Daniel - Chapter 2

Mark Dunagan
02/01/15 - Sunday Morning

Series: Daniel

Daniel

Chapter 2

Someone has noted that the book of Daniel is divided between six chapters of historical events and six chapters of visions. In addition, much of what is mentioned in the book is rooted in the first chapter. The temple vessels taken from Jerusalem (1:2) show up in chapter 5. The “here-I-must-draw-the-line” decision (1:8) is repeated in chapters 3 and 6. Daniel’s God-given skill in interpreting visions and dreams (1:17) is used in chapters 2 and 5.

2:1-2  As in chapter one we have another reference to time, “The second year of Nebuchadnezzar” (2:1). Be impressed that God can use such simple things as dreams to get the attention of the world’s mightiest mortal. 2:3-4 “In Aramaic”: Beginning in verse 4 and going all the way through 7:28 our copies of Daniel are written in Aramaic, even the Dead Sea scrolls of Daniel contains this switch from Hebrew to Aramaic. In Daniel’s time, Aramaic was the common language of non-Jewish peoples. “O king, live forever”: Yet we know from the interpretation of the dream that his will not be the case (2:39). The Babylonian king and his Empire are just one passing pause of human history. “Tell the dream”: They were confident that with their collective wisdom, they could satisfy the king with an interpretation. 

2:5-6  Nebuchadnezzar is no fool, for he knew that wise men were not beyond making up an “interpretation”, and he also knew that if the magicians could tell him the dream without it being told to them, they would be demonstrating their true ability to interpret it. The King James Version here has the statement, “The thing is gone from me”, which probably is better translated, “The word from me is sure”, i.e., I have made up my mind about this, this is my decision. The punishment of being torn limb from limb pretty much fits what we know about such ancient rulers. 

2:10-11 “There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter... and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods”: These two verses stand as a lasting condemnation of all occult practices. These men were not amateurs, rather, they were professionals and they candidly admit that their practices and methods cannot even discover or penetrate a simple thing such as, “Tell me the dream I had last night”. What this reveals is that when unbelievers are allowed to talk long enough they will reveal the actual truth of the matter. This statement reveals the honest truth that without the true God there is no sure word from the outside.

2:12-16  The king determined in his anger that he would be well off without such “wise” men. “Why have a watchdog if you must do your own barking?” (McGuiggan, p. 42). Dale Ralph Davis notes that Daniel 2:1-13 is a good look at Babylon behind the glitz and glamour. Life could be very comfortable there – until the king had a bad mood and then it could all end in a moment. We live in a world where people often excuse their disobedience and sin by arguing that no one is being hurt by their choices. It might have seemed very innocent for the magicians to pretend to interpret omens and dreams, tell the king what he wanted to hear and have a comfortable life in the process. Yet Daniel and some innocent people are on the verge of losing their lives because of “such an innocent and harmless thing”. Daniel remains calm even when his life is in danger, instead of panicking, the text says, “Daniel replied with discretion and discernment” (2:14). Daniel then boldly approached the king with the request that the executions be stayed for a while so that he might interpret the king’s dream. Seeing that true faith is not presumptuous, it would appear that Daniel already knew that God had given him the supernatural ability to interpret dreams (1:17). Daniel is humble, he does not make any extravagant promises. Also note that the Babylonian “experts” had not even asked for an extension of time for they knew that their practices could not solve this problem, no matter how much time they were given.

2:17-19 Observe that prayer is far more powerful and useful than anything they had been taught out of the Babylonian astrology or wizardly books (James 5:16-17). Equally consider how the answer to this prayer is called “compassion”. I wonder if we really appreciate the answers to our prayers? Do we see such answers as “mercies” and “compassion” from God? How many people are trying to live without such mercies because they simply do not ask?

“The night is not always bad! God is sovereign of time too. Sometimes it is in the darkness that we see best. If God is behind it all, whatever time of day it is, we see better than before” (McGuiggan, p. 43).

