Today’s passage: Daniel 2:1-16
Helpful thoughts:
- There appears to be a problem in the text…If Daniel completed a three year training program, how are the events of Daniel 2 happening during Nebuchadnezzar’s second year as king?
- In ancient cultures, doing something for a part of the year would often be counted as a year. So, it’s possible the “Three year” training program could have been completed in as little as fourteen months depending on when during the year it began.
- The year a king would take the throne was called the “Accession year.” Then the next year would be called the “first year.”
- Put these two practices of time keeping together and it’s possible for the training to be completed and for these events to occur during the “second year” of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign.
- In a way, King Nebuchadnezzar was not wrong for being dissatisfied with his wise men. They were responsible for being in touch with the gods and if they were really going to serve as they had advertised… This request was not as ridiculous as it sounds.
- The wise men were not wrong to admit their inability without some sort of divine revelation. It wasn’t the wise men who were to blame as much as it was the belief system of the Babylonian people!
- Daniel again makes a wise appeal and schedules a time with the king.
Questions to consider:
- In what way did the king’s request make sense? In what way was his request absurd? What would he be sure of after someone was able to accurately relay the details of his dream?
- Why was Daniel’s appeal appropriate and make good sense? What was going to happen to all of the wise men if no one even made an attempt to answer the king’s request? Would it have been wise for Daniel to offer these kinds of services to the king prior to this dire situation?
- If you found yourself in this position what would you do next? (We will find out what Daniel did tomorrow!)