Daniel

th1bill · Mar 5, 2014

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Dan 1:1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
Dan 1:2The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.
Dan 1:3Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,
Dan 1:4youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch ofwisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered himto teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
Jehoiakim has only reigned because he was paying a heavy tribute to Egypt because they had been conquered by Necho. Jehoiakim's brother, Jehoahaz was made king after the death of their father, Josiah, at Megiddo but Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt, leaving Judah without protection. So it is that the king of the Chaldeans has now taken Judah and looks for advisors that are wise and he begins to educate them in the ways of his kingdom. Of the men of Judah, he wants only the best young men to mold to fit into his empire.

Dan 1:5The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointedthat they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service.
Dan 1:6Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
Dan 1:7Then the commander of the officials assigned newnames to them; and to Daniel he assigned the nameBelteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego.
Nebuchadnezzar, being the king, knows enough to purchase the loyalty of his new staff and here we see a good example of his attempted bribery and to make sure of the tightest possible fit he even has their names changed to sound more like they belong. As we read we should notice that these four are not alone and I will venture a guess that they were a small minority of the youth concerned.

If we will meditate on the Word instead of just reading it we see that God has always held a remnant for Himself, just as He is doing here. When Elijah, just knew he was the only believer left god had it revealed to him that there were 7,000 others hidden away and cared for. There is a life application lesson here: If we are brave enough, not strong enough but brave enough, to stand against the overwhelming majority (in numbers only) God will care for, protect and make you victorious. These young men go forward to be victorious in ways they never could have looked forward to but they were to become victors and that because they trusted in their Saviour. Watch now;

Dan 1:8But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permissionfrom the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.
Dan 1:9Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,
Dan 1:10and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king."
Here, once more is a lesson we should be teaching our children and our youth, another life application. Daniel has trusted, completely, in his Saviour and approaches his Training Guard with a plan to remain pure and undefiled in the eyes of Father God. These four young men (teens?) are seeking to live as they know God wants them to live. Another lesson to take from this passage is the devotion of the guard to his boss, the king.

Dan 1:11But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
Dan 1:12"Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Dan 1:13"Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see."
Still trusting the Saviour, Daniel lays out a plan to test these four with and God has already moved the guard to test them and so it is that the plan goes forward. Here we see another affirmation that when we look around for what God has going on and we choose to join in, He will bless us beyond, possible, measure. Watch now as God begins to bless because these youth have chosen not to eat Ham and Cheese on Rye.

Dan 1:14So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.
Dan 1:15At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food.
Dan 1:16So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.
Dan 1:17As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch ofliterature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds ofvisions and dreams.
Dan 1:18Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar.
Dan 1:19The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service.
Noticeably, there is no mention of the level or the lack of service the majority were indentured to but of even more worthy note, these, that remained true, were drafted into the King's personal service. They were thought so well of that he kept them close to him. As we will see in this study, they had relationship with Nebuchadnezzar because they maintained their Worshipful Relationship with their Savior.

th1bill · Mar 5, 2014

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Dan 1:20 As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.
Remember now Moses and the Exodus' beginning, these primitive kings valued their magicians and conjurers very, very highly and yet these four youth who have disobeyed his directives but have, rather, remained faithful to their Saviour in Heaven are regarded to be more valuable than the best and most prized in all of his kingdom. When we look back at history (His Story) we see over and over that those loyal to God the Father, the Holy Spirit and to Jesus, the Saviour, are exulted. Not always in wealth but history has recorded men like King David, King Solomon, Billy Sunday and Billy Graham to be known as great men of God. Their rewards will all lay at the feet of their Saviour, Jesus one day in eternity.

Every one of us can reach for and we can obtain that Royal Honor... if we remain true and holy.

Dan 1:21 And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.
Daniel, it appears, remained in the Kings Service from the onset of his training period in 597bc until the first year of Cyrus the Great in 559bc. It looks like Daniel was the kings personal advisor for about thirty-eight years. He served under two kings of two empires. It should be noted that Babylon would have been located in Iraq and the ancient Persian people are found, today, in Iran and the two are, for the moment, not fighting but the war, also, is not over between them. They might be seen as united but that will be only because of their hate for Israel and thus, the United
States.

