Daniel

Daniel 2: God's kingdom will stand forever

Begin in prayer

Before we read Daniel 2, please ask God to show us that He alone knows every secret, and that His kingdom will never be destroyed.

Your throne, God, is forever and ever. A scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom.

Psalm 45:6

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Show us that You reveal secrets and rule over every king, and help us to see Christ. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

In his second year, Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that troubles him, and the dream is gone from him when he wakes. His wise men cannot tell him the dream, so he orders all the wise men of Babylon destroyed. Daniel asks his three friends to pray for mercy from the God of heaven, and the secret is revealed to him. Daniel praises God, and then he tells the king of a great image of gold, silver, brass, iron and clay. A stone cut out without hands strikes it and becomes a great mountain that fills the earth. The king says Daniel's God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings.

As you read Daniel 2, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

The God of heaven reveals secrets and rules over kings, and His kingdom will never be destroyed.

Nebuchadnezzar's dream troubled him, and no wise man in Babylon could tell him what he had dreamed (verses 1 to 11). The king was angry and ordered every wise man destroyed, which put Daniel and his friends in danger (verses 12 and 13). Daniel asked his friends to seek mercy from the God of heaven, and God showed him the secret (verses 17 to 19). Daniel told the king, “there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets” (verse 28). In the dream, a stone cut out without hands broke a great image and became a mountain (verses 34 and 35). Kings rise one after another, yet the God of heaven gave Nebuchadnezzar his kingdom, power and glory (verse 37). Daniel said the God of heaven will “set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed” (verse 44). So every king's power is given by God, and only His kingdom lasts. The God who knows every secret is the One who rules over all that happens.

How does Daniel 2 show us that the God of heaven reveals secrets and rules over kings, and that His kingdom will never be destroyed?

God reveals secrets that no wise man can know.

The king's wise men said there was no one on earth who could tell the king his dream (verses 10 and 11). Daniel and his friends asked the God of heaven for mercy about this secret (verses 17 and 18). That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision (verse 19). Daniel told the king, “there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets” (verse 28).

Daniel praised God, who removes kings and sets up kings.

Daniel blessed the name of God, and said, “wisdom and might are his” (verse 20). God changes the times and the seasons, removes kings and sets up kings (verse 21). He gives wisdom to the wise and knows what is in the darkness (verses 21 and 22). Daniel thanked God for making known what they asked of Him (verse 23). Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, power and glory had been given to him by the God of heaven (verse 37).

God will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed.

A stone cut out without hands struck the image on its feet and broke the whole image in pieces (verse 34). The wind carried the pieces away like chaff, and the stone became a great mountain that filled the whole earth (verse 35). Daniel said that God's kingdom will stand forever (verse 44). The angel Gabriel told Mary that her Son's kingdom would have no end (Luke 1 verse 33).

Memorise

In the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people.

Daniel 2:44

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, am I part of a kingdom that will never end, or am I outside it?

The king said, “your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings.” Jesus is the King of kings.

Every kingdom in the dream, even the golden head, was broken. Our sin is worse than any broken kingdom, for it separates us from the God of heaven. On the cross, Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many, and nothing is missing from His payment. Three days later the tomb was empty, because He rose.

So come to the King whose kingdom will never end. Turn from your sin and put your trust in Jesus. He gives forgiveness freely to all who repent and believe, and they belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Parent's note

Tell your children that the God of heaven knows every secret, and that His kingdom will never be destroyed. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart. Parents, verses 5 and 12 tell of the king's threat to destroy the wise men, so please explain them gently.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God for the kingdom that will never be destroyed, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.

They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah 11:9

Heavenly Father, thank You that You know every secret and that Your kingdom will never end. Thank You for sending Jesus, the King of kings. Please lead each of us to turn from sin and trust Him, and give us hearts that praise You. Amen.