The book of Daniel is one of the most important prophetic texts in the Bible. It sets out, more clearly than any other book, God's plan for the ages, thus giving us a road map which enables us to understand future worldwide developments. After the deaths of David and Solomon, the kingdom of Israel split into two parts and rapidly slipped into decline. A succession of godless kings led the people into idolatry and brought them down to humiliation and defeat at the hands of their enemies. By the year 721 BC, the northern ten tribes had disappeared, having been carried off into slavery by the kings of Assyria. The remaining two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) continued for another hundred years but eventually, due to their continued disregard of God's will, they came to a similar fate. Daniel, a young man of high birth, was carried off to Babylon and his book is a graphic account of his incredible experiences there". Exploring Daniel" examines every verse of Daniel's writing and seeks to explain the meaning and significance of the text. An understanding of the book of Daniel is essential to gaining insight into Bible prophecy in general.

EXPLORING DANIEL

A Devotional CommentaryBy Ashley Day

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2009 Ashley Day
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4490-6812-7

Contents

Chapter 1: The Captivity.................................................1Daniel and his friends are carried away..................................2Daniel and his friends stand for their faith.............................4God honors the four friends' faith.......................................6Chapter 2: Nebuchadnezzar's Dream........................................9God Answers Daniel's Prayer..............................................11Daniel's Relief and Gratitude............................................13Daniel Interprets the Dream..............................................14The Head of Gold.........................................................16The Breast of Silver.....................................................16The Loins of Bronze......................................................17The Legs of Iron.........................................................17The Feet of Iron and Clay................................................18Daniel is Promoted.......................................................21Chapter 3: Nebuchadnezzar's Image........................................23The Fiery Furnace........................................................26Nebuchadnezzar Praises God...............................................29Chapter 4: Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream.................................31Daniel Interprets the Dream..............................................34God's Discipline.........................................................36Nebuchadnezzar Restored..................................................37Chapter 5: Belshazzar's Feast............................................41The Writing on the Wall..................................................43Daniel Interprets the Writing............................................45The Fall of Babylon......................................................47Chapter 6: Daniel in the Lions' Den......................................51Intrigue against Daniel..................................................52Daniel's Faithfulness....................................................54The Lions' Den...........................................................56The King's Reaction......................................................58Chapter 7: Daniel's Vision...............................................61Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts.......................................61The Angel Interprets the Vision..........................................67Chapter 8: Daniel's Second Vision........................................71The Ram and the Goat.....................................................72The Little Horn..........................................................73Gabriel's Explanation....................................................76Chapter 9: The Seventy Weeks Prophecy....................................81Daniel's Prayer..........................................................82Gabriel Brings the Answer to Daniel's Prayer.............................85The Seventy Weeks of Daniel..............................................86Chapter 10: Daniel's Prayer Delayed......................................91Verses 8-9:..............................................................94Heavenly Conflict........................................................95Chapter 11: Conflict between the North and the South.....................99The Kings of the North and South.........................................100Daniel's 70th Week.......................................................108Chapter 12: The End Time.................................................115Conclusion...............................................................118

Chapter One

Verses 1-2:

"In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god."

Having already annexed Assyria, Nebuchadnezzar led his army southwards and was confronted by the Egyptian forces at Carchemish, on the banks of the river Euphrates. In the ensuing battle, the Egyptians suffered such a disastrous defeat that their control of both Syria and Palestine was broken. In one engagement, Nebuchadnezzar became the undisputed master of the whole region (BC 609).

Continuing his march southwards, Nebuchadnezzar soon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. The city held out for almost a year but eventually it fell. King Jehoiakim was bound with fetters in preparation for deportation to Babylon, but at the last minute Nebuchadnezzar received news that his father had died. This caused him to temporally restore Jehoiakim to the throne, while he himself headed back to Babylon, taking with him some of the gold and silver vessels from the temple as symbols of his victory. Also, before leaving Jerusalem he gave Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, instructions to select the brightest and best young men from among the royal line of Judah, or of noble blood, and carry them to Babylon. Among those selected were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

It is significant that in verse 2 we read that "The Lord gave Jehoiakim into his hand." Nebuchadnezzar was the human victor but God controlled the outcome of the whole campaign. Not only was this the fulfillment of the sentence pronounced by God, through Jeremiah, upon Jehoiakim, but also of the prophecy of Isaiah to King Hezekiah more than a century before.

