Daniel 2:18, commentary and pictures

When Nebuchadnezzar demanded that Babylon's wise men tell both his forgotten dream and its interpretation, Daniel with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah together sought mercy from the God of heaven concerning the secret so they would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. They prayed humbly with fasting and submission, asking for mercy, wisdom, knowledge, and power to reveal the dream and find a way of escape, and God took charge and answered by revealing the secret to Daniel in a night vision. The answer gave both the dream and its interpretation, enabling Daniel to make known the forgotten dream, disclose prophetic history, and tell its meaning. The mercy obtained saved not only Daniel and his companions but the lives of the other wise men, astrologers, and soothsayers from death, leading Nebuchadnezzar to confess Daniel's God as a God of gods and revealer of secrets. The failure of the wise men exposed the limits of human wisdom while the fulfilled prophecy testifies to Scripture's inspiration, giving youth and all believers an enduring example to seek God in every difficulty with humble trust rather than lose faith.

Setting and Answered Prayer

Nebuchadnezzar had forgotten his dream yet demanded that Babylon's wise men tell him both the dream itself and its interpretation, and when they could not do so Daniel turned to God for both. The crisis unfolded as the king declared his troubling dream to his wise men in his grand palace in Babylon. It belongs to the Daniel 2 account of the image with its mingling of iron and clay. Daniel's making known of that forgotten dream and its interpretation was still remembered years later when he stood before Belshazzar.

Daniel and his fellows, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, together desired mercies of the God of heaven concerning the secret, that they should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Their response to danger was to seek God together in united prayer. That prayer was humble, offered with fasting and with submission of their case to God as Judge of all the earth. They asked for mercy, help, wisdom, knowledge, and power to reveal the dream and its meaning and to find a way of escape from death.

God took charge of the matter and heard their cries. He gave Daniel wisdom to interpret the dream and joined divine power to human effort. The secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. The answer included both the dream and its interpretation. That enabling allowed Daniel to give the king the interpretation, to disclose events in prophetic history, and to tell the people the dream's meaning.

The mercy obtained saved not only Daniel and his companions but the lives of the other wise men, astrologers, and soothsayers of the realm from an ignominious death. Their prayer to learn the secret and escape death with the other wise men was heard, wisdom was given to interpret the dream, and thereby all were spared. When Daniel related both dream and interpretation to the king, Nebuchadnezzar confessed Daniel's God as a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of secrets.

Divine Wisdom and Power

Daniel 2 belongs to prophecy that has been fulfilled in the record of history with wonderful exactness, giving testimony to the inspiration of the Scriptures that anchors faith amid rationalism and skepticism. Contrary to the popular belief that the prophecies of Daniel are mysteries that cannot be understood, this prophecy can be understood and explained even by children. It is to be used to bring before the people the solemn truth that the coming of the Lord is at hand. The troubling dream and its disclosure through Daniel revealed the power and faithfulness of the God of Israel in Babylon. That revelation disclosed heaven's glory to these Hebrew exiles, not to those captivated by Babylon's splendor. The failure of the Babylonian wise men to tell it exposed the limits of human and scientific wisdom, while God showed Himself to be the sole dependence and revealed the superior wisdom of those who worship Him.

When Daniel sought divine wisdom in the court of a heathen king, angels were sent on a mission of mercy to the children of God. In seeking mercy concerning the secret, Daniel looked directly to God for wisdom instead of merging his individual judgment in any human institution. Each person must therefore look to God Himself for wisdom to know duty, rather than surrendering judgment to a conference, council, or other organization of men. This applies to stewardship of means, where each steward is personally responsible for the wise investment of God's goods and must seek God for wisdom to see need and use means to advance the work in destitute places.

Example for Faithful Living

Daniel and his companions seeking mercy from the God of heaven about the king's secret, that they might not perish with the other wise men of Babylon, gives youth an example to follow in every difficulty: to seek God for mercy, wisdom, and knowledge. Turning to God in that time of danger teaches that when trouble comes, all believers should pray earnestly to God and trust Him rather than lose faith when circumstances look discouraging. Their asking the God of heaven for mercy concerning the secret shows that wisdom should be sought from God. Seeking God's mercy and help through prayer so as not to perish teaches that those who seek wisdom from God with true contrition may receive an understanding heart.

Daniel's dependence on God in his duties shows that close connection with the source of wisdom and prayer enabled him to meet his responsibilities. His example calls Christians to work faithfully, mindful of God's care and oversight. Daniel and his companions seeking God's help with the secret so they would not die with Babylon's wise men, and their later faithfulness to God without compromising with Babylonian religion, shows that God upheld and honored them and gave them wisdom.

Daniel honored God by humble trust in seeking mercy, and God answered by joining His power to human effort and lifting up the humblest soul that trusts in Him. The God who ruled in Babylon then rules the same now, so His people must be pure, stripped of self, steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. Human struggle, appeals to authorities, and harmonious theory cannot save or succeed unless the Lord works by His Holy Spirit and pleads on their behalf.