There is a short introduction available for the book of Daniel. You can read it here.
Key Themes (Daniel)
The book of Daniel, an apocalyptic and historical work in the Old Testament, presents a narrative that spans the lives of Daniel and his companions during the Babylonian exile. It combines stories of personal faithfulness under pressure with visions of God’s sovereignty over history. The key themes include:
- God’s Sovereignty Over Nations: Daniel emphasizes that God is the supreme ruler over all earthly kingdoms. Despite the rise and fall of empires, God’s authority remains unchallenged, and He ultimately controls the course of history. This theme is particularly evident in the visions and dreams that predict the succession of world powers.
- Faithfulness in Exile: The book highlights the unwavering faithfulness of Daniel and his friends, who remain loyal to God despite the pressures and dangers of living in a foreign, pagan land. Their commitment to God's laws, even in the face of death, serves as an example of steadfastness and integrity.
- Divine Protection and Deliverance: Daniel also emphasizes God’s protection and deliverance of His faithful servants. The stories of the fiery furnace and the lion’s den illustrate how God intervenes to rescue those who trust in Him, demonstrating His power to save in the most dire circumstances.
- Apocalyptic Visions and Prophecy: A significant portion of the book contains apocalyptic visions that reveal future events and the ultimate triumph of God’s kingdom. These visions not only provide hope to the exiles but also offer a broader perspective on God’s plan for the world, including the coming of a messianic figure and the final judgment.
- The Coming of the Son of Man: Daniel introduces the concept of the "Son of Man," a messianic figure who will receive dominion and establish an everlasting kingdom. This theme points to the future hope of God’s reign being fully realized on earth through the Messiah.
- Judgment and Justice: The book concludes with visions that depict the final judgment, where the righteous are vindicated, and the wicked are punished. This reinforces the idea of God’s ultimate justice and the assurance that He will bring about the righting of all wrongs.
The book of Daniel is a powerful testament to the sovereignty of God, the importance of faithfulness in adversity, and the ultimate victory of God’s kingdom. It combines historical narrative with apocalyptic prophecy to convey a message of hope and encouragement to those enduring hardship.
What I Noticed Today (Daniel 1-3)
Daniel 1
In verses 1-2, Daniel was taken to Babylon in the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city and captured it. He brought Jehoiakim and some of the items from the house of God to Babylon.
In verses 3-6, Nebuchadnezzar’s chief eunuch, Ashpenaz, was ordered to bring some of the royal family and young men without blemish who were wise and knowledgeable. He brought them to the king’s palace, where they were to be trained for three years and then enter the service of the king.
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among those taken to Babylon. Their Hebrew names were changed.
- Daniel, which means “God has judged” was changed to Belteshazzar, which means “Lady protect the king.”
- Hananiah which means “Yahweh has been gracious” was changed to Shadrach, which means “I am fearful of a god.”
- Mishael, which means “Who is what God is?” was changed to Meshach, which means “I am despised, humbled before my god.”
- Azariah, which means “Yahweh has helped” was changed to Abednego, which means “servant of Nebo.” (Nebo was the name of a Babylonian god.)
Note: The Hebrew word used for young men literally means children or boys, which would suggest they were teenagers 15 years old or younger.
In verses 8-16, Daniel didn’t want to eat the food or wine provided by the king, so he made a deal with Ashpenaz to give David, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah vegetables and water for ten days and compare their fitness with others. At the end of the ten days, David and his companions looked better than those who ate the king’s food, so they were allowed to continue eating vegetables and drinking water.
Note: David likely refused the king’s rations for several reasons: 1) they would have been prepared by Gentiles (unclean), 2) many of these foods were forbidden by Jewish law, and 3) likely included flesh offered to pagan gods.
Note: The Hebrew word translated vegetables meant “sown things,” which included grains as well as vegetables.
In verses 17-21, God gave Daniel and his companion’s knowledge and wisdom, and Daniel had an understanding of visions and dreams. At the end of the three-year training period, they were brought before Nebuchadnezzar who found them to be ten times better than all the enchanters and magicians in the kingdom, so the four men served the king. Daniel remained in that capacity until the first year of King Cyrus of Persia (539 B.C.)
Daniel 2
In verses 1-3, during Nebuchadnezzar’s second year as king, he was troubled by dreams. He summoned his magicians, enchanters, and sorcerers to come, and he told them he had a dream that troubled him, and he wanted to know the meaning.
In verses 4-6, the “wise men” asked the king to tell them his dream, and they would provide an interpretation, but the king said, no, they must tell him what he dreamed and its interpretation. If they could not, he would have them killed and tear down their houses. If they did, he promised them great rewards and honor.
In verses 7-11, the “wise men” asked the king a second time to tell them the dream, and he refused again saying he would carry out his death sentence upon them. They protested saying what he was asking was too hard, no king had ever asked that before. They admitted that no one knew the king’s dreams except the gods who do not dwell among men.
Note: If their admission that only gods know the future was true, it meant they had spoken lies to the king before when they pretended to tell the future to the king.
In verses 12-16, the king was furious at this admission from his wise men, so he issued an order that all the wise men of Babylon were to be executed. Daniel and his companions were considered wise men, so this death sentence also fell on them. When the captain of the king’s guard, Arioch, came to kill them, Daniel asked to be appointed a time when he would explain the dream and its interpretation to the king.
In verses 17-18, Daniel went to his companions, told them what was going on and asked them to pray, asking God’s mercy and for God to reveal the king’s dream.
Note: Daniel’s appeal to the “God of Heaven” for mercy occurs six times in the book: 2:18-19, 28, 37, 44, and 5:23).
