Nebuchadnezzar Troubled by the Great Image Dreamby chrishcollins
2:8Daniel 2:8
The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
Nebuchadnezzar awoke deeply troubled by an impressive dream whose details had slipped from his memory, and he accused his wise men with certainty of stalling for time because they saw it was gone from him. He suspected they wanted delay to prepare lying and corrupt answers until circumstances changed, so he demanded they prove their claimed wisdom by telling both the dream and its interpretation under threat of death. God deliberately caused the details to be forgotten while leaving the fearful impression, so that men claiming understanding of mysteries could not place a false interpretation upon it. Their failure exposed the limits of the human wisdom and scientific power in which the king had trusted and made room for God to reveal superior wisdom through those who worshiped Him. Unable to obtain help from them, the king turned to Daniel, and after Daniel and his companions prayed, God disclosed both the dream and its interpretation to them through an angel, sparing their lives and showing that God can reveal what human wisdom cannot.
King's Accusation and Context
The king's mind had been deeply impressed by a troubling dream, yet after waking he could no longer recall its details. He spoke with certainty that the wise men were trying to gain time because they saw that the thing was gone from him and they could not recover it. Their request that he himself tell them the dream only confirmed to him that they could reveal neither the dream nor its interpretation, and their inability exposed the failure of the wisdom in which he had trusted.
He suspected they wanted the delay so that they could prepare lying and corrupt answers for him until circumstances changed. To prove their claimed special knowledge he required them to tell both the dream and its interpretation together. Failure would bring his furious threat of death, and that sentence of destruction fell not on the Chaldeans and magicians alone but placed Daniel and his companions in danger too.
The confrontation took place in a grand Babylonian palace, with the bearded king seated elevated on an ornate throne addressing his robed advisers gathered before him. The declaration belongs to the account of the dream of the great image and its interpretation, connected with the mingling of iron and clay.
Divine Purpose and Application
God deliberately took the details of the dream from the king while leaving a fearful impression upon his mind, so that the wise men with their claimed understanding of mysteries could not place a false interpretation upon it. The dream was taken even though its historic events were of consequence to him, and the failure of the wise men to recover it kept them from imposing their own meaning by that claimed knowledge.
Their inability exposed the limits of the human wisdom and scientific power in which the king had trusted and revealed their inability to disclose the mystery, making room for God to reveal superior wisdom through those who worshiped Him. Unable to obtain help from his wise men, the king turned to Daniel, and after Daniel and his companions prayed, God disclosed both the dream and its interpretation to them through an angel, sparing their lives and showing that God can reveal what human wisdom cannot. The prophecy of this chapter was fulfilled with striking exactness in the historical record, making it a testimony to the inspiration of Scripture. Daniel's success in revealing the forgotten dream and its interpretation in this crisis is later remembered when Belshazzar's wise men cannot read the writing on the wall.
The lessons taught in the dream were given by God for those living in the present day, and the inability of the wise men represents learned people of the present day who lack discernment and learning and knowledge from the Most High and therefore cannot understand prophecy because they do not listen to and openly receive His word. The most learned in worldly lore who are not watching to hear what God says in His word and opening their hearts to receive that word and give it to others are not His representatives. Great and learned men of the earth, kings and nobles, will not receive the truth unto eternal life though it is brought to them.
Nebuchadnezzar awoke deeply troubled by an impressive dream whose details had slipped from his memory, and he accused his wise men with certainty of stalling for time because they saw it was gone from him. He suspected they wanted delay to prepare lying and corrupt answers until circumstances changed, so he demanded they prove their claimed wisdom by telling both the dream and its interpretation under threat of death. God deliberately caused the details to be forgotten while leaving the fearful impression, so that men claiming understanding of mysteries could not place a false interpretation upon it. Their failure exposed the limits of the human wisdom and scientific power in which the king had trusted and made room for God to reveal superior wisdom through those who worshiped Him. Unable to obtain help from them, the king turned to Daniel, and after Daniel and his companions prayed, God disclosed both the dream and its interpretation to them through an angel, sparing their lives and showing that God can reveal what human wisdom cannot.
King's Accusation and Context
The king's mind had been deeply impressed by a troubling dream, yet after waking he could no longer recall its details. He spoke with certainty that the wise men were trying to gain time because they saw that the thing was gone from him and they could not recover it. Their request that he himself tell them the dream only confirmed to him that they could reveal neither the dream nor its interpretation, and their inability exposed the failure of the wisdom in which he had trusted.
He suspected they wanted the delay so that they could prepare lying and corrupt answers for him until circumstances changed. To prove their claimed special knowledge he required them to tell both the dream and its interpretation together. Failure would bring his furious threat of death, and that sentence of destruction fell not on the Chaldeans and magicians alone but placed Daniel and his companions in danger too.
The confrontation took place in a grand Babylonian palace, with the bearded king seated elevated on an ornate throne addressing his robed advisers gathered before him. The declaration belongs to the account of the dream of the great image and its interpretation, connected with the mingling of iron and clay.
Divine Purpose and Application
God deliberately took the details of the dream from the king while leaving a fearful impression upon his mind, so that the wise men with their claimed understanding of mysteries could not place a false interpretation upon it. The dream was taken even though its historic events were of consequence to him, and the failure of the wise men to recover it kept them from imposing their own meaning by that claimed knowledge.
Their inability exposed the limits of the human wisdom and scientific power in which the king had trusted and revealed their inability to disclose the mystery, making room for God to reveal superior wisdom through those who worshiped Him. Unable to obtain help from his wise men, the king turned to Daniel, and after Daniel and his companions prayed, God disclosed both the dream and its interpretation to them through an angel, sparing their lives and showing that God can reveal what human wisdom cannot. The prophecy of this chapter was fulfilled with striking exactness in the historical record, making it a testimony to the inspiration of Scripture. Daniel's success in revealing the forgotten dream and its interpretation in this crisis is later remembered when Belshazzar's wise men cannot read the writing on the wall.
The lessons taught in the dream were given by God for those living in the present day, and the inability of the wise men represents learned people of the present day who lack discernment and learning and knowledge from the Most High and therefore cannot understand prophecy because they do not listen to and openly receive His word. The most learned in worldly lore who are not watching to hear what God says in His word and opening their hearts to receive that word and give it to others are not His representatives. Great and learned men of the earth, kings and nobles, will not receive the truth unto eternal life though it is brought to them.