2:20-24  “And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings”: If God had not revealed this dream, they would have still blessed His name, Chapters 3 and 6 make this very clear.  Daniel claims that it is God who moves the nations and precipitates the critical periods of world history.  Notice how Daniel views the upheavals of history, not as time to throw in the towel, but rather, “God works just as well when things are looking terrible” (McGuiggan, p. 44). “Slice it how you will. God runs this show and no one has authority to exercise it unless it’s been given to him of God (2:37). This not only includes godly rulers and acceptable governments, but dictatorships as well as democracies (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17). Therefore, when one studies history, one should be impressed with the fact that they are studying God’s hand in the affairs of men (Jeremiah 18; Acts 17:26). 

2:26-30  Daniel makes three things abundantly clear: 1) First, astrology and all its relatives are bankrupt. 2) Only God is able to do this. 3) The ability to declare and interpret the dream is not some natural ability or wisdom that resides in Daniel, for he gives all the credit and glory to God. Compare with Genesis 41:16. “In the latter days” (2:28), that is, the days following the reign of Nebuchadnezzar up to the time when Jesus will come and build His church. Both Isaiah (Isaiah 2:2-4) and Peter (Acts 2:16-17), speak of God’s kingdom being established in the last days. “Your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future” (2:29). Apparently, the king had gone to bed thinking about what would happen after his reign of power. Observe that even powerful people, people who according to this world, “have done it all”, still worry about the future.

2:36-38  The statue clearly represents four successive world empires: Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian Empire represent the head of gold in the statue. The next part of the statue is not the next Babylonian king, but the next empire, “After you will arise another kingdom” (2:39). Once again, the sovereignty of God is stressed, “To whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom” (2:37). “Given can be written over all areas of human endeavor. The nations may strive and sweat and groan in exertion, but the kingdom is ‘given’” (McGuiggan, p. 52). Do we view the things in our lives as “gifts”? (Psalms 127:3; Proverbs 19:14). 

2:39  The second portion of the statue, the chest and arms of silver, represented the rise of the Medes and the Persians, who conquered the Babylonians in 539 B.C. The belly and thighs of bronze represented the third kingdom to arise, this was the Grecian Empire. Alexander the Great conquered the Medo-Persians between 334 and 330 B.C. By his conquests he extended the Greek Empire as far East as the Northwestern portion of India, an extensive empire that seemingly was over the whole earth. “Inferior to you”: Apparently in the sense of inferior unity and cohesiveness. Thus Babylon is represented as one head, the second kingdom by breast and arms, the third by belly and thighs and the fourth by legs and feet. Also note that the statue degenerates from gold to iron. The splendor dissipates but the hardness increases. New Governments and History cannot save us. True optimism comes from serving in the indestructible kingdom (2:44-45).

2:40-43  The Roman Empire was as strong as iron, for it swallowed up lands and peoples who had been part of the previous three empires, but the empire was also fragile and divided, just like iron and clay cannot be mixed. The idea is a kingdom of massive strength, with disturbing weakness, crushing power and failing cohesion. So beware of worshipping or being overly impressed by human power no matter now “ironish” it appears. 

2:44  In the days of the kings of the fourth empire, God would set up a kingdom. The New Testament reveals that the kingdom of God, the church, was established in the first century, during the days of the Roman emperors (Matthew 3:1; Luke 3:1-3; Mark 9:1; Acts 2:47; Colossians 1:12-14). 1)The church has long outlasted the Roman Empire. “Stone cut without hands”: Speaks of a kingdom without human origin, compared to the other kingdoms in this chapter had been shaped and built by humans. Such an expression might hint at having a beginning in obscurity and seeming weakness. “It crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold”: Until the church is established, the whole image is viewed as continuing to exist. This stresses the fact that all these empires had built upon each other and all of them were of the same worldly spirit. 2) The message reveals to the Jewish people of Daniel’s time that deliverance would not come after Babylon collapsed. So avoid believing, “We could serve God better if only we were not under Babylonian rule”. “To have a God who reveals mysteries, however does not mean we have a God who unveils everything. He doesn’t show us which stocks will profit or whether you can avoid cancer... He only reveals what we need to have” (The Message of Daniel, Dale Ralph Davis, p. 45).

Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net