This book is one of the most complex and amazing books in the entire Bible! We could EASILY spend months studying it in depth and learning about all of the many incredible aspects of this faith-filled book. Jaybrena did a WONDERFUL job of opening up with the first three chapters yesterday. At the end of her post, she posed an interesting thought about whether or not King Neb (as I like to call him for short) would remain faithful to the one true God. Chapter 4 opens up with him praising the "Most High God". Then this chapter goes into ANOTHER disturbing dream that King Neb was having about a tree. God REALLY spoke to this crazy man through dreams and he just never quite got the message. My favorite part of this dream is when it talks about the stump in verse 23. The Bible states, "...but leave the stump with its roots in the ground and with a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field." I will never forget what Beth Moore said in her amazing study on this book about this particular part of this dream. She taught that God might "cut" us down to a stump at different times in our lives for different reasons, but that He would leave a stump with the roots down deep. And while He was "pruning" us back, HE would protect us with "iron and bronze" so that tender stump would NOT be destroyed, but would grow back into a beautiful, flourishing tree. Have you ever been a "stump" for the Lord? I know I have and He has been faithful to protect me and to grow me back into a glorious tree that is "planted" in Him! 
This same dream predicted that King Neb would become VERY prideful again and would thus become a wild animal and be driven away from all people. The Lord WILL humble the proud as His Word states over and over again. And that is exactly what He did to King Neb. We can do it the hard way or the easy way, but it WILL be done. So which way is your choice...the easy way or the hard way? Then King Neb once again praises the Most High God. This man is as lukewarm as they come. God will vomit you out of His mouth if you are lukewarm!!!
Enter King Belshazzar at the beginning of chapter 5. Another VERY proud and arrogant king, but this one does not even pretend to honor the Most High God as King Neb did. The study notes in my Bible tells me that King Bel would have been old enough to remember what had happened to King Neb and the horrible process that he experienced during the humbling process. Yet this does not phase King Bel at all. He was SO FULL of pride and arrogance that this king actually takes the items that were taken from the temple in Jerusalem and uses them to have a party! Enter the Hand of God! His hand actually writes on the wall for ALL to see these words, "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN" These are three Aramaic words which mean, "NUMBERED", "WEIGHED", and "DIVIDED", respectively. Daniel comes in to interpret this dream once again and tells King Bel EXACTLY what to expect. His days are numbered, he has been found deficient, and his kingdom will be divided. By the end of that night King Bel was dead. God WILL NOT be mocked or blasphemed! Sometimes, His justice is delivered immediately. Make no mistake that God's justice WILL be delivered! On which side of His justice are you? 
Enter King Darius in chapter 6. Again, he is VERY prideful, but at least he ends up acknowledging God for who He is. Because of Daniel's faithfulness to the Lord, he is thrown into a den with a bunch of hungry lions (these folks really came up with creative ways to kill people in some very painful, horrible ways!). But God sent an angel to close the mouths of the lions and Daniel was unharmed. So my question to you is this...have you ever been surrounded by a bunch of "hungry lions" and had God protect you from them? Have people ever desired to harm you or to hurt you but you found yourself under His protection and He "closed the mouths of the lions"? I hope you do have His protection, because we WILL find ourselves among "hungry lions" in this world. If we are doing what we are supposed to be doing as Christians, we SHOULD find ourselves among "hungry lions"!
**I thought this chart might help you get a "big picture" of where the book of Daniel fits into the history timeline. We are in the Age of the Gentiles or the Church Age. Come quickly Lord Jesus!!!
I do love this book as well Mindy!! There is so much for us in these chapters. Just a side note: the book of Daniel kind of jumps around...it doesn't follow his life chronologically. In the instance of the lions den he is actually a very old man. Also a side note on the prophecy in this book: All of it has both an immediate fulfillment specific to the Babylonian kingdom and the Israelites, but also points ahead to a future fulfillment for us/the world. Most of the prophecy in scripture is that way.
ReplyDeleteAnother fun fact: the section where Neb is talking to us about his dream in the scripture is the only part of scripture written by a "non-believer" so to speak.
I love that God uses Daniel again and again to show himself to the kings of Babylon! Daniel never takes credit- it all goes to God and God alone. I also love the example of his prayer life. Wow. Three times a day he prays, facing Jerusalem "as he had done before." Daniel wasn't trying to make a scene or protest the edict, he was simply continuing to live his life faithful to his God. The daily routine disciplines of our lives are what prepare us and help us weather the larger battles.
Mindy- you did such a great job of breaking down such complex chapters...:) As always.
Thanks for those pieces of information about Daniel Natalie! I also think it is neat how these chapters deal with Daniel's prayer life and that is what Pastor Chris is preaching about right now...love it!!!
ReplyDeleteWe could camp here for weeks and never get all there is to glean from this book! Something tells me even with all the great points each of us brings to the table to feast on, we still can't possible know all of the ingredients of the food we bring! :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoy teaching this book to children, and get so excited when I have that opportunity! My preschool Sunday School class just hangs on every word of the Lions Den saga! I don't blame them, I hang on with them!!! And, thanks for the chart, Mindy! That's so interesting!
Mindy you did an awesome job with your post today. There is so much in it and so much to think about and ponder. I too love the part that Daniel was already "practiced in prayer" that was his habit - not something he turned to in a panic.
ReplyDeleteThis is a hard book to understand, and I loved your timeline!!
I to, loved your post, Mindy. It is a tough book to go through but so full of so many interesting facts and prophecies. I remember how when I was younger how I loved hearing about the "lion's den" and the "firery furnace. I still enjoy hearing them stories but I have found there is so much more than those two stories in Daniel.
ReplyDeleteDaniel's lifestyle and his obedience are convicting to me! I have to admit that if I were about to be thrown into a den of lions, that I would do whatever it took to get myself out of that situation. Daniel simply trusted his God! Lord, teach me to trust you.
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