Category: OLD TESTAMENT

A very familiar Sunday School Story. In this chapter we see:
Pride, Idol Worship, Jealousy, Anti-Semitism, Anger, Hate.
Daniel 3:1-7 PRIDE – 18-23 years have passed since Chapter 2. Old Neb’s forgotten about God, Daniel’s God.
Proverbs 11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: …
Proverbs 13:10 Only by pride cometh contention: …
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 17:19 He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.
Proverbs 21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin
Proverbs 29:23 A man’s pride shall bring him low: …
Old Neb was a great man. God had revealed the future to him and thru him … BUT Pride was a problem.
Proverbs 27:2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Compare Isaiah 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
Daniel 3:5-7 Idol Worship — When does a man begin to worship Idols?
When he becomes a Fool … How does he become a Fool?
Romans 1:21-23 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Remember the 10 Commandments .. Look at just the first 3:
Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exodus 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; …
Compare Revelation 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Daniel 3:8-11 Jealousy — The strongest of all mental sins … makes monsters out of men.
Proverbs 6:34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: …
Proverbs 14:30 … but envy the rottenness of the bones.
Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
Song of Solomon 8:6 … jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.
Jealousy Crucified Christ Matthew 27:18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
Jealousy kept the Jews from salvation Acts 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, Acts 17:5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, …
Jealousy produced false doctrine 1 Timothy 6:4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
Jealousy destroys love, removes happiness

Continue Daniel 3 Part 2

Daniel 3:12 Anti-Semitism began with the call of Abram and continues today. It is a tool of Satan.
Daniel 3:13-18 Anger — Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Compare Exodus 5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
Daniel 3:19-23 Hate — Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
Then we see: Faith and Divine Deliverance
Daniel 3:16-18 Faith … If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. …
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Daniel 3:19-23
Compare Exodus 12:33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.
Daniel 3:24-30 Divine Deliverance … Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. …
Compare Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Compare Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
CONCLUSION: PSALM 1:1-10
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

Continue Daniel 4 Dream of a TREE

DREAMS

 King Nebuchadnezzar and his counselors 2:1-13.

2:1 King has a bad dream.
2:2-3 Calls his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to interpret.
Compare Ezekiel 7:11 Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of their’s: neither shall there be wailing for them.
Compare Isaiah 47:12-13 Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.
2:4 O yea, we can help.
2:5-6 king promises punishments or gifts and rewards and great honour.
2:7 Tell us the dream… we will interpret it.
2:8 The stall
2:9 What am I paying you for? Interpret the Dream.
Compare Esther 4:11 All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or women, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.
2:10-11 What you want is a miracle … which we can’t do.
There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter
2:12-13 DEATH TO ALL … the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
Compare Psalm 76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
Daniel Gets Involved
2:14-15 Daniel hears of the threat.
2:16 He asks for some time.
2:17-18 The Prayer meetin
2:19 God speaks to Daniel the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision

Continue Daniel 2 Part 2

2:20-23 Daniel Praises God
Compare Jeremiah 27:5 I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.
Compare Jeremiah 32:19 Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:
Compare Esther 1:13 Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king’s manner toward all that knew law and judgment:
Compare Psalm 75:6-7 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
Compare Job 12:22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.,
Compare Genesis 31:42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
Compare Psalm 21:2 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
Compare Psalm 21:4 He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.
2:24 Daniel seeks an audience with the King
2:25-26 Daniel Before the King
Compare Genesis 41:14 He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.
2:27 Your men couldn’t do it
2:28 BUT GOD CAN
2:29-30 Ok king here’s the deal…
2:31-35 The Dream the King Had
The Dream
The great image … A Man
Materials it was made from (top to Bottom) … Gold, Silver, Brass, Iron, Iron mixed with Clay
What did the stone do? Smote the Image
What did the Stone Become? A Mountain
Nebuchadnezzar was Called: A king of kings
His kingdom was symbolized by the head of Gold.
Names the medals represented:
Gold … Babylon, Silver…Persa/Medes, Brass…Greek, Iron…Rome, Iron/Clay…revised Rome.
Stone that became Mountain…Christ’s Kingdom
Stone cut without hands…It comes from God!
Compare Isaiah 2:2-3 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
2:36-45 The interpretation
Compare Isaiah 47:5 Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.
2:46-49 Daniel gets the Promotion
The Lesson …. Always put God FIRST in our Life.

