INTRODUCTION TO DANIELIn 605 B.C., under King Jehoiakim's reign in Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon besieged Jerusalem. The young man Daniel and his three friends were among those taken into exile to Babylon. Chapters 1-6 tell the story of Daniel and his three friends who were protected by God and who testified to the sovereign rule of God. God can protect individuals, if he so chooses. God Most High is also sovereign over kingdoms and nations and he gives them to anyone he wishes (4:17; 5:21). By chapter 6, Daniel must've been an old man, at least in his eighties (539 B.C., 66 years after he came as an exile). Chapters 7-12 are a record of visions that Daniel had during the reigns of three kings: Belshazzar, Darius and Cyrus. These visions were about worldly kingdoms and God's eternal kingdom. In the midst of intrigue and wickedness, God's people are encouraged to be faithful. It is because the Ancient of Days will pronounce judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High God, and they will possess his kingdom (7:22). The book of Daniel encourages us to be faithful to God in a wicked, godless, unbelieving world which is full of idols and attitudes that defy God. Daniel and his three friends were ready to die for their faith in and love for God. It pleased God to rescue them from a fiery furnace and from lions. Their faith is a faithful witness to almighty God, so that even pagan kings stand amazed at the greatness of God. God is living and eternal, and his kingdom will never be destroyed (4:34; 6:26).
GOD'S BLESSING ON FAITHFUL EXILES
1. Enlisted exiles (1-7)
Daniel and his three friends were among the Jewish nobility taken to Babylon. They were chosen for their physical and mental qualities to be trained in a 3-year program to enter the king's service. They were given Babylonian names and had to study the Babylonian language and literature.
2. Daniel's resolve (8-16)
Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. He asked that he and his friends have a different diet. The chief official didn't agree. But the guard agreed to test them for 10 days with just water and vegetables. God blessed them.
3. God's blessing (17-21)
God blessed Daniel and his three friends not only physically but mentally as well. The king found them ten times wiser than all the king's advisers.
Application: Lord, may my life and decisions honor you.
One Word: Ten times better with God's blessing