150114 The God Who Establishes His Kingdom

• LESSON 2 (January 14) • The God Who Establishes His Kingdom BACKGROUND: • The events of this chapter take place during Nebuchadnezzar’s second year (603-602 B.C.) • Nebuchadnezzar was not the first king to dream in the Bible (Gen 41:1-8; 1 Kings 3:5-14) • If Nebuchadnezzar’s threat in Daniel 2:5 seems too extreme to be believable, consider what he later did to King Zedekiah (2 Kings 25:7). • Dates of world empires referenced in Daniel 2: o Babylonian Empire (625-539 B.C.) – head of gold (Dan 2:36-38) o Medo-Persian Empire (539-331 B.C.) – chest and arms of silver (Dan 2:32,39) o Greek Empire (331-63 B.C.) – middle and thighs of bronze (Dan 2:32,39) o Roman Empire (63 B.C.-A.D. 476) – legs of iron; feet of iron and clay (Dan 2:33, 40-43) QUESTIONS WORTH THINKING ABOUT: 1. “Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion…” (Dan 2:14). What does this mean? What can we learn from his example? 2. What should we take away from Daniel 2:17-18? 3. How would you summarize Daniel’s blessing of God in Daniel 2:20-23? 4. What does Daniel want to make sure Nebuchadnezzar understands in Daniel 2:27-30? How can we make application to our own lives? 5. Explain the significance of what is being foretold in Daniel 2:44-45. CLOSING THOUGHT: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” (Pro 21:1)