Daniel: A Resolute Faith

DANIEL

BACK TO THE BIBLE STUDY GUIDES

WOODROW KROLL

RESOLUTE FAITH IN A HOSTILE WORLD

Daniel: Resolute Faith in a Hostile World Copyright © 2008 by Back to the Bible Published by Crossway Books a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided by USA copyright law.

Cover photo: iStock First printing, 2008 Printed in the United States of America ISBN 13: 978-1-43350-124-1 ISBN 10: 1-43350-124-4 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version®. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Produced with the assistance of The Livingstone Corporation (www.LivingstoneCorp.com).

Project Staff: Neil Wilson

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Table of Contents How to Use This Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Lesson One: Daniel’s Diary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Lesson Two: Help for a Troubled Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Lesson Three: Bow or Burn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Lesson Four: Pride Goes Before a Fall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . 31 Lesson Five: The Handwriting on the Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Lesson Six: Taming the Lions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Lesson Seven: The Rise of Four Superpowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Lesson Eight: Clash of the Titans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 60 Lesson Nine: The Seventy Weeks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Lesson Ten: When Satan Hinders Your Prayer Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Lesson Eleven: The Infamous Antiochus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 81 Lesson Twelve: A Fearful Homecoming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Lesson Thirteen: Faith under Fire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 95

How to Use This Study The portion of Daniel (ESV) under study is printed before each day’s devotional reading, so that everything you need is in one place.

While we recommend reading the Scripture passage before you read the devotional, some have found it helpful to use the devotional as preparation for reading the Scripture. If you are unfamiliar with the English Standard Version (on which this series of studies is based), you might consider reading the included Bible selection, then the devotional, and then reading the passage again from a different Bible text with which you are more familiar. This will give you an excellent biblical preparation for considering the rest of the lesson.

After each devotional, there are three sections designed to help you better understand and apply the lesson’s Scripture passage.

Consider It—Several questions that will give you a better understanding of the Scripture passage for the day. These could be used for a small group discussion.

Express It—Suggestions for turning the insights from the lesson into prayer.

Go Deeper—Throughout this study, you will benefit from seeing how the Book of Daniel fits with the rest of the Bible. This additional section will include other passages and insights from Scripture.

The “Go Deeper” section will also allow you to consider some of the implications of the day’s passage for the central theme of the study (Resolute Faith in a Hostile World) as well as other key Scripture themes.

Daniel: Resolute Faith in a Hostile World

Lesson

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Daniel’s Diary Daniel makes the official list of Bible heroes (Heb. 11:33). Surviving a night in the companionship of hungry lions was enough to seal his reputation.

But long before he was dropped into the lions’ den, Daniel’s faith endured in a hostile environment.

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Daniel 1:1–21 Daniel Taken to Babylon

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

Daniel’s Faithfulness 8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 11Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs

Key Verse But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank.

Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself (Dan. 1:8). had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12“Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.

13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days.

15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. 16So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. 20And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.

21 And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

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Go Deeper Daniel has several unique features among Old Testament books. The first half of the book deals with historical matters; the second half of the book deals with prophetic matters. The central theme of Daniel is that God is sovereign over the nations. God can cause one nation to rise and another nation to fall.

Both the world and world events are in God’s hands.

Daniel is also an apocalyptic book.

That simply means that Daniel was written partly from the perspective of future events. Daniel in the Old Testament and Revelation in the New Testament are the clearest biblical examples of apocalyptic writing. They unveil events that God is going to bring about in the future.

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Daniel was written in two different languages. Most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, but Daniel is a unique exception. The middle sections of Daniel, from 2:5 to 7:28, were written in a sister language of Hebrew—Aramaic. That was the language of diplomacy in the Middle East, the equivalent of English’s role in the modern world.

The purpose of the Book of Daniel is to show God’s faithfulness. The immediate audience for the book was God’s people in Persia and Israel. But God remains faithful to readers of Daniel today— much of Daniel was written as hopeful prophecy, and we now read it as hopefilled history. That is why the parts that remain prophetic—the parts that deal with the times of the Gentiles—give us reason for hope in God’s faithfulness.

aniel began his diary as a young man carried into captivity against his will. He was probably 16 years old or so at the time. Taken away from his family, from most of his friends and from the land in which he grew up as a boy, Daniel faced an uncertain future. He was transported more than 700 miles from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Daniel soon discovered the life planned for him and his friends.

They were selected as young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand. In Babylon (Chaldea), they would embark on three years of intense education under royal supervision.

They would eat the king’s food and prepare to serve the king.

They were given new names. Daniel became Belteshazzar. In those times the names of captives were often changed to avoid the significance of their original names and prevent embarrassment for

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The life of Daniel demonstrates to anyone willing to pay careful attention that God ultimately blesses everyone who does what is right.

