RETURN TO SYLLABUS

DANIEL 1
LESSON #03
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

• MEMORY VERSE: 1COR 10:31

• READ DAN 1:1-7 GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY IN A PERSONAL LIFE
• DANIEL'S DEPORTATION 606 BC (1)
• DANIEL WAS BETWEEN 12 AND 15 YEARS OLD.
• READ JER 46:2 AND JER 25:1 THESE SCRIPTURES PRESENT DIFFERENT DATES.
• 2 DIFFERENT CALENDAR SYSTEMS WERE USED. JEREMIAH USES THE JEWISH SYSTEM, SINCE HE IS WRITING FROM INSIDE THE PROMISED LAND. DANIEL USES THE BABYLONIAN SYSTEM OF DATING, SINCE HE WRITES OUTSIDE THE PROMISED LAND.
• PHARAOH NECO, KING OF EGYPT, HAD PLACED JEHOIAKIM ON THE THRONE OF JUDAH AS A PUPPET RULER. NEBUCAHDNEZZAR, KING OF BABYLON, INVADED JUDAH IN 606 BC TAKING CAPTIVE THE BEST OF THE PEOPLE INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY AND THOSE WHO WERE HIGHLY EDUCATED AND TRAINED. THAT INCLUDED DANIEL AND HIS 3 FRIENDS. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE 70-YEAR BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.
• NEBUCHADNEZZAR TOOK THE SHORT ROUTE ACROSS THE ARABIAN DESERT BACK TO BABYLON BECAUSE HIS FATHER, NABOPOLASSAR WAS DEAD. DANIEL AND THE OTHER CAPTIVES TOOK THE LONG ROUTE TO BABYLON. JEHOIAKIM REMAINED ON THE THRONE AGAIN AS A PUPPET RULER. NEBUCHADNEZZAR ALSO LEFT THE TEMPLE INTACT ALONG WITH SOME OF THE TEMPLE VESSELS SO THE JEWS COULD CONTINUE WORSHIP GOD, AND BE LESS LIKELY TO REBEL IN THE FUTURE. (2CHR 36:18)
• HOWEVER, JEHOIAKIM HAD NO INTENTION OF KEEPING HIS VOW OF LOYALTY TO A FOREIGN RULER. IN 604 BC, HE CUT IN PIECES JEREMIAH'S SCROLL OF PROPHECIES COUNSELLING SUBMISSION TO THE BABYLONIANS. AFTER 3 YEARS, JEHOIAKIM ATTEMPTED TO THROW OFF THE BABYLONIAN YOLK BUT WAS DEFEATED AND REPLACED. (2KIN 24:1-2)
• THEN NEBUCHADNEZZAR TOOK SOME OF THE TEMPLE VESSELS TO BABYLON. HE PUT THEM IN MARDUK'S TEMPLE, FOR HE WAS A POLYTHEIST. (THE MORE GOD’S, THE BETTER!)
• THE NAME OF THE LORD (2)
• THE NAME, ADONAI, IS USED INSTEAD OF JEHOVAH.
• THE NAME, ADONAI, MEANS "MASTER" AND DENOTES AN OWNER / SERVANT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAN AND GOD. THE INDICATION IS THAT GOD IS THE SUPREME MASTER WHO DESERVES OBEDIENCE
• IN VERSE 2 DANIEL IMMEDIATELY TELLS US WHO IS IN CONTROL OF THE WORLD SITUATION. IT IS GOD.
• THE CHALDEAN LANGUAGE (4)
• THIS WAS A LANGUAGE SIMILAR TO HEBREW, A SEMITIC DIALECT. IT WAS ALSO SIMILAR TO AKKADIAN, THE COMMERICAL LANGUAGE OF THE MIDDLE EAST.
• A FAVORED POSITION (6)
• THESE BOYS WERE MADE EUNUCHS. (3)
• DANIEL, HANANIAH, MISHAEL, AND AZARIAH WERE JEWISH BOYS. THEY WERE GIVEN A FAVORED POSITION ALONG WITH OTHER CHILDREN OF THE COURT. WHY?
• BECAUSE OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD. GOD PLACES PEOPLE WHO LOVE HIM IN POSITIONS WHERE HE CAN USE THEM.
• NAMES IN THE BIBLE:
• IT WAS CUSTOM TO CHANGE THE NAMES OF CAPTURED SLAVES TO BREAK THEIR SPIRIT AND THEIR TIE WITH THEIR OWN CULTURE, WITH THEIR HOMELAND, AND TO THEIR JEWISH GOD. (7-8)
• NAMES ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN THE BIBLE, ESPECIALLY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. IT IS BECAUSE THE NAMES TELL US ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF A PERSON, AND TO A GREAT EXTENT THEY ARE A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY.
• DANIEL (JEWISH NAME) = GOD'S PRINCE OR GOD IS MY JUDGE.
• BELTESHAZZAR (DANIEL’S BABYLONIAN NAME) = PRINCE OF BEL, THE WIFE OF MARDUK; PROTECT THE KING.
• HANANIAH (JEWISH NAME) = MERCY OF JEHOVAH.
