Sheridan Lake Bible Church
SLBC Sunday March 8, 2026
  • Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me
  • Abide With Me
  • Approach My Soul

      • Ephesians 2:8–10KJV1900

  • The Solid Rock
  • Unto Thee O Lord
  • It Is Well With My Soul
  • Just A Closer Walk With Thee
  • As we begin this morning, go ahead and turn in your copies of God’s Word to Daniel chapter 2. This morning we will be looking at verses 25-49 and we will be reading verses 25-35 shortly, so go ahead and have them marked and ready for that time.
    This mornings passage fits quiet well with our current worship theme of Sola Gratia, which makes clear that Salvation is by Grace Alone. Particularly as it fits with the rest of the Book of Daniel as we see that God’s redemptive plan was in no way limited to the Nation of Israel alone, but for any who would surrender their lives to that “stone… that was cut out by no human hand” . We will look more at that stone as we move forward this morning.
    Last Sunday morning in the message entitled; Dreams, Kings, and the Sovereignty of God- from Daniel 2:19-24, we looked at the truth that God Delights in the Prayers and Praise of His Children in verses 2:17-23, which was made particularly evident in Daniel’s Song of Praise in verses Vs. 20-23. His praise began as we saw; Daniel identifying the One he was Praising. Paying close attention to The Timeframe of the Praise; which Daniel pointed out was to last “forever and ever”. How can anyone limit their praise to a God with no limits! Daniel the noted; The Character traits or Attributes of the God of the Universe, To Whom Belongs Wisdom & Might. We closed by looking as; Daniel Showed Compassion the other Wise Men who we learn in the upcoming chapters were in no way worthy of compassion. As we consider their unworthiness, let us never lose sight of the truth that we also, are in no way worthy of the compassion God displays toward us.
    With that as an introduction, would you please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word?
    Daniel 2:25–35 ESV
    Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” 26 The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: 29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 30 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. 31 “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
    May the Lord add His blessing to the reading of His Word, please be seated.
    Now let’s go before our gracious Lord in prayer;
    Heavenly Father,
    There is no way for us to wholly express how fortunate we are to actually possess the very Words of God. Yet for most of us, we have multiple copies, even more when we add those we possess on electronic devices. Father, as we corporately open these pages this morning, particularly as we look at Your sovereign plan from the days of Daniel through the end times, we pray that You would speak to us. And Father I pray, that each and every heart that is present here this morning and for those who are watching or listening online, that each and every one of us would present to You pliable hearts, ready to be molded by these truths we consider this morning.
    We pray these things in the matchless Name of Jesus, Amen
    In looking at what we read in chapter 2, I get the impression that the captain of the kings guard, Arioch, was caught between a rock and a hard place. The fact that he didn’t instantly kill Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah and Misheal the second they met him at the door, leads me to believe this task wasn’t one he relished. But when King Nebuchadnezzar give a command, you either obey it or you die a painful death. Non-the-less, he granted Daniel a temporary reprieve and an audience before the king. Then the king gave Daniel the time he didn’t provide the other wisemen of Babylon, and during that time The God of heaven revealed the dream and its interpretation to Daniel.
    Which brings us to;
    Credit Where Credit is Not Due. Vs. 25
    Look back at verse 24, what role did Arioch play in finding “among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known the kings interpretation”? (None).
    Well I guess technically you could say he found him in that he was the one sent to put him to death, but outside of that, he played no role. But that didn’t stop him from trying to get some credit.
    What takes place next is pretty amazing on at least 2 fronts. Let’s think this through for a minute. Up to this point in time, who did the king reveal his dream to? (Absolutely no one). Yet what do we see Arioch say to the king when he brings Daniel before him in verse 25?
    Daniel 2:25 ESV
    … “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.”
    Again let me ask you; Up to this point in time, who did the king reveal his dream to? (Absolutely no one) Which brings me to the first of 2 fronts that amazed me in what Arioch does.
    Arioch Believed Daniel. Vs. 25
    Since we know of no one on the face of the earth, outside of the king himself, and there are many who believe even the king didn’t know, but no one else knew what the king dreamed, yet here we see Arioch going before the king and boldly proclaiming … “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.”
    How could he possibly know that Daniel knew the dream and its interpretation? Lets say Daniel told Arioch what the dream was, how does he know that Daniel didn’t just make something up? If that was the case, and he barges in on the king saying “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” The dude is as good as toast if what Daniel tells the king doesn't match up perfectly with what the king remembered.
    Which brings me to the 2nd front that amazes me with what Arioch does;
    Arioch Brings Daniel in “in haste”. Vs. 25
    In his commentary on Daniel, Albert Barnes writes;
    Daniel, Volume 1 § II.—Analysis of the Chapter

