Daniel Chapter 2 (1)
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams
Daniel Chapter 2 (1)
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams
→ The time Nebuchadnezzar had his dreams: In the second year of his reign. (Dan 2:1)
When did Nebuchadnezzar ascend the throne?
Jeremiah 25:1-14
★ Jeremiah 25:1-14 specifies three timelines.
The first timeline: “The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.” (verse 1)
• Nebuchadnezzar ascended the throne in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah.
• “In the third year of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.” (Dan 1:1) At this time, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was king, but had not yet ascended the throne. He led his army to besiege Jerusalem, capturing king Jehoiakim of Judah and some others, including Daniel.
• “In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”
• Nebuchadnezzar had dreams in the second year of his reign, which occurred in the fifth year of Jehoiakim king of Judah.
The second timeline: “For twenty-three years ---- from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day ---- the word of the LORD has come to me constantly, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened.” (verse 3)
• Jeremiah was called by God to speak to the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The time of his calling was “from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.”
The third timeline: “The whole land will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, and the land of the Chaldeans for their guilt,” declared the LORD, “and will make it desolate.” (verses 11-12)
• “These nations” refer to all nations including Judah. They would serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.
• The attack on Jerusalem and its inhabitants by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, was ordained by God.
• Nebuchadnezzar was called “my servant” by God. He was God’s servant because he was an instrument in God’s hands, used by God to discipline the people of Judah for seventy years.
• When the seventy years were fulfilled, God would punish the king of Babylon, his people, and the land of the Chaldeans.
King Nebuchadnezzar had dreams in the second year of his reign.
Daniel 2:1-11
• After having had dreams, he was “troubled in spirit and could not sleep.”
• Note: “Dreams” in plural, which means more than once he had dreams, but the dreams were of one thing ---- the same dream he dreamed more than once.
• The dream troubled his spirit so much that he could not sleep. Clearly, this dream was extremely important to him. He believed it so strongly that he couldn’t sleep. His spirit was disturbed.
• So, he summoned magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and Chaldeans—all of whom were wise men (Daniel 2:12). Chaldeans means “astrologers,” those who used astrology for fortune-telling.
• The king asked them to tell him what his dream was. In other words, instead of telling them his dream, the king asked them to recount it and interpret it.
• The king twice said, “This is what I have firmly decided” (Dan 2:5, 8). The king had decided not to tell them, and they must tell him what the dream he dreamed and interpreter it.
→ The king said, “If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So, tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”
► If they could not tell the dream and interpret it, they would be cut into pieces. Torture by cutting into pieces is an extremely cruel form of execution.
► If they could tell the king’s dream and interpret it, they would be rewarded and receive great honor.
• If you have a dream but don’t speak of it, who will know what you dreamed of? If you speak of it, perhaps someone will interpret it for you.
• But the problem the Chaldeans faced was this: the king wouldn’t tell them what his dream was, yet he wanted them to recount and interpret it. Who could recount someone else’s dream?
Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”
Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.” (Daniel 2:7-9)
• This dream of the king concerned the future changes of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar said, “You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change.”
► The Chaldeans answered the king, saying:
“There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except gods, and they do not live among men.” (Daniel 2:10-11)
• What they mean is: You don’t even tell us the dream, yet you ask us to interpret it? That’s impossible! No one on earth can do what the king has asked.
★ They made king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. (Daniel 2:12)
• So, the decree was issued to put all the wise men to death. (Daniel 2:13)
• The wise men included Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. In Chapter One, it is said that the four young men of Judah came to the king at the appointed time, and the king talked with them. He found that none was equal to Daniel and his companions, so they entered the king’s service. The king tested them on everything and found that their wisdom and understanding ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. (Daniel 1:18-20)
• King Nebuchadnezzar’s order to execute all the wise men naturally included Daniel and his companions. Then “men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.”
* Message will be continued.
Postscript:
“Then the Chaldeans answered in Aramaic” (Dan 2:4).
→ There are two major passages in the Bible written in Aramaic:
• Ezra 4:8-6, 18; 7:12-26
• Daniel 2:4-7:28
→ Aramaic and Hebrew are closely related (Genesis 10:21-31, 11:10-26)
• Shem was the ancestor of the Hebrews.
• Both Aramean and Hebrew are descendants of Shem (Genesis 10:22, 25), indicating that both belong to the Semitic language family.
• Abraham was called a “Hebrew” (Genesis 14:13). Hebrews are “those who crossed the river” or “those who came from the other side of the river”.
• Abraham had to cross a river, namely the Euphrates, when he came out of Ur of the Chaldeans. (Genesis 11:31)
→ Genesis 11:10-26, the genealogy of Shem
• This genealogy of Shem is after Noah’s flood.
• This genealogy does not record “Elam, Assyria, Luther and Aram” (Genesis 10:22), but begins with “Arphaxad”.
• Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. And Arphaxad, grandfather of “Eber”. (Genesis 11:14)
• Two sons were born to Eber. One was named Peleg, and his brother was named Joktan. (Genesis 10:24-25)
• However, the genealogy of Shem after the flood only records “Peleg” in order to introduce “Abram”, that is, Abraham. The salvation that God has prepared for mankind—justification by faith— begins with Abraham.
• Peleg means “divided” because in his time the earth was divided.
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