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#960
Nothing saps the Christian's vitality more than
the rubbish of unholy alliances, unwholesome
amusement, ungodly practices and suchlike. True
separation from these will make our lives "vessels
unto honor, sanctified and meet for the Master's
use."
Daniel 1
Today we start a new and entirely different book
- Daniel. Its setting is in "the times of
the Gentiles". Luke 21:24. That covers many
years. We're in it today. It started at about B.C.
607 or 2,600 years ago and will continue until
the Lord appears. It all took place after the ten
tribes of Israel had been taken captive by
Assyria (and have never been heard of since then);
the remaining two tribes, Judah and Benjamin were
taken captive to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.
Judah was the Royal tribe; and the kings were
taken too. Our chapter tells of Daniel, one of
the Royal family. These four young men would have
been around 17 years old.
Dan 1:3-4 The king decides to use these Hebrew
captives to train, with a group of his own, with
the best education. Verse 4 gives a list of 6
requirements which they had to possess. What an
opportunity for these young fellows.
Dan 1:5 The king plans what they should eat...
the best... the king's own menu, and, no doubt,
the best wines available.
Dan 1:7 In order to help make these Hebrew
captives forget their own background, all are
given foreign names.
Dan 1:8 But Daniel had a secret in his heart...
he belonged to GOD. He would not eat the meat
that probably had been offered to idols. He would
not defile himself.
Dan 1:10-14 The official is afraid to change the
king's plans; he would lose his life if he did.
Daniel says a remarkable thing; it wouldn't have
been fair to put the responsibility on the man
who would be serving the food. Daniel suggests
that the man also bring him some cereals, and see
how things went for ten days. Very wise
suggestion.
Dan 1:15-16 The four young fellows have rosier
cheeks and are fatter than all the others.
Dan 1:17 The secret is told - God honoured those
who honoured Him!
Dan 1:19 Not only were they physically superior
but in intelligence, they were ten times smarter!
Dan 1:21 This verse tells a lot without saying it...
Nebuchadnezzar, the king had passed into history.
His successor, King Belshazzar was killed by
another Empire, the Medo-Persian. But the first
three words of our verse tell us what the Apostle
Paul said to Timothy in 2 Tim. 3:14. Take good
notice of it.
#961
True Christianity alone answers the sin problem.
Daniel 2:1-30
Dan 2:1-13 King Nebuchadnezzar apparently had
this dream some time earlier and has now
forgotten it. All the wise men of his vast empire
can't tell the meaning of his dream. But his mind
is greatly troubled and he can't sleep. He is so
agitated that he orders all the wise men (probably
all those of chapter 1) to be killed, Daniel
included.
Dan 2:14-16 Daniel goes to the king and asks for
time, and promises the interpretation. What does
he do? The next two verses tell the answer.
Dan 2:19-23 What does Daniel do as soon as God
tells him the dream and the meaning of it? Read
it.
Dan 2:26 Daniel meets the king face to face. The
king asks him if he is able to tell the mystery.
Dan 2:27-30 Who gets the credit for revealing the
secret?
#962
True Christianity is unique because it teaches
salvation is by faith rather than by works.
Daniel 2: 31-49
Dan 2:31-45 Here we have the greatest foretelling
of future political events that the world has
ever known. The dream was of a high statue of
brilliant and awesome appearance. There were four
different materials, pure gold head, silver chest
and arms, bronze belly and thighs, iron legs, its
feet part iron and part clay. While he was
watching it, a stone struck the great image in
the feet and broke them, then, bit by bit, the
whole image was smashed to pieces. Then the stone
grew larger and larger till it filled the whole
earth. Daniel next told the king its meaning.
Four Empires would arise in the world, one
following the other. The last would disappear and
then arise again and be totally destroyed. All
this is very important to us because, though this
was written about 2,600 years ago, it is telling
of events that are taking place in Europe today,
the restoration of the Roman Empire.
Dan 2:44-45 The stone is explained. It is a type
of the Lord Jesus who shall appear and completely
destroy the revived Roman Empire (Rev. 19:13-16).
Dan 2:46-49 King Nebuchadnezzar pours honors on
Daniel (but soon forgets him).
#963
We may desire to bring to the Lord a perfect work.