    The Chaldee word (for haste) used here implies in tumultuous haste, as of one who was violently excited, or in a state of trepidation

    He was so convinced Daniel knew the dream and its interpretation that he not only took credit for finding Daniel, but he did so with great haste!
    Which leads me to make an assumption that, while not clearly written in this Biblical account, certainly appears to be implied.
    There Was Something Special about the Character of Daniel.
    Arioch was willing to put his life on the line, and do so hastily, because he completely trusted Daniel.
    Church family, we need to follow the lead of Daniel! We need to live lives of such impeccable character that when we commit to something, when we speak about something, when we make a statement about anything, even if it be far-fetched, people mark it down as absolute truth. That is what we see in Daniel, who at the time is probably around 20 years of age.
    So, here Daniel is, now before the king, where we read;
    Daniel 2:26 ESV
    26 The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?”
    Then we see;
    Daniel Shifts the Focus from Him to God. Vs. 27-28
    Speaking of Daniel’s impressive character, we see it displayed in verses 27-28 as well. What we see here in Daniel is actually uncommon among most. Let’s think of it this way. Here you are brought before the most impressive political leader on the face of the earth and the first thing that take place is the one who brought you falsely takes credit for something he wasn’t responsible for, in fact you were the one that should be getting credit. Finally your given the opportunity to speak up. Our natural tendency is to set the record straight.
    “Actually King Nebuchadnezzar, he didn’t find me, I’m the one who sought him out with the information you sought!”
    But that is not at all what we see in Daniel. Not only does he not set the record straight, on top of that, he actually
    Daniel corrects the misconception of the king. Vs. 27
    Look at verse 27; Daniel 2:27
    Daniel 2:27 ESV
    Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked,
    While Daniel doesn’t set the record straight on who was responsible for him being there, he literally set the record straight in defense of the advisors who had already stood before the king. In some ways it was as if Daniel was saying;
    “King Nebuchadnezzar, your wise men and advisors were absolutely correct when they said ‘No one can make known to the king what you have requested.’ What you have asked is impossible!”
    What we see next is powerfully beautiful.
    Daniel Finally Sets the Record Straight. Vs. 28
    Throughout Scripture we find multiple pivotal points marked by the words “But God”.
    Here are a few;
    Genesis 50:20; Eph. 2:4-5; Psalm 73:26; Acts 13:30; Romans 5:8; Genesis 8:1; Matt. 19:26; Acts 7:9-10
    Genesis 50:20 (Joseph): "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives".
    Ephesians 2:4-5 (Salvation): "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ".
    Psalm 73:26 (Strength): "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever".
    Acts 13:30 (Resurrection): "When they had carried out all that was written about Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead".
    Romans 5:8 (Love): "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us".
    Genesis 8:1 (Protection): "But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat".
    Matthew 19:26 (Possibility): "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible'".
    Acts 7:9-10 (Presence): "Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles". 
    These are but a few of those powerful pivotable point “But God verses. Daniel 2:28 is as powerful a pivot point “But God” moment as any of those. Let’s look at this verse.
    Daniel 2:28 ESV
    but there is a God in heaven Who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:
    If you are using your notes in the bulletin, you will notice you are still under the heading of Daniel Finally Sets the Record Straight. Well as we look at verses 29 and 30, we see this continue.
    Daniel 2:29–30 ESV
    To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and He who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 30 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.
    The first thing we notice is what lead up to the kings dream. as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this”. Evidently the king was wondering what the future held for he and his powerful kingdom.
    Notice with great humility and in an effort to continue to set the record straight, Daniel continues; “But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living”. Daniel takes no credit himself, he want the king to understand that there was nothing special about him. We find out in the closing verses of this chapter that King Nebuchadnezzar disagreed with Daniels assessment of himself!
    Daniel then identifies the reason God gave the king his dream; “...this mystery has been revealed to me… in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.”. In verse 45 Daniel adds “A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this.”
    What followed was what the future held from the days of Nebuchadnezzar until the last days, days yet to take place.
    First we see the kings dream, then we will consider its interpretation..
    The Kings Dream. Vs. 31-35
    Daniel 2:31–35 ESV
    “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
    The first thing to notice is the statue has the appearance of a man. In Daniel chapter 2, the dream is from the perspective of a Gentile ruler, which is likely why God uses a statue of a man. This will become more relevant when we get to chapter 7, where Daniel himself has a dream, also relating to the times from the days of Nebuchadnezzar and flowing into even our future. Daniel correlates those empires as beasts, which is likely because Daniels dream comes from a godly perspective. Beast likely because there is nothing good in any of those empires. Also, I will spend more time describing these events in chapter 7. For today, I will give a brief description of the particular empire and rulers.
