So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king, Sermons
1. At home, and the associations of Jerusalem. 2. Knowledge of previous revelations (see Daniel 9:2). 3. Moral victory at a crisis of history. 4. Experience of life at one of its great centres - Babylon - the court. As indicating the difference between Ezekiel's standpoint and that of Daniel, note Ezekiel dates from the years of the Captivity - for him, in comparative obscurity, the years dragged on wearily - Daniel, by the reigns of kings in whose court he was. Daniel's experience grew with the years, and he became increasingly fit to receive political revelations - revelations as to the rise and fall of empires. I. THE DISCREPANCY. Between Daniel 1:5 and Daniel 2:1. Occasion might well be taken from this to insist upon one or two wholesome truths in reference to Biblical interpretation. 1. The discrepancy looks at first sight glaring enough; i.e. as to the dates. Still, with our idea of the sacred writings, we should be justified in believing: 2. That some explanation would be forthcoming, if we knew all the loots. Of the propriety of this assumption, we shall have a striking illustration in the recent clearing up of' the special critical difficulty of ch. 5. 3. One might fairly conclude that Daniel is quite as reliable an historian as any other author. 4. The seeming discrepancy is clear evidence that Daniel, and none other, is the writer; for these two dates would never have been admitted in a form apparently contradictory, coming so close to each other as to challenge attention, if the author had been an impostor. Daniel writes straightforwardly the truth, unconscious of the possible misconstruction of his words. This unguardedness of style is a sure sign of the credibility of a living witness, and of the genuineness of any book. 5. There are several explanations forthcoming, one specially credible (see Exposition). 6. Our feeling in relation to discrepancies real or apparent, will doped entirely on our moral attitude in relation to revelation. The believer will treat them lightly; the captious and unbelieving will make the very most of them (see Alford on receipt of one of Colenso's volumes, in 'Alford's Life'). II. THE PREPARATION. There were subjective conditions of the dream which argue a certain nobility in Nebuchadnezzar. Dreams grow out of waking thought; and, though this dream was supernatural, we may well believe it was naturally conditioned. The mood of the king created a certain receptivity for Divine revelation (ver. 29). 1. The cares of empire weighted his soul. 2. His mind projected itself into the far future. (Ver. 29.) 3. Thoughts of present responsibility and visions of the future were enter-rained. To all, such high thoughts come at some time or other; but not all entertain them. We may drown them in frivolity, or quench them by intoxication. When God comes to a soul with thoughts worthy of its nature, it is for the soul to open wide its portals and let the glory in. About this young conqueror there was a certain grasp and elevation of mind. III. THE DREAM. Here, at present, we ignore its contents; we are supposed, indeed, not to know it: and consider only generally whether, and to what extent, the dream may become the article of Divine communications to man. In a complete, discussion, we should have to cite the following testimonies: Those of: 1. Psychology. The nature and origin of dreams should be elucidated, with the view to a just estimate of the testimonies which follow. Sufficient wilt be found for homiletic purposes in Dr. Smith's 'Bible Dict.,' art. "Dreams." 2. Scripture. These inductions seem valid: (1) "That Scripture claims the dream, as it does every other action of the human mind, as a medium through which God may speak to man[" (2) "That it lays far greater stress on that Divine influence by which the understanding also is affected. In dream, the imagination is in the ascendant; the reason, dormant. (3) That dream as a medium of Divine communication is inferior to prophecy. (4) That dreams, therefore, were granted: (a) To the heathen rather than to the covenant people of God. (b) To the latter only during their earliest and most imperfect individual knowledge of him. (c) Only in the earliest ages, and less frequently as the revelations of prophecy increase. (d) Almost invariably require an interpreter. These last four points are all illustrated by the dreams in the Book of Daniel. 3. Experience. The reference here is to that modern experience, of which we may be either the subjects or the observers. Even in a Christian civilization like ours, the superstitious regard fur dreams is so common, that the following truths may well be insisted on: (1) That dreams should never for us stand in the place of revelation. (2) Should be disregarded entirely, when contravening the truth as it is in Jesus" (3) That God may see fit by dream to prepare the mind for the future. (4) That there seems well-authenticated instances in which the coming event has been imaged in dream. Surely he who made the soul can have access to it by night or by day, directly or mediately, as he will In the application of these truths to our own life, the greatest spiritual wisdom will be necessary. IV. THE SEARCH. We do not agree with Keil, that the king remembered the dream, and was intent on testing the value of the interpretation by making the interpreter tell also the dream itself; nor with the reasons he assigns for that interpretation. We believe that the dream was gone from memory, yet leaving behind such an impression that the king would recognize it on its being described, and also leaving behind an idea of its tremend us import, and a conviction that its origin was Divine. Here note: 1. The mission of oblivion. "God sometimes serves his own purposes by putting things out of men's minds, as well as by putting things into their minds." By the king's forgetfulness Daniel came to be honoured, and in him the God of Daniel. 