Search The Scriptures -- Daniel 1 - 7

Study 1 – Daniel 1

1. Daniel and his three friends refused to eat anything that was unclean. They resolved to remain obedient to the law of God. They set about doing this by offering a ten day trial test so as to not cause problems for those that were in charge of their care. They submitted to the authorities over them while at the same time remaining in submission to the Lord. This should be the goal of every Christian. When we are confronted with situation that run contrary to God’s Word we need not immediately act in rebellion to our authorities. We need to follow Daniel’s example and find a way to submit to both God and to our authorities when possible.
   
   As a result of their obedience they were not only healthier than all of the others, but they were 10x as intelligent.
   
   
2. This story proves that there are a variety of ways to take advantage of the things of this world without succumbing to the temptations that surround them. Daniel and his friends received a fantastic education while at the same time remaining true to the Lord. The same can be had by young people today.
   
   

Study 2 – Daniel 2:1-30

1. Daniel sought the prayers of his companions and they together went to the Lord in prayer. Daniel realized that in and of himself that he was powerless to have an answer for the King. When we are confronted with difficult situations we need to surround ourselves with others in the faith and take the matter before the Lord together. There is no need to fight all of our battles on our own.
   
   
2. Rather than asking God to change the king’s mind they asked for the answer to his dream so that God would receive all of the glory. Their prayers not only spared their lives, but placed them in positions of far greater power than they could have ever hoped for.
   
   

Study 3 – Daniel 2:31-49

1. All of the government systems of this world will prove failures and the rock of the Church will emerge victorious above  them all! God will build His Church! The gates of Hell will not prevail against it!
   
   
2. Through Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and his impossible request God revealed that He was the God of both the past and the future and that nothing was hidden from His view.
   
   

Study 4 – Daniel 3

1. The Hebrews were accused of : not paying any attention to the commands of the King; refusing to serve the king’s gods; and refusing to bow to the golden image.
   
   
2. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego showed tremendous faith in this situation. They believed that God would deliver them, but also were determined to serve the Lord if deliverance was not to be in their future. They had an unyielding faith like that mentioned in Hebrews. They were willing to die without having received.
   
   

Study 5 – Daniel 4

1. The experience of Nebuchadnezzar’s downfall brought about repentance and the realization that God deserved the glory! The change didn’t come overnight but was nonetheless powerful in its results.
   
   
2. Daniel was trying to let Nebuchadnezzar know that one could only return into the good graces of God through repentance.
   
   

Study 6 – Daniel 5

1. Daniel accused Belshazzar of pride, arrogance, a refusal to humble himself and a lack of honoring the God who holds life in His hands. Belshazzar’s sin was made worse by the fact that he brought articles formerly used in the house of God into a party and thinking that an interpretation to the handwriting could be bought with gold chains and purples robes.
   
   
2. All of our days are numbered. We will all be judged and we will all be found to have fallen short unless we have allowed Christ to make up the shortfall through repentance of our sin and a life lived in obedience to His will. If we fail in that regard we will not inherit an eternal kingdom, but will instead have it ripped away from us.
   
   

Study 7 – Daniel 6

1. The pressures of daily life and the threat of death did not keep Daniel from regular prayer, but I find that even without the threat of death that the pressures of life far too often detract from my time spent with the Lord each day in prayer. It was Daniel’s intimacy from the Lord that had allowed him to hear so clearly from the Lord and had given him the ability to interpret dreams and visions that ultimately led to his elevation in the kingdom in which he served. That same intimacy contributed to his effectiveness in every task that was given to him.
   
   
2. Taking a stand without any external support is not a fun place to be, but I have finally learned to do so. The only thing that has made this possible for me has been this daily study in Search The Scriptures. Were it not for the past three years spent daily in His Word, I don’t know where I would be right now. I imagine that I would have given up a long time ago. I think that people pretty much know that I will not be deterred from God’s Word. That is a tremendous frustration for many people I know, but that no longer concerns me. The only audience that I am concerned with these days is the audience of One. That ‘One’ is not me – It is HIM!
   
   

Study 8 – Daniel 7

1. The little ‘boastful’ horn rising (rising out of the fourth beast)  that was waging war and winning against the saints brought great trouble to Daniel’s spirit.
   
   
2. Nebuchadnezzar’s vision reflected Nebuchadnezzar’s worldview in which power and wealth were to be prized. Daniel’s vision viewed the wealth of the kingdoms of this world from a heavenly perspective which viewed them as predatory and destructive. Daniel’s vision was, of course, the better informed.
   
   
3. The final goal of the mission of God is that the saints of God will inherit the everlasting Kingdom of God!