Title: “Disturbing Dreams” Script: Daniel 2:1-24
Type: Expository Series Where: GNBC 10-12-25
Intro: Have you ever had a disturbing dream? I mean a really disturbing dream? I can still remember a portion of a disturbing dream that I had when I was less than 6 yrs old. Most people have disturbing dreams occasionally, with about 85% of adults reporting at least one nightmare per year. However, about 1 in 20 adults (2-6%) have frequent, weekly nightmares, and 2-8% of adults have a nightmare disorder, which is characterized by frequent and very distressing dreams that interfere with daily life. John Winkelman, MD, PhD a Harvard Medical School associate professor of psychiatry who studies sleep disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital, says night terrors are often forgotten the next day because they arise during what is known as short-wave sleep, a time when neurons in the neocortex, the brain’s center for higher mental functions, are less active. Well, I am not sure how Dr. Winkleman would have diagnosed King Nebuchadnezzar’s disturbing dream in Daniel 2, but the Bible makes it very clear that the dream came from God in an attempted to get a tyrant’s attention.
Prop: We’ll notice 3 important elements of Nebuchadnezzar’s Disturbing Dream in Dan. 2:1-24
BG: 1. V.1 Tells us when this chapter takes place. 2nd year of Neb’s reign. Probably 604 BC.
2. v.4 begins the Aramaic section of Daniel (2:4b to 7:28). (Ezra too.)
Prop: Follow w/me in Dan. 2:1-24 to examine 3 Elements of Neb’s Disturbing Dream.
I. The Insecurity of Man vv. 1-13
A. Nebuchadnezzar’s Sleep Was Troubled Due to Divinely Given Nightmares.
1. God was about to Get a Defiant Tyrant’s Attention.
a. “We know too, perhaps from our own experience, that the problems of the day often appear in different guise in the dreams of the night. The anxieties of daylight can become monsters of the darkness.” (S. Ferguson, Daniel, p. 44). The young king who was only 2 years into his reign was already having trouble sleeping. Neb’s expansionist policies met resistance from others and possibly this was the source of his troubled sleep. When God gave Neb his dreams, it left him with a restless spirit, the Bible says that he was “troubled” (v. 1) and that his spirit became “anxious” (v.3). The king’s anxiety was exacerbated by the fact that he couldn’t remember the content of the dreams.
b. Illust: Have you ever had such an experience? Had a dream that particularly bizarre or realistic or troubling, and yet when you awakened you couldn’t remember the details, but you were anxious and upset? And yet, we claim to be so sophisticated in our 21st century and the importance of dreams seem to be so passe of another era. I think dreams often unveil deep seated aspects of our divinely created individuality. We all have fears and ambitions, anxieties and aspiration. There are mysteries of the spiritual realm that dreams sometimes expose to us. Preceding peoples and generations have found significance and meaning in dreams and today we seemingly discount them all as the result of “too much pizza” or “bad stir fry”. Yet, we cannot deny that God often used dreams divinely in the lives of individuals to communicate His plans for purposes to people and certainly that is exactly what he is doing with this young Babylonian despot.
2. The Troubled Dreams of the King Spell Trouble for his Advisors.
a. The king’s troubled sleep spells trouble for his advisors. V. 2 – Possibly the new king was mistrustful of his advisors. Maybe there was a lack of cohesion in his cabinet. Possibly he was testing the wise men to see just how wise they really were. Regardless, he begins with a daunting task for his advisors: He requires that they tell him the content and the meaning of the dream! (Now that’s not the way it worked! Tell them the dream and they would tell you “the meaning” of the dream. But Neb was having none of that!
b. I think this demand allows us to gain an interesting insight into this desperate despot. Despite Nebuchadnezzar’s power and position, in his heart of hearts, when he was alone with his thoughts and dreams in the dark of night, he was no more brave than a lost child in the dark. You see his panic displayed in the way he treated the people around him: v.5 In his fear he attempts to strike fear into the hearts of his advisors so as to have his questions answered. Notice the response of the advisors in v. 10 – No man can do what you ask…only God can do this thing! Illust: Friend, let me tell you this, when you are presented with a problem only God can resolve, don’t try harder, but rather, pray harder and expect to see God work!
