Daniel was taken to Babylon in "the third year of Jehoiakim" (B.C. 604), and trained for the king’s service. He was divinely supported in his resolve to abstain from the "king’s meat" for fear of defilement. Dan. 1:8-16. At the close of his three-years discipline, Dan. 1:5, 18, Daniel had an opportunity of exercising his peculiar gift, Dan. 1:17, of interpreting. In consequence of his success he was made "ruler of the whole province of Babylon." Dan. 2:48. He afterwards interpreted the second dream of Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4:8-27, and the handwriting on the wall which disturbed the feast of Belshazzar. Dan. 5:10-28. At the accession of Darius he was made first of the "three presidents" of the empire, Dan. 6:2, and was delivered from the lions’ den, into which he had been cast for his faithfulness to the rites of his faith. Dan. 6:10-23. In the prophecies of Ezekiel, mention is made of Daniel as a pattern of righteousness, Ezek. 14:14, 20. The narrative in Dan. 1:8,9, implies that Daniel was conspicuously distinguished for purity and knowledge at a very early age.

In this passage, God spoke to the Israelites via Prophet Jeremiah and other prophets, what other ways do God speak to his children?.

Consider Jer 25:4; are there certain areas where the Lord has been speaking to you and you have refused to incline your ear to the voice of the Lord? If yes, Jer 25:7 says you’ve been provoking the Lord to anger.

i). How would you describe the character qualities of Daniel that are revealed in verses 8-13? ii). What would you say is Daniel’s strongest motive in this chapter?

iii). From what you see in this chapter, how do you think Daniel and his 3 friends would answer this question: what important challenges do you think you’re going to face in the near future and why?.

c). Nebuchadnezar’s 1st dream (Daniel 2)

Inability of the astrologers to know or understand the dream (2:1-3 & 2:10-13)

The dream revealed to Daniel (2:14-23)

Presentation of the dream’s revelation to Nebuchadnezar (2:26-30)

ii). From what you see in Daniel’s prayer in verses 19-23, what are the most important things he understands about God’s personality and character?.

i)What choices were made in this chapter by Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego?

ii). If the three young Hebrew men had decided to go ahead and worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, what excuses might they easily have given for that decision?.

iii). From what you see in verses 16-18, what was the most important truth these three men understood about God’s nature and character?.

iv). In this chapter, what instruction does the Lord give us about what faith in God really means?.

The character of Daniel and the 3 other Hebrew children brought glory to the name of the Lord. Even Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that "Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets ... (2:47). Daniel was given numerous gifts and was made ruler over the w.~bole province of Babylon. At Daniels’s request, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were assi~ned to also oversee the affairs of the province of Babylon.