Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. (Daniel 2:17-18)
Before approaching King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel went to his three friends and asked them to pray with him about the king’s dream. They would ask God to reveal the dream and the interpretation thereof and to spare their lives from the king’s decree. God didn’t waste any time answering their prayers.
Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. (2:19)
That night in a vision, God revealed to Daniel Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and what it meant. Daniel immediately praised God. We can read his blessing in Daniel 2:20-23 (click here to read).
Unlike the other wise men of Babylon, Daniel trusted in God and knew that every gift he had rested in God. His only hope of understanding the king’s dream was if God revealed it to him. He praised God for doing just that.
Daniel recognized that Nebuchadnezzar had the power to destroy him, but he also understood that God is greater than all. God sets up kings or removes them (Proverbs 8:15-16).
Daniel gave God the glory for any wisdom that he possessed and acknowledged that it was God Who answered their prayers. Now he was ready to go before the king.
Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. (2:24)
Arioch was the captain of the king’s guard. Nebuchadnezzar had tasked him with overseeing the destruction of the wise men. Notice, however, that Daniel does not only intercede on behalf of himself and his friends, but he also seeks to protect the rest of the wise men as well.
Keep in mind that magicians, sorcerers, astrologers, and such were forbidden in Israel (Exodus 22:18). Daniel could have justified the slaying of those men through the law of God. He could have used their deaths as an opportunity to elevate himself and his friends. Instead, he chose to save their lives along with his own.
Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. (2:25)
As soon as Daniel told Arioch that he could interpret the king’s dream, Arioch rushed Daniel into the king’s presence, excitedly announcing that he had found someone to do the king’s bidding.
The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. (2:26-28a)
The king immediately questioned Daniel’s ability to tell him the dream and the interpretation, but his doubt didn’t bother Daniel in the least.
Daniel’s reply was rather diplomatic. In one sense, he answered “no” because he acknowledged the fact that no mortal could do as the king demanded. However, in another sense, he answered “yes” because he knew that God could reveal it to him. God would tell Daniel what the dream was and what it meant, and as the messenger of God, Daniel would reveal it to the king.
Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart. (2:28b-30)
Daniel then proceeded to explain to Nebuchadnezzar that his dream was about things to come. He stated again that he couldn’t give the king an interpretation because of his own wisdom but because of the revelation from the one true God of Heaven. He also told the king that he wasn’t giving him the interpretation to exalt himself but for the sake of those the king had condemned to death.
God would use Daniel to reveal a great many things to King Nebuchadnezzar.