Da-da-da-da-da-neeeeeeeeeeee- L

Hi.

So, a few friends and I are doing this thing where we’re trying to get through the Old Testament. What I kind of want to see happen or imagine is just once a week, a video channel or something to listen and join in on a Bible study. It doesn’t matter where you are or what time of day (other than the restrictions placed on schedule, location…. etc. aha.) But yeah. Oovoo only fits six, so if you have suggestions for one that can host more than six people at a time, leave a comment, message me, anything! haha.

So, for this group we’ve been reading through Daniel and Romans. For the meeting though, we went through Daniel 1-6, but it was somewhat quick and rushed. So, to those of you that may want to join us next week, have not read Daniel, or both! (:D) I shall try to explain the first six chapters as much as I can or…. yeah, I’ll try. Don’t let this suffice as just enough. Read the Bible too because it’s words are more truer, more real, and more impactful than my words could ever be.

Daniel 1

Daniel one starts off with the King of Babylon, King Nebuchannezar  taking over Jerusalem. He orders the chief of his royal officials to find men. Not just any men but the best.

Here’s a list of them and their names given by the king:

• Daniel ( God is my Judge) - Belteshazzar(Bel’s prince)
• Hananiah (beloved by the Lord)- Shadrach (Command of Aku)
• Mishael(Who is like God?- Meschach (who is like Aku)
• Azariah(The Lord is my help)- Abednego (Servant of Nego)

Their names were important, by the way. Names were representative of the person. Throughout the Bible name changes were points of redemption. In this case, they take these names as a part of being under the king. If you were to join a part of another culture, you cannot stay stubborn and refuse anything but you also have to learn to accept and understand some customs and traditions. Their name changes were not reflective of who they were. They were named by a king who worshipped idols, not God. What’s even better is that these men were also of a group of Israelites that were the top of the top.

Daniel 1:3-4a

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility- young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve….

They weren’t just four guys amongst a group of duds but of other possibly more intelligent men. It was by God and God alone that they were able to gain favor of the king.

So yeah, haha.

Nebuchannezar  gave them food and wine to drink but Daniel did not want to “defile” himself and he proposed that him and the rest of them eat nothing but vegetables and water to drink for 10 days and see the results. (this is the origins of the Daniel fast!) Haha, what’s neat is if you look into it even more, it wasn’t just vegetables. Different translations have used the word “pulse” meaning grown from seeds. The reason? the food that the king ate was a part of food that were offered to pagan gods.

After the ten days, they came out healthier and better than any other! Awesome ain’t it?

Daniel 2

So yeah, Nebuchanezzar has a dream and gets worried. Here’s where it gets good: he talks to the astrologers  and what do they do? they try and stall time and end up giving up. Nebuchanezzar has great consequences good and bad (involving being cut into pieces and having the houses turned into piles of rubble or being held dear to the king). The king, in his anger, orders all of the wisemen to be killed but Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, pray and plead for God to give them mercy. Dreams were important to Babylonians because they took it as a sign from the gods talking to them.

God gives Daniel a vision and interprets it for the king. What’s awesome is Daniel speaks so confidently. He does not gain this confidence from himself but his confidence in the Lord. He only credits God and never gives praise for himself.

For the interpretation part, read through it carefully. Take note of how Daniel defines everything and states it.

Then, the reaction of King Nebuchadnezzar gets me. HE FALLS PROSTRATE! He falls face down on the floor honoring Daniel. He praises “Daniel’s God” and sets Daniel in an even higher position. (This is where they get the joke… Who’s the best tennis player in the Bible? Daniel because he runs the courts. HAHA)

Daniel 3- Fiyahhhh

King Nebuchadnezzar still has a hardened hard  and man. So frustrating, haha. He sets up the idol and orders everyone to praise and worship this piece of gold .The punishment was to be thrown into a burning furnace. Now, this furnace just wasn’t to keep you warm or anything. This was meant to kill and incinerate. Verse 3 states that it was hot enough to burn the soldiers trying to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fire!

