b. Daniel Reveals the Dream to Nebuchadnezzar (2:24-49)
i. The Proclamation (2:24-30)
(1) Daniel’s Testimony
Verse 24
Yet again we can see the type of person Daniel was. He has kept his testimony every time something is thrown at him, no matter what it is. The diet, the death sentence and now he has the perfect opportunity to get rid of any rivals in the kings court. He has the answer and interpretation of the king’s dream. Daniel literally holds the lives of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans in his hands. Surely they deserved death anyway.
These “wise men” were the devils breed. They did not know God and certainly did not worship Him. Daniel show’s us the example of loving your enemies. Matthew 5:44-45 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; [45] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
How can we expect people (even our enemies) to come to know Christ as their Saviour if we acted in the flesh every time… Yes I’m sure we can all think of people we would like to see God judge, but that is not our call. You make sure that you are constant with your witness and testimony regardless of who the person is, friend or foe.
Verse 25
Look at the contrast between Daniel and Arioch. Daniel is looking out for others and Arioch is looking out for himself – I found the man!!! Daniel remains silent, he doesn’t say, “Well actually I found Arioch, I asked what I could do to help…” Daniel doesn’t mind Arioch trying to take the credit for finding him, he will make sure that ultimately God gets the glory.
Verse 26
I wonder how we would have answered this question. Would we have said, “I’ll show him….” and taken the credit for ourselves.
Many times in our daily walk we try and tell the world about Christ, there comes a point where a prayer is answered and deep down we want to shout out to the world, “I TOLD YOU SO!!!” But will that reaction give God the glory?
How does Daniel answer the king’s question?
(2) The Wise Men’s Frailty
How humble Daniel is. By the way, he doesn’t walk up to the king and bow down before the king and say, “Live forever, O king.” He walks in there and stands before him and says, “I’ve got the answer to your problem.” By the way, when you kneel before God in prayer, you can stand before any man. When you’ve been in the audience of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, you’re not intimidated by any other person.
Verse 27
Daniel immediately makes a distinction between the wisdom of Babylon and the wisdom of God. The apostle Paul wrote, 1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? [25] Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
This was not a question but a statement of fact. Now I believe the reason Daniel specifically wanted to say this was to prove a point to the king. Those in whom he was trusting for an answer have no power to declare to the king what he needs to know. They are a false religion from the devil himself.
Daniel had learnt not to fear man, however powerful they might be (even the king himself). Proverbs 29:25-26 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. [26] Many seek the ruler’s favour; but every man’s judgment cometh from the LORD.
When we think about the fear of man, we often picture Simon Peter denying Christ while warming his hands at the world’s fire.
Daniel did not fear the king, or his supposed wise councillors. He had firmly put his trust in the Lord. Having been trained by some of these men it would have been easy for Daniel to be swayed by them. However, if it meant compromising his beliefs and his faith, he wasn’t going to be moved, he had certainly not pinned his flag to their mast, so to speak.
(3) God’s Sovereignty
Verse 28
Now Daniel introduces Nebuchadnezzar to God. He goes on to say that only the true God has the answer, none of these people can answer you, BUT there is a God in heaven Who can speak and reveal this secret. Now the point there is that Daniel is saying to Nebuchadnezzar, there is ONLY one God and He alone can reveal secrets to people. This would show the king that his polytheistic ways were false and that there was only one God and He alone is worthy of worship.
The phrase “Latter Days” (“Last Days,” “Last Times”) is found 20 times in the Scripture beginning in Genesis 49:1 and ending with 2 Peter 3:3
Genesis 49:1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
Our Lord ushered in the “Last Days” with His death, resurrection, and ascension to Heaven Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, [2] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
We are living in that time period when God is “wrapping things up.” God has plans for the “Latter Days” of Israel Deuteronomy 31:29 For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands. This plan will climax with the Lord Jesus Christ returning to earth and being received by His people as Messiah. Joel 2:27-32
The “Last Days” for the Church include perilous times. 2 Timothy 3:1-10, these times will be filled with apostasy, the rise of scoffers and deniers of the truth. This period will end when Christ takes His church to Heaven 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Verse 29
Nebuchadnezzar was bothered as he lay in bed at night, wondering what the future held. Although he started out as a petty king, he now finds himself a world ruler.
Verse 30
The dream had to do with the future of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom and the outcome of his great world empire. Nebuchadnezzar was troubled about the future of this empire of which he suddenly found himself the possessor and dictator. The dream was God’s answer to his problem.
Daniel makes it clear that he himself deserves no credit, that God in heaven has revealed the dream, that God was prompted to reveal the dream to spare the lives of the wise men as well as to satisfy the curiosity of this man Nebuchadnezzar.
God is going to speak to Nebuchadnezzar in a language that he will understand, the language of the outward splendor and glory of his kingdom. In the dream God showed him the outward splendor of his kingdom. This dream was also the dream of a Gentile, and in it God spoke to him by using an image. The image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was not an image to be worshiped; but, because Nebuchadnezzar did fall down before images in the city of Babylon, God used an image in his dream. In this land of idolatry, such a vision was the only language Nebuchadnezzar could truly understand. Babylon was known as the fountainhead of pagan religion, the womb of heathen idols.
We will see in this section the history of the rule of this world by the Gentiles. Because of the failure of the house of David, God is now taking the scepter of this universe out from the hands of the line of David, and He is putting it in the hands of the Gentiles. It will be there until Jesus Christ comes again to this earth. Then Christ will take the scepter and rule on this earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. From the day of Nebuchadnezzar right on down through our day until the Lord comes to reign is “the times of the Gentiles.”
Daniel doesn’t take the credit for being able to interpret this dream, does he? He gives the glory right back to God where it belongs! And that is just what you do when you are living a life of integrity before God and the world. You don’t take the glory and the credit for yourself, you give it to where it belongs.
