Daniel 2:24-49

Daniel 2:24-49

Part 1

OBSERVATION:

Verse 24-
Daniel, having received the revelations from the Lord for King Nebuchadnezzar, went to Arioch, the leader of the army that was commanded to put all the wise men in the kingdom to death, asking him to bring him before the king.

Verse 25-
Arioch brought Daniel in before the king, introducing him as a man of the captives of Judah.

Verse 26-
The king asked Daniel if he was able to tell him his dreams and their interpretation.

Verse 27-
Daniel told the king that no wise man can reveal the secret dreams and their interpretation.

Verse 28-
Daniel introduced God to king Nebuchadnezzar... God who alone reveals secrets and who knows about the future.

Verse 29-
Daniel said to the king that his dreams were things that would come to pass in the future and that God will reveal to Him what will happen.

Verse 30-
Daniel said that the revealing of the secret was not due to his wisdom. But for the sake of the king.

INTERPRETATION:

Before Daniel told the king his dream and its interpretation, he made sure that the king knows that the revelation was not coming from his own wisdom. He introduced the one and only God to King Nebuchadnezzar, giving Him all the credit.

OBSERVATION:

It is easy for us to take credit for what God has done through us! Like Daniel, we need to give God all the glory. We are just His vessels... His servants. It is He who empowers us to do great things and win victories in this life. When we fail to Him the due credit, we rob Him of the honor that He alone deserves.


Part 2
OBSERVATION:

Verses 31-45
Daniel revealed the secret dreams and their interpretation to the king...

The king's dream:
A great image with excellent brightness and terrible form stood before him. The image's head was of gold, his breasts and arms were silver, his belly and thighs were brass, his legs were of iron and his feet were of iron and of clay.

A piece of stone stuck the feet and broke them to pieces.

The iron, clay, brass, silver and gold were all broken to pieces together and became like chaff in the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away and they disappeared. The stone that struck the image became a mountain and filled the earth.

The interpretation of the dream:
King Nebuchadnezzar represented the head of gold in the image. God made him ruler of all. After him, a kingdom would rise inferior to his. And the third kingdom would rise more inferior than the second. The fourth kingdom would rise with a strength of an iron as it would be mixed with a miry clay. However, the fourth kingdom would be partly strong and partly weak being that the toes were partly iron and partly clay.
As the fourth kingdom was partly iron and partly clay, it would mingle with the seed of men but not cleave.

In the days of the four kings, God would set up His kingdom. His kingdom shall never be destroyed. It shall not be left to other people. It shall break into pieces and consume the kingdoms. It shall stand forever.

The stone which destroyed the image was cut out from the mountain without hands, God has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar that the interpretation of the dream is sure and that these things shall surely come to pass.

INTERPRETATION:

(Life Application Bible)
The head of gold on the image in the dream represented Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylonian Empire. The silver chest and two arms represented the Medo-Persian Empire, which conquered Babylon in 539 BC. The belly and thighs of brass were Greece and Macedonia under Alexander the Great, who conquered the Medo-Persian Empire in 334-330 B.C. The legs of iron represented Rome, which conquered the Greeks in 63 B.C. The feet and toes of clay and iron represented the breakup of the Roman Empire, when the territory Rome ruled divided into a mixture of strong and weak nations. The type of metal in each part depicted the strength of the political power it represented. The Rock cut from the mountain depicted God's Kingdom which would be ruled eternally by the Messiah, the King of kings. The Lord reigns and His Kingdom shall reign on the ruins of the earthly kingdoms.

APPLICATION:

Only God's Kingdom prevails. Every thing else in this world fails. Even the most powerful empires on earth are now but ashes. The most powerful men on earth are also now but ashes. But there's one Kingdom that stands forever. Why don't we make sure we are part of this eternal Kingdom, ruled by a Savior who is patiently waiting for sinners to come to Him in repentance and be born into His Kingdom. And if we are already part of His Kingdom, won't we go out and tell our loved-ones about this Kingdom? One day, Jesus Christ will come to completely destroy the earthly kingdoms and reign forevermore. And those who put their trust in Him shall reign with Him. What a day that will be!

Part 3
OBSERVATION:

Verse 46-
King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and worshiped Daniel. He also ordered that they offer oblation and sweet odors to him.

Verse 47-
The king acknowledged God as the God of gods, the Lord of kings and the revealer of secrets.

Verse 48-
The king honored Daniel. He gave him many gifts, made him ruler of the province of Babylon and chief of the governors over all the wise men in Babylon.

INTERPRETATION:

King Nebuchadnezzar honored Daniel and his God. He wouldn't have known and honored God if Daniel did not tell him about Him.

APPLICATION:

How can people around us know God if we don't tell them about Him? We can not expect people to guess God as the source of our righteousness, because many of them don't know Him and others don't care to know. One of lame excuses I have heard from people who has fears to tell people about God is this, "I just need to make the people around me wonder what I have because of the righteousness, peace and joy that they will see in me. Then, they will come and will ask me how to have what I want." It also works... very seldom though. Why can't we be bold like Daniel... go to people and not wait until people come to us and waste time. By the way, preaching or evangelizing means that it has to be with words. If we can talk about sports, fashion and other trivial things, there is no excuse for not telling people about our God!


Part 4
OBSERVATION:

Verse 49-
Daniel requested for his friends to be appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon. Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

INTERPRETATION:

As Daniel was promoted by King Nebuchadnezzar, he remembered his friends. He knew how to show gratefulness to his friends who stood by him during the time that they faced death. They were there praying for God deliverance and revelation with him. He could afford to enjoy his position if his friends were not to be promoted as well. On the other hand, he now had an enormous responsibility. He needed competent assistants.

APPLICATION:

Often we forget those who helped us get promoted... or enjoy what we are and have now. I want to live a life of gratitude! I like to sit down and browse through pictures and remember the love and support, the prayers and encouragement that the people on the photos have given to me. I pray for them. I thank God for them. I send them "thank you" cards or gifts. Most of all, I remember to show kindness to them.