King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him, and he asked his advisors to explain it (Daniel 2:1-2). They were willing to do so, if the king would just tell them what the dream was; but Nebuchadnezzar suspected they’d just make something up, so he insisted they had to tell him the dream, along with its interpretation (2:4-9). When they admitted they could not do such a thing, the king was enraged, and ordered all of them executed (2:11-13).

Then Daniel, one of the exiles from Jereusalem, promised to provide the interpretation. He asked his three friends to pray for him, and in the night God revealed the mystery to him (2:16-19). Daniel acknowledged this in his own prayer: “To you, O God of my ancestors, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and power, and have now revealed to me what we asked of you, for you have revealed to us what the king ordered” (2:23).

When he came before the king, Daniel frankly admitted that he had no special gift to be able to interpret dreams: “this mystery has not been revealed to me because of any wisdom that I have more than any other living being” (2:30); instead, the king’s question would be answered because “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has disclosed to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen” (2:28).

When Daniel told him the dream and its interpretation, Nebuchadnezzar was greatly impressed. He told Daniel, “Truly your God is God of gods and Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries” (2:47). Those words sound promising, as if Nebuchadnezzar was ready to respond to God’s call in faith. In tomorrow’s reading, however, we shall see that it would take a more severe experience before Nebuchadnezzar was ready to affirm the everlasting sovereignty of the Most High (4:34).

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We give you thanks and praise, O Lord, for you are indeed the one who gives us the wisdom we need from day to day. Reveal to us your great purpose, O God, and give us grace to trust in you, and to follow you always.

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