RESOLVED

To Know A God Who Is In

Is God approachable, personal, and intimately involved in the details of our daily lives? Or is He a God beyond our galaxy, wrapped up in the Cosmic Control Center of the universe? In the book of Daniel, we see that He is both! He works in the intimate details of Daniel’s life, equipping, encouraging and empowering him to live well under terribly difficult circumstances. But He also works in the grand scheme of history, unveiling some mysteries while keeping others veiled, all the while reassuring us that He is in control and that no matter how bad things around us seem, we need never to worry because He is working it all together for good.

(Daniel, Engaging God’s Word, page 11)

DAY 1 Placing Daniel in the Timeline of History

As we begin with the historical context of Daniel take a moment to still your heart before the Lord and ask Him to open your eyes that you may see wonderful things in His Word! (Psalm 119:18)

1. Read Daniel 1:1-2 and verse 21. What do you observe about God, people, places and the time in history?

Day 1

2. Historical accounts of this period are found in both 2 Chronicles 36 and 2 Kings 23:36-37 through 2 Kings 24. They give insight into the three Babylonian sieges of Jerusalem. The first in 605 BC was when Daniel and his friends were taken captive. The second was in 597 BC and the third in 586 BC when Jerusalem and the Temple were fully destroyed.

a. Read 2 Chronicles 36:5-23 and record the appropriate information below:

Judah’s King Age/Time of Rule Attitude toward God Interaction w/ Nebuchadnezzar b. What do you observe about the kings’ and the people’s attitudes/actions toward God? c. What do you observe about God and his actions? d. Consider the contrast between what God was looking for in his people versus how they acted toward Him. What lessons does God have for us in this passage? e. Go to the Timeline chart at the beginning of this study guide and identify the Kings of Judah, the Babylonian sieges and captivity, Daniel’s tenure, and note the timing of the writing of the Prophets. Daniel 1:21 tells us Daniel served until the first year of King Cyrus. Find that on the Timeline chart. What details are found in 2 Chronicles 36:22-23?

OPTIONAL: There is an abundance of prophecy about Cyrus who would be God’s servant to bring the Hebrew people back to Judah. You can read the following cross-references and use the Timeline chart to note the approximate time between what was written and when it was fulfilled. What do you learn about God’s plan to use Cyrus? (Isaiah 44:24-28, Isaiah 45:1, 11-13, Jeremiah 25:12-14)