When Jacob left the promised land to flee from his brother and to seek a wife among his relatives, he had a vision of a ladder on which angels were ascending and descending. American Christians have always thought of themselves as law-abiding Christians, and so we would hope to be. We must not be distracted from the richness and the blessings of this chapter by the clamoring of the skeptics, who would not take this chapter seriously even if Darius were a well-known king. He was also free from corruption. Daniels rise to power under Darius did not rest upon his remarkable accomplishments of the past. The kings major concern was corruption. When word got out that the king planned to promote Daniel over all of them, they were petrified. Some of their messages are more dramatic than others: some prophets (like Ezekiel and Zechariah) see elaborate visions, while others simply call the people to remember their allegiance to Israels God and the Torah (like Haggai and Malachi). No man dared tamper with the stone to deliver Daniel. B. Greek & English: 1. (1) How did the king feel about Daniel and why? He also promised to bring them to repentance, to rescue them, and to restore their nation. They were willing to risk their lives to remove Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin from power. 11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. Much of the Old Testament is written and preserved by people who wanted Gods people to remain loyal to him. 26-28. His enemies knew this and were confident he would continue. Why? Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven (Genesis 28:10-17). He would have broken Gods law in order to obey mans laws. Nebuchadnezzar set up his golden image on his own initiative; Darius passed his law at the initiative of his officials. After spending the day seeking to arrange Daniels release, they returned and reminded the king the law Daniel had broken was a law of the Medes and the Persians and thus irrevocable. He seems to have known he was deceived and used by his officials, and that he made a foolish decision in signing the proposed law. The urgent matters of life keep us from the important things. Jeremiah the Prophet - Life, Hope and Truth Daniel attributes his vast wisdom, insight, and understanding to his wise God ( Dan 2:28 ). One explanation suggests Darius is simply another name for Cyrus, a view some respected evangelical scholars hold.62 Our previous text in chapter 5 indicated that until recent years, nothing was known of Belshazzar. He saw himself as powerless, without the provisions God gave to him daily. Although Daniels enemies were of one heart and purpose, they have a most difficult task ahead of them. The city of Jerusalem not only symbolized the hopes of the Jews, but it is the place their God met with them and heard their prayers. His flawless faithfulness to the king and his obedience to the laws of the land forces his enemies to pass a new law aimed directly at him and his destruction. They devised a scheme to put Jesus to death, even as Daniels enemies formed a conspiracy to bring about his death. The king and the conspirators could agree on one thing: Daniel was consistent and persistent. No wonder they are seeking to turn the tide of congressional opinion against Judge Thomas. If I forget you, O Jerusalem, May my right hand forget her skill. Daniel purposefully committed this crime because he did not wish to commit a sin, which was not a crime. After all, is not prayer a private matter? The potential evil of this law may have gone farther than even its authors ever conceived.67. Themes include God's perfection vs. the sin of man, the restoration for those who turn from sin, and the rebuilding of God's temple along with a renewal of worship. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked. 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction.63. Darius not only regretted signing the 30 day law, he sought to reverse it or at least to arrange for Daniels release. To achieve their purpose of doing away with Daniel, they must achieve three goals: (1) They must discredit Daniel in relationship to his religion and the Law of Moses by which he lived. What is the prophet Daniels significance and purpose? If we reject the Bibles authority, historical confirmation of its teachings will certainly be insufficient to change minds. Instead of using His power and authority to profit at mans expense, Jesus gave Himself sacrificially, dying for our sins, so that we might gain at His expense. Although, it was no great accomplishment to catch Daniel in prayer, the conspirators approached the king very carefully with this news. Daniel: Prophet of God, Companion of Kings (Daniel) - The Church of 20 And when he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. However, he also sees God mercifully regathering the descendants of Israel and bringing them back home. Daniel knew his needs were daily needs68 and that he should petition God daily for those needs. God is my judge, or judge of God. He may deliver them from death, or through it. Who Was Daniel in the Bible? The inspired and inspiring words of our text have much to teach us. Daniel 1 establishes a time frame for the prophet's ministry. Chapter 5 witnesses Belshazzars condemnation in contrast to Nebuchadnezzars conversion in chapter 4. The most common acts of God that the prophets bring up occurred during the exodus from Egypt to Canaan, specifically: These come up again and again in the Bibles works of prophecy. Themes include God's ultimate control, and the importance of remaining faithful to Him through challenges and trials. When we do sense the need for help, we usually begin by going to others first, and God