Daniel 2:24-49
“While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen. And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart.” (Daniel 2:29–30, NLT)
King Nebuchadnezzar had gone to bed with much on his mind, thinking about the future of his kingdom. While he slept, God gave him a vision of a great statue of a man. Its head was gold, its chest and arms were silver, its stomach and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As he watched, a stone not cut with human hands, struck the image on the feet and smashed them to bits. Then the entire image was crushed to tiny pieces. The wind carried them away so that nothing was left. Then this stone grew into a great mountain filling the earth. No wonder the king was so disturbed!
After describing in detail the king’s dream, Daniel interpreted it. The image represented successive earthly kingdoms, beginning with the head of gold who was Nebuchadnezzar. The final form of human government was represented by the feet of iron mixed with clay. This would be an imperialistic democracy. However, during the reign of these world leaders, God will establish a kingdom that lasts forever. It will consume all of the previous kingdoms.
Because Daniel was able to do what no one else could do, King Nebuchadnezzar rewarded him handsomely. He made Daniel ruler over the entire province of Babylon and gave him many gifts. But Daniel revealed something even more important than the king’s dream and its interpretation. Daniel revealed his great humility. He received the secret not because he was wiser or better than others, but because God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to know what was going to happen. Daniel could have taken the credit; instead he pointed the king to the LORD. And this is yet another characteristic of the person whom God uses. Consequently, Nebuchadnezzar said:
“Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret.” (Daniel 2:47, NLT)
We must also walk in humility, realizing that all our knowledge, wisdom, skills and possessions are gifts from God for the purpose of helping others and glorifying Him.