In that passage, King Hezekiah received envoys from Babylon and showed them all his treasure. Isaiah sternly asked him who the men were and what he had shown them. The king replied that they were envoys from Babylon and that he had shown them everything he possessed, all his treasures. There was nothing he had not revealed to them. Isaiah replied:

"Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Behold the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the Lord. And they shall take your sons, who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the King of Babylon." (Isaiah 39:6-7).

Isaiah and Hezekiah lived more than one hundred years before Nebuchadnezzar invaded Israel and Jehoiakim was Hezekiah's great, great, great, grandson. God's decrees are fulfilled regardless of time.

"The land of Shinar", mentioned in verse 2, is a reference to Babylon and its surrounding provinces. Nebuchadnezzar removed the vessels from the temple in Jerusalem as tokens of his victory. He did not harm them but placed them in the temple of his own god (probably Ishtar), where they remained until they were returned by Cyrus in BC 536 (Ezra 1:7).

Daniel and his friends are carried away.

Verses 3-4:

"Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, 4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans."

Verse 6:

"Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah."

Daniel and his friends had not been a party to Jehoiakim's or Hezekiah's sin but they suffered as the result of those men's actions. Unfortunately, this is a general rule. In Numbers 14:18 we read that God said He would "visit the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation." In our natural state we are all born condemned, not due to our own sin but to the sin of our forefather, Adam. On an everyday basis we see children inheriting disease and other debilitating problems, not due to their own actions but to the life-style of their fathers.

However, the captivity of Judah was not entirely due to Hezekiah and Jehoiakim. With the exception of Josiah, the kings of Judah had all systematically rebelled against God and had ignored the warnings of the prophets. Now the judgment had finally fallen, and it had fallen hard. At the time it must have been a heart-breaking thing to see the cream of Judah's youth rounded up and carried off into slavery, yet in the economy of God great good was to come of it. Just as God used the unfair and inhumane treatment of Joseph to save a nation, so He used the captivity of Daniel to do the same.

Verse 7:

"To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego."

It was usual, in those days, to rename foreign captives. For instance, Pharaoh renamed Joseph and gave him an Egyptian name. The names usually had meanings. The Chaldean meaning of the names given to the four Jewish youths has been variously stated by different scholars. Due to the disagreement among them it is probably safer to simply note that the new names were all connected with Babylonian deities and were undoubtedly rejected by the young men themselves. The idea behind renaming captives was to draw them away from their old lives and to "Babylonize" them. This did not work, however, because giving people different names does not change their characters. So it was in this case.

The NIV translates "chief of the eunuchs" as "chief of his court officials". This may be an acceptable translation as far as the occupation of these individuals was concerned, but it does not reflect the true meaning of the word "eunuch". The Greek word means literally, "bed keeper" (one who has charge of beds and bed chambers) and the original Hebrew word clearly implied castration. As far back as the earliest records go it was the custom in the east to treat captives that way. Having been neutered, they were used as servants and often rose to places of high trust and authority. The word itself does not refer to position but to condition. Joseph was evidently an exception because he married and produced sons after his release from prison. Daniel may have been another exception, though there is no record of him ever marrying, which was unusual among healthy young men of that day.

The actual age of these four youths is unknown. Estimates range from 14 years to 20 years of age. All agree that they were quite young. They were evidently of above average intelligence, handsome in appearance and deeply spiritual. Nebuchadnezzar's aim was to school them and train them for three years in the language and wisdom of the Chaldeans (Babylonians), and then to bring them as wise men into his court.

Daniel and his friends stand for their faith

Back to verse 5:

"And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king."

Now verse 8:

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself."

While it was true that Daniel and his friends were suffering for the sins of others, that did not justify them sinning personally. No matter how unfair their present condition seemed to be, they were still responsible for their own behavior. These young men were devout Jews. As such, they lived under the Law of Moses, which laid down some very clear rules regarding what they should eat and what they should refuse. The Babylonians were under no such restrictions and their diet probably included items that were forbidden under the Jewish law. Rather than lower their standards, Daniel and his companions decided that they would not defile themselves by eating the Babylonian diet and requested the chief eunuch to excuse them.

"Defile" means "contaminate, dishonor, or violate". The youths, led by Daniel, felt that by submitting to something which God had forbidden their character and integrity would be violated. Their decision was between them and the Lord, not between the Lord and Nebuchadnezzar. It was not even between Nebuchadnezzar and them. If they did what they believed was wrong, they would dishonor themselves. It would not be the food and drink that defiled them but their own decision to accept it. Paul clarified that point in Romans 14:14 where he wrote:" I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who esteems anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean."