• SHADRACH (BABYLONIAN NAME) = COMMAND OF AKU; I AM VERY FEARFUL OF GOD.
• MISHAEL (JEWISH NAME) = WHO IS WHAT GOD IS.
• MESHACH (BABYLONIAN NAME) = WHO IS WHAT AKU IS; I AM OF LITTLE ACCOUNT.
• AZAKIAH (JEWISH NAME) = JEHOVAH HELPS.
• ABEDNEGO (BABYLONIAN NAME) = SERVANT OF NEBO, THE SHINING ONE.
• READ DANIEL 1:8-16
• DANIEL'S CHARACTERISTICS:
• WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT DANIEL'S CHARACTER IN THIS CHAPTER?
• TOP PHYSICAL CONDITION (4)
• INTELLIGENT (4)
• WISE (4)
• EDUCATED (4)
• SELF-CONTROL (8)
• COURAGE (8)
• INTEGRITY (8)
• A PLEASING PERSONALITY (9)
• SPIRITUAL VISION (13)
• WHY WAS THEIR DIET SO IMPORTANT TO DANIEL THAT HE RISKED HIS LIFE TO PROPOSE A CHANGE?
• THE DECISIONS WE MAKE ARE CRUCIAL TO OUR CHRISTIAN WALK.
• READ ROM 12:2.
• OUR DEDICATION TO GODLY DECISIONS DETERMINES WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN WE ARE TODAY AND WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN WE WILL BE TOMORROW.
• PAGAN FOOD OFFERED TO IDOLS WAS SLAIN ACCORDING TO PAGAN RITUALS. (EXO 34:1)
• FOR JEWS TO EAT THIS FOOD WAS AN ABOMINATION TO GOD AND A VIOLATION OF THE MOSAIC LAW.
• READ DANIEL 1:17-21
• DANIEL'S PREPARATION
• WHAT DID GOD GIVE HIM AS A RESULT OF HIS FAITHFULNESS?
• GOD GAVE HIM AN INCREASE IN KNOWLEDGE, A SKILL IN LEARNING AND WISDOM, AND FAVOR WITH THOSE IN AUTHORITY OVER HIM. GOD ALSO GAVE HIM SUPERNATURAL UNDERSTANDING IN VISIONS AND DREAMS.
• WHAT PART DID DANIEL HAVE TO PLAY IN GAINING THIS KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL IN LEARNING AND WISDOM?
• HE HAD TO APPLY HIMSELF TO THE STUDIES AT HAND. NOTHING COMES EASY IN GOD’S KINGDOM. HE EXPECTS US TO APPLY OURSELVES.
• DANIEL WAS GIVEN POSITIONS OF SERVICE FROM HIS TEEN YEARS UNDER NEBUCHADNEZZAR IN 604 BC TO THE TIME OF CYRUS WHEN HE WAS IN HIS 90'S.
• BABYLONIAN RULERS:
• NEBUCHADNEZZAR 606 BC - 561 BC
• EVIL-MERODACH 561 BC - 559 BC (SON OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR)
• NERIGLISSAR 559 BC - 555 BC - USURPER
• LABASHI-MARDUK 555 BC (9 MONTHS)
• NABONIDUS 555 - 553 BC
• NABONIDUS AND BELSHAZZAR 553 - 538 BC = CO-REIGN
• MEDO-PERSIAN RULERS:
• DARIUS, THE MEDE 538 BC - 536 BC
• CYRUS, THE PERSIAN 536 – 529 BC
• CAMBYSES 529 BC – 521 BC
• DARIUS I (HYSTASPIS) 521 BC - 486 BC
• THE MAGICIANS AND ASTROLOGERS OF THE REALM:
• WE MUST REMEMBER THAT SORCERY WAS FORBIDDEN TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD.
• READ LEV 19:26,31; 20:6
• DEU 18:9-14
• ISA 8:19-20
• APPLICATION AND DISCUSSION FOR OUR LESSON:
• WHAT SHOULD BE THE CHRISTIAN’S ATTITUDE WHEN HE FINDS HIMSELF IN A PLACE WHERE HE DOES NOT WANT TO BE?
• READ PHI 1:12-13
• READ PHI 4:11

• HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN EXPERIENCE WHERE YOU STOOD FOR THE LORD AGAINST THE WORLD AND SAW GOD TURN IT INTO A MIRACLE?

• HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN EXPERIENCE WHERE YOU HAD TO TRUST GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY IN YOUR OWN PERSONAL LIFE?

• APPLICATION OF DANIEL 1
• WHAT ASPECTS OF YOUR CHARACTER DOES GOD WANT TO WORK ON AT THE PRESENT TIME? (IF YOU DON'T KNOW, PRAY AND ASK HIM)

• WHAT PART DOES GOD WANT YOU TO PLAY IN DEVELOPING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL IN LEARNING, AND WISDOM?

• PREPARATION FOR DANIEL 2
• READ DAN 2:1-49
• IF YOU HAVE A CONCORDANCE, OR A PARTIAL CONCORDANCE IN THE BACK OF YOUR BIBLE, OR REFERENCE NUMBERS IN THE MARGINS OF YOUR BIBLE, FIND AS MANY SCRIPTURE REFERENCES AS YOU CAN ABOUT CHRIST BEING THE ROCK OR STONE.

• MEMORY VERSE: 2COR 5:1