It is now, today, critical that we, God's People, keep our eyes on the World but our faith must remain in Jesus as our Saviour for only He can or will save us as the Day of the LORD approaches and soon will dawn.

Bluelion · Mar 5, 2014

Nebuchadnezzar took the Jews because God removed his hand of protection from Israel. The Jews were worshiping false Gods and calling evil Good and good evil. The people were not worshiping God so God left. That is the lesson to America. The people were removed from the land because They broke the 7th year, year long Sabbath. They broke that Law so much God removed all the people from the land. Their years in Babylon to their return add up perfectly to all the years they had broke the Sabbath. God set the once every seven year Sabbath in which they were not to work the land so the land could recover and still be fruit full, however, they did not listen and God took his years and gave the land rest.

Nebuchadnezzar was not interest in taking over land to occupy it. he saw Babylon as the greatest city in the world and he brought his captives there and assimilated them. This is what he did also with the Jewish people he was attempting to destroy there culture and because the people chased after false gods God let them be taken to land full of false gods, where worship the true God was hard to do.

Daniel name was changed because his very name makes reference to God, his Hebrew name was not even allowed to be spoken.

God put Daniel where he did so the Jews could one day return to the land. He allowed Ester to marry Him because there was a plot to wipe out the Jews by one of the kings advisory and he would have succeeded. In fact it was Gods will Ester a Jewish woman married the king, she set the adviser up and had him killed before he could kill all the Jews read Ester for the whole story.

God made Nebuchadnezzar lose his mind, until he repented and was saved I do believe he died fearing God.

Daniel served under two kings the second he convinced the king to allow the Jews to come back to the land. about 50,000 return to Israel, they were rebuilding the temple but had not built walls, I believe it was Daniel who talk the king in to letting him God and built the walls for the city.

Long story not so short God used Babylon to punish the Jews and then he punished Babylon after they would not repent. God placed everyone right where they were suppose to be to do His will, and God lead those who he chose back to the land and helped them.

It was all a divine act because the Jews turned away from God.

th1bill · Mar 5, 2014

All good points for this discussion Bluelion but you got, just a little loose, with Ester. You do not mean it to be taken that way but one must be careful and knowledgeable when reading your entry into the Ester comments. The young in the faith might think you mean she married Daniel.

That, very, minor thing aside, you enjoy the scriptures. I would die for more young men to love the Bible the way I do and it appears you do. I plan, the LORD willing, to post all my teaching notes from last year's classes. These are discussion starters and nothing more but it made for a series of very good and active lessons.

May God bless.

miamited · Mar 5, 2014

Hi Bill,

Of all the prophets of God, Daniel is my very most favorite. We aren't given much detail of the lives of the other prophets, but Daniel shows true god-seeking throughout his life.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

th1bill · Mar 5, 2014

Hi Ted,
My favorite prophet is Ezekiel and if I live long enough I'll do that study also. I love Chapters 37, 38 and 39. I have learned from the Messianic Christian, Joel Rosenberg, to know them as the Ezekiel Option. My take is that chap. 37 speaks of May 14, 1948. the rebirth os Israel and, if I recall properly, 38 is right now and 39 is about to happen.

I am in the final stage of chemical induced MS and it plays havoc with my brain functions so if I'm a little left or right of course you'll, please, forgive me?

th1bill · Mar 5, 2014

Dan 2:1Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him.

Dan 2:2Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.
Dan 2:3The king said to them, "I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream."
Dan 2:4Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: "O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation."
Nebuchadnezzar became the king of Babylon in 605ad and in that same year, he invades and captures Judah and it is important to remember that Daniel and his mates were enrolled in a Three Year College Course at the time of these events. Most teachers and Preachers, I've heard teach this, get the time line all confused on this. (Just today. Mar. 12, 2013, God must have slapped my head because I, now, see it.) Remember this for the first few chapters, it matters.
The King has been around the court long enough to have learned how the Court Jesters (conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans) pull off some of their tricks and he wants the true answer.

There is a Life Application here that Saved and Lost, alike, must learn, “You cannot trust Witches and Sooth Sayers. The King hit them up beside the head with one they did not see coming. Daniel has not been more than and perhaps, less than, a year in his training for the King's service and they cannot know of his God given ability yet. Now, Ole Neb has, no doubt, grown up with all the Urban and Country Legends of the “Great Fortune Tellers” of old and from the text it is clear he is a believer in such but he has also watched the Court Jesters entertain, also!

