Daniel 2: A Tale of Two Kings
Daniel • Sermon • Submitted
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· 28 viewsThe second unit in the book of Daniel where we see the stone to throne.
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Recap
In Daniel chapter 1 we see Daniel and his friends carried away into exile and they remain undefiled by the Babylonian indoctrination efforts and ultimately outlive the entire Babylonian empire. The last verse of Daniel chapter 1, , clues the reader that Daniel and his friends win the battle with Babylon by outliving the entire empire.
And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.
The book of Daniel is about the sovereignty of God over the nations. Our summary statement for the book of Daniel is as follows:
The book of Daniel is a plea for God’s people to be faithful as God exercises his authority over the nations. , which is in our passage today summaries the book for us:
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;
Introduction
Outline
Scene 1: An Unreasonable Request (v1-13)
A Troubled Timeline (v1)
Chapter 1 - 605 BC
How can this be the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign when chapter 1 has Daniel and his friends in school for three years?
Chapter 2 - 602 BC
Daniel Training Year 1 - Nebuchadnezzar’s Year of accession (605-604 BC)
Daniel Training Year 2 - Nebuchadnezzar’s First Year (604-603 BC)
Daniel Training Year 3 - Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Year (603-602 BC)
If precious timelines are your thing then the book of Daniel may not be for you. When we get into chapters 7-12 we’ll be talking timeline in more detail.
A Troubled King (v2-3)
There is an expectation that God or the “gods” speak to kings through dreams.
With this early in the King’s reign (year 2), Nebuchadnezzer is concerned about his reign. He knows what he saw but others do not.
A Troubled Staff (v4-13)
There is a switch to Aramaic in v2:4b where it says “Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic” through the end of chapter 7.
Nebuchadnezzer breaks protocol.
He knows the dream and wants the dream and the interpretation or the wise guys and their families die but if they make it known they will receive a blessing.
Drama is flamed twice by the interaction between Nebuchadnezzer.
Pleasantries (v4)
King tell dream, wise guys tell interpretation.
Terms (v5-6)
Wise guys tell dream and interpretation.
Stalling (v7)
King tell dream, wise guys tell interpretation.
Double down (v8-9)
Repeated phrase or concept: “till the times change” - a key phrase for the book of Daniel
Punt (v10-11)
The Sentence (v12-13)
Death to all the wise men of Babylon.
Scene 2: An Unfazed Response (v14-25)
Daniel knows what to do before he knows the problem. (v14-16)
Verse 14 - It is easy to look at Daniel as a model of faithfulness, because he is a model of faithfulness. But the author in chapter 1 has set us up that Daniel is going to be faithful throughout the reign of King Nebuchadnezzer. So the emphasis in this scene is not so much on what Daniel does but what God does.
Daniel is threatened with death and seeks a future calendar date with the King. In other words, the king is urgent, but the true King is not.
Daniel prepares with community prayer (v17-23)
Daniel and his friends are concerned for their lives. It is specifically mentioned that they “might not be destroyed”. In other words, as wise men, the knew that the true King is not required to reveal the dream and interpretation. (v18-19).
Now Daniel knows and responds with what the book of Daniel is all about: the sovereignty of God.
A Tale of two Kings:
King Nebuchadnezzer is about a “season”.
God is “forever and ever”
God changes “times and seasons”
King Nebuchadnezzer must wait until the “times change”
King Nebuchadnezzer has no wise men.
God gives wisdom and knowledge and understanding.
God reveals deep and hidden things.
King Nebuchadnezzer doesn’t know his own thoughts.
King Nebuchadnezzer conceals.
God reveals.
King Nebuchadnezzer’s servants are selfish.
God’s servants are selfless.
An Unscheduled Meeting (v24-25)
The narrative speeds up, signifying the urgency of the King Nebuchadnezzer.
Daniel finds Arioch (v24).
