Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation. 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.” Daniel 2:24-25
God has performed yet another miracle. It is impossible to know another person’s dream yet God revealed the king’s dream to Daniel after a period of fervent prayer. Daniel takes time to thank his God and then he prepares to go before the king.
Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch Daniel asked for time and it seems God answered before the specified amount of time was up. Now Daniel goes to Arioch to report what God has done.
Whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar had given the responsibility to destroy the wise men to Arioch. Was he in the process of gathering them while he waited to see if Daniel’s God could produce the dream? If he was,
Daniel interrupted his gathering of all the condemned.
Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon Daniel issues a frantic decree. Stop the plans to massacre the wise men. God intervenes with grace, even in the lives of unbelievers. Daniel takes time to protect lives even as saves the lives of himself and his three friends.
Bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation. Daniel asks Arioch to take him to the king quickly. He is able to tell the king what he desires.
Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste Arioch responds quickly to Daniel’s request. Daniel did not have his own access to the king showing that either Daniel was a very junior member of the king’s court or that Nebuchadnezzar had granted him time but really did not expect Daniel to be able to do what the other wise men failed to do.
I have found among the exiles from Judah Arioch approaches the king with great urgency. He knows this matter is of utmost importance to the king and therefore he wants to ensure he gets the credit with the king for finding the solution that all the wise men in Babylon
could not produce. It appears that the king is not familiar with Daniel otherwise Arioch would have used Daniel’s name.
A man who will make known to the king the interpretation Arioch promises the king the man he has found can tell him his dream and its interpretation.
What can we learn? First we see Daniel show great mercy to the other wise men just as the Lord shows great mercy to sinners. Daniel did not do this because they spoke truth but out of a sense of justice (there was no way they could have known the king’s dream) and because God Himself had shown Daniel mercy by showing him the dream. Thus we see the one who received mercy shows himself merciful to others. Second, we see Arioch take Daniel at his word. He asks for no proof that Daniel knows the dream or its interpretation.
This shows us the integrity Daniel had in the court of the king – a man who speaks truth.