The Court Jesters just need to figure out how they are going to convince the King they are not what they are and escape certain death.
Dan 2:5The king replied to the Chaldeans, "The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap.
Dan 2:6"But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation."
Dan 2:7They answered a second time and said, "Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation."
These men are desperate! They do not know the One True God and have only the same powers available to any of us and I can tell you truthfully, had I never read the book of Daniel I should have no idea what the king had dreamed.

From this passage we should learn an important life lesson worthy of being taught to every member of the Human Race. There is a world full of knowledge that, as individuals, we might never know. If we consider this passage in conjunction with the story of the Tower of Babel it becomes, quite, clear about why God confused the tongues of everyone. When the World's population exchanged ideas freely there was not only nothing they could dream up, there also was nothing short of death to contain their efforts.

In this case, the King, obviously, thinks and believes he has, at the least, seen cases where dreams were known and explained by another. That places these, ordinary, human-beings between the proverbial rock and a hard spot. Nebuchadnezzar, left alone, is about to prove these men to be charlatans.
Dan 2:8The king replied, "I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that the command from me is firm,
Dan 2:9that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may know that you can declare to me its interpretation."
Dan 2:10The Chaldeans answered the king and said, "There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has everasked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean.
Dan 2:11"Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortalflesh."
Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar makes the truth obvious to them, leaving no wiggle room. These men have homes, full of children and their wives, perhaps, even more, and all of them, even the building, is in danger from the king and his wrath. They have as much as agreed with the king that they are not what they present themselves to be and Nebuchadnezzar is not a happy man.

Just like these men, when we build our castles on the shifting sand we are bound for disaster. i.e. When my wife and I bought our Mobile Home and land, we never meant to move it but the Sandy Loam it is seated on had different ideas. For about ten years I had to, periodically, jack parts of the frame up and shim it to remain there so we could open and cloise the front door. Eight years later, we are blessed by the LORDbecause it has remained stable as I have become crippled.

These shamen have not allowed for the need, in my case a jack and shims, and in their case, the need of God, the living God! As you shop, as you go to work or as you enter the Theater, look around you. Are you like these, unprepared to approach God with you every need? Or, are you another Daniel or maybe another poor farmer like the Powerful Dynomo, Elijah? Are you available for God to use?

th1bill · Mar 5, 2014

Dan 2:12Because of this the king became indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

Dan 2:13So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them.
Dan 2:14Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king's bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon;
Dan 2:15he said to Arioch, the king's commander, "For what reason is the decree from the king sourgent?" Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter.
Dan 2:16So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king.
Dan 2:17Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter,
Dan 2:18so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Whenwe begin to study the Word of God we must remember, always, to pray and to submit to the teaching and the leading of the Holy Spirit. As I began this read of Daniel 2 I was struck, a head slap, by the Holy Spirit with a truth I had never seen before, King Nebuchadnezzar had not been king for two years yet, maybe just over a years and I, like all human beings jumed to a conclusion. Before I reread this passage I had Daniel and cohorts safe from the decree because they had just began their courses in the King's College.

I am rebuked by folks calling themselves Christian, al the time, for what I have just done, put it into context and the context is the entire Bible from, “In the beginning...” through the very last “Amen” of the Revelation of Jesus, chapter 22. It is my view that all great and small heresies begin with jerking a scripture or a small group of scripture out of context.

Daniel leans from the executioner that he, his friends and all the Courts Jesters are going to die because the King's Advisors have been revealed to be fools. Daniel seeks to and is granted to appear before the Throne to be given time to get the answer for the King. When it is granted, David went straight to the Boys in the Hood and enlisted them in the Group Effort to pray for the Answer from the source, God.
Dan 2:19Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven;
Dan 2:20Daniel said, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him.
Dan 2:21"It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding.
Dan 2:22"It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him.
Dan 2:23"To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For You have given me wisdom and power; Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You, For You have made known to us the king's matter."
Notice, please, Daniel did not run straight to the king with the answer! Daniel fell on his face, in Thankful Worship to the Giver of everything! This, if you never learn another thing from the Book of Daniel, is one Life Application you cannot live a proper life without learning. Far to often (I am guilty also) we run off after God answers our prayer and forget Him.

