Daniel 2:46-49

d. FELICITOUS KING

TEXT: Daniel 2:46-49

46

Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him.

47

The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou hast been able to reveal this secret.

48

Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.

49

And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel was in the gate of the king.

QUERIES

a.

Why did the king worship Daniel?

b.

Was the kings-' profession one of a true believer in God?

c.

Where is the gate of the king?

PARAPHRASE

Suddenly the king fell upon his face and did obeisance to Daniel as an act of respect to Daniel, a representative of the God who had revealed the king's dream, and the king commanded that tributes of offerings and incense be made in honor of Daniel. And the king said to Daniel, It is true! Your God is the God of all the gods. He is Ruler of kings. He is Revealer of secrets. I am convinced of this because you were able to reveal my secret dream. Then the king declared that Daniel should have great honor and position. He gave Daniel many rich gifts and appointed him to be the second in command over the province of Babylon and chief over all the Babylonian wise men. And Daniel requested favors for his Hebrew companions. So Nebuchadnezzar appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as Daniel's assistants, to be in charge of official affairs of the province of Babylon. Daniel served as chief magistrate in the king's court.

COMMENT

Daniel 2:46-47. NEBUCHADNEZZAR. WORSHIPPED DANIEL. AND SAID, OF A TRUTH YOUR GOD IS THE GOD OF GODS. The word worship does not always, in the Bible, mean religious worship. First, Daniel would not have permitted such a thing without some verbal correction, at least. Second, it was a common practice for pagan rulers to bow before those whom they thought were representatives of gods. Josephus records that Alexander the Great bowed before the high priest of the Jews, and when asked by his general, Parmenio, as to the meaning of his action, replied, I do not worship the high-priest, but the God with whose high-priesthood he has been honored. We believe Nebuchadnezzar was simply showing his respect for Daniel and at the same time doing obeisance through Daniel as the accredited representative of the God who had the power to reveal secrets. Notice that Nebuchadnezzar does not in any way call Daniel a god. It is evident, therefore, that the king is worshipping and sacrificing to Daniel's God through Daniel as an intermediary.

It is further evident that Nebuchadnezzar is not making a profession or confession of Jehovah-God as a monotheist. His concept of deity is still one of polytheism. What he does recognize is the superiority of Daniel's God over all the other gods of his pantheon, for Daniel's God is able to do what the gods of the Chaldean wise men could not doreveal his secret dream.

Daniel 2:48-49. MADE DANIEL GREAT. GAVE HIM MANY GIFTS. MADE HIM TO RULE. AND BE CHIEF GOVERNOR OVER. WISE MEN. AND. SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABED-NEGO. The king's mood changed from one of rage to pleasantness. He seems greatly relieved to know the interpretation of his dream. Perhaps he was relieved to know there was nothing immediately foreboding toward him personally in this dream. Perhaps he is excited to learn there is some Power or some One who is able to know the secrets of men and he has this One's representative in his own court. Whatever the immediate reason we know that God was the giver of grace to Daniel in order that he should not perish but would be used by God as a vessel to serve His purpose.

The king now keeps his promise to reward richly anyone who could tell him his dream and its interpretation. There is no way to know just how great was Daniel's reward, He was made great which probably means given social and political status next to the king himself. He was undoubtedly given a spacious home or palace with a retinue of servants, perhaps jewels and splendid robes. Daniel's official position was ruler of the province of Babylon. The word describing his office is rab signin, chief overseer. He certainly was not ruler over all the empire of Babylon. He was subordinate to the king for he had to make request to the king to get appointments for his three Hebrew companions to official position even in the province of Babylon. The king retained final authority in all matters in all provinces! It is not often that such recognition comes to a man who is so young! One note of interest concerning the date of writing of this bookif these words were written at the time of the Maccabees or at any other period of strict Judaism, it is difficult to understand why the author, supposedly a strict Jew with an abhorrence of everything pagan, would represent his Jewish hero as receiving such honors from a pagan king.

Daniel is not ungrateful to forget his Hebrew companions and their courage and assistance in his confrontation with the kingthey prayed with Daniel, and gave him encouragement. He made request to the king and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were appointed to official positions in the affairs of government in the province of Babylon, probably as Daniel's assistants. But Daniel was elevated to the position equivalent to cabinet office in the king's court. He was immediately responsible to the king as ruler over Babylon.
So Daniel's first confrontation with pagan dictatorship comes to a successful conclusion. But behind the scenes we see the providential, supernatural working of Jehovah-God in order that His purposes may be served. The carrying out of God's purpose through particular men (i.e. Daniel) is, of course conditioned upon the surrendered will of such persons. God could not work through Daniel if Daniel refuses to allow God to do so. But God does not need Daniel-He could find someone else through whom to work. Daniel needs God! God's purposes will conquer, one way or another, through one person or anotherHe is immutable, He does not change. But if man would wish to receive the rewards of God's purposes, man must submit to be used for God's purposes.

It is the lesson of this chapter of Daniel, and all succeeding Chapter s of Daniel (and all the Old Testament prophets), that the schemes, political kingdoms and religious philosophies of men will go the way of all flesh. One kingdom arises, proves to be inadequate for man's spiritual renewal, and collapses. Each new political or social structure invariably meets with the same overthrow simply because man is incapable of bringing about his own rebirth. This has to have a supernatural source. So history is one defeat after another. Our contemporary society with its philosophy of existential despair and desperation is simply another testimony to this reality of history. Man cannot find Godbut MAN CAN KNOW THE GOD WHO HAS FOUND MAN BY REVEALING HIMSELF! The one who knows the Almighty God is delivered from the futility of hopelessness and despair. The one who knows God learns that history has a purpose because history is being used by the Supernatural God whose plan and power is to regenerate and renew all who will allow Him to do so. The kingdom, the spiritual brotherhood, of this God is man's only hope. This is the lesson of the great image Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. Daniel revealed God's message concerning this image. See our chart at the end of this chapter.

QUIZ

1.

Give two reasons why we do not need to assume Daniel accepted the worship of king Nebuchadnezzar.

2.

Why do we believe Nebuchadnezzar has not yet come to a monotheistic concept of God?

3.

Why was the king's mood so radically changed from rage to pleasantness?

4.

What was Daniel's official position after the king promoted him?

5.

What positions did the Hebrew companions of Daniel likely receive?

6.

What is the lesson of this chapter?