Daniel Week 4: The God of Heaven Troubles the King
Week 4 | Daniel 2:1-13
Days 1 Part I Central Passage Father, open my eyes to see the truth in Your Word that I may know and love you more deeply.
In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 2 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. 3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” 4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” 5 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. 6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” 8 The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— 9 if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” — Daniel 2:1-9
OBSERVE DETAILS
Ask and answer simple w-questions: when? where? who? what? how?
1. The King Has a Dream.
When does Nebuchadnezzar have his dream?
What is the result on his emotions and body?
Who does he call for help?
2. The King and the Chaldeans’ Conversation Round 1
What language do the Chaldeans speak?
What do the Chaldeans say (v4) 1st 2nd 3rd
What is the first thing the King says in response (v5)?
How many times does the King state he wants the dream and interpretation to be told to him? (vs5-6)
What if the Chaldeans cannot comply? (v5)
What if the Chaldeans can comply? (v6)
3. The King and the Chaldeans’ Conversation Round 2
What do the Chaldeans say (v7) 1st 2nd
What does the King accuse the Chaldeans of doing? (v8)
According to the King, what is their motivation? (v8)
What does the King accuse the Chaldeans of doing (v9)
How many times does the King state again that he wants the Chaldeans to tell him the dream? (v9)
What is the King’s reason for requiring the Chaldeans to tell him the dream? (v9)
OBSERVE DICTION
Ask: Which words/phrases might provide clues to the author’s message? What do they literally mean?
sorcerers > practicers of witchcraft who used charms, potions, herbs, and spells
Chaldeans > priests of a special class of Chaldean people. They studied celestial bodies to determine the future
troubled > to thrust or impel (to urge or drive forward... as if by the exertion of strong moral pressure merriam-webster.com)
magicians and enchanters > See definitions in Lesson 3.
How to Read Your Bible – When it seems that the Bible is contradicting itself, you must do some research to resolve the seeming discrepancy. In Daniel 2:1, we read that Nebuchadnezzar is in the second year of his reign, yet in Daniel 1, we read that Daniel and his friends stood before the King after three years of training. In Babylon, a king’s regnal years were counted from the month of Nisan (March-April) to the next Nisan. If a king ascended to the throne before Nisan, as Nebuchadnezzar did in September of 605 B.C., then this time was counted as an accession year, not a regnal year. So Daniel and his friends’ training counted for roughly three years, while Nebuchadnezzar’s official reign was in its second year.
Historical Context – In Daniel 2:4, the language moves from Hebrew to Aramaic when the Chaldeans answer the King. It will not switch back to Hebrew until Daniel 8. Some say the Chaldeans are likely the spokesmen for the group of wise men because they are natives of the area. The land of ancient Iraq bordered the Persian Gulf and was called “Chaldean land” by outsiders. At this point, the Chaldeans had been assimilated into Babylonian culture, and what is clear in the text is that they were the leaders among the wise men, likely due to their expertise.
The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) forbade all the occultic practices of these “wise men” (Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:10; Isaiah 47; Jeremiah 27:9) because these practices pursued secret knowledge and invited deceiving demonic influence or possession into one’s life. Reflect on that soberly.
INTERPRET
Ask: Why did the author choose to include these details, use these words, make these figurative comparisons, and organize all these elements with this structure?
1. The King states that he only has one sentence for the wise men and twice he states that the word from him is “firm.”
Review the other details and list evidence here that reveals the King’s state of mind. Use only verses 1-9.
2. At this point we don’t know the content of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream; but what do you suspect the general content might have included? (If you have read Daniel 2 before, answer as though you don’t know the exact content of the dream)
Prayer – What is something God has given you that you do not understand, something you are “troubled” to know or experience? It could be a difficult circumstance for you or someone you love, something in His Word that perplexes you, a decision you must make, a relationship requiring wisdom to navigate.... Whatever it is, maybe it keeps you up at night or when you have a moment of silence in your life, it “thrusts” its way into your thoughts. Sketch a list below. Then lay down your troubles in an extended conversation with the Lord until you have left them in His hands.
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1
Days 2 Part II Central Passage Father, open my eyes to see the truth in Your Word that I may know and love you more deeply.