A short Bill parable is due here for an example. The 30,000 lb over loaded driver is approacnhing an intersection at 93 mph and his brakes have failed and the drivers, all six cars, are parked there at the Red Light and the stream from both directions is unending. Right away he prays, “LORD, get me out f this with no death and I'll go anywhere you lead.” Just then the light goes green and he says, “Never mind LORD, I've got this one!”

That is one way we abuse God and shame on every one of us.
Dan 2:24Therefore, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and spoke to him as follows: "Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Take me into the king's presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king."
Dan 2:25Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king's presence and spoke to him as follows: "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!"
Dan 2:26The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?"
Dan 2:27Daniel answered before the king and said, "As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nordiviners are able to declare itto the king.
Dan 2:28"However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind whileon your bed.
Dan 2:29"As for you, O king, whileon your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.
Dan 2:30"But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than inany otherliving man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.
Right off the bat Daniel continues to worship his Saviour and in the presence of the man holding the power of life and death over him. Daniel is in the perfect position to glorify himself but instead pours out all the glory to his God... at the feet of the man thatr has taken his nation, captive, and believes inpagan gods. Daniel demonstrates a great deal of trust in God and would be considered brave by both believer and unbeliever. Forty or more times we are instructed to “fear not” by God in the scriptures and yet it seems to be the number one most difficult imperative from our God from God.

Just like Daniel, the day my career ended, after my wife had already been forcefully retired because of disability, I prayed. Was I worried... you bet cha I was, we had just figured what to cut back to get by and then the other shoe hit the floor putting all our plans to naught. We, first, determined not to cease giving of our tithes and of ourselves and although it took some time to see it, God was at work, already, and we never missed a meal because of our circumstances.

Daniel, my wife and I were taken to our Brook Kerith, just as Elijah was when he was sentenced to death by Jezebel. One thing I believe every Christian should undertake is a study of the men of the Bible, from it great lessons for life... our life are there to be learned and applied to ours.

th1bill · Mar 5, 2014

Dan 2:31"You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome.

Dan 2:32"The head of that statue was madeof fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze,
Dan 2:33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
Dan 2:34"You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.
Dan 2:35"Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
Dan 2:36"This wasthe dream; now we will tell its interpretation before the king.
Dan 2:37"You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory;
Dan 2:38and wherever the sons of men dwell, orthe beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given theminto your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold.
Dan 2:39"After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth.
Dan 2:40"Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces.
Dan 2:41"In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay.
Dan 2:42"Asthe toes of the feet werepartly of iron and partly of pottery, sosome of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle.
Dan 2:43"And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.
Dan 2:44"In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and thatkingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.
Dan 2:45"Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy."
I can just imagine King Nebuchadnezzar sitting there with his mouth slightly agape only because his hand keeps it from falling closer to the Throne Room floor. Because our Saviour, the Creator of all that is, has given Daniel the dream and it's interpretation, he has just recounted it to the king without a single flaw and then told the king he had been blessed by the God of the world with the knowledge of the future.
Dan 2:46Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense.
Dan 2:47The king answered Daniel and said, "Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery."
Dan 2:48Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.
Dan 2:49And Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel wasat the king's court.
There have always been rewards for, faithfully, following God and here we find a great example. These four young Jewish men have, by no measure finished their second year of their three years King's College and they are promoted, say, mid-term., to the very best and most important positions.

We need to look at this chapter and be inspired to do a Spiritual Inventory of our commitment to God. To begin, “How sold out to God are you?”

th1bill · Mar 6, 2014

Dan 3:1Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which wassixty cubits andits width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
Dan 3:2Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent wordto assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Dan 3:3Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Dan 3:4Then the herald loudly proclaimed: "To you the command is given, O peoples, nations and men of everylanguage,
Dan 3:5that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.
Dan 3:6"But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire."
Dan 3:7Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of everylanguage fell down andworshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Nebuchadnezzar has committed the ungodly sin that is common to this very day, he has set up a false god of his own invention. A cubit is the distance of about 18 inches or the distance from the Elbow to the Tip of the Extended Middle Finger. This make the statue about 9 foot wide and about 90 foot high by my calculation. Any follower of God will find their-selves in serious trouble.