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a pagan king. Daniel’s name, for example, means “God is my judge.”

If a pagan king (who often saw himself as divine) used Daniel’s Hebrew name, he would also be admitting something he didn’t want to admit! Similarly, Daniel’s friends Mishael (“Who is like God?”), Azariah (“Yahweh, our help”), and Hananiah (“Yahweh is gracious”) weren’t allowed to keep their names but became Meshach, Abednego and Shadrach. These new names related to the pagan gods of the Chaldeans (Babylonians).

Daniel decided he could not go along with all the king’s arrangements. He was willing to accept training in agriculture, law, astronomy, astrology and math. He learned the language of his captors. He was even willing to serve the king. But he drew a clear line at anything that would “defile” him (v. 8).

He was not proud, cocky or belligerent. He approached Ashpenaz, the king’s chief eunuch, politely. But he knew what he believed, and he knew why he believed it. He presented his case persuasively: “Look, I can’t eat this food because, well, first of all, this food is prepared with ingredients that could well be forbidden to me in the Law. Secondly, this food is probably not prepared in a kosher way.”

He suggested to the eunuch a no-risk, reasonable alternative— a trial period during which Daniel and his friends would eat only vegetables and water. As a result, Daniel wound up with a powerful ally: “And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs” (v. 9). Daniel was living for God, and God was in turn helping Daniel to live for Him. At the end of ten days, the four friends looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.

God rewards faithfulness. Daniel’s diary records at least three ways God rewarded the faithfulness of Daniel and his three Hebrew

13 friends. The first has already been mentioned: they were rewarded with health. God blesses physically those who live for Him. It’s not that the faithful never get sick. But today those who live by faith usually are not afflicted with STDs, fetal alcohol syndrome, drug overdoses, etc.

Second, God also blessed them intellectually (see v. 17). They exhibited healthy bodies and healthy minds. James reminds us that God is the source of wisdom: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God” (James 1:5).

Third, God gave Daniel the ability to understand visions and dreams (see v. 17). This relates to spiritual insight. As we see this play out in chapter 2, Daniel’s gift parallels Joseph’s (Gen. 40–41).

These men did not seek to interpret visions on their own. They understood that meaning comes from God. When Daniel and his friends finally were presented to the king, they impressed him. They stood out (see v. 20). The king questioned them, and they demonstrated they were in a league of their own.

That’s because they were drawing on wisdom that was not their own or based on the limited wisdom of the Chaldeans. They were depending on God, and that made a remarkable difference. These young men clearly understood that when they did what was right, God would reward their actions. He rewarded them physically, intellectually and spiritually. The life of Daniel demonstrates to anyone willing to pay careful attention that God ultimately blesses everyone who does what is right.

Express It Take a few moments to review your life, identifying areas where events are occurring that are out of your direct control.

In what ways are you trusting God with those areas? Ask God for the wisdom to know how to live day by day even though you may not be able to see how God will use your faithfulness to affect those areas of life that are beyond your reach. Thank Him for the privilege of trusting Him.

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Consider It As you read Daniel 1:1–21, consider these questions: 1) As you begin this study of Daniel, what understanding do you bring with you about the contents and purpose of this book? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 2) How would you describe Daniel’s most difficult challenge among all the changes that were imposed on his life by his captivity and deportation? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 3) How quickly do we see Daniel’s recognition of God’s role in the events of life in this chapter? (see v. 2). Why is this significant? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 4) What were the most memorable or significant parts of your own childhood over which you had little or no control? How did you respond to those events? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 5) What resolutions have you made (such as not to smoke or use drugs) that will influence your future health? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 6) In what ways have you experienced the three kinds of benefits that flow into the lives of those who are living for God? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 7) How is your life a collection of evidences of God’s blessing? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

BACK TO THE BIBLE STUDY GUIDES

Wherever you are, God is faithful!

For Daniel and his friends, life had been turned upside-down. Carried into captivity and facing a lifetime of service to pagan kings, Daniel’s story could have ended before it had begun. But Daniel decided at the very beginning to remain faithful to God and soon discovered the depths of God’s faithfulness even in hostile surroundings.

Revisit stories you’ve known since you were a child and learn the incredible truths God has for you today. The 13 lessons of this study will take you verseby-verse through this important book of the Bible. From Daniel’s resolute faith while in Nebuchadnezzar’s court and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s bold assurance of the sovereignty of God to the wonderful visions of God’s complete control of history, it will be abundantly clear that God is faithful—always.

WOODROW KROLL is president and Bible teacher for the international media ministry Back to the Bible. As the voice of Back to the Bible radio, he is heard on over a thousand stations across the world. He and his wife, Linda, live in Nebraska and have four married children and thirteen grandchildren.

BLICAL STUDIES / OLD TESTAMENT