The Pieces Fall Into Place

The Pieces Fall into Place

Daniel 2:17-30


In this passage, the pieces “fall into place” for Daniel as

God gives him supernatural knowledge concerning

Nebuchadnezzar‟s dream.


“Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter

known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his

companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God

of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and

his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of

the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was

revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel

blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said:


“„Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom

belong wisdom and might. He changes times and

seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives

wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have

understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he

knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with

him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and

praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and

have now made known to me what we asked of you, for

you have made known to us the king‟s matter.‟


“Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had

appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went

and said thus to him: „Do not destroy the wise men of

Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the

king the interpretation.‟


“Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste

and said thus to him: „I have found among the exiles

from Judah a man who will make known to the king the

interpretation.‟ The king declared to Daniel, whose

name was Belteshazzar, „Are you able to make known to

me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?‟

Daniel answered the king and said, „No wise men,

enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the

king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a

God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made

known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter


“days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you

lay in bed are these: To you, O king, as you lay in bed

came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who

reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. But

as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not

because of any wisdom that I have more than all the

living, but in order that the interpretation may be made

known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts

of your mind” (Daniel 2:17-30, ESV).


Daniel is a wonderful example of faith in this passage.



• Daniel requested that he might be allowed to interpret the

dream before God revealed the dream to him.





• We know what the outcome is going to be, but does

Daniel have any idea?






Daniel have any idea? We were previously told: “Daniel had understanding in all visions

and dreams” (1:17, ESV).






Daniel have any idea? We were previously told: “Daniel had understanding in all visions

and dreams” (1:17, ESV).

But, when did Daniel know that he “had understanding in all

visions and dreams”?


However we reckon the time of Nebuchadnezzar‟s reign

(Dan 1 & Jer 25), using both Jewish & Babylonian time

methods, it‟s possible that this narrative took place

before Daniel was tested by Nebuchadnezzar.






Interestingly, none of the visions in the second part of

the Book (chpts 7-12) take place during

Nebuchadnezzar‟s reign.






Interestingly, none of the visions in the second part of

the Book (chpts 7-12) take place during

Nebuchadnezzar‟s reign.

Thus, there is a great deal of faith on Daniel‟s part in this

narrative.


That faith & dependence comes into play when Daniel

asked Hananiah, Mishael, & Azariah to pray for him.




• Why pray to ask God to do something I already know I can

do?




• Why pray to ask God to do something I already know I can

do?

• Daniel doesn‟t know the dream & he asks his companions

to pray that God give him understanding into the dream.


There are important lessons

for us here.


We must have faith & dependence on God.



• “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events

as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the

saving of his household. By this he condemned the world

and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by

faith” (Heb 11:7, ESV).



• Heb 11:7.

• “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even

when she was past the age, since she considered him

faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and

him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as

the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable

grains of sand by the seashore” (Heb 11:11-12, ESV).



• Heb 11:7.

• Heb 11:11-12.

In these texts, Noah & Sarah trusted God.



• Heb 11:7.

• Heb 11:11-12.


• Noah knew it had never rained on earth—let alone ever

flooded—but if God said it would happen, Noah knew it

would happen.



• Heb 11:7.

• Heb 11:11-12.


• Noah knew it had never rained on earth—let alone ever

flooded—but if God said it would happen, Noah knew it

would happen.

• Sarah knew that she & Abraham were well-beyond child-

bearing years, but if God said it was going to happen, it

would happen.


How much are we going to

depend on God?


We also learn about the great power of prayer.



• Daniel asked Hananiah, Mishael, & Azariah “to seek

mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery.”





• Then: “The mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of

the night.”






the night.”

What if Daniel & his companions had not sought “mercy

from the God of heaven concerning this mystery”?






the night.”



• Surely, God would have found a way to reveal it to

Nebuchadnezzar—that was his purpose.






the night.”



• Surely, God would have found a way to reveal it to

Nebuchadnezzar—that was his purpose.

• But, would Daniel have been involved in it?


There is great power in prayer.



• As Zechariah was ministering in the Temple: “Do not be

afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and

your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call

his name John” (Lk 1:13, ESV).



