Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream. Daniel 2:1-16
INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL
Daniel and Jonah differ from the other prophets in that their work was among foreign peoples. Their books are also unlike the other books of prophecy, in that they are largely historical. In both books, also, the supernatural element is unusually prominent.
Daniel was a prophet-statesman and his book deals with Babylon and the empires which should follow it until the coming of the divine kingdom. Of its twelve chapters, Dan_1:1-21; Dan_2:1-49; Dan_3:1-30; Dan_4:1-37; Dan_5:1-31; Dan_6:1-28 are narrative, Dan_7:1-28; Dan_8:1-27; Dan_9:1-27; Dan_10:1-21; Dan_11:1-45; Dan_12:1-13 are devoted to visions. From Dan_2:4-49; Dan_3:1-30; Dan_4:1-37; Dan_5:1-31; Dan_6:1-28; Dan_7:1-28 the Aramaic language is employed; the opening and concluding sections are written in Hebrew. The latter part of the book is written in the first person, and as its unity is not disputed, the whole is to be ascribed to Daniel himself.
It opens with an account of the captivity of Daniel and his three friends, their fearless loyalty to the faith of their fathers, and their advancement in royal Favor. While the heroic faith of his friends is manifested in their deliverance from the fiery furnace, Daniel himself is the prominent character in the history. He is distinguished for his ability not only to interpret dreams and visions but to reproduce such as had been forgotten. In his later life, after Babylon had passed into the hands of Persia, Daniel’s courage and faith received striding witness in his deliverance from the den of lions. This is the last recorded event in his life.
The symbolical visions which form the latter half of the book, with the dream of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan_2:1-49), set forth the successive establishment of four empires: Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The last empire then gives way to smaller kingdoms until the setting up of the kingdom of God, which is to include all the dominions of the earth.
In the vision of a future kingdom of righteousness, the book is at one with all prophecy. In this kingdom even the dead shall share, being raised from the dust of the earth to everlasting life. Much as there is in the book that is hard to understand, the prophecy of Daniel has always ministered to Christian faith, and the climax of its visions is still the hope of the Church.
“The Lord’s Messenger”
HISTORICAL SECTION, Daniel 1-6
2. Nebuchadnezzar’s Forgotten Dream, Dan_2:1-49
NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM
In the second year (604 B.C.) of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams which troubled and disturbed his spirit and [interfered with] his ability to sleep.
Then the king gave a command to call the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.
The king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled and anxious to know the [content and meaning of the] dream.”
Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.”
The king replied to the Chaldeans, “My command is firm and unchangeable: if you do not reveal to me the [content of the] dream along with its interpretation, you shall be cut into pieces and your houses shall be made a heap of rubbish.
“But if you tell [me] the [content of the] dream along with its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”
They answered again, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will explain its interpretation [to you].”
The king replied, “I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, because you have seen that my command [to you] is firm and irrevocable.
If you will not reveal to me the [content of the] dream, there is but one sentence for you; for you have [already] prepared lying and corrupt words [and you have agreed together] to speak [them] before me [hoping to delay your execution] until the situation is changed. Therefore, tell me the dream [first], and then I will know [with confidence] that you can give me its interpretation.”
The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king this matter, for no king, lord or ruler has ever asked such a thing as this of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.
Furthermore, what the king demands is an unusual and difficult thing indeed! No one except the gods can reveal it to the king, and their dwelling is not with [mortal] flesh.”
Because of this the king was indignant and extremely furious and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
So the decree went out that the wise men were to be killed; and they looked for Daniel and his companions to put them to death.
Then Daniel replied with discretion and wisdom to Arioch, the captain of the king’s bodyguard, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon;
he said to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree from the king so harsh and urgent?” Then Arioch explained the matter to Daniel.
So Daniel went in and asked the king to appoint a date and give him time, so that he might reveal to the king the interpretation of the dream.
Thoughts
on
Daniel 2:1-16
THE FORGOTTEN DREAM
This was the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s sole reign. At first he was joint-governor with his father. From Dan_2:4 to Dan_7:28 the Syriac language is employed, and as this was the vernacular tongue of the king and his court, it is possible that this part of Daniel’s record is based upon documents of state. The king’s argument throughout his discussion with the magicians and astrologers, was that if they could not recall the past, they certainly could not be trusted to foretell the future; and the failure of the wise-men provided the opportunity for the greater triumph of the servant of God. The wise-men of Babylon said truly that only the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh, could recover lost dreams. Daniel thought so, too, only he looked to the Lord God of his fathers. Irresponsible power is a temptation to the ruler, and perilous to the ruled. No mortal should have despotic power over life and death. But a movement is afoot in our times which is likely to give to all nations what Abraham Lincoln described as, “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”(In a world where same sex marriage and men changing their sexual preference to be a women and women to men this is even more dangerous than a mortal should have despotic power.)
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