Arioch finds the King (v25)
“I have found”
he only mentions the “interpretation”
Scene 3: An Unexpected Kingdom (v26-49)
Scene 3: ()
The Disclaimer (v26-30)
Scene 4: ()
Again, the “dream” and the “interpretation” are what is important here to the king.
Daniel deflects himself and promotes God.
“no wise men…God in heaven”
“not because of any wisdom that I have”...
Repeated Phrase of time
“latter days” (v28)
“after this” (v29)
Purpose of Dream
It’s interpretation.
You know the thoughts of your mind.
The Dream (v31-35)
Bright shinny image that comes into focus.
“frightening”
“stood”
Statue
head - gold
chest and arms - silver
middle and thighs - bronze
legs - iron
feet - iron and clay
Metals get harder as they move down.
Human (like babel)
Top heavy
Bad feet
Stone
“cut out by no human hand”
“struck the feet (iron w/clay)”
all (iron/clay, bronze, silver, and gold) broken [In reverse order of description]
Jesus will undue all the evil of the statue
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
“stone became a great mountain”
A reference to Eden being a high place
A place where river originates from and becomes 4 rivers.
Points to the undoing of the new babel.
The Interpretation (v36-45)
“God of heaven has given” - God is sovereign, not Nebuchadnezzer.
Who are these metals in the statue?
Gold -
Babylon (Daniel 2:38)
Silver -
Medo/Persian (Daniel 8:20)
Bronze -
Greece (Daniel 8:26)
Iron -
Not identified in the book of Daniel (Rome)
Clay -
An attempt to continue on ruling
could be the Jews and the Romans
Marriage
Politics
Royal Family
Stone -
Future Davidic King or Messiah
He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,
“Never be destroyed”
Application
Internal testing is external preparation.
Daniel passes an internal test of faithfulness in chapter 1.
“Never be left to someone else” - eternal
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
He is ready for whatever God brings his way going forward.
Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.
“It is a kingdom slayer”
Fasting is an example of preparing for what lies ahead.
You will eventually get hungry…how will you then respond to that hunger?
Holiness is risky.
“Stand forever”
In contrast to the clay/iron feet.
“no human hand”
a divine kingdom
broke the iron, bronze, clay, silver, gold (different order)
Clay in middle as that is what likely attempting to hold it all together
The Promotion (v46-49)
Just as Daniel expected hardships going into exile Christians should expect hardships from the world for being holy.
God did not dupe you. He told all that whoever would follow the Christ would suffer. He honest with us about the difficulty but calls us to persevere anyway.
Jesus said,
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.
So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
Peter said,
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
Teaching Notes
Daniel is elevated much like Joseph.
Scene 1: An Unreasonable Request (v1-13)
A Troubled Timeline (v1)
Chapter 1 - 605 BC
How can this be the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign when chapter 1 has Daniel and his friends in school for three years?
Chapter 2 - 602 BC
Year 1 - Year of assesenion.
Year 2 - First Year
Year 3 - Second Year
A Troubled King (v2-3)
A Troubled Staff (v4-13)
Daniel elevates his friends much like Joseph elevates his family in the land of Egypt.
Scene 2: An Unfazed Response (v14-25)
An Expected Response (v14-16)
A Prayerful Preparation (v17-23)
An Unplanned Meeting (v24-25)
Scene 3: An Unexpected Kingdom (v26-49)
The Disclaimer (v26-30)
The Dream (v31-35)
The Interpretation (v36-45)
The Promotion (v46-49)
Application
Internal testing is external preparation.
Daniel passes an internal test of faithfulness in chapter 1.
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
He is ready for whatever God brings his way going forward.
Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.
You should fast.
You will eventually get hungry…how will you then respond to that hunger?
Fasting is an expectation of the believer.
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Holiness is risky.
Just as Daniel expected hardships going into exile Christians should expect hardships from the world for being holy.
God did not dupe you. He told all that whoever would follow the Christ would suffer. He honest with us about the difficulty but calls us to persevere anyway.
Jesus said,
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Peter said,
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
Teaching Notes