    The next thing to notice is the king saw an image that was mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. Clearly, based on what we have already looked at in chapter 2, the king was frightened by what he saw.
    Next, we don’t want to miss the point that from a value standpoint, these alloys decrease in value. Yet from a strength standpoint, they increase in strength.
    Now lets move into verse 37-45 and Daniels interpretation.
    The Head of Gold.
    “You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold.”
    This empire was known as the Neo-Babylonian Empire. It began with Nebuchadnezzar’s father Nabopolassar in 626 BC. Its greatest king was Nebuchadnezzar and it only lasted for another 20 years after his death. It was conquered in 539 BC, and we will be looking at the remarkable and quick defeat in chapter 5 of Daniel.
    The Chest and Arms of Silver.
    The next ruling empire was the Medo-Persian Empire, which conquered the Babylonian Empire in 539 BC. We read of this empire very briefly in verse 39. While the Medo-Persian Empire gained more land that the Babylonian Empire, Babylon exceeded Persia in its political organization, its cultural life and the absolute authority of its kings. For instance, once a Persian King made a decree, even he could not go against the decree, which we will see come into play in Daniel chapter 6. The medo-Persian Empire lasted from 539 BC and was completely conquered in 331 BC. Which brings us to the next ruling empire.
    The Middle and Thighs of Bronze.
    The Grecian Empire led by Alexander the Great. We also read of the Grecian Empire briefly in verse 39. Alexander the Great invaded the Medo-Persian Empire in 334 BC, but it took 3 years to finish conquering them. It became the largest of the ancient empires as far as the land mass it covered. But that land mass rule was short lived. It fragmented after his death in 323 BC, when it broke into 4 pieces, led by his 4 generals. We will learn more about this in chapter 7. But I can tell you that the specificity of Daniels vision in chapter 7 is particularly amazing when it came to the Grecian Empire. Ultimately the Grecian Empire, though divided during what historians call the Hellenistic Period, lasted until 146 BC.
    The Legs of Iron.
    The Next ruling Empire was the mighty Roman Empire. You will notice Daniel reveals much more about the Roman Empire, beginning by describing it in verse 40 as being “strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these.” Which is a good description of what the Roman Empire did in its reign. While it conquered the Grecian Empire in 146 BC, its full rise to power wasn’t complete until 27 BC. It’s total reign was by far longer than all the other empires, with the western portion lasting until 476 AD and the eastern part of the empire ruling until 1453 AD. Like the other empires, we will learn more of the Roman Empire in chapter 7. Or course you all likely recognize the Roman Empire as the ruling empire in the days of Jesus.
    The Feet of Iron Mixed with Clay.
    Next we move to the feet of iron mixed with clay. Which we read about in verses 41-42. This is still the Roman Empire, although it is a divided empire. The empire divided after the death of Emperor Constantine in 337 AD.
    Amir Tsarfati sums up the Roman Empire, especially what we see in the feet of iron mixed with clay well when he writes;
    “Why did Nebuchadnezzar’s vision picture the mighty Roman Empire as iron mixed with clay? Because the history of Rome is one of division. There were times of unity, but so often one general was pitted against another, or the emperor was embattled against the senate. Eventually, this discord led to a splitting of Rome into an eastern and a western empire. Like iron, there was massive strength in the Roman Empire, but dissension, disunity, and eventually, distance corroded its power, leading to its collapse.” (Tsarfati, Amir; Yohn, Dr. Rick. Discovering Daniel: Finding Our Hope in God's Prophetic Plan Amid Global Chaos (p. 51). (Function). Kindle Edition. )
    The Rock That is Jesus.
    This leads us to the last Kingdom as described in verse 34 as “a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay…..and became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”
    I love the way Rodney Stortz sums up this final kingdom in his commentary on Daniel, which we will close with this morning;
    “Daniel implies that this “rock” will start small when he says: “But the Rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth” . The object that struck the statue was a rock, not a huge mountain. It became a huge mountain and filled the earth. In the same way, Jesus established his kingdom in a small way during the days of the rule of the Roman emperors, and it has been growing worldwide ever since. Then one day in the future the kingdom will fill the whole earth when Jesus reigns upon the earth as King.
    Zechariah 14:4, 5 tells of the Second Coming of Christ: “On that day His Feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west.… Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.” Then Zechariah prophesies that after his return, “The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name” (v. 9).”
    Let’s close our time this morning in prayer.

      • Daniel 2:25–35KJV1900

      • Daniel 2:25KJV1900

      • Daniel 2:26KJV1900

      • Daniel 2:27KJV1900

      • Daniel 2:28KJV1900

      • Daniel 2:29–30KJV1900

      • Daniel 2:31–35KJV1900

  • Standing On The Promises
  • May the Lord
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