“My decision is firm. If you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses will be made an ash heap”
- Daniel 2:5 -
Daniel 2 teaches that those men and women who have an excellent spirit know how to pace their life to be effective and honor to God. In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, the king had a disturbing dream ‘and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him’ (Dan. 2:1). He was worried and wanted a swift interpretation of the dream. He was an impatient man, so he called together all his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and soothsayers. He commanded them to tell him his dream along with its interpretation.
The interpretation of royal dreams was an art in which these men were skilled. They even had manuals that listed various symbols common to dreams along with their meanings. There was just one problem. First, they had to know what the king’s dream was in to discern it. So they told the king: “Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation” (Dan. 2:4). They needed to hear about the dream and then they’d give the interpretation. Makes sense, right? But the king was clear that he first wanted them to tell him what his dream had been.
Why did the king do this? Well, he wanted to test the validity of the so-called experts. If they could tell him the dream, only then could he trust their interpretation. By not divulging the dream to his would-be interpreters, the king could confirm they weren’t conning him by making up an interpretation of their own imagination. He said: “My decision is firm. If you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses will be made an ash heap” (2:5). What a promise!
It is interesting to note that Daniel was not brought in to see the king, even though in matters of wisdom and understanding he was ten times better than anyone else (Dan. 1:20). At some point in life, many of us find ourselves in this same situation. We know the solution to a problem but no one has bothered to ask. God’s ways are not our ways (Is. 55:8), ad sometimes He teaches us valuable lessons in the temporary pain of being overlooked. All these royal experts could tell the king was: “It is a difficult thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can tell it to the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh” (Dan. 2:11). What would they do next?
Never before in Scripture were dream interpreters asked to reconstruct the dream itself. Not even Joseph had to tell Pharaoh what his dream had been about. In Daniel, this shows the inability of occult powers to give divine revelation. It shows they had deceived the king all along and deserved death. ‘For this reason the king was angry and very furious’ (Dan. 2:12). Deep grief overcame him and he ‘gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.’ The king desperately needed to understand the dream. He ruled the world but he still lacked peace. ‘So the decree went out and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions to kill them’ (2:13). While wise Daniel hadn’t even been summoned, his life was suddenly in danger.
A person’s true character is revealed in times of crisis. Daniel faced such a crisis when the royal executioner arrived at his door, but God had prepared Daniel. His response unveiled the excellent spirit within him: ‘With counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon’ (Dan. 2:14). Daniel spoke with discretion and discernment. He was young but wise in the ways of God. He didn’t panic or overreact. Daniel could have easily become frightened yet his answer showed how ‘the fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted’ (Prov. 29:25).
Daniel knew impossible situations are only resolved by divine intervention. He knew human obstacles are God’s opportunity to act mightily on our behalf. He acted based on God’s provision of favor and compassion. Daniel was tactful with the very official assigned to take his life. He knew from the Scripture that ‘a gentle answer turns away wrath’ (Prov. 15:1). For this reason, Paul says to conduct ourselves ‘with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person’ (Col. 4:5-6).
Daniel had complete faith in God, giving him poise under pressure. ‘He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, “Why is the decree from the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel’ (Dan. 2: 15). It was a miracle that Arioch even took the time to listen to Daniel. Most thugs would have cared less if their intended victim knew why they were about to die. Daniel sought to see the whole picture. As Proverbs 18:13 says: ‘If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.’ It is vital to get all the facts before jumping in with an opinion. Many arguments could be avoided by starting with simple, neutral questions as Daniel did.
Daniel asked why there was urgency in this matter. We can assume Arioch told him of the king’s dream and his anger that it hadn’t been revealed or interpreted yet. In faith, Daniel made a bold move. ‘Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation’ (Dan. 2:16). Yet again, God granted Daniel favor in the presence of his enemies. Daniel was most persuasive with the king. He asked for time to seek an interpretation of the dream even though the king had accused his other wise men of stall tactics (2:8).
Daniel was bold because the Holy Spirit was active in him. This prompted him to seek an audience with the king. In Acts 4:31 we recall how, after praying, the saints ‘were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness.’ Daniel was a lamb among wolves, yet he asked the king to give him what he’d vehemently refused to give anyone else: time. In our demanding world, patience is a valuable asset. It keeps us focused on long-term goals and less frustrated by setbacks. Patience also cultivates sound judgment. Pacing yourself and tolerating delays leads to clear-headed decisions.
