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NOTES
Daniel 1: The Introduction
Chapter 1 introduces the historical context of Daniel’s deportation
to Babylon following Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem in 605 BC. Daniel was
among the royal Jewish captives first extradited to Babylon.
Upon Daniel’s arrival, he and three companions were confronted with
a difficult choice between defiling themselves with the king’s appointed ration
of choice food and wine or risking their lives by abstaining from the food for
the sake of remaining undefiled in the sight of God. God rewards Daniel’s
righteous decision to abstain by granting him favor and compassion in the sight
of the commander of the officials. God also endows Daniel and his three
companions with exceptional knowledge, wisdom, and intelligence that results in
the honor of entering into the king’s personal service.
Daniel 2: Daniel’s Interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s First Dream
Chapter 2 explains God’s supernatural equipping of Daniel to reveal
Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream and its interpretation, demonstrating God’s
covenant attentiveness to His exiles. The dream reveals four successive Gentile
dominions preceding the establishment of God’s messianic kingdom that will
never be destroyed. After Daniel reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and its
interpretation, Daniel is promoted as ruler over Babylon and chief prefect over
all its wise men.
Daniel 3: Nebuchadnezzar’s
Command and the Courageous Response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego
Nebuchadnezzar erects a great image of gold, commanding peoples, nations and men of every language to fall down and worship the golden image when hearing musical instruments. The king’s decree includes the penalty of being immediately cast into a furnace of blazing fire for anyone refusing to worship the image.
Nebuchadnezzar erects a great image of gold, commanding peoples, nations and men of every language to fall down and worship the golden image when hearing musical instruments. The king’s decree includes the penalty of being immediately cast into a furnace of blazing fire for anyone refusing to worship the image.
After the Chaldeans report the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-nego to worship the image, Nebuchadnezzar gives urgent orders for them to
be cast into a furnace of blazing fire. The three men are tied up and cast into
the furnace. When Nebuchadnezzar and his high officials look into the furnace,
they are astounded to see four men walking unharmed in the midst of the fire.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego exit the fire unsinged. Nebuchadnezzar then
issues a decree forbidding an offensive word to be spoken against the God of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, whom the king causes to prosper.
Daniel 4: Daniel’s Interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream
Predicting the King’s Insanity
Chapter 4 provides Nebuchadnezzar’s narrative of his second dream
and Daniel’s interpretation of the dream as a prediction of the king’s
temporary insanity. The dream is of a great spreading tree that a messenger
from heaven commands to be cut down. Daniel interprets the tree as
Nebuchadnezzar himself, predicting that Nebuchadnezzar would dwell among the
beasts of the field for a seven-year period before finally ascribing glory to
God. Afterwards, his mental health and kingdom are restored.
STUDY QUESTIONS
1.
Who is Nebuchadnezzar addressing? What seems good to Nebuchadnezzar
to declare? By what name does Nebuchadnezzar call God? For what does the king
praise God? (4:1-3)
2.
Where was Nebuchadnezzar when he saw the dream? How does the dream
make him feel? (4:4-5)
3.
From whom does Nebuchadnezzar first seek an interpretation of the
dream? Who finally comes before the king to interpret the visions? How does
Nebuchadnezzar describe him? (4:6-9)
4.
(A) From whom do you first seek wisdom and understanding when faced
with a mystery?
5.
Describe what Nebuchadnezzar sees in the midst of the earth while
lying on his bed? What finds shade under it? What dwells in its branches? Who
does it feed? (4:10-12)
6.
What descends from heaven and shouts? What does he command
Nebuchadnezzar to do to the tree? To the stump? With what is he to be drenched?
With what is he to share? How will Nebuchadnezzar’s mind be changed? How long
will this condition last? (4:13-16)
7.
By whose decree is the sentence of Nebuchadnezzar? What is its
purpose? (4:17)
(PER) What do the following truths about God mean to
you?
· “The Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind”
(4:17)
· The Most High “bestows it on whom He wishes” (4:17)
· The Most High “sets over it the lowliest of men” (4:17)
8.
Why does Nebuchadnezzar believe that Daniel will be able to
interpret his dream? How
does Daniel react to his own thoughts? How does Daniel respond to Nebuchadnezzar’s comment that he
should not let the dream or its interpretation alarm him? (4:18-19)
9.
Briefly state Daniel’s interpretation of the following images in
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream:
The large tree: (4:20-22)
Beautiful foliage with abundant
fruit: (4:21-22)
Stump to be left with its roots in the ground (4:23-26)
Stump to be left with its roots in the ground (4:23-26)
“Let him be drenched with the dew of
heaven and let him share with the beasts of the field” (4:23-25)
What will Nebuchadnezzar recognize
when the seven periods of time have passed over him? (4:25-26)
10.
What does Daniel advise Nebuchadnezzar to do? Why? (4:27) What
happens to Nebuchadnezzar? (4:28)
11.
What does Nebuchadnezzar reflect and say twelve months after
Daniel’s warning? (4:29-30) What does a voice from heaven say while the word
was in the king’s mouth? (4:31)
(O) Why do you think it is considered a serious offense against God to take credit for personal prosperity?
(O) Why do you think it is considered a serious offense against God to take credit for personal prosperity?
12.