The life application here is to be careful of what and whom you worship. When I purchased my first new car I did everything I could for that car. I kept the interior and the exterior clean and polished. I dressed the tire with Tire Black and replaced them long before they were worn out. I worshiped my car. It wasn't 90 foot tall and it wasn't layered with Gold but most of our gods, today, aren't.
Dan 3:8For this reason at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought charges against the Jews.
Dan 3:9They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: "O king, live forever!
Dan 3:10"You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to fall down and worship the golden image.
Dan 3:11"But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.
Dan 3:12"There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namelyShadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up."
Hatred of the Jewish People and of the true Christian Followers of God has always prevailed and today the nation known world wide as “The Christian Nation,” the US and the nation of Israel are scheduled for extinction. And here, we find the Chaldeans working a plan of hatred to remove three of the very men, responsible for the very air in their lungs and still they hated these, awful, Honest Jews. It is possible, because of their positions in Government, that they helped write this law and planed this from the beginning.

Now, this is really easy to apply to our lives but most do not wish to learn this lesson and are continually amazed when persecuted. This trouble will even come from folks calling themselves Christian. In one of my jobs as a driver I had the knife of a Baptist Sunday School Teacher in my back, over and over, for better than 9 years. I was not taken to relieve the company of supplies and according to him caused him to lose a good deal of money when we would co-drive a run.

He stabbed all he could with the lies and I prayed for him every day. In the end of it he took a stance that backed him into a corner and he was fired for it. But I'll give some strong advice here, never pray for God to bless your enemy because if the LORD tires of the lack of response, the coals of fire God pours over him will break your heart.

th1bill · Mar 6, 2014

Dan 3:13Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king.
Dan 3:14Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?
Dan 3:15"Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well.But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?"
This is the life application where we learn who the sheep and who the goats in the Church are. Just like these young Jewish men, if we live until the Rapture, we in the US will experience the same persecution of Christians found in China, all the Arab nations, India and many other nations of the world. If you are in the Church to be safe, forget it. When the Anti-Christ is revealed, just after or about the same time as the Rapture, we will have run through the mill, attempting to move us away from the One God and into Satan's Camp.
Dan 3:16Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.
Dan 3:17"If it be so,our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
Dan 3:18"But evenif He doesnot, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
There are many thoughts on why Nebuchadnezzar was so enraged but what I see is that the King is about to lose, in his thoughts, ¾ of the honest and wise men in his government. These young believers were fully aware f their Saviour and they were refusing to worship any other gods, not even the king's personal invention
Dan 3:19Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.
Dan 3:20He commanded certain valiant warriors who werein his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in order to cast theminto the furnace of blazing fire.
Dan 3:21Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their otherclothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.
Dan 3:22For this reason, because the king's command wasurgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.
Dan 3:23But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire stilltied up.
Dan 3:24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, "Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They replied to the king, "Certainly, O king."
Dan 3:25He said, "Look! I see four men loosed andwalking aboutin the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of thegods!"

th1bill · Mar 6, 2014

Now you can see why I think that Nebuchadnezzar was more mad at the idea of killing these men than at their violation of the law he had proclaimed. He heated the furnace so as to kill them fast and he, carefully, watched over them. He has lost, at least, three of his best fighters and now 5 men are walking around in the furnace. I see the Saviour, Jesus, walking with and rescuing them in and from the fire. And our life lesson here is to be very careful as we look upon and rationalize the working of God.

Nebuchadnezzar was almost correct and yet, as far as Heaven is from Hell, wrong. During a recent Hurricane two trees were felled at my house by the storm and yet, the one between my house and the shop, hit neither building. With about 18 foot between the two and a storage shed about 25 foot from the tree at the end of the clear space sits a new storage shed and neither building was struck by the tree, about seventy foot tall. The wind broke the tree in half and hung the top of the tree on a branch with the tip top of the tree about two foot from the ground. A miracle? I believe so!
Dan 3:26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire.
Dan 3:27The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king's high officials gathered around andsaw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire evencome upon them.
Dan 3:28Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.
Dan 3:29"Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way."
Dan 3:30Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.
Even Nebuchadnezzar must admit thaqt the God who had given Daniel the knowledge of his dream had protected Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego when even the King's most potent and powerful warriors had expired as they carried these men in to the fire. The most delicate part of man, his hair, had not been affected by the fire and they were untouched, except, maybe, for the bindings on their arms and legs.