last. (1) Unlike chapter 1, Daniel seems to have had no opportunity to protest the law signed by the king and no way to avoid obedience to the law without compromise. (4) It was necessary in order for Daniel to persevere in his normal disciplines of godliness. The book of Daniel is sometimes included with the Major Prophets toogiven Daniels intense visions about the interplay between Israels God and the empires of the world. He had been deceived by his ministers, and his most trusted servant had been set up, falsely accused, and cast into the lions den. Conservative communist political leaders saw, with great apprehension, the tide in the USSR turning away from communism and toward democracy. Daniel was kept safe through the night. Nothing is known about his parents, although he appears to have been of royal descent ().He was taken captive to Babylon, where he received the name Belteshazzar (Dan. 4 Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. If Daniel ceased to pray, Daniel would have sinned against his God. If you had, then you would already have answers to your question. And he came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place. priest, and king converged in the person and work of Christ, our great Prophet, Priest, and King. Although its easy to think of prophecy as a message concerning the future, the prophets of the Bible speak of the past, present, and future. The Supreme Courts task is not only to judge the laws of Congress according to the standard of the constitution but to to maintain a balance of power. 16 At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. Both kings, in my opinion, came to a genuine faith in the God of Israel. Daniel has endured more criticism than just about any other prophetic book. Those who are in Christ by faith have been set free from the condemnation of the law and are free to serve the living God. One of the four great prophets, although he is not once spoken of in the Old Testament as a prophet. Essentially, they told the king he had no choice. The Senate Judiciary Committee understands all too well that a conservative and pro-life justice may not only change the balance of power on the Supreme Court, but it may also lead to the overturning of a number of the laws passed by the Congress as unconstitutional. The prophets often build a case on Gods behalf, citing current issues like: Prophets call out these wrongdoings, urging people to return to the teachings of Moses. Daniel: God's long-term plan for the world Jeremiah was a man called to be a prophet to deliver God's message to Judah (before, during and after its fall to Babylon in 586 B.C.). It is titled Daniel, Prophet to the Nations. Saints in other parts of the world know what this is like. Nebuchadnezzar was fiercely angered when the three Hebrews refused to bow down to his image, defying any god to deliver them from the death he threatened. May my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, If I do not remember you, If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy. They abused the irreversible law of the Medes and the Persians to bring Daniel under condemnation. . Have you read my book on Daniel? Their deception led the king to conclude that Daniel too agreed with their proposal.66. 65 In several ways, the concerns of Daniels peers, the leaders of this Medo-Persian kingdom, were nearly identical with the concerns of the leaders of Israel regarding Jesus. I wonder if Daniel had a lion for a pillow that night. Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, a Levitical priest, was likely born between 650 . Wait There Were How Many Herods?! This chapter helps us understand why Christians will be persecuted for their faith, and how such persecution can even become a part of public policy, forcing saints to break those laws which oppose the law of God. They sought to enhance themselves through the abuse of their power at the expense of their king who was in authority over them, and at the expense of those under their authority. No one, they thought, including the king, could rescue Daniel from the law and its condemnation. They envision God ruling the restored nation of Israel from the holy city, sometimes through a Messianic descendant of King David. Two of them are specific to Israel, two are specific to the nations of the world, and one is often available to anyone listening. A group seems to have come before the king as a delegation, representing themselves as the spokesmen for the entire number of prefects, satraps, officials, and governors. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. It did motivate him to petition God to judge those who brought about the destruction of this city. (4) Limit his prayers to thanksgiving and praise, simply setting aside his petitions for 30 days. also 2 Chronicles 6:20-40). Bible Study: Daniel 10 - Jesus Christ visits Daniel. The ministry of prophet, priest, and king converged in the person and work of Christ, our great Prophet, Priest, and King. Their petitions must be directed to God, but through the place of His blessing, Jerusalem. His prayer life was so consistent they could literally pick the time to gather outside his window to catch him in prayer. Yet have regard to the prayer of Thy servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Thy servant prays before Thee today; that Thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which Thou hast said, My name shall be there, to listen to the prayer which Thy servant shall pray toward this place. But God sent His angel, who not only shut the lions mouths but kept them from hurting him in any way. In chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar created a great golden image, before