(Scripture is from ESV unless otherwise noted)
The King’s Dream
In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” —Daniel 2:1-3
The Failure of King’s Wisemen
“O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins.” —Daniel 2:4-5
The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.” —Daniel 2:10
Truth: If God doesn’t speak and reveal, we won’t know Him or understand.
Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. —Daniel 2:12-13
Daniel’s Request for Time
And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king. —Daniel 2:16
God’s Revelation to Daniel
Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. —Daniel 2:19
The Interpretation of the Dream
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 2:26
Overview of Nebuchadnezzar Dream
“You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. —Daniel 2:31
“The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. —Daniel 2:32-33
As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all – you are the head of gold.” Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.
—Daniel 2:34-44
It’s literal, but it’s not sequential
Big Idea - We can live bold and brave lives because God has revealed truth and is in control.
Study Guide
Our small groups are on their summer schedule. Each week this summer we will be supplying study guide questions for you and your family to process. After you have completed the study guide, decide what next step you plan to take as a result of what you heard and write it down.
- When was a time you faced a seemingly impossible situation? How did God reveal his greatness?
- What does Daniel’s response reveal about his character and faith?
- What role does prayer play in your response to difficult situations? Do you tend to rely on God, rely on yourself, or maybe default that God will do what he wants (determinism)? Explain your reasoning.
- How should you respond when someone praises you for something God has done?
- How does Daniel 2 help us practice pursuing God? What is compels you to press into him? What truths from Daniel 2 can arm you for your struggles this week?
- How does Daniel 2 help us practice pursuing others? What truths can we glean that would encourage others you know (kids, family, neighbors, co-workers) this week?
- In what ways does Daniel “shadow” or represent Jesus in this passage?