Chapter One
Daniel was a teen-age Jewish prince who lived in Jerusalem during the time that city was captured by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Daniel had been well-trained by his parents to know and understand God's Word, and he was confident that God had a plan for his life. He believed the promises of God, and after many years of testing in Babylon, he discovered God's purpose for his life..
When Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem, he captured the king of Judah along with many thousands of people who lived in that city and took them to Babylon. He also took all the silver and gold from the temple and placed it in the house of his own god in Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar was told that some of his prisoners were of royal blood, so he ordered one of his high officials to select princes from among them and prepare them to serve in the palace. They were isolated from their families and friends and instructed in the language and lifestyle of the Chaldeans. For three years they were to be given a special diet which consisted of the same kind of food and wine that was served to the king and then they were to be presented to the king.
Daniel and three of his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, were among those chosen for special service and were given into the custody of Melzar, prince of the eunuchs who were in Nebuchadnezzar's personal service. The names of Daniel and his three friends were changed to Chaldean names. Daniel became known as Belteshazzar; Hanania was called Shadrack; Mishael became Meshach, and Azariah was called Abednego.
The Lord brought Daniel into special favor with Melzar, so when Daniel asked if he and his three friends might be given a diet of cereal and water instead of the specified food and wine, Melzar listened to Daniel.
After carefully considering Daniel's request, Melzar said, "I'm afraid to disobey the king's orders! If he sees the four of you looking worse than the other trainees, I'll be in danger of losing my head!" Daniel replied, "Please allow us to try it for ten days, and then compare our appearance with those who have eaten the king's food." Melzar agreed, and at the end of ten days he observed that Daniel and his friends looked so much better than the others he allowed them to continue their diet of cereal and water.
At the end of three years, Nebuchadnezzar sent for all the young Jews who had been trained by Melzar, and when he spoke with Daniel and his three companions, the king was more pleased with them than any of the others. In matters requiring wisdom and understanding, they were ten times superior to all the wise men who stood before him.
In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, he had a dream that troubled him greatly. He sent for his wise men, magicians and sorcerers and demanded that they tell him what he dreamed and the meaning of it. The men looked at each other in amazement and replied, "0 king, live forever! Please tell us what you dreamed and we will tell you what it means. The king became very impatient and ordered: "If you fail to tell me what I ask, you will be cut in pieces and everything you own will be destroyed! On the other hand, if your answer pleases me, I will reward you handsomely ... that is my decree!"
They questioned, "How can we possibly tell you what you dreamed? There isn't a man on earth who can do that, your majesty." Nebuchadnezzar became furious and said, "You're just stalling for time until my decree will no longer be in effect! Now you're preparing to speak lies and corrupt words to me!" Then the king commanded that all the wise men in Babylon be slain, and a search was made for Daniel and his three friends.
When Arioch, the captain of the king's guard located Daniel, Daniel asked, "Why is the king's order so urgent that you have come to arrest me?" Arioch told him about the king's dream and his anger at the response he received from the wise men. Daniel listened and then asked Arioch to please wait until morning to arrest him so he could consider an answer that might be pleasing
to the king, and Arioch agreed to wait.
Daniel immediately found his three friends, and the four of them prayed that the Lord would reveal the king's dream to them and me interpretation of it. In a night vision, the Lord answered their prayer, and Daniel praised the Lord saying, "Blessed be the name of the Lord forever and ever! Wisdom and strength are His. He alone is able to change the times and the seasons. He sets up kings and removes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and adds knowledge to those who have understanding of His Word. He alone reveals the deep and secret things. I thank You, 0 God of my fathers, for giving me wisdom and strength and for revealing the king's dream to us."