These four youths were in the minority. Other Jewish captives were in the palace being groomed for possible future favor in Nebuchadnezzar's court and we can assume that they did not object to the king's fare. They probably thought it was rather good. Apparently only Daniel and his three companions took a stand, which set them apart from the others. The rest disappeared from view and were not mentioned again. Had these youths lived in New Testament times, they would probably have stood upon 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, which says:

"Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

It was not a light thing to choose separation in Daniel's circumstances. Neither is it an easy decision today. Those who dare to separate themselves from the current of society often bring ridicule upon themselves, even from those who claim to be Christians. There are plenty of professing Christians who prefer to go along with the world's standards and who resent those who presume to challenge their lifestyle. Separation involves being in the minority and that is never an easy place to occupy. Yet, in this story (as in present-day life) God blessed those who were willing to stand up and be counted regardless of the cost. Daniel's request scared Melzar, who had been placed in charge of their training!

Verses 9-10:

"Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and good will of the chief of the eunuchs. 10 And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king."

Nebuchadnezzar was no ordinary man. He had the power of life and death, and exercised it freely. You don't disobey someone like that if you wish to stay around. Melzar hesitated to grant Daniel's request because it would be a direct violation of the king's command and might possibly cost him his head. But Daniel would not be dissuaded.

Verses 11-13:

"So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our countenances be examined before you, and the countenances of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants."

That seemed to be a fair compromise. Ten days would not be long enough to get Melzar into trouble but, according to Daniel, it would be sufficient to detect any decline in health and strength.

God honors the four friends' faith

Verses 14-15:

"So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their countenance appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies."

It was to the credit of Melzar that he took the risk and went along with Daniel's request. He was obviously a reasonable man and was willing to give the young men a chance to prove their case. God's hand was clearly controlling the matter but nevertheless many would not have risked their own welfare for the whims of foreign prisoners. Daniel's faith was not in the food, of course, but in the Lord. He believed that God would stand by those who trusted Him, and he was right. Nor was this a plug for a vegetarian diet. God had OK'd the use of meat. The diet was simply a symbol of Daniel's determination to do what he believed was right and God blessed him in that context.

If you or I were to go on a bean-and-water diet for ten days there is no guarantee that we would look fairer and fatter than anyone else at the end of it. It was not the beans but the blessing that Melzar saw, and the blessing continued in other forms as time progressed.

Verses 16-17:

"Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. 17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams."

Although Nebuchadnezzar imagined that he was preparing Daniel and his companions to take their place in his court, it was actually God who was doing the preparation. God had a purpose for Daniel. He intended to make him the mouthpiece through which He (God) would reveal the whole course of history to come. Without the book of Daniel it would be almost impossible to understand the prophetic Scriptures as a whole. Daniel is the key that unlocks the mystery of the ages.

God prepared Daniel, as He did Joseph, under very distressing circumstances, by giving him a skill that nobody else possessed, namely, the ability to interpret dreams. Just as Joseph rose to high office in Egypt by unlocking the dreams of Pharaoh, so God was preparing Daniel to do the same in Babylon.

Verses 18-21:

"Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in his entire realm. 21 Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus."

When the three-year training period came to an end it was time for a personal interview with the king himself. The young men were duly presented to Nebuchadnezzar, who found them to be superior in intellect and wisdom to any of the wise men currently ministering in his court. The reason for this is not difficult to find. Daniel and his companions were controlled by God. They operated on a spiritual wavelength, which neither Nebuchadnezzar nor his resident staff could attain or understand. The wisdom of Daniel and his companions was not merely a matter of learning. No doubt they had been good students but that fact alone would not have accounted for their obvious superiority. Their faith in God set them apart to such a marked degree that even the heathen king was impressed. Consequently, they were given a place of privilege in the royal court, where Daniel continued to serve for nearly 60 years.

Chapter Two

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

Verses 1-3:

"Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. 2 Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream."

The second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign was 603 BC, and since Daniel and his friends were deported in 606BC, the dream came very shortly after their training was completed. Obviously God sent the dream to Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel had been deliberately planted in his court to interpret it. This throws a completely different light on the deportation of the four young men. From a human point of view, it was sad that the youths should be torn from their homes and carried away to serve as slaves in a foreign land, but from God's viewpoint it was the fulfillment of a plan that would affect countless future generations and raise Daniel to the status of world-renowned prophet. Nothing happens by chance in God's economy.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from EXPLORING DANIELby Ashley Day Copyright © 2009 by Ashley Day. Excerpted by permission.
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