Unquestioned Integrity- Part 2

Introduction- Daniel 2:1-49 (Read Vs. 1-11)

Last week we looked at the context of the book of Daniel as the people of God are facing judgment from God in the form of Babylonian captivity.

God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to conquer Jerusalem and to take many of the people into captivity and to take many of the vessels from the temple.

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among those taken captive and which were to be reeducated in the ways of the Babylonians.

However Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself and refused to partake of the king’s provisions.

This was a step of faith for Daniel and his friends which came at great risk to their lives.

Yet in the end God blessed their faith by supernaturally working on their behalf to ensure their safety.

Today we will consider how God got the attention of a heathen king and how He would use Daniel to enable the king to recognize His power.

An Unsettling Dream (Vs. 1-11)

This passage opens with Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon having dreamed a dream which has left him troubled and unable to sleep.

He then calls for all the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans in the hope that they will be able to interpret his dream.

These “wise men” are prepared to interpret the dream but there is only one problem, the king cannot remember the details of the dream.

The Chaldeans press the king to tell them the details of the dream and assure him that they will tell him the interpretation of it.

The king then grows increasingly angry with them and insists that if they cannot tell him what he dreamed and what it means, he will have them all killed and will destroy their homes.

On the other hand he promises that if they will tell him the dream and its interpretation there are great rewards and honor awaiting them.

Again they ask the king to tell them what he has dreamed and again the king insists that he cannot, even accusing them of delaying to save themselves.

The kings insists that if they have genuine wisdom and power they should be able to tell him what he dreamed as well as telling him what the dream means.

Ultimately the Chaldeans are forced to admit that they are not capable of such a thing and they indicate that there is not a man upon the earth who is capable of doing what the king has asked of them.

They insist that no king, lord, or ruler has ever expected his magicians, astrologers, or Chaldeans to do such a thing as has been requested of them.

Their final word to the king is very interesting—they insist that only the gods “whose dwelling is not with flesh” have the power to reveal to the king what he has dreamed and the interpretation of the dream.

They believed that God had no dealings with men and that because of this it was impossible for them to do what the king had asked of them.

A Harsh Punishment (Vs. 12-16)

At this point it is evident that those whom the king has counted on are not able to fulfill his request—this reveals to him the inability of those he has to this point relied upon.

This makes the king furious and he puts forth a decree to destroy all the wise men of Babylon—this includes Daniel and his friends even though they had no personal involvement in the matter.

The leaders in the kingdom begin to execute the kings decree and in the process they seek out Daniel and his friends to put them to death.

This proves to be a turning point as the news reaches Daniel he questions those who are executing the king’s decree as to why it is being carried out.

The king’s captain then relates to Daniel the nature of the situation and in turn Daniel approaches the king to request that the execution of the decree be delayed so that he may have an opportunity to provide an interpretation of the dream.

An Answered Prayer (Vs. 17-23)

Daniel and his friends take an entirely different approach—they immediately turn to God.

Daniel shares the news with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah and asks them to join him in making an appeal to God for mercy, that he would save them from destruction by providing them with the answers which Nebuchadnezzar sought.

It was then that God revealed to Daniel the king’s dream and the interpretation of its meaning.

It is of note that at this moment Daniel immediately takes time to praise the Lord.

He expresses genuine gratitude to God for answering their prayer and ascribes wisdom and might to Him

He declares that it is God who is in control of time and who orchestrates the events in the world, who sets up and remove kings and who gives knowledge to men and reveals that which is hidden.

He expresses the fact that it is God who knows what is covered in darkness and that the light dwells with Him.

He ascribes this revelation not to his own wisdom or intelligence but to God’s wisdom and power.

He thanks God for revealing this thing to him and praises Him for giving him wisdom and might to be able to answer the king.

Again this is a vivid demonstration of the faith of Daniel and his friends in God and his power to supply their needs and to save them from destruction.

A Dream Interpreted (Vs. 24-45)

Now Daniel approaches the king’s captain and requests an audience with the king in order to shew to him the interpretation of his dream.

God not only gave Daniel the interpretation of the dream but also gave to him the details of the king’s dream.

It is of note that when Daniel appears before the king he first reminds him that the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers were not able to provide him with the answers that he sought.