In the morning when Arioch came back, Daniel said, "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon, because the Lord has given an answer to me for the king." Arioch took Daniel into the presence of the king, and said, "Your majesty, I have brought one of the Jewish captives to you, and he will interpret your dream." Nebuchadnezzar immediately turned his attention upon Daniel and asked, "Can you truly tell me what I dreamed and interpret it?" Daniel replied, "Your majesty, it is not because your wise men nor I have any unusual wisdom, but there is a God in heaven who is able to reveal all hidden things, and He has done this so that you may know what future events are going to occur during your lifetime and beyond." The king and those with him were absolutely speechless, and they listened intently as Daniel said, "0 king, in your dream you saw a huge and brilliant statue that greatly frightened you. The head of the statue was pure gold, the breast and arms were silver, the thighs and belly were brass, the legs were iron, and the feet were a mixture of iron and clay. The interpretation of your dream is this:
The head of gold represents you, your majesty. The God of heaven has given to you a magnificent kingdom, power, strength and glory, and you now rule many nations. After you will come another kingdom which will not be as glorious as yours, and it is represented by the silver breast and arms. The brass thighs and belly tell of the third kingdom which will be inferior to the first two. The forth kingdom is represented by the two iron legs of the image. It will be very powerful and very cruel toward those it controls, and it will be divided. The ten toes are the ten nations in that kingdom ... they will not always be in total agreement with each other, and they will be easily destroyed when the God of heaven sets up His own kingdom over which He will personally rule."
Nebuchadnezzar interrupted, "Why would the Most High God tell us these things?" Daniel replied, "God has made those events known to you, your majesty, so that you may know what will surely come to pass."
Daniel's answer was so pleasing to the king that he gave many gifts to him and promoted him to be ruler of the entire province of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also promoted Daniel as chief of the governors who were in charge of all the wise men in Babylon.
Daniel accepted all the honors bestowed upon him by the king and asked that favor be shown to his three friends as well. Nebuchadnezzar responded by placing Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo over the internal affairs of the province.
Chapter Two
Nebuchadnezzar became so proud about his kingdom being the head of gold that he ordered construction of a solid gold image, ninety feet high and nine feet wide to be built on the plain of Dura where it could be seen for miles in all directions When it was completed, the king ordered his musicians to bring as many instruments as they could find, and then sent for all the rulers in every province of his kingdom to attend the dedication of the idol.
Hundreds of people arrived for the ceremony, and at a set time a herald shouted loudly, "To you it is commanded, 0 people of all nations and languages assembled here, that at the sound of the music you fall down and worship this idol Anyone who refuses to do so will be cast into a fiery furnace to be executed!"
When they heard me sound of the music, all who were present fell on their knees to worship except for three Jewish officials, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo. Certain Chaldean officials who were jealous because the three had been promoted above them took their evil report to the king and said "Your majesty, certain Jews whom you placed over the affairs of the province of Babylon have refused to worship your golden idol!"
Nebuchadnezzar became very angry and sent for Shadrach Meshach and Abednigo for questioning. "Is it true that you refused to bow down to the golden image?" Without waiting for them to answer, the king continued, "I'll give you one more chance, and if you still refuse to bow down, you will surely be cast into the middle of the burning, fiery furnace, and there is no god who can deliver you out of my hands!"
The three men were not afraid but replied, "0 king, our God in whom we trust is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace if He chooses to do so; but even if he doesn't deliver us, we will not worship the idol you have set up."
When he heard their refusal, the king became furious, and his attitude toward them changed. He commanded his servants to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual, and ordered his strongest men to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo and cast them into the fire. The fiery furnace was enormous. There was a stairway alongside that led to the opening above and one window at its base where observation could be made. Because the kings command was urgent and the furnace extremely hot the flames killed the soldiers when they deposited their three prisoners into the opening, but Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo fell down bound and unharmed into the middle of the fire below.
Nebuchadnezzar was carefully observing all the activity and then said to his counselors, "Didn't we cast three securely bound men into the furnace?" They replied, "That's true, your majesty!" "If so," he asked, " why do I see four unbound men walking m the midst of the fire? The fourth must be an angel sent by their God!" Then the king shouted to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo, You servants of the most high god ... come out here at once! The three came out of the furnace, and all who stood by saw that not even one hair of their head had been singed ... their clothing was not damaged at all, and even the smell of fire could not be detected on their garments!