which the people of all nations were to bow in worship. Beyond this, often times the prophets will blend those future scenarios we discussed above together. A friend of mine once remarked, A lot of crimes are not sins, and a lot of sins are not crimes. Our text indicates he was absolutely right. Moses: The Old Testaments Greatest Prophet, The books of prophecy in the Old Testament, Abraham, whom God himself calls a prophet (Genesis 20:7), Samuel, who anointed two kings of Israel on Gods behalf (1 Samuel 3:1920), Elijah and Elisha, who worked miracles and anointed (and denounced) national leaders on Gods behalf (1 Kings 19:1516), Jeremiah, who warned Jerusalems leaders that Nebuchadnezzar would take the city (Jeremiah 1:5), John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:914), Jesus Christ, who was called a prophet before he was resurrected (John 7:40), God freeing Israel from slavery and giving them the Torah, God judging the Egyptians with ten plagues, God parting the Red Sea for Israel, and consuming Pharaohs armies with the same sea, Israel claiming the territories of two kings (Sihon and Og) before they even entered Canaan, Israel worshiping the gods of other nations, Israel showing more confidence in other nations militaries than in their God, Israels rich citizens oppressing the poor, World nations violently taking attacking other nations. For this reason, they knew that Daniel would not tolerate the corruption which had become their practice. I do not believe the king was declaring himself to be a god. Neither do I believe he put himself above all gods. But his injunction did make him the link between all those in his kingdom and any god.. As they stand strong in the face of trails, they bear witness to the reality of their Lord and Savior. What evidence is there for your conclusion? Really simple, easy to read which gives a clear picture of the message of the Bible in 2019 speak. Read full chapter Footnotes Daniel 10:11 Lit man of treasure Having spoken words of faith and hope to Daniel, he had Daniel lowered into the lions den, the stone cover put in place and sealed. 16 Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions den. The proposal is similar in some respects to Nebuchadnezzars described in chapter 3. 22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions mouths, and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime. 23 Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. Darius, Daniel and the Lions. 4.How did he go about doing God's work? Correctly, two Christian authors have compared Daniels experience in the lions den to the critics attack on the Book of Daniel itself. The messages of the prophets are often dire and gloomy, but the prophets usually encourage their readers and listeners to turn away from the path theyre on. What joy must have filled the king's heart when Daniel responded to his call. And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? It appears the king suffered more than Daniel. 26 I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever. When you encounter prophecy in the Bible, it usually refers to a message claiming to be of divine nature or origin. The year was 626 B.C., the 13 th year of King Josiah's reign (Jer. When the princes heard that . In this covenant, God promised Abraham a land, a seed, and a blessing. 9:4 ). This is why our prayer life (mine included) is so weak, so anemic, so sporadic and undisciplined. Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain Thee, how much less this house which I have built! Had Daniel not disobeyed the law and been divinely delivered, things would have been quite different for the Jews held captive in Babylon. He would get too far behind in his praise and thanksgiving and never catch up. In addition, God promised to punish their enemies, who so cruelly oppressed them as His chastening rod. They remind the prophets audience of their alliance with Godan alliance that relies on them being loyal to him. 25 Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language who were living in all the land: May your peace abound! By fashioning a golden image and requiring every citizen to bow down to it, king Nebuchadnezzar thought he would give unity and cohesiveness to his kingdom. Anyone who knew anything about Daniel seemed to realize this. (1) This text suggests that Christians who would live holy lives should expect persecution; it also explains why. Prophets are humans who speak on Gods behalf. God not only delivers His people from their enemies, He also delivers their enemies to the judgment they deserve for oppressing His people. The king shouted very specific words into the lions den. Darius, Daniel and the Lions - Life, Hope and Truth (3) Cease praying altogether, making no petitions for 30 days. The Prophet Jeremiah Is Sent to Preach | Children's Bible Lessons For example, God promises David a son, a descendant who will rule Jerusalem forever. In this case, if they were ever to succeed in doing away with the Jews and their religion, they would first have to do away with Daniel. Did he fast according to the Old Testament Law? Christians divide the books of prophecy into two large groups: the Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets. Is it possible that this king, unlike Belshazzar, had read the historical records of Nebuchadnezzars kingdom and come to believe in the God of the Hebrews? What We Learn from This Prayer: Daniel prays for wisdom when he doesn't know what to do in a situation. What can we learn from this text as we conclude? What truly offends the unbelieving mind is the claim of a miraculous divine deliverance, not the lack of historical evidence. It too is unchangeable and irreversible. I speak Jehovah's words, not my own.'