In verses 19-23, the king’s dream was revealed to Daniel that same night, and Daniel praised God for his wisdom and power. As examples, Daniel says God establishes the season, sets up and takes down kings, gives wisdom and understanding, and reveals hidden things. Daniel closed his prayer, thanking God for revealing the king’s dream to him.
In verse 24, Daniel approached, Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, and asked him not to kill the wise men of Babylon; he would reveal the king’s dream and its meaning.
In verses 25-30, Arioch took Daniel to the king and told the king he had found someone who could interpret the dream.
Note: Arioch must have had great faith in Daniel’s ability to claim he had found the man who could interpret the dream.
The king asked Daniel if he could interpret the dream, and Daniel said no wise men could know the answer, but only God in Heaven can reveal such mysteries.
Daniel interpreted the dream as being God sending a prophecy to Nebuchadnezzar of things that would happen in the future. David again humbly said that he had no ability to interpret the dream but that it was made known to him by God so that he could tell the king.
In verses 31-35, Daniel said the king had seen a large statue in his dream. The head of the statue was made of gold, the chest, and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of bronze, the legs of iron, and the feet made of iron mixed with clay. This statue was struck on the feet, and the entire statue shattered into small pieces (like chaff) and blew away in the wind. The rock that struck the statue grew into a large mountain that filled the earth.
In verses 36-43, Daniel interpreted the dream. The head of gold was Nebuchadnezzar; whom God had given the kingdom as the head of the Babylonian empire. The chest and arms represented another empire (the Medes and Persians, Daniel 5:28).
Note: The Media-Persian empire lasted over 200 years (539-330 B.C.), compared to the Babylonian empire, which lasted about 87 years (626-539 B.C.).
The third empire that grew up, the belly and thighs of bronze, represented the Grecian empire (Daniel 8:20-21).
The fourth empire, the legs of iron, represented the Roman empire. Iron was stronger than silver, and it crushed the Media-Persian empire.
The continuation of the Roman empire had feet of clay mixed with iron and was partly strong and partly brittle.
Note: Each empire was less valuable than the previous, which may represent the decline in morals from one empire to the next. Each succeeding empire was stronger than the previous, which may represent the harshness of their domination over their subjects.
In verses 44-45, Daniel explained that in the days of those kings, God would establish a kingdom that will crush the previous kingdom and will never be destroyed. A stone will break off of the mountain without a hand touching it, and it will smash the statue (the other kingdoms).
Note: A mountain is often a reference to a kingdom in scripture. The stone that strikes the feet of the Roman empire is Jesus Christ, and when he returns for His Millennial reign, His kingdom will fill the earth.
In verses 46-49, King Nebuchadnezzar was so struck by Daniel’s interpretation that he fell on his face before Daniel and ordered incense and an offering be made to him (in recognition of Daniel’s divine interpretation). Nebuchadnezzar recognized Daniel’s god as the Lord of gods. He then promoted Daniel to be the ruler of the city of Babylon, and Daniel asked that his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be appointed to help him.
Note: Babylon was divided into several provinces, and each province was led by a satrap (Daniel 3:2).
Daniel 3
In verses 1-7, Nebuchadnezzar had a golden image 18 cubits (90’) tall made and placed in the plains of Dura in the province of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar gathered all the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, justices, and magistrates together for the dedication of the statue. A herald proclaimed that when the musicians played, the people were to bow down and worship the image and whoever does not bow down will be thrown into a fiery furnace.
Note: The location of the plain of Dura is unknown, but archeologists have found a base made of brick some six miles southeast of the city which may have been the base of the statue.
Note: Satraps were representatives of the king, prefects were military commanders, governors were the civil administrators, counselors advised those in government, treasurers administered the kingdom’s money, judges administered the law, and magistrates passed judgments according to the law.
In verses 8-12, certain Chaldeans (men of Babylon, in this reference they were priests/astrologers)) came to the king and accused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego of failing to bow down and worship the golden image as ordered.
Note: Daniel was probably not at the dedication ceremony, or he would have been included in the accusation.
In verses 13-18, when the king heard that the three had not bowed down, he was furious but asked them if the allegation was true. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said they had no need to answer the king; that if the God they serve wanted to deliver them from the furnace he would but regardless, they would not serve Nebuchadnezzar’s gods or worship the golden idol.
In verses 19-25, the king ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than normal (a term meaning as hot as possible) and had strong soldiers tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the furnace.
Note: the furnace likely had an opening at the top where fuel was dropped in and an opening on the side.
The heat from the furnace was so intense that the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace were killed. But moments later the king saw, probably through the side entrance, the three men along with a fourth man who had the appearance of a son of the gods.
In verses 26-30, Nebuchadnezzar approached the furnace and ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God to come out of the furnace. Those present noted that their clothes were not burned, their hair was not singed, and they did not even smell like smoke. Nebuchadnezzar blessed the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who had sent His angel to protect them because they had refused to worship another god.
Nebuchadnezzar issued a decree that no one is to speak against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego because there is no other god who could save his people like this. He then promoted the three men.
Note: This event has prophetic significance as we will see when we study Revelation. During the Tribulation period, a Gentile ruler (the Antichrist) will demand to be worshiped, and anyone who refuses will be killed. Most will bow down, but a small remnant will refuse, and these will be delivered when Jesus Christ returns.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- Because Daniel and his men were faithful to God, God remained faithful to them by blessing them with special knowledge and wisdom that put them in a position to serve King Nebuchadnezzar.