Daniel then tells the king that “there is a God in heaven” who alone is able to make this thing known to him.

Daniel at no point takes credit for the ability to describe and interpret the dream but is careful to attribute the answer to God.

Daniel even tells the king that there is nothing in him which makes him worthy of such a revelation but that it is given to him only so that he and his companions may be spared and so that the king will know what the future holds.

Daniel indicates to the king that the dream is meant to reveal to him what the future holds concerning his kingdom and future kingdoms in the world.

Daniel then goes on to describe the dream to the king and to interpret its meaning.

The detail involves a statue constructed of a variety of material which each represent a kingdom.

The head of gold is representative of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom—a glorious kingdom of wealth and prosperity.

The silver, the brass, the iron, and the iron mixed with clay are each representative of future kingdoms.

It is evident by the decreasing value of the elements that each successive kingdom will decline in comparison to that which came before it.

It is not overly important for us to identify which kingdom each element represents, it is more important to recognize this continual decline until ultimately there is a striking change which occurs.

A stone suddenly appears—and it is one which was entirely unique in that it was not formed with hands.

This stone then smote the feet of the statue and broke them to pieces and ultimately all of the elements from which the statue was composed became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors and were carried away with the wind.

Then the stone suddenly became a great mountain which increased in size until it filled the whole earth.

This stone is of course representative of the kingdom of God which is a kingdom which outlasts all others and which is eternal and will consume all others.

All the other great kingdoms of the world will pass away and will be forgotten but the kingdom of God shall never be destroyed and will consume all the kingdoms of the earth and Christ will reign over all.

This was meant to cause Nebuchadnezzar to recognize the temporary nature of the kingdoms of the earth in comparison to the eternal and abiding nature of the kingdom of God.

A Stunning Realization (Vs. 46-49)

The question that remains is what is the point of all of this and this is answered in the concluding section of the chapter.

Once Daniel has described the dream and has given its interpretation, this great heathen king falls upon his face and begins to worship.

The worship is initially directed towards Daniel, but we can be sure that Daniel redirected Nebuchadnezzar’s worship to God and this seems evident by what follows.

The king expresses what he now believes to be true—that the God which Daniel worships is a God of gods and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets.

The king has basically come to understand that the God which Daniel worships is unlike any other god, that His character and power are unique and that no other god is like him.

This is one step in the right direction for Nebuchadnezzar and we will see throughout the book of Daniel that this is only the beginning of what God will do in the life of Nebuchadnezzar.

It is evident that God used Daniel to help Nebuchadnezzar to see His power and glory and to reveal the weakness and inability of that which to this point he had trusted in.

It is the faith of Daniel and his friends which have now planted the seeds of faith in the heart of this heathen king.

Were it not for their faith in God and their willingness to cry out to him for an answer in their troubles they and all the wise men of the kingdom would have been destroyed and Nebuchadnezzar would never have been confronted with the power of God and the weakness of the gods of Babylon.

These events also lead to the promotion and Daniel to a prominent position as ruler over all the province of Babylon and the chief of the governors over all the wise men of the kingdom.

Then Daniel also appeals to the king to set his companions over the affairs of the province as well.

This is all providentially ordered by God to place Daniel and his friends in positions which will ultimately allow them to have great influence in the kingdom and especially in the king himself.

God has already begun to work but we will come to find that He is not finished with Daniel and His friends for He will continue to use them to turn the heart of the king and to affect the kingdom as well.

Conclusion

In this passage we can clearly see the providence of God at work.

It is evident that God has ordered these events so that Daniel and his friends will have the opportunity to exert a godly influence in the life of the king as well as in the kingdom as a whole.

Daniel and his friends had faith in God and were willing to step out and follow Him in faith trusting that He would work in their circumstances.

They rightly recognized that God was in control and that it was He who had placed them in Babylon for His purposes.

When faced with certain destruction, Daniel and his friends immediately turn to God in prayer believing that He can and will deliver them.

It is also important to recognize that Daniel and his friends did not seek out prominence or reward but rightly credited God for their wisdom and might.

Daniel and his companions understood that if God had brought them to Babylon, He certainly must have some plan and purpose for them there.

This would become more and more evident as they watched God use them to influence the heart of the king and the policy of the kingdom.