We would like to point, when our work is done, to
the beautiful ripened grain, and bound-up sheaves,
and yet the Lord frustrates our plans, shatters
our purposes, lets us see the wreck of all our
hopes, breaks the beautiful structure we thought
we were building and catches us up in His arms
and whispers to us, "It's not your work I
wanted, but you". (2 Corinthians 8:5)
Daniel 3
Dan 3:1,6 This mighty and proud king has set up
an image and ordered everyone to bow down to it.
If anyone refused, they would be thrown into a
furnace. What would you have done?
Dan 3:12 The three faithful friends of Daniel
will not bow.
Dan 3:17-18 What an answer to the king's command!
They knew the Lord could deliver them from the
furnace, but they didn't know whether He would or
not. Then they say that if He doesn't, He would
deliver them out of the king's hand some other
way! How wonderful! We may be laughed at, or we
may not get very far ahead in our job, but it is
worth it all to be true to the Lord.
Dan 3:23-27 What God does for them! He will not
leave you, even though you too may find yourself
in a position of real suffering for His sake.
#964
Were not for sin, death would have no beginning.
Were not for death, sin would have no ending.
Daniel 4
This chapter is very serious for us all, because
it shows that God is mighty and involves Himself
in the affairs of men and hears everything we say.
False worship is followed by kingly pride.
Dan 4:1-3 This same king has not learned anything,
in spite of all the things told of in the
previous 3 chapters. Notice how full of himself
he is.
Dan 4:3-18 He has had another dream, obviously
sent by God. He is told that he himself was the
great tree to be cut down. Daniel tells him to
turn from his wicked sins and reform his ways,
for perhaps the punishment might be put off. Does
he pay any attention? We'll see later.
Dan 4:19-27 Daniel tells him what the dream meant.
He had plenty of warning, but he is too proud to
pay attention.
Dan 4:28-37 God gives him a whole year to repent!
(Merciful God). But no. So his mind leaves him
and he becomes like an animal for seven years.
Each one of us has to do with God, and we should
be more serious about life. God mercifully brings
the king back and he gives praise to God. We hear
no more of him.
#965
The storm that blows reveals the strength of the
roots. (Colossians 2:7)
Daniel 5
About 25 years go by... Nebuchadnezzar is gone...
his grandson, Belshazzar, is king.
Dan 5:1-4 Belshazzar has reverted to his gods and
makes a great banquet to them, using the holy
cups stolen out of God's temple at Jerusalem, by
Nebuchadnezzar.
Dan 5:5-9 In the middle of the drunken party,
suddenly something happens which frightens
everyone, including the king.
Dan 5:10-12 The queen enters and tells the king
that there is a man able to tell the meaning of
the words written on the wall.
Dan 5:13-16 Daniel is brought in. (How soon they
had forgotten about him!) Great rewards are
promised him.
Dan 5:17-29 Daniel starts to talk. He has to tell
the story of Nebuchadnezzar as if no one had even
heard of it! (Just like people today, not
listening). Daniel tells that the end of the
first great world empire, Babylon, has come.
Dan 5:30-31 The judgment falls! The king is
killed, the Empire gone.
#966
The testimony against evil should be in our own
walk and ways.
Daniel 6
A new Empire has been formed, the Medo-Persian
with Darius as head, but Cyrus as king (1:21).
Dan 6:1-9 Daniel receives a high position, which
causes jealously among the native leaders. They
can only find fault with him in "the law of
his God" - verse 5. So they ask the king to
sign a law which would forbid anyone to pray to
anyone except Darius for 30 days. If anyone did,
he was to be thrown into a lion's den.
Dan 6:10-17 When Daniel knew that the law was
signed, this is what he immediately did. These
men find him in the act, and figuring that they
have won a victory, report it to Darius. The laws
of this Empire could never be changed (V. 15).
Darius is very upset because he respects Daniel,
but cannot do anything. Daniel is cast into the
lion's den.
Dan 6:16 Darius had respect for Daniel and
confidence in God. Read verse 4 again.
Dan 6:18-20 The king's feelings, could he sleep?
Did he sleep in that morning? Notice the wording
of his question to Daniel.
Dan 6:21-22 Daniel answers with confidence toward
God and toward the king.
Dan 6:23 What about his wounds?
Dan 6:24-25 Awful retribution (the first section
of the book ends here).
#967
Fellowship in the heart with Christ keeps the
sense of our standing in Christ steady and is the
saving power practically in our walk.
Daniel 7
The last section of the book begins. Now we will
read of the visions that Daniel has and the
revelations he receives from God. Chapters 7 and
8 actually took place before chapter 6. In
chapter 2 we read of the 4 world empires, here we
read of the same four, this time as 4 different
beasts.