The king spoke to the assembly and said, "Blessed is the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo who changed the king's word and protected them because they trusted in Him' These men offered their bodies to be burned rather than worship any god other than their own God! I make a decree that anyone in this kingdom who speaks against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo will be cut into pieces and their property will become a garbage heap!" Then he promoted the three men to even higher positions than they had held before.
Chapter Three
After a short time, Nebuchadnezzar had another dream that puzzled him. He consulted all his wise men and this time told them what he dreamed but they were unable to interpret it Finally, the king sent for Daniel and said to him: "Daniel, I know that no secret is hidden from you, so please interpret this dream for me ... in my dream I beheld a huge tree in the midst of the earth, and as I looked at it, the tree grew so tall that it reached up into the heavens! Its leaves were healthy, and its branches gave shelter to all the birds and beasts on the earth. It's fruit was so plentiful that it supplied food for the whole earth.”
Nebuchadnezzar observed Daniel's expression for a moment and then continued: "Suddenly an angel came down from heaven and shouted loudly so all could hear, 'Cut the tree down and destroy it's branches and the fruit, but leave the stump and roots in the earth! Let the stump be wet with the dew from heaven, and let it be bound with iron and brass. Let him live as an animal and eat the grass of the earth, and let him think like a beast for seven years. This is the decree of God! His purpose is to show all mankind that He alone rules the kingdoms of men and gives ruling power to whomever He pleases. Let it also be known that He chooses the basest of men to rule on the earth!'"
After telling Daniel his dream, the king said, "The wise men of my kingdom were not able to interpret this dream, but I know you are able, Daniel, because your God has given you the ability to do it."
Daniel became so upset when he heard the dream that he didn't speak to anyone for an hour. Nebuchadnezzar tried to comfort him and said, "Daniel, don't let the dream or the interpretation of it upset you so!" Daniel replied, "My lord, let the dream be for those who hate you and the interpretation of it be for your enemies: the tree which you saw that reached up into heaven and protected and fed all creatures on earth is you,
Daniel saw that the king was listening intently, so he continued: "The command to leave the stump and its roots was given so that you may know that your kingdom will be taken away from you, but it will be restored to you after you humble yourself before the Lord. I implore you now to accept my counsel and change your ways, your majesty. If you will show mercy to your people, the Lord may extend the peace you now enjoy!"
Nevertheless, at the end of twelve months, as Nebuchadnezzar walked through the beautiful gardens outside his palace that were planted for his beautiful wife and which were considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world at that time, he boasted: "Isn't this great Babylon which I have built for the house of my kingdom, by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?" While those proud words were still in his mouth, he heard a voice from heaven saying, "0 king Nebuchadnezzar, the kingdom is taken from you. Now you will be driven out from men and sent into the field to live like an animal for seven years! After that time has passed, you will know that it is the God of heaven who rules over the kingdoms of men and gives ruling power to whomever He chooses."
At the end of those seven years, Nebuchadnezzar's sanity returned to him. He looked up and praised and honored the Lord, and his position as king, including his great honor and glory, were restored to him.
Then Nebuchadnezzar wrote a proclamation and sent it to all the people and nations in his kingdom which stated: "There is one God who lives and abides forever! His kingdom is an everlasting one that rules from generation to generation No man can question His wisdom or His purpose. His works are absolute truth, and His ways are just, and those who walk in pride. He is able to bring low."
DANIEL AND THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL
In 555 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar's grandson Belshazzar became king, and he ruled for nine years. He was the last king to rule over the Babylonian Empire.
King Belshazzar invited a thousand of his lords to attend a special banquet in which he, his princes, his wives and his concubines drank wine from the gold and silver cups his grandfather had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem. While they were feasting and drinking, they were all praising their gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone. Suddenly, the fingers of a man's hand appeared and began writing words on the wall where all could see. The king's eyes were glued upon those fingers, and he became extremely pale. He was unable to read the writing or explain the strange phenomena, and he became so frightened that his knees began to knock against each other!