. Although Daniel is the one wrongly accused and in the process of his own execution, the entire paragraph is about the king. An Introduction to the Book of Daniel | Bible.org David's second son, "born unto him in Hebron, of Abigail the Carmelitess" ( 1 Chronicles 3:1). They feared Jesus integrity (holiness) and his authority. This is consistent with the prophetic significance of the Book of Daniel and other prophecies that Israels disobedience would not only result in the discipline of Gods people but also in the salvation of the Gentiles. Even the heavens were not able to contain God, much less a temple in Jerusalem. There may be some truth in this perspective, but I suggest times of crisis are those times when great men continue to persist in the good things they have practiced all along, when it was easier to do so. Daniel had a life-long habit of praying toward Jerusalem three times a day. (5) This particular law implied something utterly inconsistent with and contrary to Gods law. In anger, the king commanded the execution of all the wise men of the land, including Daniel and his friends. God was present with them there and preserved them from death, injury, and even the smell of fire. Here is the Christian perspective on leadership and authority. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More. He probably recognizes by this time that the whole matter was a scheme cooked up by some of his other officials, so that Daniels promotion could be aborted. Because of their faithfulness, God gave these men an extra measure of wisdom, greatly impressing king Nebuchadnezzar, who gave them positions of influence and responsibility in his kingdom. 71 The fate of these families is consistent with the prayer of the psalmist in Psalm 137:7-9. The book of Daniel is one of the most prophetic books in the old testament. The Global Message of Daniel But once Daniel rose to power, they quickly began to fear him and regard him as their enemy. Instructions to Students Use the Notes and Commentary below to help you as you read and study the book of Amos. We dare not presume that God will always keep the righteous from persecution and death. The king was so impressed he issued a decree guaranteeing the Jews freedom to worship their God without hindrance. We dont fail to eat, because we know we must. Depending on who you ask, Christians might list three to five books of the Old Testament as the Major Prophets. Heres where it gets a bit tricky: the list of specific books considered the Prophets will change depending on which Bible youre reading. He came to the lions den early the next morning, expecting Daniel to have been delivered. Daniel (biblical figure) God is the sovereign Lord of history who causes kingdoms to rise and fall according to His decree. The Reluctant Prophet's Call and Job Description (Jeremiah and Lamentations) In his early twenties, Jeremiah received God's call to be a prophet. So while Saul technically speaks prophesy, his role in the story of Israel isnt a prophetic one, and so the Bible doesnt treat him like a prophet. Daniel understood the message because he was given insight during the vision. Parts of this prophecy are fulfilled in Davids literal immediate heir, Solomon. v18 Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his sleep fled from him. Who Were the Major Prophets and What Did They Do? For the first time in his life, he was awe-struck that this land of Canaan was a holy place. Even more, somehow it was a place of mediation, a place where heaven and earth met. This is why the king appointed the three commissioners over the satraps. Furthermore, while a prophecy might be uttered all at once, prophecy isnt always fulfilled all at once. Such praise does not come from the lips of an unbeliever. This would prevent the king from reversing the law once he realized Daniel was the victim of this proposed legislation. All are featured in books from the Bible, and Jeremiah may have written two. The king was delighted to find a man of ability and honesty. Refusing to obey, they were thrown into a fiery furnace. They were immediately destroyed, which only underscores the miracle God performed on Daniels behalf. Daniels three friends refused to bow down. The kings plan to promote Daniel seems to have become public knowledge; at least the commissioners and satraps knew. Darius may have become familiar with Daniel in a number of ways. Americans have never known official opposition and persecution to the gospel and to the practice of our faith, but we may very well see the beginnings of it, especially as the end times appear to be coming upon us. It is a reminder of the importance of prayer, and of a disciplined life, making the pursuit of godliness a habit, which will not be broken, especially by danger or panic. Here is the model for Christian leaders, in marriage, in the home, and in the workplace. It does not seem possible for Daniel to pray to God, toward Jerusalem, other than by literally looking in that direction. The one man in whom the king had complete confidence was now charged with a crime. This proposal originated with the conspirators. The king believed that God not only could but would deliver Daniel, and so he encouraged him before unwillingly casting him into the den of lions. Thus, he could as easily be a loyal supporter of Darius as he had been of Nebuchadnezzar. Their accusation was meant to impress upon the king that Daniel had not merely broken the law once, he was persisting in violating this law, showing in their minds complete disregard for the king and his authority. Keeping Daniel from rising above them and ruling over them would be no easy task.65.