Daniel 2:31-45 – The Stone That Became a Mountain
Yesterday we saw a statue that was made up of four parts, with each part representing a kingdom that would come to dominate the world. Yet, in spite of their splendour, we were reminded that none of them would last forever. Today we see the other key element in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: a stone.
We see this stone in v34. It appears out of nowhere, smashes into the statue and blows it to smithereens. The stone doesn’t stop there though; it grows and becomes a mighty mountain that fills the whole earth. The obvious question: “what is this stone?”
The first thing to notice is that this stone was not cut out by human hands (v34). That’s in direct contrast to the statue which would have required hours of painstaking craftsmanship to build. This stone on the other hand seems to appear out of nowhere in mysterious circumstances.
The second thing to notice is that this stone is utterly unremarkable looking. It doesn’t gleam and glisten like the colossal statue; it looks like something you might find at the side of any country road.
The third thing to notice is where on the statue the stone strikes. Not the head or the chest or the middle, but on the legs of iron and clay. As we saw yesterday, the legs represent the Roman Empire, so we should expect this stone to make its presence felt around that time.
So, what does this stone represent? Well, think about it: who came proclaiming a kingdom (Mark 1:15) during the time of the Romans (Luke 2:1) and had mysterious origins that were not of human design (Luke 1:34-35)? Who had no form or majesty that we should admire him (Isaiah 53:2) and looked utterly insignificant in the world’s eyes? Yet who established a kingdom that grows and grows and now reaches into every single corner of the earth? (Acts 1:8)
This chapter gives us a clear view of our Saviour Jesus. We should marvel at him and his kingdom.
Questions
- How does this passage encourage you as you think about the church?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks for how this stone has been growing in the 2000 years since Christ came to Earth.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.