Daniel_6
Scripture Daniel 6:6-7
Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, live forever! All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who offers a prayer to any god or person besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. Observation-What does it say? Daniel, now in his eighties, is in service of a third Babylonian king, Darius. Nebuchadnezer has died, as was foretold by the interpretation of his own dream in chapter two, and the kingdom has moved through two subsequent reigns that were weaker than that of his. Throughout the reign of these different rulers, Daniel has maintained his commitment to God and held onto his Jewish heritage. Aware of his commitment to the Lord, Darius’ advisors devise a plan that should eliminate him forever. They lied to Darius, knowing Daniel’s faith, he was not consulted in this matter. Aware of the decree, Daniel did not waver in his commitment knowing there could be consequences. Understanding-What does it mean? I rode the bus to school during my elementary years. I have both fond and horrible memories of riding the bus. All the kids in school were mixed, so there were times when I had to sit across from the scary big kids. I remember being fairly young when my mom started letting us walk down to the bus stop without any supervision, which felt like a great adventure before every school day. Granted, it was only a half block down from our house.When we lined up for the bus home in the afternoon, we had to wait by the parking lot. Unbeknownst to me, the principal’s assigned spot was the one right by the bus line. One day, I was seated on the curb, near the tire of this car, playing with a stick, when some older kids approached. “I dare you to let some air out of that tire,” called out one of the boys. Not thinking anything of it, I put the stick on the valve and let out a short burst of air. Like a lightning bolt, the two boys ran off yelling, “He just let air out of that tire, he just let air out of that tire!!” They ran right to the principal. I knew then that I was set up. I was taken directly to the principal’s office and berated for my action and the possibility of causing a tragic car accident.When this happened, I was shocked that there are people who would treat me so unfairly without just cause. At the ripe old age of eight, my innocence was gone. Unlike Daniel, my action wasn’t done in commitment to what I knew was right, I was just being a dumb kid who probably should’ve known better. I imagine Daniel saw this coming from miles away. But, there is no mention in the text of him worrying about the consequences of his actions. His resolve was to honor his God above all else. Jesus warned us of similar behavior from the world. In the beatitudes, Jesus said, ““Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12). The gospel message, though it brings us into a relationship with God the father, is contrary to the “wisdom” of the world. Later in Matthew, Jesus tells us of the division he brings. “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set[a] a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39) In today's world, it is clear that the message is hated by the world, and we are going to see persecution because of this. Life Application Holy Spirit, help me to be strong and courageous like Daniel. When the world presses around me, don’t let me be crushed (2 Corinthians 4:7-12). Even when I feel like I may drown, I know you will keep my head above water (Isaiah 43:1-3). Even though I may be facing trial, I know you use these times to make me better (James 1:2-4)(oldie, but a goodie) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1cv1tzzgbk-Tyler Galloway
Daniel_5
Scripture - What stood out?Daniel 5
5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking. Observation - What does it say?This chapter in the book of Daniel centers around King Belshazzar, who ordered that the plundered goblets of the temple of God in Jerusalem be brought out so that he and his wives, concubines, and nobles could drink from them. All his wise men are summoned to interpret the writing on the wall, but it is only Daniel, a man of God, who is able to interpret them. Understanding - What does it mean?Fingers of a human hand “appeared” and wrote on the plaster of the wall. I am sorry but I love stuff like this. Presumably God’s response to his temple goblets being used so haphazardly by the king, God makes fingers appear...like what?? If you are into science fiction/fantasy you loved this section as much as I did. It immediately made me think about tongues of fire, talking donkey’s, giant whales, and luscious locks of power… 2 Timothy 3:16 states, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”. What do you think about when you read about these supernatural, logic defying happenings in the bible? As for myself these thoughts took me down a path that questioned my own level of faith and spirituality. Do we live in a time, in a culture where our ability to interact with the spiritual world is at an all time low? If so how can we get that back? Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?Lord I would like to be more in tune with the Holy Spirit. What can I do to be able to experience more of your supernatural abilities? Help me to move deeper into my faith with you, into deeper connection to you, so that I may experience more fully your amazing capability as the prophets of old and the apostles did. Show me the way Lord to living a life that not only sees the writing on the wall - show me how to understand it. In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen. -kenneth lee
Daniel_4
Scripture
Daniel 4:30
“As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’”
Observation-What does it say?
King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that frightens him. He has Daniel interpret the dream for him. Daniel is initially frightened upon hearing the king’s dream. He tells the king that the dream shows the king being driven away from human society, that he will be living in the fields with wild animals, he will be eating grass like a cow, and being drenched by the dew of heaven. Daniel tells the king this will happen to show him that God is the One who rules over all the kingdoms of the world and God chooses who to put in power. Daniel then advises the king to stop sinning and do what is right. Maybe this way the king would be able to still prosper. But, I don’t think the king listened because 12 months later, this dream came into fruition.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Pride comes before the fall.
“Pride is the first step toward destruction. Proud thoughts will lead you to defeat.” -Proverbs 16:18
We all heard that saying and we have all seen it come to fruition too. Whether it was King Nebuchadnezzar thinking it was his mighty power that built the great city of Babylon, or John Lennon saying The Beatles are more famous than Jesus Christ, or Muhammad Ali boasting that he is the greatest, or even the engineers who constructed the Titanic, claiming that their ship was unsinkable...we all know the outcome for each of their stories. Each person that I mentioned above, had a moment in their life where they became prideful. They forgot who was truly the One behind all their success. They forgot who was the One who blessed them with all their talents, drive, and determination. They forgot who was truly the Lord of the most high. And it was at that moment when they forgot and chose to believe it was from their own doing that got them their success, that (in a snap of a finger)!..it was taken away from them!
“In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”-Psalms 10:4
“This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches.”-Jeremiah 9:23
Life Application
Everything that I have is for God to keep and use for His glory.
Whether it’s my talents, time, and even my finances, it all belongs and comes from God. It’s a mindset that I like to have and pray that everyone can have. Because once you realize that, it helps put things into place. I am a servant of God. I was bought at a price. My life is not my own, but for His glory and honor.
Thank You Jesus for all You have given and done for me. Thank you for the abundance of blessings in my life. I’m truly humbled that You choose to partner with me, an imperfect man, to carry out Your mission. May I continue to be a good steward of all the many blessings You’ve given me to bring glory and honor to Your name. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
-Moses Gaddi