they do not deserve any mercy whatsoever. But Daniel hopes that among them there may be some who will be willing to listen to the truth and find God through the story of the king’s dream. Their lives are saved because of Daniel, a servant of God. In the same way, God saves the lives of many wicked people today because of the few righteous ones among them! (see Genesis 18:26-32.)
‘26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;
28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.’ Daniel 2:26-30. KJV
A true servant of God, Daniel does not take any credit to himself for his understanding. He gives all the honor and glory to God in order that the king also might learn to trust the God of truth. He makes certain at the very beginning that the thoughts of all who are listening to him are directed not to himself but to the God of Heaven. Then he goes on to explain the dream with the king listening very anxiously – almost breathless with interest.
This commentary continues in part 2 with Daniel’s God-inspired interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
Related:
Daniel 2 Commentary and Bible study – William H Shea
Who Is The King of The North in Daniel 11 – Dwight Nelson Sermon
Daniel 9 Explained – Clifford Goldstein Bible Study
Prophet Daniel: Book of Daniel 8 Commentary by Dr. William H Shea
Book of Daniel chapter 7 Commentary and Study by William H Shea
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