Nebuchadnezzar knows what his dream was about; Daniel's been told by God what it was about— finally we get to hear it for ourselves and see what all the fuss was about.
God not me
Read Daniel 2:24
Notice that in answering the king’s question (v 26), Daniel repeats what we saw earlier: no person can explain the mystery the king has asked about, only God. He says later (v 30) that he doesn’t know the mystery because he is cleverer than
everyone else, but simply because God wanted the king to understand it.
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APPLY
• When people notice a gift or ability you have, do you tend to point to yourself so you can be praised, or to point to God so that He might be praised?
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Kingdoms to come
Read Daniel 2:31
• What does each part of the statue represent?
• What does the rock that smashes them all represent?
There is some debate about which kingdoms are being referred to. Clearly, the first one must be Babylon, since Nebuchadnezzar is the head of gold; the others are probably Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. These are the three empires which followed Babylon. The main focus, though, is on the stone that smashes them all and becomes a mountain. Look again at how it is described in verse 44.
The kingdom to come
This is a picture of God overthrowing all the human powers of the world and bringing His kingdom and His King—the Lord Jesus. His kingdom will rule over all and will never end.
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TIME OUT… Read Mark 1:14
The “good news” (or gospel) is that the kingdom promised to Nebuchadnezzar by God through Daniel came in Jesus, God's Christ. To know Jesus as King is to be part of His kingdom.
Read Revelation 11:15.
• How does this link back to Nebuchadnezzar's dream?
• What difference will it make to you today to know that this is where this world is headed?
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This devotional is taken from Explore—a daily Bible-reading devotional from the good book company which enables you to engage with Scripture and which will encourage, equip and inspire you to live for Christ. Explore features contributions from pastors such as Dr Timothy Keller, Mike McKinley and Tim Chester.
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