Key Thought: The rise and fall of nations seems to happen based on human whim. But Daniel 2 shows it is the God of heaven who actually moves human history to its finale.
January 18, 2020

1. Have a volunteer read Daniel 2:1-6.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What crisis did the Hebrews face because of the dream the Lord gave to Nebuchadnezzar?
3. Personal Application: What does this dream tell us about how close God is to humanity? How close do you think God is to you? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Why does Nebuchadnezzar get impatient and want to kill the astrologers, but is patient and gives Daniel time to pray and interpret the dream?” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Daniel 2:17-23.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What was the first thing Daniel did when he was granted time? What are the two kinds of prayers offered by Daniel and his friends?
3. Personal Application: In what ways can we be thankful regardless of our circumstances in life we face? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “Why does God answer some people’s prayers for safety and preservation, while He doesn’t protect His people in other situations or circumstances? You know, Elijah was translated, Elisha died a slow lingering, painful death from disease. Where’s the equity and assurance when each situation is not answered the same way?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Daniel 2:38-44.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. What does this dream say is the fate of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom?
3. Personal Application: Why are church leaders and members so reluctant to tell people when they are doing something wrong and that judgment will come upon them if they don’t change? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “What does this statue tell us about the future? How does this dream give us confidence in the accuracy of prophecy and Scripture? Why did God give this dream to a heathen king rather than to His own faithful people?” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read Daniel 2:44,45..

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. What does this tell us about the ultimate fate of this world?
3. Personal Application: How does it disagree with those who believe in the US and Israel against the rest of the world in end-time prophecy? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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You can view an in-depth discussion of “From Mystery to Revelation” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. Click on the image to view:

You may download an MP4 video file, and audio file or a PDF lesson outline from the HopeSS site.

With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

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Daniel immediately grabs his three friends for a prayer session, explaining that they will be executed if God does not reveal the dream. Whenever we face a big problem, we also should recognize that our God is great enough to resolve even the most unsolvable challenges.

Read Daniel 2:17-23. What are the two kinds of prayers prayed here?

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Two types of prayer are mentioned in this chapter. The first is a petition prayer in which Daniel asks God to reveal the content of the dream and its interpretation (Dan. 2:17-19). The words of this prayer are not given, but we are told that Daniel and his friends “seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon” (Dan. 2:18, NKJV). As they pray, God answers their petition and reveals the content and interpretation of the king’s dream. We can rest assured that whenever we seek “mercies from the God of heaven” our prayers will be heard as well, even if not in such a dramatic manner as we see here, because the God of Daniel is our God too.

In response to God’s answering their petition, Daniel and his friends burst into a prayer of thanksgiving and praise. They praise God for being the source of wisdom and for being in control of nature and political history. There is an important lesson we can learn here. As we pray and plead with God for so many things, how often do we praise and thank Him for answering our prayers? The experience of Jesus with the ten lepers provides an apt illustration of human ingratitude. Out of ten who are healed, only one comes back “to give glory to God” (Luke 17:18). Daniel’s response not only reminds us of the importance of thanksgiving and praise, but also reveals the character of the God we pray to. When we pray to Him, we can trust Him to do what is in our best interest, and thus we should always praise and thank Him.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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Read Daniel 2:1-16. What crisis do the Hebrews face because of the dream that the Lord gives to the king?

Dreams were taken very seriously in the ancient world. When a dream seemed foreboding, it often indicated an impending disaster. Thus, it is understandable why Nebuchadnezzar becomes so anxious about a dream that, to make things even more ominous, he can no longer remember.

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Babylonian experts believed that the gods could reveal the interpretation of dreams, but in the case of this dream in Daniel, there is nothing that the experts can do because the king has forgotten the dream. If the content of the dream were conveyed to them, they would come up with an interpretation to please the king. But in this unprecedented situation, when the dream experts are unable to tell the king what his dream is about, they are forced to admit that “there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh” (Dan. 2:11, NKJV).

Overwhelmed with frustration, the king commands that all the wise men of Babylon be killed. Such an atrocity was not unknown in the ancient world. Historical sources attest that, because of a conspiracy, Darius I had all the magi executed, and Xerxes put to death the engineers who had built a bridge that collapsed. When Nebuchadnezzar issues his decree, Daniel and his companions have just finished their training and been admitted into the circle of the king’s experts. For this reason, the death decree issued by the king applies to them as well. In fact, the original language suggests that the killing starts immediately, and Daniel and his friends will be executed next. But Daniel, with “counsel and wisdom” (Dan. 2:14), approaches Arioch, the man in charge of carrying out the executions. Eventually Daniel requests time from the king himself in order to solve the mystery of the dream. Interestingly, although the king has accused the magicians of trying to buy “time”, he promptly grants the “time” Daniel requests. Daniel certainly agrees with the magicians that no human being can solve such a mystery, but the prophet also knows of a God who can reveal both the content and the interpretation of the dream.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Dan. 2:1-16, Acts 17:28, Dan. 2:17-49, Psalm 138:1-8, John 15:5, Deut. 32:4, 1 Pet. 2:4.

Memory Text: “Daniel answered and said: ‘Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might’ ” (Daniel 2:20, ESV).

In the waters around Greenland are icebergs of many sizes. Sometimes the small ice floes move in one direction while their massive counterparts flow in another. What happens is that surface winds drive the little ones, whereas the huge masses of ice are carried along by deep ocean currents. When we consider the rise and fall of nations throughout history, it is similar to accounting for the surface winds and ocean currents. The winds represent everything changeable and unpredictable just like human will. But operating simultaneously with these gusts and gales is another force, even more powerful and very similar to the ocean currents. It is the sure movement of God’s wise and sovereign purposes. As Ellen G. White said, “Like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God’s purposes know no haste and no delay”. — The Desire of Ages, p. 32. Although the rise and fall of nations, ideologies, and political parties seem to happen at the discretion of human whim alone, Daniel 2 shows that it is the God of heaven who actually moves human history to its grand finale.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 18.

Sunday–>

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