Daniel 2:23, commentary and pictures

Daniel gave thanks and praise to the God of his fathers after united earnest prayer with his companions for mercy concerning the king's forgotten troubling dream was answered by a night vision that revealed both the dream and its meaning and saved their lives with the wise men of Babylon. The wisdom and strength to make the hidden matter known was God's gift in answer to prayer, not the product of human wisdom, and the failure of Babylon's wise men exposed the limits of human learning beside heaven's wisdom given to exiles who depended on God. The prophecy of that second chapter has been fulfilled with remarkable exactness in the historian's record, testifying to the inspiration of Scripture and anchoring faith amid skepticism while showing the coming of the Lord to be at hand. His living connection with God through prayer joined to diligent mental effort and open acknowledgment of God as the source of wisdom and might is the pattern for all to follow by trusting God, using every entrusted power, and giving bold testimony before rulers without loss of influence. The same God who ruled in Babylon still communes with contrite seekers who stand where Daniel stood, giving prevailing power, progressive education and sanctification, and intellectual strength for daily duty that prepares them for the kingdom.

Setting and Meaning

Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dream, forgotten by him, in his palace in Babylon began the events that revealed the power and faithfulness of the God of Israel. The king depended on his wise men, yet they could neither recall the dream nor explain it.

Daniel joined with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah in united, earnest prayer and fasting, desiring mercies of the God of heaven concerning the secret so they would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. God heard their cries and answered by revealing the king's secret to Daniel in a night vision, making known both the forgotten dream and its interpretation. That answered prayer saved their own lives and the lives of the great men, astrologers and soothsayers of Babylon from an ignominious death.

The verse is Daniel's blessing, thanksgiving and praise to the God of his fathers, the God of heaven, because God gave him wisdom and might and made known now what they desired of Him. What was made known was the king's hidden matter, the forgotten dream and its meaning, which Daniel and his companions had sought from God and asked Him to reveal. Their prayer had been heard and answered, so the knowledge was God's gift in answer to their appeal for mercy, not the result of human wisdom, and Daniel gave God credit for it. Wisdom and power for responsible work come from God, and those who seek them to represent truth in righteousness rather than themselves are marked by God-given wisdom rather than pride or self-importance.

None of Babylon's wise men could interpret the secret of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and their failure showed the limits of human and scientific wisdom. God disclosed heaven's wisdom to the Hebrew captives in exile who depended on Him and were not captivated by Babylon's splendor, revealing God's superior wisdom. Acknowledging God as the source of wisdom and might and of the revealed king's matter, rather than glorifying human power, is faithful stewardship that trades faithfully on the Lord's goods. What Daniel made known, the forgotten dream and its interpretation, was given many years before Belshazzar's feast, and for that work the queen-mother remembered him when Belshazzar's wise men could not read the writing on the wall.

Prophecy and Revelation

The thanksgiving in this verse belongs to the second chapter of Daniel, whose prophecy has been fulfilled with remarkable and wonderful exactness as seen in the historian's record of ancient history. That exact fulfillment testifies to the inspiration of Scripture and serves as an anchor amid skepticism and rationalism. It leads from doubt and ignorance of true faith to positive faith through study of the Bible for clearer light.

Further investigation of its prophecies shows that the coming of the Lord is at hand, a solemn and important truth to bring before the people. Contrary to the popular belief that the prophecies of Daniel are mysteries that cannot be understood, they can be understood, explained, and taught. That teaching can begin even with children to interest parents, and can reach men of rank and learning.

Daniel's seeking of divine wisdom in the court of a heathen king and having it made known to him came through the ministry of a holy angel, one example of angels sent in all ages on missions of mercy to God's children. The light he then spoke with freedom and decision before intelligent minds was wisdom and knowledge actually made known to him by God, not his own opinion. To speak with that same confidence without truly receiving light from God is presumption.

Example for Believers

Daniel's thanksgiving after the night vision reveals a living, close connection with the God of all wisdom, the source of wisdom, and the secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him. He had placed himself in the channel of light through communion with God in prayer, joining with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah in united prayer desiring mercies of the God of heaven concerning the secret so they would not perish with the wise men of Babylon. All are to follow that example by connecting with the Lord, consulting Him as a son consults a wise father, trusting and depending on God with perfect assurance at all times, and committing the keeping of the soul to Him as a faithful Creator. That prayerful dependence enables a person to meet the demands of duty and study under God's watchful care.

Heavenly wisdom is given when men make diligent mental effort to secure knowledge and apply themselves closely under God's training instead of yielding to mental and spiritual indolence. Daniel looked to God for wisdom and then used every power and ability entrusted to him, and God gave skill and understanding in answer to earnest prayer for mercy. His trusted place in Babylon followed this dependence and faithful effort, and his learning and honor did not make him exalted. Knowledge so faithfully gained becomes of great service in strait places and examinations and enables giving a reason for the hope within, for God will not supply what is lacking through neglect.

Daniel's history here stands for admonition as a pattern of diligent and thorough education joined to faith and prayer, showing what a person may become and do. Communion with God strengthens the mind and gives sanctified intelligence, and Christians wherever they are may hold the same communion and have their minds strengthened in the same way. Acknowledging God as the source of wisdom and might and of the revealed king's matter, rather than glorifying human power, is faithful stewardship that trades faithfully on the Lord's goods. Those who seek wisdom and power to represent truth in righteousness rather than themselves are marked by God-given wisdom rather than pride or self-importance.

Daniel faithfully recognized God before kings, princes, and statesmen by thanking and praising Him for making known the king's matter, and that open acknowledgment did not detract from his influence. That firm, bold, clear-cut testimony like a sharp two-edged sword cutting to the right and to the left is to be followed, with appeals that bring foolish, wandering minds back to God. Those who seek wisdom from above with contrite hearts may receive understanding from God, for God has the same intelligence for others as He had for Daniel, knowledge far above all human knowledge. If they stand where Daniel stood and strive to obtain a knowledge of God, He will commune with them as He communed with Daniel and his companions and will give prevailing power, and standing there gives progressive education, and progressive education means progressive sanctification preparing the faithful to inherit the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world.

Divine truth carried into daily life makes a person intellectually strong, and such a life lived before all who come within its influence proves that those who believe present truth are not narrow-minded people without education, position, or influence. The God who ruled in Babylon is the same God who rules now, elevating the humblest trusting soul and uniting His power with human effort when honored as Daniel honored Him. To receive this His people must be pure, divested of self, steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord to bear fruit to His glory, so that God is honored among them. Ability for difficult work comes through access to God: physicians who rely on God and on Jesus for wisdom can serve even difficult cases with greater skill, confidence, and precision than human learning alone provides. A prophet serving as prime minister in Babylon joins dependence on God with the integrity expected of a Christian businessperson through heavenly inspiration received, and each steward is to keep personal responsibility in judgment by direct appeal to God rather than merging individuality in any human institution or shifting responsibility to conference or council when investing entrusted means on his own action where he sees need in destitute towns and cities and impoverished localities.