Daniel 2: Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

1. What is this chapter is about?

• Who is doing the action?

1. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon invaded Judah and captured Jehoiakim the king of Judah and placed the vessels of the house of God to his treasury of his god. 
2. King Nebuchadnezzar brought the Jewish youths without blemish, good looking and skillful in all wisdom to his palace to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
3. They were to be educated for three years and then were to serve before the king at the end of that time.

• What is happening?

1. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were given the Babylonian names, education of Babylonian language and literature and also assigned a daily portion of the king's food to eat and wine to drink.
2. Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food and wine.
3. Daniel asked the chief eunuch to give him and his friends vegetables and water and test them for 10 days.
4. God rewarded and blesses these four young Jewish boys not only with good health, good looking but also with great learning, skill in all literature and wisdom. Daniel was gifted in understanding visions and dreams.

• Where and when is it taking place?

1. This took place in the Babylon kingdom, when Nebuchadnezzar was the king.

• Why is it happening?

1. God gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into Nebuchadnezzar's hand. God punished the Isaelites for their disobedience. But God had a plan for Daniel.
2. God protected Daniel and his friends and gave them good health and good minds. God honors and gives favor for their commitment not to eat the junk food but vegetables and water. 

2. What does it mean?

• What do I learn from this passage?

1. Daniel is faithful to God. He did not want to eat the junk food. He chose to eat the good food and drink water to keep his body healthy. He does not want to eat the king's food and wine, which may have been sacrificed to the foreign gods.
2. God blessed Daniel and gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs. If I am faithful to God, God will give favor for me to have a good relationship with the people around me. I can apply this in my work place.

• Is there a warning or promise from god about something?

1. I should not eat anything that is harmful to my body. I should quit the harmful habit such as eating too much or too late or going to bed late at night.
2. God promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He was with Daniel even in the Babylonian country. He protected them and provided their needs, food, drink, people, education, opportunities to testify and proclaim God.

• What is God saying through this passage?

1. God wants me to be faithful and stand up and speak up for what is right. Do right things for the glory of God.

3. What difference does it make to me?

• Is there something I need to change?

1. I need to choose more vegetables and drink more water because they are good for my body. I need to take good care of the temple of the Holy Spirit, so that I can serve God with good health.

• Is there something I should be doing?

1. I should be faithful to the true living God, to serve God in the midst of non-believers. I will not let the junk food, movie, Internet defile my body, mind and soul, lest I become a muddied spring or polluted well. I will read God's Word everyday and hide God's word in my heart so that I won't sin against God. I will talk to God often so that I will be in tune with God's will.

• How should I respond?

1. I will dare to be like Daniel. Be committed to God and God will honor such commitment.

Daniel 1 - by Ted McDermott

What is this chapter is about?
Daniel's book is important in past and future history. First, it reveals and cements important historical events involving 4 nations: Israel, Assyria, Egypt, and Babylonia. This is what happens in the 1st 2 verses of Daniel 1. Historians place these events in 605 B.C. Jehoiakim's predecessor was Josiah. Josiah had fought against Egyptian pharaoh Neco II at Megiddo, when Neco was on his way north to assist the Assyrians in fighting off the Babylonian take-over of their territory. Josiah was killed at Megiddo, and Neco took his son, Jehoahaz captive in order to prevent him from becoming king. Neco appointed Jehoiakim king in his place. Jehoiakim paid heavy tribute to Neco. However, Babylonia was the most powerful nation at that time, and kept capturing Assyrian capitals, forcing them to retreat and declare another capital. First, Nineveh was captured, then Harran (where Terah had raised Abram), and finally and decisively, at Carchemish, the Assyrian empire was wiped off the face of the earth, never to appear again. Egypt lost its army at Carchemish as well, in 609 B.C. Next, Babylonia focused on the southern kingdom of Judah. Jehoiakim was stripped of what little power he had, and the Babylonians stole the best things and the best people of Judah, and brought them back to Babylon. Daniel calls Babylon the land of Shinar. This is where the tower of Babel was constructed, and the brazen and blasphemous attitude of the people had not changed since the tower-building days. They stole the sacred vessels from the Jerusalem temple and would drink from them at their drinking feasts (Dan. 5).
What does it mean?
Based on the threading of the different places and times involved in the Bible, my conclusion is that nothing happens by accident, with God. He knows all about peoples and nations and the past, present and future.
Just look at the places like Haran, Megiddo, Shinar/Babylon, and the things that had happened, are happening now, and will happen in the future.There is continuity across thousands of years in the behavior and consequences of the people there.
What difference does it make to me?
All events even in my little life have significance in God's plan, certainly for me, and potentially for God's present and future people. I can be used by God to bring others to glorify Him in His kingdom.

Daniel 1: Daniel chose to eat vegetables and drink water.

1. What is this chapter is about?

• Who is doing the action?

1. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon invaded Judah and captured Jehoiakim the king of Judah and placed the vessels of the house of God to his treasury of his god. 
2. King Nebuchadnezzar brought the Jewish youths without blemish, good looking and skillful in all wisdom to his palace to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
3. They were to be educated for three years and then were to serve before the king at the end of that time.

• What is happening?

1. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were given the Babylonian names, education of Babylonian language and literature and also assigned a daily portion of the king's food to eat and wine to drink.
2. Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food and wine.
3. Daniel asked the chief eunuch to give him and his friends vegetables and water and test them for 10 days.
4. God rewarded and blesses these four young Jewish boys not only with good health, good looking but also with great learning, skill in all literature and wisdom. Daniel was gifted in understanding visions and dreams.

• Where and when is it taking place?

1. This took place in the Babylon kingdom, when Nebuchadnezzar was the king.

• Why is it happening?

1. God gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into Nebuchadnezzar's hand. God punished the Isaelites for their disobedience. But God had a plan for Daniel.
2. God protected Daniel and his friends and gave them good health and good minds. God honors and gives favor for their commitment not to eat the junk food but vegetables and water. 

2. What does it mean?

• What do I learn from this passage?

1. Daniel is faithful to God. He did not want to eat the junk food. He chose to eat the good food and drink water to keep his body healthy. He does not want to eat the king's food and wine, which may have been sacrificed to the foreign gods.
2. God blessed Daniel and gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs. If I am faithful to God, God will give favor for me to have a good relationship with the people around me. I can apply this in my work place.

• Is there a warning or promise from god about something?

1. I should not eat anything that is harmful to my body. I should quit the harmful habit such as eating too much or too late or going to bed late at night.
2. God promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He was with Daniel even in the Babylonian country. He protected them and provided their needs.

• What is God saying through this passage?

1. God wants me to be faithful and stand up and speak up for what is right. Do right things for the glory of God.

3. What difference does it make to me?

• Is there something I need to change?

1. I need to choose more vegetables and drink more water because they are good for my body. I need to take good care of the temple of the Holy Spirit, so that I can serve God with good health.

• Is there something I should be doing?

1. I should be faithful to the true living God, to serve God in the midst of non-believers. I will not let the junk food, movie, Internet defile my body, mind and soul, lest I become a muddied spring or polluted well. I will read God's Word everyday and hide God's word in my heart so that I won't sin against God. I will talk to God often so that I will be in tune with God's will.

• How should I respond?

1. I will dare to be like Daniel. Be committed to God and God will honor such commitment.