Daniel 1-3
Daniel 1
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
Nebuchadnezzar II was the Babylonian ruler from 605 BC to 562 BC. Jehoiakim was the king of Judah from 608-597 BC. So, you see, one of the first things Nebuchadnezzar decided to do, once he became the ruler, was to take over Judah.
2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
It's not that Nebuchadnezzar's army was the better one. It's that God wanted to teach Judah a lesson.
3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;
4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
Nebuchadnezzar demanded the best and brightest be delivered to him... not so that he could kill them, but to teach them. Isn't that the way it always is, one country takes over another, and they go about trying to make the people they capture better.
6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
We are all familiar with Daniel. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah's names aren't as familiar.
7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.
Except, that we know of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Oddly, I don't remember anyone referring to Daniel as Belteshazzar; but hardly anyone talks about Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
Daniel and his buddies went on a hunger strike avoiding the kings meat and wine, except it was more of a fast. The guy who was in charge of them was afraid they would waste away, and that Nebuchadnezzar would be mad at him. So, Melzar (their keeper) let them fast for 10 days to see what happened.
15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.
So, God took care of them for that time. Then they got pulse, which was probably beans or lentils.
17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
God took care of Daniel.
20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
Not just better, but ten times better.
Daniel 2
1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
This verse is very doubly, Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams.
Didn't another king once have a dream? Think back to
Genesis 41. Remember the situation that started that scenario, remember the result.
2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
The king wanted someone to interpret the dream.
5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
Except, the king forgot the dream. So, he not only wanted to know the interpretation of the dream, he wanted one of the people to tell him what the dream was. That would be some good magic there.
9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
Even David Blaine and Chris Angel couldn't do that kind of magic.
13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
So, instead of letting it go, the king ordered every wise man killed.
Daniel managed to get in to see the king to find out why he was about to be killed. The king told him why, and Daniel asked for a bit of time to figure it out. He went and talked to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednedgo; I mean Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
Not that Arioch was looking, he was just supposed to kill everyone.
31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
Apparently, it means that Nebuchadnezzar is a great king, and that there will be kingdoms after it that aren't as great.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Sounds more like a brass, iron, clay, silver, and gold golem, but if that's what it means, then who am I to argue.
48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
So, because he interpreted the dream, he was put in charge of the affairs of the area. Just like that guy in Genesis 41.
Daniel 3
1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Then the king said when you hear the noise, you are to bow towards the idol.
5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Surely you know this story.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; I mean, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah;didn't bow down.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
They said they wouldn't do it.
19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
So, the guys were bound and thrown into the furnace.
22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
So the guys who threw the boys into the furnace were consumed, but...
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
How does Nebuchadnezzar know what the Son of God looks like?
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
They were unhurt.
Nebuchadnezzar then passed a law that said that no one was to say anything bad about the boys' God.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
What were they promoted to? In chapter 2, they were already set over the affairs of the province of Babylon.
Where was Daniel during this whole thing? Did Daniel bow down? If Daniel sat in the king's gate, wouldn't he have had the kings ear to tell him to not do this thing?
So, what have we learned today?
1. Daniel and the boys like beans.
2. Daniel can not only interpret dreams, he can also tell you what you saw. When a Jew interprets a dream, he get promoted to the guy who is pretty much the king... but not really the king. He makes the decisions, but the king is the one who gets the glory.
3. Daniel sort of disappeared for a while. The guys get thrown into a fire. Jesus appears, and Nebuchadnezzar recognizes him. The boys are then promoted... again.
YIC
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