The Terrifying Dream
Charlatans Summoned (1-11)
During the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, the king had such a disturbing dream that he was stricken with insomnia (1). Daniel obviously was seeking to make the point in this chapter that Yahweh—not magicians, conjurers, soothsayers, enchanters, sorcerers, fortune-tellers, wizards, or astrologers—is the revealer of secrets (2, 29).
Nebuchadnezzar gathered the wisest mystically connected men of his administration. This gang of mystics guaranteed they would be able to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream if he related it to them.
Nebuchadnezzar was obviously not a complete believer in the metaphysical prowess of his illusionists, so he demanded that they not only interpret the dream but that they also tell him what dream he had dreamed. If they were unable to reveal the dream, Nebuchadnezzar threatened to tear them limb from limb and strip their fortunes from their families (3-5). Conversely, if they showed him his dream and its accurate interpretation, these illusionists would be richly rewarded (6).
The king’s illusionists respectfully and coyly asked again for the king to relate the dream to them so they could give him the best result and the most reliable interpretation.
Nebuchadnezzar’s patience and frustration with this group of charlatans quickly grew thin. He accused the group of delay, of trying to deceitfully seek more time to use their usual tricks in order to pry some hint out of Nebuchadnezzar as to the content of his dream.
Nebuchadnezzar’s plan was to use their knowledge of the dream without psychic trickery to verify the veracity or accuracy of their interpretation.
The dream was so deeply concerning to Nebuchadnezzar that he wanted no delusions of chicanery involved in the interpretation.
The enchanters then persisted in trying to get Nebuchadnezzar to talk about the dream just a little, hoping to confuse him until he slipped and gave them at least the general subject matter of the dream. Nebuchadnezzar held firm; he demanded the gang know and reveal the dream (7-10).
The charlatans then challenged the king’s demand based on three principles:
The degree of difficulty was inhuman.
The request was outrageous and had never been made before.
The demand was unrealistic and fitting only for non-material gods (11).
Daniel Emerges (12-16)
Nebuchadnezzar had had enough and demanded the charlatans be destroyed. Not only did he demand the men before him be destroyed, but he also demanded that everyone in their little cadre of mystics be destroyed. This would likely have included Daniel and his friends (12-13).
When Daniel and his friends were found and the decree read, Daniel kept calm and responded respectfully, showing no signs of fear or concern for his future. Daniel then listened as Arioch, the commander of the guard, told him all he knew about why the king had issued such a harsh decree.
When Daniel discovered the full range of the problem, he made a request to go and see the king. Once before Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel requested time to contemplate so he could show the dream and its interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar was so smitten with Daniel’s confidence that he gave Daniel the requested time (14-16).
Daniel’s Prayer Vigil (17-23)
Daniel then went home and arranged a prayer meeting with his friends, instructing them to begin to seek mercy from God so He would reveal to them Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and its interpretation, so they would not be destroyed. Daniel put his fate completely in the hands of God. While Daniel did not doubt God would give the dream and interpretation, he still sought the mercy of God, recognizing complete dependence as a quality to receive grace (17-18).
Somewhere during the all-night prayer meeting, the mystery was revealed to Daniel by a vision (19). Daniel did not impulsively run to the king but took time to give thanks and to bless Yahweh.
Daniel blessed Yahweh for:
Possessing wisdom and might, which were not in the realm of the king’s enchanters but under the domain of God (20)
Being in ultimate control of the world, whether in a direct way, an indirect way, or through epochs of history, Yahweh ultimately rules, not the fatalism of chance
Showing His wisdom to those who seek Him for it (21)
Revealing things that can only be known through personal revelation
Knowing all that is going on in evil places, and illuminating with light (22)
Daniel then wrapped up his prayer by giving personal thanks to Yahweh for responding to his and his friends’ prayers and showing him the king’s dream and its interpretation (23).
Psalms 120-134 are all “Pilgrimage Songs” and were written to be sung by the Jews on their way up to Jerusalem for the three feasts held there each year [the feasts: Passover, Pentecost, Booths]. Ten of the Psalms are anonymous, four are attributed to David (122, 124,131,133), and one to Solomon (127)].
I have written these chapter devotionals as Jesus would have sung them and heard them as He was going to Jerusalem to celebrate feasts as a Boy, as a Man, and then ultimately in His final ascent to Jerusalem as the Passover culminated at Calvary. I will especially let these Psalms flow from Jesus’ own lips as we imagine a bit of what might have been going through His mind as He walked His disciples to that city 3,800 feet above sea level—the city in these Psalms referred to as Jerusalem and Zion.
Some imagine these Psalms were written for Solomon's Temple, each Psalm written for the fifteen steps leading up to the inner court—one Psalm at a time sung by the Levitical choirs accompanied by musicians as the priest made his way up each step.
Others imagine the Psalms were written for the exiles returning from Babylon to Jerusalem. Still others place them at 445 B.C. during Nehemiah's time, after the walls were built, when the Jews ascended to the temple for the Feast of Tabernacles.
Whenever these Psalms were written, they became songs sung by Pilgrims moving toward Jerusalem for one of the three feasts of Israel.
Psalm 132
The Psalm of Yahweh's Favor to David
The vow of David (1-5)
The vow of Israel (6-7)
The vow of Yahweh (8-18)
[The Psalmist now enters the city and the House of the Lord, ever mindful of the real eternal Temple, the promise to David concerning a son to sit on his throne, and the reality of the house of God being wherever the Ark rested, be it Zion (13) or at the home of Abinadab (1 Samuel 7:6, Ephrathah being Bethlehem and Jaar meaning Kirjath-hearim)]
Purpose (120-134): To show us how to pray as we enter into special times and seasons in His presence. The fifteen themes of these Psalms, from recognizing God's keeping, rescuing, and redeeming power, to resolving issues of ambition and contention, and then full-throttle worship, show us how to come into His presence for special seasons of relationship.