B. Nebuchadnezzar’s Response Illusts the Truth of How Everyone Lives Who Live Apart from God.
1. Everyone Who Lives Apart From God Lives with Overwhelming Insecurity.
a. From the outside we look at Nebuchadnezzar and see an individual we would certainly be envious of…power, prestige, wealth, influence, fame and glory. His empire would be one of the greatest of all time. His hanging gardens were one of the wonders of the ancient world. And yet Neb was a man whose heart was set on the “cotton candy” of life. Illust: Cotton candy is visually alluring. It tantalizes our taste buds. And yet, it’s nothing more than puffed up sugar. There’s no content. You bite into it and it evaporates in your mouth and in moments its gone and you are left with both a head and stomach ache.
b. Friend, what are you chasing after? Neb needed to learn a lesson that every single one of us needs to learn: God made man for Himself. “The human heart is restless until it finds its rest in God.” (Augustine). What are Savior said was true, and it matters not what strata of society you find yourself in. Mark 4:19 “the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for other things” destroy our peace. As long as you and I live solely on and for the horizontal plane of this world alone, we can never be delivered from our insecurities, our angst, and our anguish. Friend, look to the uplifted cross of Christ and set your sights upon the Savior Who loved you so much He died to secure your salvation!
2. Everyone Who Lives Apart from God Lives with Hostility.
a. Vv. 1-13 unfolds showing us significant insights into Neb’s character. Neb’s true character is seen in his reactions to his situations. In this chapter we seem to learn as much about Neb’s character from his reactions as from his actions. His reactions are constantly characterized by a sense of hostility rooted deeply in his own insecurity. I personally believe that those two reactions are inwardly connected. Nebuchadnezzar has no peace with the world because he has no peace with himself and he certainly has no peace with God! V.9 (Read) he angrily lashes out and threatens his unsuspecting advisors, accusing them of conspiracy. He even takes this retaliation further by asking his counselors for the impossible.. (Read v.11) And yet, what is his response? V.12 (read).
b. Illust: Free dating and marriage advice. Stay away from angry people. Women often think “the bad boy” will change. They can nurture the “angry man”, Nonsense! The reason he or she cannot get along with anyone else is because he or she cannot get along with him/herself. That individual needs Christ and not a second mommy! And listen, the angry individual will always ask the impossible of those who love him and will be (v.12) “very angry and furious” when the unattainable perfection is unreached. Ultimately that individual’s hostility is the manifestation of humanity’s innate hostility towards God. Neb’s conflict was the conflict every individual faces. Who is God and who will be God in your life?” Up to this point Ne was unwilling to allow God to show Himself to be Who He was. He was unwilling to allow Him to be the Lord of His life.
C. Applic: In Neb’s dream, God was telling the tyrant that although his kingdom presently seemed so great, it was about to fade and decay (v.44) and that only Christ’s Kingdom will stand and last forever.
II. Daniel’s Boldness Before God. Vv.14-23
A. Daniel Boldly Seeks the Lord in Time of Need.
1. The Saint Can Be Bold in Approaching his/her Savior.
a. vv.13-14 – The king has now sent out the head of his Secret Service detail to execute all of the wise men. V.14 – Arioch comes to Daniel to kill him. This is a time to be tactful! Daniel answers with “discretion and discernment”. V.15 “What’s the rush?!” v.16 Daniel appeals to the king for time to make known the dream. You know what, when Daniel came before the king he put a big X on his back! I imagine this sadistic sovereign smiled to himself…if he doesn’t tell me my dream, I am going to… evil smile. In this moment, Daniel joined the long line of the Lord’s servants who have stood before tyrants to declare God’s Kingdom Truth. There was Joseph and Moses and Elijah, and Isaiah, Jeremiah, there would be John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, John and Paul. This contrast between God’s servants and worldly rulers reveals a pattern in the lives of goldy, faithful men. Each were men whose lives were filled with and directed by the Spirit of Christ both before and after the incarnation! It is no different for the Church today, Christian! What may be misconstrued as “being a brash young man”, was rather a young man fully confident in the God of the Universe. That word “discernment” is related to the Hebrew verb meaning “to taste”. Illust: We all know (Maybe some are!) “foodies”, whose palates are so refined to distinguish the vintages of wines or the origin of coffee beans or tea leaves, Spiritual wisdom is kind of like that. Developed over time and experience. Daniel had read Ps. 34:8 from childhood: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” If ever he needed refuge, it was now!
b. Illust: Long before Bob Dylan or Eric Clapton were “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”, Daniel and his three friends were pounding on it…for an answer from the Lord! Daniel is in a pickle! He needs to hear from God or else he is dead. So what does he do? He goes to his godly friends and they have a prayer meeting and they prayer like their lives depend on it…because they do!
