The God Who Knows What Is in the Darkness
June 7 | Rick Thiemke
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Daniel 2:1-23
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
1 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” 4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” 8 The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— 9 if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” 10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. 11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. 14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 15 He declared to Arioch, the king's captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.
God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
22 he reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and the light dwells with him.
23 To you, O God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and might,
and have now made known to me what we asked of you,
for you have made known to us the king's matter.”
Last week we met four young men whose lives had been turned upside down. Jerusalem had fallen. Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Judah and carried many of its brightest young people into exile. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah now found themselves serving in Babylon, learning its language, literature and customs. Yet, even while living in a foreign culture, they remained faithful to God. They engaged Babylon where they could, but refused to compromise their allegiance to the Lord.
Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful ruler in the world, is troubled by a dream. His sleep disappears and his spirit is shaken (verses 1-3). He summons the wisest people in his kingdom and demands that they not only interpret the dream, but tell him what he dreamed in the first place (verses 4-9). The wise men are stunned. They admit that no human being can do such a thing. Only the gods could reveal such knowledge, they say, and “their dwelling is not with flesh” (verse 11).
Nebuchadnezzar erupts in anger and orders the execution of all the wise men of Babylon, including Daniel and his friends (verses 12-13). Suddenly, the faithful exiles find themselves caught in a crisis they did not create and cannot solve.
When We Don't Have Answers, We Pray
Instead of panicking, he acts with “prudence and discretion” (verse 14). He asks for time (verse 16), gathers his friends and urges them to seek mercy from the God of heaven (verse 18). Notice what Daniel asks for. He does not demand answers. He seeks mercy.
There are moments in life when adversity exposes the limits of our own wisdom, strength and control. We cannot think our way out of every situation. We cannot predict every outcome. We cannot remove every uncertainty. Like Daniel, we are invited to bring our fears and needs before the God of heaven and seek His mercy.
Faithful endurance does not mean pretending everything is fine. It means turning toward God when we do not know what comes next.
When God Reveals Himself, Worship
God answers their prayers. During the night, the mystery is revealed to Daniel (verse 19). Daniel does not rush immediately to the king. He stops and worships.
His prayer, in (verses 20-23), becomes one of the most important declarations in the entire book. God possesses wisdom and power. God changes times and seasons. God removes kings and raises up kings. God reveals mysteries. God knows what is hidden.
Perhaps the most comforting line in the prayer is this: “He knows what is in the darkness” (verse 22). God does not tell us everything we want to know. Daniel still has difficult days ahead. Exile is not over. Babylon still stands, yet Daniel knows something greater than the answer to a dream. He knows the character of the God who rules history.
As the story continues, Daniel will stand before Nebuchadnezzar and declare the great truth at the center of this chapter: “But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (verse 28). That is the hope of God's people in every generation.
We do not endure adversity because we possess all the answers. We endure because there is a God in heaven. He reveals what His people need to know. He rules over kings and kingdoms. He is guiding history toward His purposes. And even when much remains hidden from us, He knows what is in the darkness.
The God who knew what was hidden in Babylon still knows what is hidden in our lives. Because He is the God of Heaven, we can seek His mercy, trust His sovereign care and move forward with faith, hope and worship.
Discussion Questions
What uncertainty or burden in your life most tempts you to seek control, rather than seek God's mercy?
When adversity arrives, where do you instinctively turn first for security; and what would it look like to respond more like Daniel?
How does knowing that God "knows what is in the darkness" change the way you face an uncertain future?