Intermediate Level, Block 7—Kingdom Degrading
Week 68
Daniel—Interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
Point to Emphasize: We can pray with our companions for help from God.
Reading Reference: Daniel 2
Memory Verse: Let my cry come before You, O Jehovah; / Give me understanding according to Your word. (Psalm 119:169)
Story Sample
Who remembers King Nebuchadnezzar? That’s right—he was the king of Babylon at the time Daniel lived. In those days, sometimes God would give people dreams that had special meanings, and one night, King Nebuchadnezzar had this kind of dream. This dream really bothered him. The king knew that it meant something, but he could not understand AT ALL what the meaning was. He was so bothered that he could not sleep; he just kept thinking about this dream. Finally, he called his advisors and wise men and demanded that they tell him not only what the dream meant but also what he had dreamed.
The wise men didn’t know what to do! None of them had any idea what the king had dreamed, much less any idea what it might mean. They tried some sneaky ways to get around the king’s demand, but the king knew what they were up to. He asked them again what he dreamed and also what the meaning of his dream was, but no one could answer. Finally, the wise men gave up. They told the king that no one on earth could explain the meaning of the dream! Oh, that made King Nebuchadnezzar so angry! He was furious—so furious that he ordered all the wise men in Babylon to be destroyed!
This harsh order put Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah in danger! They were among the people that the king had ordered to be destroyed. When Daniel heard about the order, he asked to be given some time to learn what the dream meant. Then right away, he went and talked to his companions. He told Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what was happening. These young men had been raised in families who trusted God, and they knew that what they needed to do was pray.
Daniel and his companions knew that they could never find the answer to this problem by themselves. You know, most people think that if they can figure something out on their own that means they are pretty smart. But actually, this is not wisdom. A big part of being wise is to know that you don’t know everything and can’t solve all your problems by yourself. A wise person is one who knows when to ask for help. These young men were wise, and they knew that they needed God’s help.
So they prayed, and do you know what happened? God answered their prayers! God showed Daniel what Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed and what that dream meant. Do you think Daniel could have ever figured this out on his own? Could you ever guess what someone else dreamed at night? No, of course not! The only reason Daniel was able to know this was because he prayed and God answered.
Have you ever been in a situation where you really did not know what to do? [Storyteller, insert your own story of praying with others in a difficult situation.]
After Daniel got the answer to his prayers, he thanked God. He knew that all this wisdom came from God. Then Daniel went to the king’s commander and told him that he had an answer for the king. He asked the commander not to kill the wise men, and the commander brought Daniel to the king.
When Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar what he had dreamed and what it all meant, the king was so impressed. He fell on his face and said, “Your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a Revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Then he rewarded Daniel with gifts and made him ruler over all of Babylon and chief over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel’s companions were given high positions in Babylon too. So you see, their faithfulness to pray brought them blessing. They had started out in fear of being killed, but they ended up being responsible men in Babylon!