Daniel 2: 25-30
Daniel had "taken a chance" and told Arioch to hold off on the executions, because he would tell the king what he was asking (yesterday). This was a very dangerous step, but it shows that he trusted that God would answer his prayer.
Then when God gave him the same dream, he had the commander bring him to the king.
(25) Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king's presence
This Chief over the king's body-guards was in a hurry to bring Daniel in, so he wouldn't be accused of delaying his obedience to the king's order.
and spoke to him as follows: "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!"
Then he took credit for finding this lad who could give an answer!
(26) The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?"
The king was probably surprised first thing in the morning to meet this boy and he asked him if he really could tell him what he dreamed and what it meant.
(27) Daniel answered before the king and said, "As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.
Daniel was quick to deny credit, because no human person could answer what the king asked.
(28) "However, there is a God in Heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days.
He made sure the king would know it was the Lord God, not any of the idols in Babylon, who was able to reveal mysteries. Because He is the only God.
This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed.
(29) As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.
Only God is the One who reveals mysteries, like this dream the king had. And He alone can reveal what will happen in the future.
The king had gone to bed thinking about what would happen in the future, so God told him in this dream. That's why the king was so anxious to find out what it means.
(30) But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind."
Daniel again makes sure that the king knows it isn't Daniel who has this wisdom, but only the Lord God of Israel. And He is the One who decided to reveal to the king what would happen in the future, to understand what he had been thinking about as he laid down.
Daniel was only the channel through which God would give this information to the king. God was revealing Himself to King Nebuchadnezzar, and it will take a few more times dealing with him for this king to honor God. This is only the first.
Because Daniel was committed to the Lord, he was used of the Lord in the king's life, even as a mere student.
I think that God gave this dream to Nebuchadnezzar and caused him to forget it just so He would learn about the Lord God of Israel. Why else would He have done so? This way, He could have a good influence in the whole society, and prepare the way for a future Cyrus to allow the Jews to go beck home.
You can read about the statue in the dream here, and the kingdoms it represents here. Then the end of the dream, and the end of these kingdoms here.
This is a most fascinating story! Let's see what the king did for Daniel for telling him. Tomorrow.
O my Father, please let us trust You as Daniel did, and to rely on You and be used of You, as Daniel did. And his friends, too. They did not know you as we do today, after You revealed Yourself to human-kind through the years, and in Your Son, Jesus. Thank You, Father, for Your written Word, also, to describe and explain so much of Your ways.
These four lads had a very strong faith and trusted You with their lives. And we know so much more, and even have Your own Spirit living in us to teach us. May we depend on You even more.
O Father, as we find ourselves going through the times we are in, let us lean on You, trusting that the wrath You pour out on the world will not touch Your children; because what we are due was already poured out on Jesus as the Lamb of God on our behalf. Even though a thousand fall at our side, ten thousand at our right hand, it will not approach us; we will only see with our eyes what the wicked people have called upon themselves (Psalm 91: 7-8).
Father, thank You for Your greatness, Your goodness, Your love for us all, and Your grief over the deaths of the wicked, because they refused Your generous, gracious gift. Thank You for Your compassion to have Your messengers share Your wonderful good news to every living person.
Send us out, Father, as Your missionaries, to our families, our co-workers, our neighbors, our neighborhoods and cities and nations. Send us out to every nation, Father, to broadcast the good seed of Your Gospel, so that all Your children will be brought to the birth into Your family, and no one else will have any excuse.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
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