Life lesson? There is nothing that can over power our Saviour and that being true, we must tie the Old Testament, the Bible Jesus taught from, directly to the New Testament. A few, not many, have had a problem with my view of the Testaments because as I read the scriptures I find Jesus, Paul and the others referencing the Old Testament making the New Testament a Life Application Commentary of the Bible the first Saints and Jesus taught from.

Once I had submitted my will to the will of God, as directed by the indwelling Holy Spirit I began to see this and my entire view of God began to expand and to grow in leaps and bounds. Not bad for a man with an Eighth Grade Education and a GED. If you will submit your life to the will of God you will not be just saved, you will be the Bride of Christ. (See Matt 22:1-14) I see no good reason to arrive in Heaven, just, to be a guest at the wedding feast.

The reference of the Matthew passage here requires more input, so, here it is. Jesus is speaking in this passage and teaches us that this parable is a Word Picture of Heaven. We know that anyone in the First Rapture is saved but what I see here is that not everyone thaqt is saved is a member of the Bride of Christ. Be well grounded here if you ever choose to teach this because you will be seen as stepping on the toes of many of those in attendance. It is a very common belief that anyone going to Heaven is a member of the Bride. I find this to be true because of the lack of Matt 22:1-14 not being taught and we must remember the, single, most important rule of understanding scripture, “No scripture, nor any group of scripture can ever be fully understood without the light of all other scripture.

th1bill · Mar 8, 2014

Dan 4:1Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth: "May your peace abound!

Dan 4:2"It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me.
Dan 4:3"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.
Dan 4:5"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.
Dan 4:6"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.
Dan 4:7"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.
Dan 4:8"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,
Dan 4:9'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.

King Nebuchadnezzar has heard Daniel tell him what he has seen in his, personal, dream. He has seen his Mighty Men consumed with the fire of the furnace while not even a hair was singed on Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. Not only this but as he peered into the fire, four persons were walking around in there. Nebuchadnezzar knows that there is a God of Israel that defies all other gods and that He is the Saviour of all Israel, he has been privileged to see the Son of God before He divested himself of His deity to be born of a woman.

From life's experience I know it is difficult to overcome old habits and here goes the king again, first, to the men he knows and has proven to be prone to lies. Only then, when the comfortable liars cannot comfort him, does he approach Daniel for the answer from the only True God.

I have noticed in my personal study that to understand Daniel's coming trial, it is reasonable and, noteworthy to remember these dreams and the resulting actions surrounding them. I spent eight years in the Army and one of the first indoctrinations I was fed is that, “Familiarity breeds contempt,” and in many a case that is true and life has taught me that the wise man is always looking for and preparing to deal with it. If you seek to lead men for Christ, the result is a military result because it is the LORD'sArmy we are serving in and you must be willing to risk familiarity to achieve the end. All the men and women in this Army are your brothers and sisters. And regardless of the perceived wisdom in the Familiarity Rule in the US Army, the men that lead and are followed the most closely are the ones that are known. As Christians we must pray for God to lead us to this balance.

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.
Dan 4:11'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.
Dan 4:12'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.
Dan 4:14'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.
Dan 4:15"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.
Dan 4:16"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.
Dan 4:17"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."

Before we go further I'm going to break a rule and place a Foot Note in the midst of everything here: If we, Christians, will be obedient (2 Tim 2:15 to study and to nourish the Holy Spirit's presence in us we will never be caught short when making a point about God. I have oft been assailed by others, calling on the name of the Christ with the untruth that the Bible does not teach the Triune God. From the day I was saved it has been my position that we serve one God, seen in three persons, the One True God, the Triune God.

Dan 4:17 is not a good verse to begin to establish your point because you must first begin in the beginning, Genesis 1 with let “us” create... and regardless of your chosen path, before you ever think of using Dan 4:17, I recommend Romans 3:10-23, otherwise you'll be hit with the angelic watchers as being the referenced. As followers of the Christ we must learn to use and to understand the Bible in one context. Now, I'll stop chasing rabbits.

th1bill · Mar 8, 2014

Dan 4:18'This is the dream which I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell meits 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!

There is a strong lesson to be learned here, think before putting your mouth in gear. King Nebuchadnezzar can see the alarmed expression on David's face and he is smart enough to realize that the news might not be a thing he will enjoy. Let me try to give you some beginning to understand what is happening to David.

