Nebuchadnezzar the Dreamer

1. Nebuchadnezzar the Dreamer Daniel 2:1-16

2. “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.’ Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, ‘O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show

3. “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. 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.’ They answered a second time and said, ‘Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.’ The king

4. “answered and said, ‘I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm—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.’ 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.

5. “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.’”

6. “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. 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. He declared to Arioch, the king’s captain, ‘Why is the decree of the king so urgent?’

7. Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king” (Dan 2:1-16, ESV).

8. The text declares that Nebuchadnezzar “dreamed dreams.”

9. The text declares that Nebuchadnezzar “dreamed dreams.” • Notice that “dreams” is plural.

10. The text declares that Nebuchadnezzar “dreamed dreams.” • Notice that “dreams” is plural. • Some scholars believe this should be translated “Nebuchadnezzar was in a state when a dream came to him.”

11. The text declares that Nebuchadnezzar “dreamed dreams.” • Notice that “dreams” is plural. • Some scholars believe this should be translated “Nebuchadnezzar was in a state when a dream came to him.” • Others believe that he dreamed multiple dreams & then it was one that aroused him from his sleep & disturbed him.

12. The text declares that Nebuchadnezzar “dreamed dreams.” • Notice that “dreams” is plural. • Whatever the case, it’s clear that Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him greatly.

13. Each of us has had a dream that troubled us greatly, but we all were able to recognize it as nothing more than a dream.

14. Each of us has had a dream that troubled us greatly, but we all were able to recognize it as nothing more than a dream. • But, Nebuchadnezzar recognized that what he had was no ordinary dream.

15. Each of us has had a dream that troubled us greatly, but we all were able to recognize it as nothing more than a dream. • But, Nebuchadnezzar recognized that what he had was no ordinary dream. • There are likely two reasons for this.

16. Each of us has had a dream that troubled us greatly, but we all were able to recognize it as nothing more than a dream. • But, Nebuchadnezzar recognized that what he had was no ordinary dream. • There are likely two reasons for this. • Babylonian monarchs expected the gods to speak to them through dreams.

17. Each of us has had a dream that troubled us greatly, but we all were able to recognize it as nothing more than a dream. • But, Nebuchadnezzar recognized that what he had was no ordinary dream. • There are likely two reasons for this. • Babylonian monarchs expected the gods to speak to them through dreams. • Herodotus, “the father of history,” writes that Babylonian kings kept magi around for such purposes.

18. Each of us has had a dream that troubled us greatly, but we all were able to recognize it as nothing more than a dream. • But, Nebuchadnezzar recognized that what he had was no ordinary dream. • There are likely two reasons for this. • Babylonian monarchs expected the gods to speak to them through dreams. • Herodotus, “the father of history,” writes that Babylonian kings kept magi around for such purposes. • The fact that our text tells us about various classes of magi trained for such strongly indicates that is, in fact, the case.

19. Each of us has had a dream that troubled us greatly, but we all were able to recognize it as nothing more than a dream. • But, Nebuchadnezzar recognized that what he had was no ordinary dream. • There are likely two reasons for this. • Babylonian monarchs expected the gods to speak to them through dreams. • It also seems that Nebuchadnezzar at once recognized that this was no ordinary dream—it was, rather, a dream sent directly from God.

20. Also, notice that God sent a dream to a pagan ruler.

21. Also, notice that God sent a dream to a pagan ruler. • God ordinarily didn’t reveal his will to pagan kings, even when he used them to fulfill his purposes.

22. Also, notice that God sent a dream to a pagan ruler. • God ordinarily didn’t reveal his will to pagan kings, even when he used them to fulfill his purposes. • God obviously used Nebuchadnezzar to punish Judea, but there’s no evidence that he revealed that plan to the king.

23. Also, notice that God sent a dream to a pagan ruler. • God ordinarily didn’t reveal his will to pagan kings, even when he used them to fulfill his purposes. • God obviously used Nebuchadnezzar to punish Judea, but there’s no evidence that he revealed that plan to the king. • Would Nebuchadnezzar have put the items from the Temple in a pagan temple if he had known what God was doing?

24. Why, therefore, would God send this dream to Nebuchadnezzar?

25. It’s obvious that Nebuchadnezzar had a huge problem with pride.

26. It’s obvious that Nebuchadnezzar had a huge problem with pride. • As we know, he went out on his rooftop & boasted about the great Babylon he had built.