10 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.11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 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 2:10-13 ESV
OBSERVE DETAILS
Ask and answer simple w-questions: when? where? who? what? how?
1. The Chaldeans’ Final Answer
What man on earth can tell the King his dream?
What king has asked the wise men to actually recount the dream before giving the interpretation?
What word would you substitute for the word “difficult” in verse 11?
According to the Chaldeans, who are the only ones who could recount the dream to the King?
Where do they live?
2. The King’s Final Answer to the Chaldeans’ Final Answer
What words describe the King’s emotions?
Following these emotions, what does the King do?
What word conveys that the King’s decision is official and final?
Which wise men are also about to be killed?
How to Read Your Bible – In the original language of Aramaic, the King’s escalating emotion is described as benas “angry” and then ketzaph “furious.” Each of these words is a hapax legomenon, a term scholars use to indicate a word that appears only once, either within a book of the Bible or more commonly within the whole of all Scripture. The implications of a word appearing only once are many. But one we can appreciate here is that Daniel intentionally chose these singular Aramaic words to convey what he experienced as one who knew Nebuchadnezzar’s character because he served him closely in his court. To learn more about how a hapax legomenon is determined and should be studied, type -- Bible Hub “hapax legomenon” -- in your search engine; you’ll find an accessible article at the Bible Hub site.
INTERPRET
Ask: Why did the author choose to include these details, use these words, make these figurative comparisons, and organize all these elements with this structure?
1. What we say, reveals our worldview, what we believe about essential life questions such as “Where did we come from?” or “Why are we here?” or “What is truth?” or “How do we know what is true?”
What can we understand about the Chaldeans’ worldview based on how their final answer to the King?
One reality persons of a biblical worldview share is that humans are limited. The Chaldeans appear to agree with this reality. But because the King has demanded that they give him the content of his dream, what are they forced to acknowledge about their occultic powers, even the entire system of their professional art?
2. Now that you have a greater understanding of what the Chaldeans essentially confessed to the King, consider why the King responded as he did.
3. How does the King’s decree reveal that in the Babylonian worldview humans do not have a personal relationship with their god? Consider how a lack of relationship with your Creator would affect your view of human life.
Prayer – Reflect on how your personal relationship with the Creator changed your life and your worldview. Praise God for that! Pray for a person in your life who is alive yet dead for they have no personal relationship with Him.
Day 3 Deeper Daniel Father, open my eyes to see the truth in Your Word that I may know and love you more deeply.
Psalm 2 is essentially a conversation between four speakers: the world (Gentile nations), the Lord, His Son, and David, the psalmist. Directions for Days 3-5 -- Go ahead and read all of Psalm 2 today, but you will only answer questions about the first two stanzas. We will cover the remaining stanzas over the next two days.
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” Stanza 1
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” Stanza 2
7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.” Stanza 3
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Stanza 4
Quote to Ponder – Anger is our response to an assault. Its intensity is usually in accord with the degree of perceived injustice, though the assault need not be real or severe to draw forth an extreme response. Further, if the assault blocks earnest desire, or what we believe we must possess in order to be whole, then we will burn with rage.
Dr. Dan B. Allender and Dr. Tremper Longman III, The Cry of the Soul: How Our Emotions Reveal Our Deepest Questions About God, p. 35
1. In stanza 1, the Gentile nations rage against God and His king. But Jesus is the ultimate Anointed King in mind.
How does the world system opposed to God react to being limited creatures? (v3).
Anger can be righteous; however, use stanza 1 and the quote above to articulate what chiefly characterizes unrighteous anger.
2. In stanza 2, God is speaking.
What is God’s attitude toward those who rage against Him?
God proclaims Himself to be Unlimited in His Presence. He is on His holy hill above all (transcendent), yet He is among allHe rules (immanent) for He has set His King in Zion on earth. Why would the Lord declare this about Himself and His Son in His response to the raging nations?
How would you explain to a ten-year-old why God’s anger is always righteous? Include His presence everywhere in your explanation.
Prayer – Reflect on God’s anger against sin and rebellion and the love in it. Praise, confess, petition, as He leads you.
Day 4 Deeper Daniel Father, open my eyes to see the truth in Your Word that I may know and love you more deeply.