Dan 7:1-8 In chapter 2 we saw the 4 empires as
man sees them, as a huge monument to his pride.
Here we see these empires as God sees them, as
beasts...dreadful. The first represents the
Babylonian empire, as a lion. The second empire
as a bear, the Medo-Persian. The third, as a
leopard, the Grecian. The fourth, which was like
no living animal, the Roman empire. It had 10
horns (10 kings - V. 24).
Dan 7:9-10 Somewhat a description of what is
written in Revelation 19:11-17 and refers to when
the Roman Empire is restored, but finally utterly
destroyed by the Lord Jesus at His appearing .
You may remember reading in chapter 2:44,45 of
the stone. We're close to it now, because the 10
kingdoms of Europe are being formed before our
eyes into the revived Roman Empire.
Dan 7:11 Refers to this revived Roman Empire (Rev.
19:20.)Doesn't this stir you into realizing that
the Lord is coming any day?
Dan 7:13-14 The Lord's appearing. Not the rapture.
Dan 7:17-22 The people who believe this "gospel
of the kingdom", to be preached after we are
gone to glory.
Dan 7:23-28 The dreadful days ahead. But when the
Lord appears, all these unsaved people shall be
cast into hell. Then the Lord Jesus begins His
reign over the earth for 1,000 years, the
Millennium.
#968
Be not afraid of consequences. If we do right,
God will take care of them.
Daniel 8
The 2nd and 3rd of the four empires are again
told of here in verses 3 and 4 (the second empire)
and verse 5(the third - the Grecian empire).
Dan 8:8 is after "Alexander the great"
dies (aged 32) the Grecian, his empire is divided
among 4 of his generals.
Dan 8:9-12 A man called Antiochus Epiphenes is
the "little horn". (He lived during the
silent years between the Old and the new
Testament).
Dan 8:17,19 Refers to the future.
Dan 8:23-25 Also are future. The Prince of
Princes is the Lord Jesus.
#969
Nothing so injuries the soul as controversy.
Daniel 9
Dan 9:5-10 God's people had sinned, and because
of this they had been carried into captivity, and
Daniel among them. But from what we have read
already, Daniel was a faithful, praying young man.
Notice his confession. He does not point the
finger at others, but says over and over, that WE
have sinned. Let us remember this.
Dan 9:15-18 The tribes of Judah and Benjamin were
in captivity in Babylon because they had sinned.
Their city, Jerusalem and God's temple in it,
were in ruins. This is what saddened Daniel.
Dan 9:20 The Lord hears a prayer like that!
Dan 9:23-27 These remarkable verses tell in great
detail, the coming of the Lord Jesus, His being
cut off, and the future sorrow and suffering of
His people.
Dan 9:25 "Messiah the Prince"; but in
the next verse the "prince" is the
Beast.
#970
All we need to expect is to be kept faithful to
the end. If we are seeking to make a noise in the
world, or raise a testimony, we shall be
disappointed, but if we are content to walk
humbly with our God, we shall have reason to
rejoice and our labor shall not be in vain. (C.H.M.)
Daniel 10
Dan 10:2 The vision that Daniel saw told of
future suffering for his people, the Jews, and he
mourned for 3 weeks. It is good for us to feel
very deeply the sorrow that lies ahead for any
who reject the Lord Jesus. Twice Daniel is called
"a man greatly beloved".
Dan 10:21 Michael was the angel of the people of
Israel.
#971
If our walk dos not agree with our words, we
should say very little.
Daniel 11
The first 34 verses of this chapter are now
history. At the time they were written, it was
all future!
Dan 11:36-37 You have heard the word "Antichrist".
This is the person described in these verses. He
will be a Jew, a king in Israel. He will deceive
millions (after we believers are gone to glory).
Dan 11:40-45 Two other powerful men shall appear
(after we are gone), but both shall be destroyed
by the Lord when He comes in glory (Rev. 19:11-21).
#972
We accomplish much more by what we are than by
what we say.
Daniel 12
Dan 12:1 Michael is here called "the great
prince"; (See also Rev. 12:7).
Dan 12:4 Daniel is told to seal the book, because
it would be many years before these things would
be fulfilled. The time is near when these
purposes of God will be fulfilled. Do we realize
that we are living just before these prophecies
shall be completed?
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