27. It’s obvious that Nebuchadnezzar had a huge problem with pride. • As we know, he went out on his rooftop & boasted about the great Babylon he had built. • But, the interpretation of the dream makes clear that it’s God who is in charge.

28. It’s obvious that Nebuchadnezzar had a huge problem with pride. • As we know, he went out on his rooftop & boasted about the great Babylon he had built. • But, the interpretation of the dream makes clear that it’s God who is in charge: “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” (vv 37-38, ESV).

29. It’s obvious that Nebuchadnezzar had a huge problem with pride. • Nebuchadnezzar would also learn that any earthly kingdom is not the real kingdom.

30. It’s obvious that Nebuchadnezzar had a huge problem with pride. • Nebuchadnezzar would also learn that any earthly kingdom is not the real kingdom. • God had another kingdom & that kingdom is the true kingdom.

31. It’s obvious that Nebuchadnezzar had a huge problem with pride. • Nebuchadnezzar would also learn that any earthly kingdom is not the real kingdom. • God had another kingdom & that kingdom is the true kingdom. • “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever” (2:44, ESV).

32. Four different classes of wise men come to stand before the king.

33. Four different classes of wise men come to stand before the king. • ESV: “the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans” • KJV: “the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans.” • NIV: “the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers.”

34. Four different classes of wise men come to stand before the king. • It doesn’t seem that there was a great difference in these four classes.

35. Four different classes of wise men come to stand before the king. • It doesn’t seem that there was a great difference in these four classes. However, the point seems to be that every kind of magi imaginable was brought before Nebuchadnezzar.

36. Yet, the Chaldeans were the most important class of magi in Daniel’s day.

37. Yet, the Chaldeans were the most important class of magi in Daniel’s day. • They were elite men & the king himself was a Chaldean.

38. Yet, the Chaldeans were the most important class of magi in Daniel’s day. • They were elite men & the king himself was a Chaldean. • We know that there were Chaldeans in the days of the patriarchs (Gn 11:28).

39. Yet, the Chaldeans were the most important class of magi in Daniel’s day. • They were elite men & the king himself was a Chaldean. • We know that there were Chaldeans in the days of the patriarchs (Gn 11:28). • The Chaldeans of Daniels day were likely very educated descendants of those first Chaldeans.

40. Yet, the Chaldeans were the most important class of magi in Daniel’s day. • They were elite men & the king himself was a Chaldean. • We know that there were Chaldeans in the days of the patriarchs (Gn 11:28). • The Chaldeans of Daniels day were likely very educated descendants of those first Chaldeans. • Therefore, they would have had a great amount of weight in the emperor’s court.

41. Nebuchadnezzar called these men before him & told them that he had a dream that greatly troubled him.

42. Nebuchadnezzar called these men before him & told them that he had a dream that greatly troubled him. • The wise men answered the king, “Tell us the dream & we’ll give you the interpretation.”

43. Nebuchadnezzar called these men before him & told them that he had a dream that greatly troubled him. • The wise men answered the king, “Tell us the dream & we’ll give you the interpretation.” • Nebuchadnezzar says, “No, I will tear you limb from limb & destroy your houses if you don’t tell me both the dream & the interpretation.”

44. It seems that the Holy Spirit guided Daniel to record this part of the conversation to point out God’s power in juxtaposition to the magi’s impotence.

45. It seems that the Holy Spirit guided Daniel to record this part of the conversation to point out God’s power in juxtaposition to the magi’s impotence. • They claimed to be able to interpret dreams, but where the “rubber meets the road,” they fail & fail miserably.

46. It seems that the Holy Spirit guided Daniel to record this part of the conversation to point out God’s power in juxtaposition to the magi’s impotence. • They claimed to be able to interpret dreams, but where the “rubber meets the road,” they fail & fail miserably. • But, God is able to reveal mysteries.

47. It seems that the Holy Spirit guided Daniel to record this part of the conversation to point out God’s power in juxtaposition to the magi’s impotence. • They claimed to be able to interpret dreams, but where the “rubber meets the road,” they fail & fail miserably. • But, God is able to reveal mysteries: “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” (2:27-28, ESV).

48. When Nebuchadnezzar presses the wise men, they say: “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. 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” (2:10-11, ESV).

49. Oh, the irony!

50. These men say, “There’s not a man on earth who can do that!”