2. I want to highlight a bit of the content of this unrecorded prayer. V.18
a. “request compassion” – mercy! Daniel and his friends pray for mercy! At the end of the day, what everyone needs most in this life in preparation for the next is mercy! The prayer for mercy is the sinner’s plea recognizing God’s holiness and our own sinfulness and failure. Man’s greatest need is mercy! Mankind stands doomed and damned with the inherited condition of our first father (Adam). We stand doomed and damned by our daily words, thoughts and deeds that consistently miss the mark of God’s righteousness. We stand doomed and damned by our sins of omission as well as commission. But praise the Lord, we can find MERCY in Christ! Heb. 4:16 states: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Daniel certainly did just that! Dear friend, you should today as well! All prayer comes to God thru His mercy. (In Jesus’ name.)
b. “from the God of Heaven” – Find in the like Nehemiah, Ezra, and now Daniel. You see after the departure of the Glory of God from the Holy of Holies when from the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, He is now addressed as the “God of Heaven”. Daniel and his friends aren’t praying to some local deity confined to a building in Jerusalem. Whereas the trauma of the deportation had tested the faith of so many of Daniel’s countrymen, these very same events had allowed Daniel, H, M, A, to glimpse and grasp an even greater appreciation for the glory of God! Illust: In my life I have seen the same trouble and heartache crush one believer’s faith while blossoming another’s. Friend, you may be going through a trial right now. May I ask you, “How big is your God!” The God of Heaven can do the impossible!
B. Daniel Hears from Heaven and Praises the Lord. Vv. 19-23
1. Daniel Responds to God’s Deliverance with a Spirit of Worship.
a. v.19 I think that God gave Daniel the exact same dream that He had given to Nebuchadnezzar. And when he awakens from the dream Daniel worships God! He doesn’t call or text his friends. He doesn’t go on IG or Snap or FB or TickTok! No, he FIRST goes to the throne of grace! Earlier I said that Neb’s character was seen in not only his actions but in his reactions. The same is true with Daniel. “Daniel’s God-centered reaction to the impending disaster of death is matched by his God-centered action of praise when the catastrophe is averted! Our spirituality lies in not only the fervency of our prayers in times of crisis, but in the wholeheartedness of our worship when God acts on our behalf in grace.” (Ferguson, p. 51)
b. Daniel was a man of purpose. Daniel was a man of prophesy. But ultimately, Daniel was a man of prayer and worship! Prayer undergirds your purpose in life. Worship allows you to see the One Who has created you for that purpose!
2. Take Notice of what Daniel knew about God as revealed in this prayer in vv. 20-22
Illust: God is unchanging and worthy of praise. When was the last time you truly praised God?
God is always wise, always powerful. Do you search for wisdom and power somewhere else?
God is moving time forward, changing the seasons as a reminder of that progress. Do you embrace the progress or wish you could delay it? God is the one who controls the “kings” of this world. Have you worried that things seem “out of control?” God gives wisdom to those who are wise enough to seek it. How often do you ask God for his perfect wisdom? God gives knowledge to people who will think like him. Do you know what to do with the wisdom God gives you?
God reveals deep things that we could not know of apart from his revelation. What was the last great truth or calling God revealed to you? God is light, dispelling darkness. Does God light up the room when you enter?
D. Applic: In his time of need Daniel boldly prays to the Lord and boldly praises the Lord when God reveals the dream to His prophet.
III. The Confidence of God-given Conviction Vv.24-30
A. Upon Hearing from the Lord, Daniel Speaks with Grace and Boldness.
1. Daniel Speaks Before the King with Grace.
a. After Daniel worships his God he then goes to Arioch, the commander of the guard. V.24 Daniel showed great confidence. But he also showed great compassion. He was confident in his God, in God’s answer to his prayer. He was bold to go before the angry and very furious king rather than run away from him, because he knew God had given him what the king required. But he was also compassionate. Daniel could have played his cards differently here. He could have anticipated that his access to the one true God through prayer would arouse jealousy in the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and Chaldeans, and that jealousy could get he and his friends in trouble; maybe thrown in a lion’s den or into a fiery furnace. Daniel could have seized this opportunity to secure his unrivaled position. God had proved the wisdom of the wise men of Babylon bankrupt, and Daniel could have used this situation to secure the destruction of all the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans. He could have..but he didn’t! But instead, Daniel shows compassion. He understands the character of God, that he is ‘slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness’ (Ex.34:6). He is ‘not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance’ (2Pet.3:9). He still desires that today!
