Daniel - Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

God is taking care of His faithful even in a foreign land under an unbelieving King. We shall also see that God even works with unbelievers. Daniel remains faithful to God and He brings Daniel before great men.

This record occurs during the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel and company have not been in Babylon very long. Their three years of conditioning has not even elapsed yet.

Daniel 2
:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar
    Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams,
        wherewith his spirit was troubled,
        and his sleep brake from him.
: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.
:4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, [Aramaic]
        O king, live for ever:
        tell thy servants the dream,
        and we will shew the interpretation.
: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 honour:
        therefore shew me the dream,
            and the interpretation thereof.

It is one thing to 'interpret' a dream when it is told to you, it is another to have to tell that person what the dream was and then interpret it. The Chaldeans realize that they are out of their league. Their gods cannot supply them with this information. Nebuchadnezzar confronts them telling them that if they cannot tell him the dream than they have given him lying and corrupt words this whole time. The Chaldeans reaction:

: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;
    and they sought Daniel
        and his fellows
    to be slain.

This is very serious. Nebuchadnezzar must have been extremely upset. His request was unusual but if their gods were powerful at all they should have been able to tell them the dream and it's meaning. However, this dream is of the one true God and only a man/woman walking with Him would get the understanding. The Chaldeans know that their gods cannot supply them with the required information, they are in trouble.

God must have talked to Daniel already for when the men come for the children of Israel he said he could know the dream and interpret it.

:14 Then Daniel answered with counsel
        and wisdom [Word of Knowledge and Word of 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.

God would have told Daniel that this was available because it is not a promise in His Word that anyone would be able to know dreams and interpret them. God gives the interpretation when it is necessary.

: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.
: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 for ever 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, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) must be a tight group; they are mentioned together frequently. They come together and pray to God for the answer He said He would give Daniel. Look at Daniel's prayer of thanksgiving starting in verse 20 after God shows him the dream and its interpretation. Go ahead, read it again. Daniel blessed God and thanked Him and praised Him. He is God over all.

: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.
: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.

This really takes great boldness and confidence to stand before a king, especially a king that has threatened your life. But Daniel stands boldly and explains to him that it is not for or by Daniels own greatness that this dream will be made known or interpreted but because Nebuchadnezzar wanted to know what was to come of his kingdom and God honored his request. God knew Nebuchadnezzar would listen and ultimately help God's people.

The dream is recited and interpreted in verses 31-45. Nebuchadnezzar saw a great image made of various materials that represented different nations. A stone, not fashioned with hands, struck the image and broke it into pieces. The interpretation is that Nebuchadnezzar has been given this great kingdom, power and strength by God, he is the head of gold of this image. After Nebuchadnezzar other kingdoms will arise and break apart Babylon. Ultimately God will set up a kingdom overall:

:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom,
        which shall never be destroyed:
    and the kingdom shall not be left to other people,
    but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms,
    and it shall stand for ever.
:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest
    that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands,
    and that it brake in pieces the iron,
        the brass,
        the clay,
        the silver,
        and the gold;
    the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter:
    and the dream is certain,
    and the interpretation thereof sure.

And Nebuchadnezzar was prideful and exceedingly angry and commanded Daniel's head to be removed from his shoulders because Nebuchadnezzar was not going to live forever---NO!! God knew Nebuchadnezzar would believe.

:46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face,
    and worshipped Daniel,
    and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said,
        Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods,
            and a Lord of kings,
            and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
:48 Then the king made Daniel a great man,
    and gave him many great gifts,
    and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon,
    and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
:49 Then Daniel requested of the king,
    and he set Shadrach,
        Meshach,
        and Abednego,
    over the affairs of the province of Babylon:
    but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

Nebuchadnezzar recognized the power of God and was wise to set up these men who believed God over his kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar doesn't always worship God, he is influenced by his princes to do otherwise but always comes back to recognizing God as powerful and wise.

What a great witness. Daniel took a stand when things didn't look so good and God was there for him. God is always there for us and we are witnesses of His power and might. Let the light of God's Word shine brightly in your life. Darkness will descend on our communities and nations if we do not show forth the light of God's Word. Fear not to take a stand for what is right! Do not allow evil to triumph!

I John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children,
        and have overcome them:
    because greater is he that is in you,
    than he that is in the world.