Lesson 6: Impossible Dreams

Daniel 2:1-9
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.”

Have you ever noticed that Jesus sets things up so that only He can solve your problem? Remember, from Job 1, that the evil one can do NOTHING to you without asking God for permission. In our lesson today, we see one of those times when God allowed something bad to happen – so bad that only He could fix it.


King Nebuchadnezzar was so troubled by the dream he had that he wanted to make certain he would get the best possible answer for it. With that in mind, he demanded that his best people in the kingdom should first tell him what he had dreamed before they interpreted it. These wise men whom he had called knew if they did not give him good news about the dream, he would have them killed. Their habit was to always give him “good news” just to save their own lives.

But in verse 9 above we read that the king wanted to know the truth about his dream. He did not want flattery or false “good news” from his advisors so he made his request of Daniel and his friends, something no human magician or enchanter or sorcerer could know. The king did not know yet that God planned this so only He, through Daniel, would be able to solve the king’s problem.

*Memorize James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.