Those with excellent spirits work smarter, not faster. They know there’s enough time in a day to do what God says to do. God gives us enough time to fulfill our calling. Yet we often put too much pressure on ourselves, thinking we must accomplish every assignment right away. But God doesn’t expect us to get everything done today, so slow down. As Psalm 31:15 says: ‘My times are in Your hand.’ As a true man of God, Daniel asked: “What's the urgency?” He knew how to handle adversity with grace and navigate challenges with a level head.
In the midst of trials we too must see the sovereignty of God; that He has the power to do His will. Job said: “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You” (42:2). Nothing and no one can upset God’s plans. It’s foolish to rob time management from His capable hands. After all, it is God who rules the affairs of men (Dan. 4:17). Our duty as believers with excellent spirits is to make sure we line up with His will, just as Daniel did, knowing our time on earth is brief. As James said: ‘You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes’ (4:14). Solomon knew God puts eternity in our hearts (Eccl. 3:11), and knowing that we will one day give an account to Him for the time we had, we should be motivated to use it well.
Back to Daniel. What’s the first thing he did when he left the king? ‘Daniel went to his house and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions’ (Dan. 2:17). He called a prayer meeting. He didn’t consult the magic books of Babylon but the Most High God. ‘He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon’ (2:18). A challenge had come and prayer was the answer. Spurgeon said his success in the pulpit came from saints in a basement interceding with God. Daniel and his friends prayed with one accord, knowing God is not only ‘compassionate and gracious’ (Ex. 34:6) but that only He holds the meaning of dreams (Gen. 40:5).
While Nebuchadnezzar took his problems to bed, Daniel took his to God, and what a difference it made. Recall how centuries earlier, Solomon prayed for God to make His chosen people “objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive” (1 Kings 8:50). Daniel was a righteous man who feared God and Psalm 145:19 says God fulfills ‘the desires of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and save them.’ God likes when His children cry to Him. As such, Psalm 141:2 asks: ‘May my prayer be counted as incense before You; the lifting of my hands as the evening offering.’
Prayer is vital, but what is it? Well, prayer is talking to God. It can be audible or silent, private or public, but it must be done in faith (James 1:6), in the name of Jesus (John 16:23), and in the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:26). The wicked have no desire to pray (Ps. 10:4), but the children of God have a natural desire (Luke 11:1) as it draws them near to God (Ps. 73:28). Spurgeon said: “Prayer gives a channel to the pent-up sorrows of the soul, they flow away, and in their stead streams of sacred delight pour into the heart.”
How often should we pray? The Bible says to ‘pray without ceasing’ (1 Thess. 5:17). We should be conversing with God all day long. Like Daniel, David prayed without ceasing. He said in Psalm 55:17 how ‘evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.’ To start, continue, and end the day in the presence of God is supreme wisdom. Day and night, the enemy tries to take us down. We fight him off with ceaseless prayer. David prayed with the confidence that he would prevail over his enemies. He knew his prayers would be heard, and he prayed as if they were already answered.
Prayer shows total dependence on God and God alone. Paul said: ‘Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere’ (Eph. 6:18). Spurgeon taught: “Prayer must not be our random work but our daily business, our habit, and our vocation. We must be immersed in prayer and so pray without ceasing.” Prayer to God should be persistent (Luke 18:1), with thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6), in faith (James 1:5), in the will of God (Matt. 6:10), and for the glory of God (John 14:13). And the more we do it, the more naturally our prayers tick those boxes.
Peter said: ‘The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers’ (1 Pet. 3:12). God watches His saints with approval and tender consideration. They are dear to Him and His ears hear their cry. Daniel and his friends prayed and a miracle happened. ‘The secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven’ (Dan. 2:19). The counsel of God is hidden from the ungodly but it is revealed to believers. We don’t know whether Daniel kept praying until he received an answer or whether he was able to rest without yet getting the answer. Either way, Daniel showed faith, so the next thing we learn is that Daniel showed his gratitude to God. He didn’t run to Arioch or the king. No, he knelt and worshipped God.
One can only imagine how much joy and amazement was in his heart toward the Lord who had revealed a great mystery and saved him from certain death. David Guzik said: “Our level of faith is often indicated by how long it takes us to start praising God. Greater faith is able to praise God when the promise is given and received.” Daniel proceeded to speak many good words about God, declaring seven things that give Him glory. He gave credit to Whom all credit belongs. Those with the spirit of excellence do this. They are like the cleansed leper who returned to thank Christ, not like the nine who went on their way physically – but not spiritually – healed (Luke 17:12-19). Next time we will learn what happened when Daniel divined the king’s urgent dream.
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