Then the king called for all his wise men to be brought before him, and he said to them, "Whoever is able to read this writing and interpret it for me shall be clothed with scarlet and be given a chain of gold to wear about his neck. I will also appoint him to be the third highest ruler in my kingdom!"
While the wise men discussed the writing on the wall among themselves, they were astonished to see that the king was so greatly troubled that his face became distorted.
The king's mother, the granddaughter of Nebuchadnezzar, came to Belshazzar and said to him, "Don't be so worried and frightened, my son ... there is a man in the palace by the name of Daniel, whom your grandfather made governor over all the wise men in the empire. If you will send for him, I know he will be able to interpret this writing on the wall."
The king immediately sent men to search for Daniel, and they found him fast asleep in his private quarters. They pounded on the door and shouted to Daniel. He got up quickly, reached for his robe and sandals and opened the door.
Daniel asked the men, "Why have you come to me like this in the middle of the night?" They ail began to speak at once, so Daniel interrupted and said, "Just a moment! Let me hear one of you at a time." Then one of them answered, "Oh Daniel, nothing like this has ever happened before, and the king and his lords are frightened out of their wits!" Daniel said, "I'd like to hear the whole story from the beginning." The king's servant took a deep breath and then replied, "Your Excellency, you must surely be aware that our king Belshazzar enjoys a good feast. Well, early last night he held a banquet and invited a thousand of his lords to attend. The best wine was brought in, and after the king tasted it he ordered the waiters to bring in the silver and gold cups that his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. As the king, his princes, his wives and his concubines drank wine from those cups, they were praising their gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone. That very hour the fingers of a man's hand mysteriously appeared where everyone could see, and the fingers began to write words on the wall! The king's eyes were fixed upon those fingers, and as he looked at them he became extremely pale. Of course, he was unable to understand the strange phenomena, and he became so frightened that his knees began to knock against each other. The king called for all his wise men to be brought before him and then said to them, 'Whoever is able to read this writing and interpret it for me shall be clothed with scarlet and be given a chain of gold to wear about his neck. I will also appoint him to be the third highest ruler in my kingdom.' While the wise men were discussing the writing on the wall among themselves, the lords were astonished to see the king's face become distorted. The king's mother, who was the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, came to him and said, 'Don't be so frightened, my son! There is a man in the palace by the name of Daniel who is governor over all the wise men in the empire. Send for him, and he will interpret this writing on the wall.' After hearing his mother's words, Belshazzar sent us to find you."
Daniel agreed to go with the men, and when he stood before Belshazzar, the king asked, "Are you the very same Daniel who was brought here from Jerusalem by my grandfather Nebuchadnezzar? I have heard about you from people who have said you have wisdom and understanding above that which my wise men and astrologers do not possess. Now tell me the meaning of this handwriting on the wall, and I will give you a scarlet robe, a gold chain to wear about your neck, and I will make you the third highest ruler in my kingdom."
Daniel replied, "Keep your gifts for yourself, your majesty and give the rewards to another. I will read the writing and give me interpretation of those words to you. The most high God gave this great kingdom with all its power and glory to your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar. He ruled over the people, nations of every language and did according to his own will regarding them. However, when he became proud of all his power the most high God removed him from his throne and made him' live in a meadow like an animal for seven years until he recognized that it is God who rules in the kingdoms of men, and He sets over those kingdoms whoever He desires. You, Belshazzar have not humbled yourself before God as your grandfather did although you have known about those things. Instead you have set yourself up above the Lord God of heaven! You have brought the vessels of the Lord's house to use in your drunken banquet, and you have praised your false gods You have refused to give glory to the God who has given you your very life, and because you have disregarded Him, He has sent this message to you in writing. Here is the interpretation of these words: MENE, your kingdom has come to an end; MENE your life has come to an end; TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; UPHARSIN, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and the Persians'"
After he heard the interpretation of the handwriting on the wall, Belshazzar commanded his servants to clothe Daniel with a scarlet robe and place a gold chain about his neck. Then the king proclaimed to all those who were present that Daniel had been declared to be the third highest ruler in his kingdom.