Take a look at 21… “They were were robes, trousers, turbans, and other clothes.” I’m pretty sure all of those things are highly flammable.

What humbles me is verse 17-18.

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O King. BUT! even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

These guys knew full well what God could do. And, they were aware that they did not deserve His grace and mercy. They’re facing a life or death situation and they say that even if God allows them to burn in the fire, they will refuse to the very end to worship no one else but God. Man.

As the fire burns, the king does not see three men burning but three men and an angel in the furnace. Nothing was burned.

Daniel 3:27

…They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not burned, and there was no smell of fire on them.

The huge turn! This literally gets me smiling.
29. It goes from everyone practically against them to being protected and followed by the King of Babylon!

Daniel 4

King Nebuchadnezzar, I think relates a lot of us. Although he sees all these miracles and witnesses the power of what God can do first hand, he still turns to other earthly things. He turns to things lesser than God in his moments of worry. We praise God during those “moments” and then quickly go back to our idols.

Once again read through the dream and visions carefully!

The end of four is very great.

Here is the former king praising God. The leader of the Babylonian arm, one of the most powerful armies in the world during that time. Come on now! haha. If anyone else had the right  to be proud, it was him. But look at the last sentence of chapter four. (And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. )

Daniel 5- Like father like son

King Belshazzar (not like Belteshazaar which is Daniel’s name) is the son of Nebuchadnezzar. Just like his father, he turns to the magicians, the astrologers, and those that could not intrepret what God has told them. At this point, even those that did not believe in God acknowledges that Daniel was different; that he was special. What I like about this passage is that it’s because of a woman, the king’s wife, to tell him of Daniel. God uses anybody and everybody for His work. Holla! LOL

Now, the reward for reading the words on the wall were not some measly thing. Purple represents royalty along with gold. That stuff wasn’t cheap. Even now, the only gold I could afford is from the 25 cent ring dispensers.

Now for some Bible history, the King’s death was caused by two empires, the Medes and the Persians, combining forces and leading to the new king, King Darius.

Daniel 6- roaaaaarrrrr!

So the satraps were pretty much the governors over the , now taken over, land. And Daniel was one of their overseers. They hated Daniel and what happens is that they trick the king into issuing a decree that will get Daniel sent to a den of lions. They do this by using the king’s pride. He issues a decree that restricts what and who they can worship to just himself.

What does he do?

He goes home, opens a window towards Jerusalem and prays. Who does that?! Imagine what kind of situation he’s in. His first response to hearing such a terrible thing is prayer. He disregards the law! So many of us use prayer as a last option instead of a first.

There’s that one quote, “When the world brings you to your knees, it’s the perfect position to pray.” I use to always think about that, but freaking, when the world even approaches me, I should already be on my knees.

So, he opens a window towards Jerusalem. Why? He was a foreigner. A Jew amongst Gentiles. Jerusalem was his home town. It’s where he’s from. He’s trying as hard as he can to remember his identity and who he is; a servant of the Lord. He wanted to be seen by opening his window. Daniel was old around this time. This wasn’t anything new to pray.

Now, the satraps knew that he would be praying. That’s stating what kind of man Daniel is. King Darius had taken a liking to Daniel and did not want him killed, but he had to follow his word. What it meant to seal the rock wit his and the nobles rings was so that no one else could save Daniel. For anyone else, it meant sure death. The king worries and and does not eat at all because of Daniel. That’s how much he cared for Daniel.

Just to reference what David mentioned, look at what happens after in verse 24. The lions overpowered the people and crushed all their bones… before they reached the floor of the den.

And, the king goes to praise Daniel and God!

God was able to change the situation when no one else could. He is good, all the time.

IF YOU GUYS WANT TO JOIN THE GROUP, PLEASE DO! LET ME KNOW! :D

Sorry, it’s really wordy but I wanted to explain well. Actually, I’m just a verbose person. ahhh

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