Bible

Today in the Bible room, we begin reading the summary of the book of Daniel. Here are the first three chapters.

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Daniel – Session 1 of 4

Introduction to Daniel:

Writer: Daniel.

Scope: King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invades Jerusalem the first time in 593 b.c., taking several thousand Israeli citizens captive to Babylon. Among those he takes is a young man of God named Daniel along with three of his close friends.   

Chapter 1. Excellent

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacks Jerusalem:

• He takes valuable objects and hostages back to Babylon;
• Among the captives are four healthy, intelligent, young men;
• They are to learn the language and customs of Babylon;
• In Babylon they are given new names: Daniel’s new name is
• Belteshazzar, his friends are Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-Nego;
• The Lord blesses Daniel with special wisdom re dreams;
• These four young men are excellent in all the king asks;
• And he selects them to serve him at the palace.

Chapter 2. Dream

Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that troubles him so that he cannot sleep:

• He calls for all his magicians and other ‘wise’ men;
• First, he requires them to tell him what he dreamed;
• Then, they are to interpret what the dream means;
• They tell the king his request is unreasonable;
• He says if they can tell him his dream, he will trust their answer;
• They cannot do it; the king is furious, demands they are killed;
• Daniel and his friends are assigned to carry out the killings;
• He asks the king to give him a little time to find the answer;
• In a vision, the Lord gives Daniel the dream and the answer;
• Daniel tells the king how he knows the dream and the answer;
• He says, “There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets;”
• Daniel says the answer comes from the Lord, not himself;
• First the dream: he describes the dream to the king;
• The king has seen a vision of an image of an awesome man;
• The man has a gold head, silver torso, bronze abdomen/thighs;
• His legs are iron, feet are iron and clay;
• A stone strikes the feet, breaking them into pieces;
• After that, the entire image crumples into dust, blown away;
• Daniel tells the king the image he has seen is of himself;
• He is a king of all kings, with power given him by God;
• He has crushed all other kings and kingdoms, but in time,
• He will be overcome by other kings who will all pass away;
• There is coming a kingdom of God that will never pass away;
• Daniel tells the king this is his dream and his answer;
• Nebuchadnezzar believes Daniel, elevates him and his friends;
• These Jewish boys are placed in charge of the entire kingdom.

Chapter 3. Disobedience

King Nebuchadnezzar builds a statue of himself made entirely of gold:

• It is 60 cubits high, 6 cubits wide, set up in a prominent place;
• The king orders that everyone must kneel before his statue;
• Anyone who disobeys will be burned alive in a furnace;
• Everyone obeys, except the Jewish boys he had put in charge;
• Their disobedience is reported to the king, who calls for them;
• In his fury, the king asks who will save them from his order;
• Their answer: the God whom they serve will save them;
• But if He does not save them, they still have made their point;
• Infuriated, the king has the furnace heated seven times hotter;
• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego are tossed into the fire;
• The hot flames kill the guards who put them in the furnace;
• Shocked, the king sees four men walking around in the fire;
• He says the fourth man looks to him like the Son of God;
• The king calls the servants of the Most High God to come out;
• Amazed, all the officials gather around them in awe;
• These men have just been in the fire, yet they bore no signs of it;
• Their hair is not singed, clothes not burned, no smell of fire;
• Again, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego are promoted;
• King Nebuchadnezzar says there is no god like their God.

End of Session 1 of 4 of the book of Daniel.