THE WISDOM OF BABYLON CAN NOT SAVE FROM DEATH.
By William W. Prescott
We now come to the first of the three experiences in which the God of heaven revealed himself to Nebuchadnezzar, and through him to all the people of his realm. The faithfulness to principle on the part of Daniel and his companions, and their “skill in all learning and wisdom,” as set forth in the first chapter, have prepared them to act their part in preaching the gospel of the kingdom in Babylon. “And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac, O king, live forever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” Only a short time after the Hebrew captives had completed their course of training at the court of the king, an opportunity was offered, in the providence of the Lord, to put to a practical test the value of such wisdom as was imparted in the Babylonish system of education as compared with the wisdom that God gives to those who are true to the principles of his kingdom. “Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams.” It is evident that he had the same experience more than once,—that the same dream was repeated, so that he was deeply impressed with it,—and then he could dream no more because “his sleep brake from him.” Unable to recall the dream, and yet impressed with the idea that it had a meaning of deep import to him, the king called for his wise men, those who professed to be trained in the methods of finding out secret things that were hidden from others. But their claims were now to be subjected to such a test as they had not had before. The God of heaven was directing affairs in such a way as to bring out clearly the wide contrast between the false and the true system of education, and to make himself known as the only source of genuine wisdom. The dream, which had been taken from the king, was also hidden from them, and they were compelled to ask that the dream be told them. “The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor: therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.” “They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it.” “The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof.” These professed wise men had been able to maintain their position as the sole channels of superior knowledge because no one had come forward to seriously question their claims, and no circumstances had arisen that had made the demand upon them for a real revelation of secret things. For the first time in their experience they were really required to make good their profession, and they themselves must now stand or fall with their system. But the wisdom and knowledge that were imparted by the Babylonish system of education would not stand such a test as this. Their wisdom was foolishness, and their system of education a fraud, and their only hope of success in maintaining confidence in their supposed revelations was that there should be no fair opportunity to test them. And so they asked that the king should show them before they show him; that he should furnish them with the key with which to unlock his difficulties. But the king could not help them, even had he desired to do so, and thus they were left to reveal the utter folly of their vaunted wisdom. (This study concluded next week.)