Dream Revealed To Daniel Series

Last week we ended our study with King Nebuchadnezzar ordering that all of the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. We also said that Daniel and his three friends were considered to be some of the wise men of Babylon and so the order would have pertained to them.

Tonight, we will pick up our study in Daniel 2:14. We are going to look at verses 14-30. In this passage, Daniel intervenes and tries to understand Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Apparently, he was not in the Royal Court when Nebuchadnezzar issued the decree for the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. When the word reached Daniel, he immediately took the necessary steps to do what he could to help the situation.

Read verses 14 and 15.

Daniel learned about the king's decree of execution when Arioch, the commander of the royal guard came to arrest Daniel. So, Daniel questions Arioch, asking why he was being arrested and why the king issued such a harsh decree. After Arioch explained the situation, Daniel requested that the captain get him an appointment to see and talk to Nebuchadnezzar.

Read verses 16 - 18. When Daniel was ushered into the presence of the king, he requested time to ask the Lord for both the content and meaning of his dream. Notice the confidence that Daniel had in the LORD. Without hesitation, he declared that the Lord could do the impossible and reveal the dream as well as its interpretation. Obviously, Nebuchadnezzar held Daniel in the highest esteem, because he granted Daniel's request.

So, Daniel goes home quickly and explains the situation to his three friends so they could join him in seeking the LORD for mercy. This situation was critical. In fact, it was life-threatening. They would be executed unless the LORD had mercy by revealing the dream and delivering them from this decree of execution. Only the LORD's mercy in revealing the dream and its meaning could save their lives. You might have noticed that there is no record that is given of the actual prayer that Daniel and his three friends offered up to God. We can assume that they got straight to the point in asking God to reveal this mystery to them.

Read verse 19. Sometime during the night, the LORD gave Daniel a very special vision of the dream. In answer to the prayers of these four young men, the LORD revealed both the content and the meaning of the dream to Daniel.

Read verses 20 - 23. Even though the prayer to God requesting what this dream was is never recorded, Daniel immediately begins to praise the name of the LORD by declaring that God deserves praise forever and ever. Constant praise to God was due for four reasons. In Daniel's prayer thanking the LORD, he reveals these four reasons.

1. God deserves praise because all wisdom and power belong to the LORD. He is omniscient, which means that he knows all things as well as what to do in every circumstance. The Lord is also omnipotent, possessing all power, which means that he can do anything to accomplish his purposes on earth and to deliver His people through the crises of life.

2. God deserves praise because He controls all events (v. 21). He controls the times and seasons of events, exactly when they take place and how long they last. He alone removes and raises up the rulers of the world. Although the leaders of the world may think that they have secured power and authority by their own efforts, it's the LORD who has given them the ability and right to rule and lead people.

3. God deserves praise because He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He alone reveals deep mysterious things and knows what is in the darkness. He alone dwells in perfect light. So, it is the LORD alone who revealed both the dream and its interpretation to Daniel. Notice how Daniel is claiming that ultimate truth can be found only in the Lord himself, in his Holy Word that he alone reveals.

4. God deserves praise because He had given Daniel superhuman wisdom and power (v. 23). The Lord had revealed and interpreted the King's dream for his servant Daniel. The Lord had given him the wisdom and the power to understand what no human power could ever reveal. The Lord had revealed the actual content and meaning of another person's dreams.

Did you notice Daniel's deep love for the Lord? If this were us, and the dream was revealed, we would have probably ran to Nebuchadnezzar to tell him. Daniel, instead of rushing immediately to Nebuchadnezzar with the content and meaning of his dream, took time, a long time, to praise the Lord.

Filled with deep love and appreciation for the Lord's mercy, Daniel worshiped God despite the life and death threat that hung over his head. In Daniel's mind it was far more important to first worship and praise the Lord than it was to have the king remove the decree of execution.