seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Dainel 2:1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.”
4 Then the astrologers answered the king, “May the king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”
5 The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”
7 Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”
8 Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.”
10 The astrologers answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”
12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.
14 When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15 He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said:
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king.”
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Here's the link to the commentary I read.
His spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him: There was something disturbing about this dream and Nebuchadnezzar knew that it was unusually significant.
Make known the dream to me: It is hard to say if Nebuchadnezzar really remembered the dream or not. Perhaps he had a general sense of it but only a vague remembrance of the details.
Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation: Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t know for certain that the wise men gave a correct interpretation of the dream. But he could test their ability to tell what he dreamed.
Despite their protests, Nebuchadnezzar didn’t ask too much of these magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans. These men made their living on their supposed ability to contact the gods and gain secrets from the spirit realm. If they were really what they claimed to be, they should be able to tell Nebuchadnezzar both the dream and its interpretation.
You shall be cut in pieces: The harsh threat of Nebuchadnezzar and the method of execution he described are both perfectly consistent with the character of ancient eastern monarchs.
Archer described one method of dismemberment: four trees were bent inwards and tied together at the top. The victim was tied to these four trees with a rope at each limb. Then the top rope was cut and the body snapped into four pieces.
The Chaldeans: This is the first mention of the Chaldeans as a class of soothsayers to the king. Critics take the use of this word as a mistake that only a second century B.C. writer would make. Critics suppose that in Daniel’s day, the term Chaldean was only used as a racial designation, describing what the Chaldeans thought was the master race who ruled Nebuchadnezzar’s superpower empire.
Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: From Daniel 2:4-7:28, the Biblical text is in Aramaic — not Hebrew. This is the only section of the Bible written in Aramaic. This was the language of the Babylonian Empire.
No king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things: The strategy of the wise men was to convince the king that he was unreasonable, not that they were incompetent.
The king was angry and very furious: Though he was a despot, Nebuchadnezzar knew that false religion is worse than useless. He knew that it was a curse, and he had no use for wise men that could not bring him wisdom from God.
Gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon: As a new king, Nebuchadnezzar also perhaps used the situation to test the suitability of his father’s old advisors. The dream provided him with a good reason to clean house.
Asked the king to give him time: This wasn’t just a stalling tactic. Daniel knew that it takes time to listen to the Lord and to wait upon Him, and Daniel was willing to take the time if the king would grant it.
That they might seek mercies from the God of heaven: Daniel was in the type of situation where only God could meet his need. Therefore, he knew how important it was for both him and his companions to pray.
Concerning this secret: Daniel had confidence that God could do an unprecedented miracle. Joseph had interpreted dreams with God’s help, but had not reconstructed the dreams.
Might not perish: Considering what was at stake, there is little doubt that their prayers were extremely earnest. God listens to earnest prayer.
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Hello to my neighbors who are joining in by reading these posts. Maybe we can discuss these chapters over painting rocks in the club house.
See what I did there? I have some neighbors who shared they think we are nearing "end times". I shared with them that I'm just starting a Bible Study on Daniel. I gave them the link to join in. I'll see them at the community mailbox, or while painting rocks at the clubhouse, or while I'm on my one mile walk around and around and around the neighborhood [5 X =1 mile].
Now, if they ask "did you start that study yet?", I'll know they haven't clicked on the link, yet.
If they talk to me about what is posted, I'll know they are reading.
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. It must have been one of those nightmares that almost sticks but doesn't really stick. It must have terrified him and yet he had to know what it meant. You know the type; it haunts you all day like an ear worm.
Nebuchadnezzar called all the educated "wise" men who were supposed to be adept at dreams, magic, and potions. These men probably claimed they spoke with or for the gods. Daniel doesn't seem to know what the king and the "wise" men talked about so I figure he probably wasn't "qualified" yet.
Nebuchadnezzar wasn't going to put up with any made-up junk. He insisted the "wise" men first tell him what he dreamt. If they had a real clue, he would know.
Well, they couldn't do it. I mean who can tell what someone else has dreamt. That is very deeply personal. They couldn't do it, they were fakes, not real "prophets" or "wise". They could twist a good story, they could craft a good tale, they could quote almost anything, but they were only human and they were not at all godly.
True to his word, Nebuchadnezzar ordered all the "wise" men be torn limb from limb. It's described as being pulled apart by ropes attached to four trees. If this were in a Western Show, four horses would have pulled them in four different directions at once, so they ripped apart!
Daniel and his buddies had no idea this was happening. They were probably still in training, so that's why I figure they weren't qualified to be with the "wise" men when the "wise" men said "no one can do this".
Daniel told the guard, given just a little time with king Nebuchadnezzar, he could straighten this whole thing out.
Daniel told the guard he could not only translate the dream; he could tell the king what he had dreamt that left the king so distraught.
I wonder if the guard had a problem conveying the message. After all, if the king met with Daniel, and Daniel couldn't do as he claimed, the guard might be drawn and quartered as well!
At any rate the chief guard, Arioch, went to the king while Daniel and his buddies prayed fervently. Their prayers paid off. Check out verse 23.
Daniel, Shadrach, Mishak, and Abendigo prayed for the answer.
God answered their fervent prayers.
Daniel had a vision!
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