List the consequences of Nebuchadnezzar’s boast. (4:32-33)
13.
What does Nebuchadnezzar
do after his reason is returned to him at the end of that period? (4:34)
14.
(PER) What do the following truths about God mean to you?
“Praised and honored Him who lives forever” (4:34)
“Praised and honored Him who lives forever” (4:34)
“For his dominion is an everlasting
dominion” (4:34)
“His kingdom endures from generation to generation” (4:34)
“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing” (4:35)
“His kingdom endures from generation to generation” (4:34)
“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing” (4:35)
“He does according to His will in
the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth” (4:35)
“No one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (4:35)
“No one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (4:35)
15.
What is restored to Nebuchadnezzar at that time? What is added to him? (4:36)
16.
List three reasons why Nebuchadnezzar praises, exalts, and honors the King of heaven? (4:37)
17.
What do you learn about God in Daniel 4?
18.
How could you apply what you have learned about God this week?
Write
a prayer response to Daniel 4.
BIBLE TEXT: DANIEL 4 (NASB)
Dan. 4:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples,
nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth: “May
your peace abound! 2 “It has
seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me.
3 “How great are His signs
And
how mighty are His wonders!
His
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom
And
His dominion is from generation to generation.
Dan. 4:4 “ I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house
and flourishing in my palace. 5
“I saw a dream and it made me
fearful; and these fantasies as I lay on my bed and the visions
in my mind kept alarming me. 6 “So I gave orders to bring into my presence all the wise men of
Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7
“Then the magicians, the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners came in and I
related the dream to them, but they
could not make its interpretation
known to me. 8 “But finally Daniel came in before me, whose
name is Belteshazzar according to
the name of my god, and in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and I related the
dream to him, saying, 9
‘O Belteshazzar, chief of the
magicians, since I know that a
spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery baffles you, tell me the visions of my dream
which I have seen, along with its interpretation.
Dan. 4:10 ‘Now these were the visions
in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there
was a tree in the midst of
the earth and its height was
great.
11 ‘The tree grew large and became strong
And
its height reached to the sky,
And
it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
12 ‘Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant,
And
in it was food for all.
The
beasts of the field found shade under it,
And
the birds of the sky dwelt in its
branches,
And
all living creatures fed themselves from
it.
Dan. 4:13 ‘I was looking in the visions
in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, an angelic watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven.
14 ‘He shouted out and spoke as follows:
“
Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Strip
off its foliage and scatter its fruit;
Let
the beasts flee from under it
And
the birds from its branches.
15 “Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground,
But
with a band of iron and bronze around it
In
the new grass of the field;
And
let him be drenched with the dew of heaven,
And
let him share with the beasts in the
grass of the earth.
16 “Let his
mind be changed from that of a man
And
let a beast’s mind be given to him,
And
let seven periods of time pass over him.
17 “This sentence is by the decree of the angelic
watchers
And
the decision is a command of the holy ones,
In
order that the living may know
That
the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind,
And
bestows it on whom He wishes
And
sets over it the lowliest of
men.”
18 ‘This is the dream which I, King Nebuchadnezzar,
have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation, inasmuch
as none of the wise men of my
kingdom is able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for a
spirit of the holy gods is in
you.’
Dan. 4:19 “Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar,
was appalled for a while as his thoughts
alarmed him. The king responded and said, ‘Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm
you.’ Belteshazzar replied, ‘ My lord, if only the dream applied
to those who hate you and its interpretation to your adversaries! 20
‘The tree that you saw, which
became large and grew strong, whose height reached to the sky and was visible
to all the earth 21 and whose foliage was beautiful
and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the
beasts of the field dwelt and in whose branches the birds of the sky lodged — 22
it is you, O king; for you have
become great and grown strong, and your
majesty has become great and reached to the sky and your dominion to the end of the earth. 23
‘In that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from
heaven and saying, “ Chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the
stump with its roots in the ground, but
with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field,
and let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beasts of the field until seven
periods of time pass over him,” 24 this is the
interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: 25
that you be driven away from
mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be
given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and
seven periods of time will pass over
you, until you recognize that the Most
High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. 26
‘And in that it was commanded to leave
the stump with the roots of the tree,
your kingdom will be assured to you
after you recognize that it is Heaven
that rules. 27 ‘Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break
away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities
by showing mercy to the
poor, in case there may be a prolonging
of your prosperity.’
Dan. 4:28 “All this
happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. 29 “ Twelve
months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. 30
“The king reflected and said, ‘Is this
not Babylon the great, which I
myself have built as a royal residence
by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’ 31
“While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King
Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared:
sovereignty has been removed from you, 32 and you will be driven away from mankind, and
your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be
given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you
recognize that the Most High is
ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’ 33
“Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating
grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his
hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
Dan. 4:34 “But
at the end of that period, I,
Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever;
For
His dominion is an everlasting
dominion,
And
His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35 “ All the inhabitants of the
earth are accounted as nothing,
But
He does according to His will in
the host of heaven
And
among the inhabitants of earth;
And
no one can ward off His hand
Or
say to Him, ‘ What have You done?’
36 “At that time my reason
returned to me. And my majesty and splendor
were restored to me for the glory of my
kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was
reestablished in my sovereignty, and
surpassing greatness was added to
me. 37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the
King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
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