Deeper Reflection
As we live in a world that is hostile to God’s ways, we will face stress daily. In Daniel 2, we see two people who faced stress in totally opposite ways: Nebuchadnezzar with consuming wrath (vv.12-13) and Daniel with calm wisdom (vv.14-18). As for God, His wrath is the wrath of the only wise God (Rom 1:18; 16:27).Nebuchadnezzar, together with the wise men in his court, symbolise the power of the mightiest human being and the wisdom of the smartest humans. But all this crumbles just because of a dream. Unable to know the meaning of the dream, the most powerful man became utterly powerless and helpless, and all he can do is be angry and destructive (v.12). But one who is “slow to anger” “rules his spirit”, and is “better than the mighty” and “captures a city” (Prov 16:32). Patience is power.Daniel responded to the difficult and dangerous situation with “discretion and discernment” (v.14). We do not know what Daniel said and how he spoke to Nebuchadnezzar such that he was willing “to give him time” to declare his dreams and interpretation (v.16). It was an act of wisdom. However, this act of wisdom of Daniel was inadequate. It did not have the answer to Nebuchadnezzar’s problem. At times, wisdom enables us to see the big picture; sometimes, it is step by step. Having “the ability to keep calm under severe shock and pressure, to think quickly and exercise faith in a moment of crisis”¹⁰ , Daniel moved from discretion before the king (vv.14-16) to dependence on God (vv.17-18).

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⁸  Proverbs 2:6 ⁹ James 3:13; Matthew 11:29 ¹⁰ Joyce G. Baldwin, Daniel, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (IVP, 1978), 89