3. In stanza 3, the Son, who is also the King of stanza 2, is speaking. He is recalling a conversation He had with the Lord. The “today” refers to coronation day. This psalm was sung on the coronation day of each Davidic king.
What inheritance did the Lord decree the Son? Is it a sure decree?
4. Read Matthew 28:18-20 through the lens of Jesus the Christ (the Anointed One) claiming the promise of this decree:
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Reflect deeply on these verses as one who loves the Father and the Son. Re-read stanza 3 and see their love for one another and for the world that includes the uncircumcised nations.
How has God’s love for you and for the world not only drawn you in as Jesus’ inheritance but also through His Spirit engaged you in fulfilling the Lord’s promise to give Him an inheritance right here in Laredo?
Prayer – After reflecting deeply on God’s manifold wisdom for the world that includes you and your work in it, make a list of what you should be praying about below, and then... pray about it!
Day 5 Deeper Daniel Father, open my eyes to see the truth in Your Word that I may know and love you more deeply.
4. In stanza 4, David, the writer of this Psalm is speaking. God promised King David that the Messiah, the ultimate Anointed One would come through his bloodline and reign the world forever (2 Samuel 7:12-14). The command “Kiss the Son,” then, is a warning to the world’s rulers to pay homage to the King of kings.
From one king to another, what is David’s gracious advice?
Psalm 1 described two choices: life or death. Psalm 2 offers two choices as well. In the Final Day the Son will either be your Savior or your ________________.
All are blessed regardless of their tribe, nation, or tongue if they do what?
What type of conversation do you have to have with the Person under whom you seek refuge before you receive refuge?
What is very interesting is that the word used for “son” is bar, the Aramaic word for son. The poem is written in Hebrew except for this designation for the Anointed.
Prayer – Pray for kisses to the Son to multiply on the earth! Pray that the Father would humble rebellious hearts.
Group Reflection Faithful in Exile
Review of our group reflection times:
Week 1 – In love God disciplines us when we do not obey His Word.
Week 2 – Time in the Word & Prayer & Fellowship prepare all our generations to stand firm in the world.
Week 3 – We must evaluate temptations of temporal delights against the Word and choose the eternal rewards of God.
God-Centered Life #1 – When we allow our life to remain unjudged by the Word of God, we are not a usable vessel in the world, but when we yield to His path and walk this with other believers, our ministry unto Him will flourish.
Directions – Review answers to Q’s 1 & 2, knowing that they are leading you to land on Q3. This question and prayer is where you should spend your time.
1. Today’s lesson was about a conversation that Nebuchadnezzar had with his advisors. In Deeper Daniel, we read Psalm 2, a conversation between the world, the Lord, the Son-King, and a faithful man of God.
Why did Nebuchadnezzar’s conversation end with death?
Why is the Psalm 2 conversation able to end with the promise of life?
2. The thing about conversations is that we have them...ALL DAY. LONG. We talk in person, texts, social media...
Shout out other ways we engage in conversations.
Did you notice that in both Daniel 2 and Psalm 2 conversations, we have a language shift? Into whose ears is God leaning in to whisper with this language accommodation?
The human vessels David and Daniel yielded to the prompting of the Holy Spirt as they wrote their works. What does this language shift tell you about how their heart is aligned with the heart of God?
Nebuchadnezzar’s conversation ended in death because he asked the enemy’s counselors for wisdom. David counsels the world with the Word and wisdom and the love of God.
3. The thing about conversations is that WE have them. We who know the Word. We who pray to God. We who belong to God and a people who love and support us. How are We doing in having conversations with people of the world who are in rebellion with God?
Are we too unrighteously angry with the world to remember we once were blinded by the enemy, the world, and our own sin nature?
Are we initiating as Jesus did when He left heaven to come to earth? Are we willing to “trouble” in love?
Are we accommodating for unbelievers in any way? Are we considering that in our post-Christian world today some have Never. Been. To Church. or Never. Opened. A Bible?
What other questions should we be asking?
We’re just getting this conversation started, family. We will be breaking this down over the coming weeks.
Prayer
Pray through the questions using them as prompts for yourself and for our church leading our city into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church.
Pray for our deacons and serve teams at Grace.
God’s joy & strength to you!