Scripture

Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.

Observation

The king tries to find a way to circumvent his own law in order to save Daniel, but he cannot At the demands of the officials, Daniel is thrown into the lions’ den and the entry is sealed.

The king spends an anxious night before going to the lions den and calling to Daniel. Daniel responds that the Lord sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths, The king orders Daniel to be lifted from the den.

The man who had maliciously accused Daniel, along with their wives and children, are thrown into the lions den where they are instantly torn apart by the lions.

King Darius then sends a message throughout the kingdom ordering all the people to fear the Lord.

Application

Daniel was greatly blessed by the Lord because of his faithfulness to God.

Despite being at the mercy of a number of lions, Daniel emerged without even a scratch, because he trusted the Lord.

Earlier, in the book of Daniel, his three friends were thrown into a furnace because they refused to bow down to a statue. Their response was, “Our God is able to save us, but even if he doesn’t, we will never bow down to a statue.

Daniel’s attitude was the same. He knew that God could save him but even if God did not intervene, he would remain faithful.

From the earliest days of the church, followers of Christ have been tortured and killed for their faith, sometimes literally thrown to the lions like Daniel was. This continues today in many parts of the world. We must not assume that these people are less in faith or stature than Daniel. They are to be honoured for their courage in suffering.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to be faithful in times of suffering for the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture

“That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.”

Observation

King Darius decides to divide his empire into 120 provinces and he appoints a high officer to rule over each one. To rule over these officers and to protect the king’s interests, he appoints Daniel and two others. Because Daniel rules with great ability, King Darius, plans to place him over the entire empire.

The high officers and other administrators concoct a plan. They go to the king and ask him to sign a law that for the next 30 days, nobody is to pray to anyone other than the king under penalty of being thrown to the lions.

Daniel, however, continues his practice of praying in front of his windows in an upstairs room. The officials then go to the king with the accusation that Daniel has broken the law.

Application

Jealousy is a terrible sin. It is a form of coveting in that we think we should be entitled to get the same treatment as another person. The officials were jealous of Daniel because of his favour with the king, and so they plotted to get rid of him unjustly.

People can be jealous of all kinds of things- money, careers, a promotion at work, a spouse of a friend, a family, and much more.

When we see somebody with a lifestyle, or a thing that we wish we could have, do we rejoice that they are blessed? Or do we get angry that we don’t have it ourselves?

Being jealous of others, can release all kinds of negative spiritual power. It can result in soulish prayers or curses giving satan authority to harm the person we are jealous of.

It should go without saying that jealousy should have no part in any Christian’s life.

Prayer

Lord, examine my heart and see if there is any jealousy or envy in my heart. Amen.

Scripture

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied. “O Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty

Observation

King Nebuchadnezzar has a statue of himself, some 27 metres high, set up on the plains adjacent to the city of Babylon. He decrees that at the sound of musical instruments, everybody must worship the statue.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are found to be ignoring this directive. So Nebuchadnezzar orders they be thrown into a fiery furnace. They tell him that their God is able to save them, but even if He does not save them, they will not worship the statue.

The men are thrown into the furnace, but the observers see not just the three men but another man also, one who looks like a god walking with them. So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are promoted to even greater positions of power.

Application

The faith of these men always astounds me. They refuse to disobey God’s commands to not worship idols. But when pressed, they express faith in God’s ability to save them in the furnace. However, even if God does not save them, there is no way that they will worship the statue. It is easy to be faithful to God in the small things of life. Choosing to obey God, rather than give in to sin is a fairly basic level of discipleship.

When we are faced with death, as the consequence of righteousness, it is a very big decision. We need to make. Will I save my flesh and potentially lose eternity?

It is in the life and death moments that our faith is greatly tested, But we cannot overcome that test until we have conquered the tests of daily temptations.

Prayer

Father, may I never have to make this kind of decision for you. Please help me to be faithful to you every day, so that when the time of testing comes I will stand firm. Amen.

Scripture

“As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay smashing them to bits…. but the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.

Observation

Daniel is given the revelation of what the King’s dream contained and also the dream’s interpretation. In the dream, Nebuchadnezzar saw a huge shining statue of a man. The head was made of gold, the chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, and the feet a mixture of iron and clay. A stone cut from a mountain struck the statue, obliterating it.

Daniel explains that the statue represents four great Empires. The Lord will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered, and this Kingdom will stand forever.

Nebuchadnezzar is so pleased with Daniel’s revelation that he makes him ruler over the province of Babylon and chief over the king’s wise men.

Application

This dream is a powerful description of the four empires of ancient times – Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman.

The stone cut from the mountain but not by human hands is God’s kingdom, the church. This Kingdom is eternal and covers the entire world.

All of this was foretold centuries before the birth of Jesus. The church began as an offshoot of Judaism and quite insignificant in size. Yet, in a few generations, it conquered the Roman Empire by love, and it outlasted it. Now, the church spans the entire world.

It is estimated that one-third of all the people in the world identify as Christian

God’s kingdom is the greatest Kingdom in history. It is eternal and it is available for all people to enter it. Praise be to God, our great Creator and Sustainer.

Prayer

Lord, I marvel at your grace and power. You overcome great empires and prove yourself to be above every human kingdom. Amen.

Scripture

“The King’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.”

Observation

King Nebuchadnezzar has a disturbing dream. He calls in his magicians and sorcerers, and demands that they tell him the dream and what it means.

The advisers plead with the king to first tell them the dream so that they can interpret it. They say that only the gods can tell them the dream, and they do not leave amongst people.

Full of rage, the king orders, all the wise men to be executed.

When the commander of the king’s guard comes to kill them, Daniel asks that the king gives him more time. He ask, his three friends to pray so that they will not be executed.

That night, the secret is revealed to Daniel.

Application

All of King Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men knew that their powers were insufficient for the task. They could not read his mind to find out what the dream was. The gods could find out but they do not live among people.

This was a deadly situation, but God gave the victory.

God is greater than the pagan gods, Even the pagan gods of the great Babylonian Empire, They could not reveal the dream, but the Lord did.

Daniel did not do this alone. He was humble enough to realise that he needed his friends and their prayers. All great spiritual victories come through a united prayer team.

As we learn too lean on the Lord and to trust in Him, we can discover that our God is greater and that the gods of the world are puny, weak things.

Prayer

Lord God, you are the one true God. There is none like you. Please help me to trust in you at all times. Amen.

Scripture

God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meaning of visions and dreams.

Observation

At the beginning of the exile in Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar orders his chief of staff to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s leading families. They are to be trained in Babylonian culture and wisdom, and they are to be fed from the royal kitchen.

Daniel is determined not to defile himself by eating unclean food. So he asks for permission to only eat vegetables and drink water. When the chief is staff is reluctant to do this, Daniel persuades him to give them a 10 day trial At the end of the 10 days. Daniel and his friends look healthier than those who were not on the restricted diet.

God blesses Daniel and his three friends with an aptitude for learning. To Daniel, he gives the ability to interpret dreams. The king consults these four men whenever he needs particular wisdom and balanced judgement.

Application

Daniel and his fellow exiles, found themselves thrust into a deeply pagan culture, Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego end up in the pinnacle of the culture, the Royal Palace.

It seems that God gifted these four men with great wisdom and learning, This would position them to affect the way the whole empire was administered. Rather than being shaped by the culture, they were there to shape the culture.

God gives each person a particular place to shine His light. He also gives us each the gifts and abilities that we need to fulfil that purpose.

Let us find the place. God has appointed for us and be there as the culture shapers He calls us to be.

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for your unique place and purpose. Please help me to be your witness in the place that you have called me to be. Amen