DANIEL — LESSON 2

Scriptures for this lesson are taken from Daniel 2.

As we begin our study in Daniel chapter-2, I want to address a couple of things that were brought out in chapter-1. First, Daniel and the other three Hebrew teenagers stood up to the Babylonian leaders concerning their diet. Even though they are prisoners in a foreign land, they are being faithful to God by not eating food that is forbidden in God’s Law. Second, in Daniel 1:17 it tells us that God gave to Daniel a special knowledge and understanding about visions and dreams. This ability to understand and interpret dreams is going to save the lives of the Hebrew young men and all the wise men in Babylon in chapter-2.

[Daniel 2:1-6] (1) In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. (2) So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, (3) he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.” (4) Then the astrologers answered the king, “May the king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.” (5) The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. (6) But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”

Nebuchadnezzar was no fool. He knew that if he told them the dream they could make up an interpretation and he would not know the difference. But if they could tell him what his dream was, then they could interpret it.

[Daniel 2:10-13] (10) The astrologers answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. (11) What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.” (12) This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. (13) So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.

If you will remember, the Hebrew captives were in “wise men” training for three years. They were not officially wise men yet but they were included in those to be killed. Nebuchadnezzar reasoned that if his wise men could not tell his dream and interpret it, what good were they? Kill them all!

[Daniel 2:14-18] (14) When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. (15) He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. (16) At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. (17) Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. (18) He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

After being in Babylon for one year, the young Hebrews are faced with death. What did they do? They took it to God in prayer. They trusted and believed that God would provide the answer. What is the first thing you do when faced with a serious problem. I am afraid most of us try everything that we are able to do, and when all that fails, we take it to the Lord. Best to go to Him first!

[Daniel 2:19-23] (19) During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven (20) and said: “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. (21) He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. (22) He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. (23) I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

During the night, God reveals to Daniel the king’s dream and its meaning. What is the first thing Daniel does? He praises and thanks God. He gives God all the credit, he acknowledges that God knows all things, has all wisdom and power, He controls the nations, the times and the seasons. This is great wisdom and understanding for someone so young.

[Daniel 2:24-26] (24) Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.” (25) Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means.” (26) The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”

Daniel is very brave to ask to be taken to the king, but he has absolute faith in God that he has been given the King’s dream and God has given Daniel the interpretation. Absolute faith!

[Daniel 2:27-35] (27) Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, (28) but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these: (29) “As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. (30) As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. (31) “Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue — an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. (32) The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, (33) its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. (34) While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. (35) Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

King Nebuchadnezzar had seen a giant statue in his dream. It had a head made of gold, the chest and arms were of silver, the belly and thighs were made of iron, and the feet were a mixture of clay and iron. Then there was a rock, not cut out by man, a special rock, it smashed into the feet of the statue and it all came down is small pieces that could be blown away with the wind and there was no trace of the statue left. But the special rock became a mountain that filled up the whole earth. It must have been a very frightening dream for the king. What did it all mean? We will learn that in next week’s lesson.

Next lesson: Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

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