Dan 2:14-30 · Read 6 min · think and write 15 min
“In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him” (Dan 2:1). He called the magicians and the Chaldeans, and demanded that they tell him not only what the dream meant, but first what the dream was. They said: “It is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can show it before the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh” (Dan 2:11).
“Because of this, the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed” (Dan 2:12). “So the decree went out, and the wise men were to be slain. They sought Daniel and his companions to be slain” (Dan 2:13).
14Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.
15He answered Arioch the king’s captain, “Why is the decree so urgent from the king?” Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.
17Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and his companions would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20Daniel answered, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are his.
21He changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding.
22He reveals the deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
23I thank you and praise you, O God of my fathers, who have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we desired of you; for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”
24Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said this to him: “Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon. Bring me in before the king, and I will show to the king the interpretation.”
25Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said this to him: “I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah who will make known to the king the interpretation.”
26The king answered Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?”
27Daniel answered before the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded can’t be shown to the king by wise men, enchanters, magicians, or soothsayers;
28but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head on your bed are these:
29“As for you, O king, your thoughts came on your bed, what should happen hereafter; and he who reveals secrets has made known to you what will happen.
30But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.
Counsel and prudence. “Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon” (v. 14), and asked him, “Why is the decree so urgent from the king?” (v. 15).
A time from the king. “Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation” (v. 16).
Praying together. “Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret” (vv. 17–18).
He blessed the God of heaven. “Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven” (v. 19). He said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are his” (v. 20); “He reveals the deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him” (v. 22); “I thank you and praise you, O God of my fathers” (v. 23). Before he went to the king, he first blessed God.
A God in heaven. Before the king, he said: “The secret which the king has demanded can’t be shown to the king by wise men, enchanters, magicians, or soothsayers” (v. 27); “but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets” (v. 28); “this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living” (v. 30).
The dream and its meaning. Daniel went on to tell the king the dream and what it meant (Dan 2:31-45); this lesson does not read that part. The king said to Daniel: “Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you have been able to reveal this secret” (Dan 2:47). “Then the king made Daniel great and gave him many great gifts, and made him rule over the whole province of Babylon and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon” (Dan 2:48).
Afterwards. “Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon, but Daniel was in the king’s gate” (Dan 2:49). The next lesson reads what happened after Nebuchadnezzar said again, “I saw a dream which made me afraid” (Dan 4:5).
The prophet Ezekiel brought the LORD’s word to the prince of Tyre, and in it he said: “behold, you are wiser than Daniel. There is no secret that is hidden from you” (Ezek 28:3).
Readers can see this: in this chapter Daniel says before the king, “this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living” (v. 30).
Perhaps you are facing something beyond your strength: a deadline closing in, a question you cannot answer, an outcome you are held responsible for. Or perhaps you have just done something well, and everyone is praising you.
This lesson does not say that if you pray you will surely get an answer at once; nor does it say that capable people do not deserve to be valued. What it shows you is this: he “made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions”, so “that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven” (vv. 17–18); when the secret was revealed, “Daniel blessed the God of heaven” (v. 19); and before the king he said, “this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living” (v. 30).
This week: Find a brother or sister in Christ, tell them about one hard thing you are facing, and ask them to pray with you about it.
Scripture: World English Bible.