2. The adaptation of Divine revelations. From Daniel 2:4 to Daniel 7:28 the language of the book is Chaldee; as though God would throw open the revelation through Daniel to the people of Babylonia as well as to the Jew. After ch. 8. the language reverts to Hebrew, for the communications are then chiefly for Israel. This adaptation one instance of what obtains universally. 3. The infirmities of even noble minds. There were many elements of greatness about Nebuchadnezzar; but all shaded by: (1) Superstition. Seeking for light where no light could be found - from the magi of various grades. (2) Unreason. Demanding both dream and interpretation. A certain sort of wisdom might interpret; but only the omniscience of God could recover the dream. (3) Cruelly. Many instances besides that in this chapter. V. THE FAILURE. (Ver. 11.) Observe: 1. The error into which exalted intellect may fall. "Gods" imply polytheism. 2. The truth which may shine through error. The magi were aware: (1) Of the omniscience that is essential to Deity. (2) Of the limitation that belongs to the creature. The flesh is a veil that hides from us much of the spirit-world. VI. THE DOOM. Cruel as was the edict on the part of the king, there was, nevertheless, a sort of rough justice on the part of God's natural government of the world, in consigning to punishment the practicers of imposition and traders on the superstitious fear, of men. "They sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain suggests how oft the innocent are caught in the consequences of the sin of others. - R
Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. A prophecy does not fall from Heaven in the form of a book written and sealed. Prophecy is given through the spirit of a man. It comes first into the living soul. He afterwards declares it, and then records it, in a form adapted to the needs of living souls around. The situation of the prophet, then, must be favourable to the full reception of the prophecy in all its significance. "To qualify him for his work his historical position must be such that his whole situation may be, so to say, the human question to which revelation proclaims the Divine answer." Accordingly, Daniel was carefully placed by the hand of God so that the prophecies with which he was favoured should have for him the fullest meaning. When we say that his watch-tower was in the palace of Babylon, hard by the very throne, we indicate how exactly God prepared him to be the prophet of this crisis in the history, not of Israel merely, but of the whole world. For more than seventy years he lived at the Babylonian and Medo-Persian court. He was a member of the government, high in position. His political preparation for successive revelations was very favourable. He gained an insight into the secular organisations of the kingdoms of this world, and became thus fitted to receive what we may be allowed to call political revelations. His spiritual preparation, too, was wisely and graciously ordered. The moral victory over the temptations of his state of pupilage, rendered it possible for God to communicate with humanity through him. He was well versed in previous revelations. Daniel knew the contents of preceding prophecies (Daniel 9:2). Besides this preparation of knowledge and self-conquest, the experience of life at Babylon was likely to make his soul very susceptible to Divine impressions.(H. T. Robjohns, B.A.) People Abednego, Arioch, Azariah, Belteshazzar, Daniel, Hananiah, Meshach, Mishael, Nebuchadnezzar, ShadrachPlaces Babylon, ShinarTopics Arts, Astrologers, Chaldaeans, Chaldeans, Chalde'ans, Clear, Commanded, Conjurers, Declare, Dream, Dreamed, Dreams, Enchanters, Evil, Magicians, Orders, Places, Powers, Scribes, Secret, Shew, Sorcerers, Stand, Stood, Summoned, Users, Wonder-workersOutline 1. Nebuchadnezzar, forgetting his dream, 5. requires it of the Chaldeans, by promises and threats. 10. They acknowledging their inability are judged to die. 14. Daniel obtaining some respite finds the dream. 19. He blesses God. 24. He staying the decree is brought to the king. 31. The dream. 36. The interpretation. 46. Daniel's advancement. Dictionary of Bible Themes Daniel 2:2Library The Image and the Stone'This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 37. Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath He given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. 39. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Book and Tract Catalogue. Editor's Preface The Scattering of the People That Gospel Sermon on the Blessed Hope Epistle Xliii. To Eulogius and Anastasius, Bishops. A Description of Heart-Purity The Wisdom of God The Wicked Husbandmen. The First Great Group of Parables. The Necessity of Regeneration, Argued from the Immutable Constitution of God. Letters of St. Bernard Lii. Concerning Hypocrisy, Worldly Anxiety, Watchfulness, and his Approaching Passion. Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus. The First Sayings of Jesus --His Ideas of a Divine Father and of a Pure Religion --First Disciples. The Gospel of the Kingdom. Daniel Links Daniel 2:2 NIVDaniel 2:2 NLT Daniel 2:2 ESV Daniel 2:2 NASB Daniel 2:2 KJV Daniel 2:2 Bible Apps Daniel 2:2 Parallel Daniel 2:2 Biblia Paralela Daniel 2:2 Chinese Bible Daniel 2:2 French Bible Daniel 2:2 German Bible Daniel 2:2 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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