• As Zechariah was ministering in the Temple: “Do not be

afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and

your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call

his name John” (Lk 1:13, ESV).

• “I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you

will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone

who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to

the one who knocks it will be opened” (Lk 11:9-10, ESV).


Do we really believe in the

power of prayer?


Notice that the mystery was revealed to Daniel “in a

vision of the night.”




This wasn‟t a dream, for the Book of Daniel makes clear

that dreams & visions are different forms of revelation.






BUT:

• The vision comes at night, when one would expect to have

a dream.






BUT:

• The vision comes at night, when one would expect to have

a dream.

• Pagans considered dreams a lower form of revelation than

a vision.


Thus, there is both a connection to & a distinct

difference from Nebuchadnezzar‟s dream.


Thus, there is both a connection to & a distinct

difference from Nebuchadnezzar‟s dream.

God is showing that he can reveal his will to whom he

wills & interpret it through whom he wills.


Daniel then “blessed the God of heaven.”



• Daniel prayed & then received a positive answer to that

prayer.




prayer. Then, he thanks God for answering his prayer

positively.




prayer. Then, he thanks God for answering his prayer

positively.

• Do we too often pray to God & then when he acts forget to

thank him?


In praising God for sending the vision, Daniel expresses

many important concepts in this book.




• To God belong wisdom & might.




• To God belong wisdom & might. God‟s wisdom & might is displayed through the dreams & visions

he sends to Daniel & kings.




• To God belong wisdom & might. God‟s wisdom & might is displayed through the dreams & visions

he sends to Daniel & kings.

God‟s might is seen through sitting kings on the throne & then

bringing them down.





• He changes times & seasons.





• He changes times & seasons—again, we see the concept

of God‟s sovereign rule over all.






• He gives wisdom to the wise & reveals deep and hidden

things.







things—again, we have the concept that God reveals his

will.







things.

• He is the God of Daniel‟s fathers.







things.

• He is the God of Daniel‟s fathers. This is an interesting concept in the Book.







things.


God led Daniel‟s fathers out of Egypt, made them a covenant in

the wilderness, but when the Israelites broke the covenant, God,

true to his word, handed them over to their enemies.







things.


God led Daniel‟s fathers out of Egypt, made them a covenant in

the wilderness, but when the Israelites broke the covenant, God,

true to his word, handed them over to their enemies.

But God also promised that when the people repented, they could

go back to Canaan.


Daniel repents of the people‟s sins (Dan 9:1-19).



Daniel served in the royal court until the reign of Cyrus

(1:21), the king who allowed the Israelites to leave

Babylon.



Daniel served in the royal court until the reign of Cyrus

(1:21), the king who allowed the Israelites to leave

Babylon.

Thus, the Book shows God‟s faithfulness—both positive

& negative—to Daniel‟s fathers.


After thanking God, Daniel asked Arioch to take him

before Nebuchadnezzar.




Arioch told Nebuchadnezzar that they had found one

among the exiles from Judah who could reveal the

dream to the king.






dream to the king.

• Again, it‟s pointed out, in a Babylonian context, that Daniel

is an exile from Judah.






dream to the king.

• Again, it‟s pointed out, in a Babylonian context, that Daniel

is an exile from Judah.

• The Babylonians trained in interpreting dreams couldn‟t do

so, but one from Judah—actually his God—can interpret

the dream.


Daniel denies that he was given any special wisdom to

interpret the dream.




• On the one hand, that‟s a surprising statement, for Daniel

blessed God because he has given wisdom to the wise.






• Daniel‟s point, however, is two-fold.






• Daniel‟s point, however, is two-fold: God gave Daniel understanding into the dream so that he could

reveal it to Nebuchadnezzar.






• Daniel‟s point, however, is two-fold: God gave Daniel understanding into the dream so that he could

reveal it to Nebuchadnezzar.

That was so that God could accomplish his purposes.


“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been

heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and

you shall call his name John” (Lk 1:13, ESV).

“I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you

will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For

everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks

finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Lk

11:9-10, ESV).

The Pieces Fall Into Place

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