Continue Daniel 3 Fiery Furnace

Take a Stand         
1:1-3 Daniel, who was of Royal Jewish Blood was taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar, and taken back to the land of Babylon in about 606 BC.
There they tried to Brainwash him (and some other captives.
They tried to “teach the learnings and the tongue of the Chaldeans” to these young captives, even changing their Names: From Jewish to Babylonian
Daniel – God is my Judge – Belteshazzar – Prince of Bel
Hananiah – Beloved of the Lord – Shadrach -Illuminated by (Rach) Sun God
Mishael — Who is God – Meshach – Who is like Venus
Azariah – The Lord is my help – Abed-Nego – Servant of Fire God (Nego)
Compare Isaiah 39:7 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
When everything appeared hopeless –
(AS Believers, we need to take a stand for God!)

1:8 Daniel took a stand. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank:
1:9 God blessed Daniel. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
1:10-12 Daniel puts forth a test.
1:13-14 The test lasts 10 days.
1:15-16 The test results are in.
The final results for Daniels Stand …
1:17-21 God blessed, the prince of the eunuchs was relieved, King Nebuchadnezzar was happy.
God always rewards faith.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Continue Daniel 2 Daniel’s Dream

The prophet Daniel wrote it around 530 B.C. and his writings records the events of the Babylonian captivity in 560-536 B.C. to which Daniel was a servant. It also describes the apocalyptic visions given by God, and reveals the events and plans for everyone’s future. Key personalities of this book include Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Belshazzar, and Darius. The book of Daniel stands as a unique mix in the Old Testament, for while it begins with history, it makes a strong transition at chapter 7, where it contains visions of future events significant to the Jews.
Each Chapter is looked into:
Daniel 1 Take a Stand
Daniel 2 Dreams
Daniel 3 Fiery Furnace
Daniel 4 Dream of a TREE
Daniel 5 Belshazzar’s Banquet
Daniel 6 Lion’s den
Daniel 7 Four Beasts
Daniel 8 The Ram and the Goat
Daniel 9 70 weeks
Daniel 10 In the Latter Days
Daniel 11 The Kings of the North and South
Daniel 12 End Times

Dream of a Tree … The Year was 577 BC
4:1-3 Nebuchadnezzar the king, was a great king of Babylon. He was the Greatest King in all the world.
4:4-5 He has a dream that distributes him.
4:6-7 He calls for help, but they fail him.
4:8-9 Daniel (Belteshazzar) brought in.
4:10-12 The Dream – The good part
4:13-17 The Dream — The troubling part
Compare Ezekiel 31:10-14 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.
Compare Job 14:7-9 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
4:18 Daniel (Belteshazzar) please interpret, and Daniel is astonied for one hour.
4:19-23 Daniel considers the Dream
Compare Jeremiah 27:6-8 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
4:24-28 The interpretation.
Compare Job 40:11-1212 Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
Compare Zechariah 1:6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
4:29 Twelve months pass. (1 Year)
4:30-33 The dream fulfilled. (7 Years)
… they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, …
4:34-36 Nebuchadnezzar is restored.
Compare Proverbs 22:4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.
4:37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
As the Lord Jesus said But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

Nebuchadnezzar forgot who God is. The dream was to warm him to amend his ways. When he didn’t, the dream became a reality. At the end he acknowledged who God is.

We should not forget who God is and how He blesses us.

Continue Daniel 5 Belshazzar’s Banquet