b. Vv.25-27, 28. I love how these three verses play out. Daniel has told Arioch that he knows the contents of the king’s dream. The elated guard ushers the young Hebrew into the king’s presence. Then the king questions Daniel..v.26. Daniel’s reply must have sent shock waves down Arioch’s spine. I imagine a slight delay on the part of Daniel and maybe even the king turning an angry eye towards Arioch! Gulp! And then v.28!!! “However there is a God in Heaven Who reveals mysteries!” AMEN! When a man is at the end of his resources and hope…THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN!
2. Daniel Also Speaks Before the King with Boldness.
a. Daniel addresses the king in the same spirit that our Savior addressed the high priest and Pilate. It is the same spirit with which Elijah addressed Jezebel.; it is the same spirit of John the Baptist before Herod. Daniel is full of the spirit of truth and even Nebuchadnezzar can recognize that. Illust: Thomas Hooker, New England Puritan, it was said grew in stature when he preached so that you could think he could pick up the king and put him in his pocket had he so desired. Similar was said of Scotland spiritual giant John Knox when the papish Mary, Queen of Scots reputedly stated, "I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe".
b. God uses His servant Daniel to let the king know that there is One Who knows and judges the hearts of man be he small or great. There is One Who knows Nebuchadnezzar than even Neb knows himself. He reveals dreams so the king may know the thoughts of his own heart. (v.30) Nebuchadnezzar was realizing God is the center of the Universe. God is in Heaven. God gave Nebuchadnezzar his dream. God had ordained Judah’s captivity. God had raised up a Daniel and God had revealed the secrets of Neb’s dreams for His own glorious purposes!
B. Daniel Graciously Gives the Glory to God in His Moment of Triumph.
1. Daniel Demonstrates God’s Plan at Work in the Lives of His Saints. Do you see what God is doing in this one event? He is testing the faith of Daniel’s friends, and in doing so He is strengthening them for the even greater trials of faith that will lie ahead in the fiery furnace (3) and lion’s den (6), while simultaneously He is dealing with Nebuchadnezzar, bringing events into the king’s life to show him just how small and insignificant he really is, what a sinful heart he has, and how he needs to humble himself before the Lord. (If you don’t know Christ as your Savior I hope you will learn same lessons.)
2. The Church needs men and women like Daniel today! We need to see that same Daniel spirit today. We need Christians with integrity fully relying on God, knowing that He is able to lead and direct them to do His will. We need people to pray. We need people to live in God’s power.
C. Applic: Past week Carol and I made quick trip to Indiana to see a friend in a care facility there. About 30 mi from hometown, so after visiting drove there. Met man who discipled me for dinner. While at dinner he told me about old HS friend who had major health crisis last year due to alcoholism. Briefly named the bar he owns. Finished dinner. Went to grocery store, saw boyhood home, driving thru part of town worked at auto plant. Began looking for first house ever painted. Buddy and me knew nothing about bidding jobs. Ended up making $1.75 hr. As trying to find house in dark to show Carol, she said, “Hey, isn’t that your friend’s bar?” I was intent on finding the house. Got turned around and 5 minutes later… “There’s your friend’s bar!” “Do you think God wants me to go over there?” “No one’s there.” Sat in parking lot and saw pony tail moving in the dark. “I am going in you stay in the car…do you feel safe? Honk if trouble.” I went into a small smoky bar with 3 bikers and an old man at the bar. No one at the counter. Just then an older man came from a back room. “What can I get you?” “I am looking for Stephen Jones.” (Not real name.) “Hi Chris, it’s me, Steve!” Last time seen each other was 1985! Hugged each other. One of the bikers got emotional…seriously! “I love these type of reunions, may I take your pictures!” Then we talked briefly. He told me briefly of his struggles. He told me I was the second person from distant past walked into the bar that night and asked if God was trying to tell him something. I said Stephen, this may be the last time we ever see each other…Can I pray for you? “Please do, Chris!” I grabbed his arm across the bar and lifted his soul to our Savior. Before I finished my prayer I looked out of the corner of my eye to see 3 bikers bowing their heads at the bar and when I finished my prayer in Jesus’ name, one of the biker’s looked up, put his beer down, and said, “Amen!”