Belshazzar was a very proud and immoral man who apparently had not profited from the lessons his grandfather, king Nebuchadnezzar, had learned regarding the results of pride and how it can destroy both a man and a nation.
That very night, Belshazzar was slain, and Darius the Mede became ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans.
DANIEL IN THE LIONS' DEN
The Medes and the Persians combined forces and became the second world power which historians call the Media-Persian Empire. The Persians were the stronger of the two with Cyrus the Great being their leader, and Darius the Mede as king of the Medes. Cyrus appointed Darius to be king over the conquered Chaldeans, and Darius set 120 princes over the kingdom, and appointed three presidents to direct them. Daniel was chosen as one of those three presidents, and when Darius saw how he excelled above the others, he considered putting Daniel in charge of the whole kingdom.
This preference for Daniel shown by Darius caused much envy and jealousy among the other leaders, and they wanted to find a way to discredit Daniel. However, Daniel continued to be faithful to the Lord and trustworthy in his position of authority, so it was hard for his enemies to find any fault in him.
The other presidents and princes decided upon a plan to accuse Daniel in regard to his faithfulness to God, and some of them went before Darius and said to him: "King Darius, we have an idea that we hope will please you. If you would establish a royal statute and make a firm decree that whoever would petition any god or any man except you for thirty days, that person would be cast into the den of lions."
Darius considered the idea, and it appealed to his ego, so without further thought about who might be endangered by such an act, he signed a decree that became a law for thirty days.
Of course, Daniel had not been included in this plan, but he did hear about the king's decree. He went on about his business in the usual way, and continued to kneel down and pray and give thanks to the Lord three times a day in front of an open window where everyone could see.
When Daniel's enemies saw him praying to his God, they scurried off to the king and said, "Your majesty, didn't you just sign a decree forbidding anyone in your kingdom to petition any god or man other than you?" Darius replied, "Yes I did, and according to the law of the Medes and Persians, that decree cannot be changed. Why have you come to me about the matter?" They answered, "Well, your majesty, .the man Daniel who was brought here as a captive from Judah years ago has not shown respect for your decree, because he still prays to his god three times a day.
Darius was very displeased with himself for allowing his pride to interfere with good judgment by signing such a decree, and he spent the rest of the day and night trying to find a way to deliver Daniel from punishment, but he was forced to give the order for his execution.
Daniel was cast into the lions' den, and a stone was placed at its entrance. Darius approached the den and said to Daniel, "0 Daniel ... your God whom you serve continually will surely deliver you from the lions." Sadly, the king went back to the palace, but he was so upset that he was unable to eat or sleep. Early the next morning he rushed to the lions' den and cried out, "0 Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God delivered you from the lions?" Daniel replied, "Yes, your majesty. My God sent an angel to shut the mouths of these lions, because He found me innocent. I have not been harmed in any way." Darius was very happy when he heard that Daniel was safe, and after removing him from the lions' den, the king ordered the men who had accused Daniel to be cast into the den where they were attacked and killed by the lions.
After these events took place, Darius sent the following message throughout his kingdom: "I make a decree that in every comer of my kingdom men should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, because He is truly the living God!"
Daniel lived a long and prosperous life during the reign of Cyrus the Persian and Darius the Mede.
SUMMARY OF THE LIFE OF DANIEL
Because Daniel was taken to Babylon in 604 B.C. by king Nebuchadnezzar during the first deportation of the Jews from Jerusalem, he was given the privilege of holding important governmental positions for about seventy years under the reign of three ancient kings ... Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar and Darius.
Written by Lois DelnayLayout and web work Wes
10/17/2009
links to Lois Delnay's Children Bible Study
http://gettoknowyourbible.org/
http://loisdelnay.bravehost.com/index.html