The first time I took the pulpit I was in my early fifties and for three weeks I prepared my lesson. I rehearsed it until I'm sure I was blue in the face. That Sunday Morning, as I took the Pulpit, the Holy Spirit overcame me as I prayed and I knew the message I had studied, so intently, was not the message I would deliver that morning and I have tossed the notes and never did teach that sermon. God gave me, in that still small voice that I cannot explain, the address in the Bible and as I read the text the words came out of my mouth and continued straight into what God had for me to deliver that morning. God, speaking through me, preached to me as much as He did to everyone else in that assembly that morning.

Perhaps now, you will appreciate what was happening to Daniel. Like myself on that day, Daniel was frightened by what was happening. He also knew there were limits to what one tells the king because the king can cut your head off... right there and then.

Dan 4:20'The tree that you saw, which became large and grew strong, whose height reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth
Dan 4:21and 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--
Dan 4:22it 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.
Dan 4:23'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,"
Dan 4:24this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:
Dan 4:25that 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.

Think for a moment, much of this is written in the first person by Nebuchadnezzar and he keeps saying gods and still is not settled on the fact that there is only one God and it would be wise to melt the gold from the monster gold statue and make money out of it. And it is thought that the reference to periods of time is a reference to years and there is prophetic evidence that supports this thought.

Dan 4:26'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.
Dan 4:27'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.'

When Daniel finishes his (give me a little liberty here) Hell and Damnation message he ends with the Life Application to apply. Many, today, stand in the pulpit and they tickle the ears of their membership and though it is not an exclusive truth, they, thus, build super churches that are, in reality, not part of The Church. David set an example for every member of every Church Family to follow, just as Paul and the other eleven did. Just as men like Billy Sunday and Billy Graham did. We do not need to learn it, no, we need to believe, trust God and proclaim the Whole Truth of the Bible and when we do, it might not all go well with us but God will be there and it is not this world of temporary things tat we need to build for anyway. Like David we must learn to think, work and to live for the Eternal.

th1bill · Mar 8, 2014

Dan 4:28"All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king.
Dan 4:29"Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon.
Dan 4:30"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?'
Dan 4:31"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,
Dan 4:32and 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.'
Dan 4:33"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' feather sand 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.
Dan 4:35"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?'
Dan 4:36"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.
Dan 4:37"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."

Here again we see that King Nebuchadnezzar is writing this narrative to the glory of the one true God. Nebuchadnezzar did not become a Jewish Believer and he, certainly, was not a Christian, so, was he converted? There were no Christians and he was not a Jew. Was he saved at this point? This is a point worthy of a study I, myself, have not done yet but, God is the God of new beginnings and I wonder if I'll be able to ask Nebuchadnezzar what the grass tasted like.

The life application? I see this as proof positive that “all” can be saved and that Father God can use everyone of us to work His will. That does not make me a Calvinist and I do not follow the Armenian theology either because they both seem to me to just ignore the thought of the Scriptures being of one, continuous, context. I call myself a Biblicist, a term, I believe, coined by Brother Richard Clark of Mississippi fame and origin. If it's in the Bible, it is the Word of God and I believe it... all!

th1bill · Mar 10, 2014

1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink therefrom.
3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them.
4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. (ASV)

One of the big problems the lost world has with Christianity is the sovereignty of God and His ability to use them. This same issue is, though sometimes, invisible, is present in the membership of the church, today. Belshazzar did not give any credit to our Father even though he, being the son of Nebuchadnezzar and would have known of his Pops eating grass and sleeping on the dirt for seven seasons.

As a result of the customs of his people, peer pressure and personal preferences he is making a move to anger the God of all gods and everything else. Just like folks today, he is concentrating on what he can see, smell and touch. What is about to happen contains a life application that should scare every one of us more than the 50 caliber tracers that the NVA used to shoot my aircraft with.

5 In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6 Then the king’s countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

Now... now he's frightened! If the hand of God, or for that matter, any other hand suddenly appears out of nowhere and begins to scribble on my walls, I believe I, also, might be concerned. But we need to adjust ourselves when we read the scriptures and learn to apply the lessons there to our daily lives and these two verses, coupled with what's about to occur, is another dynamic life lesson.

7 The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

Status was everything, just as it is today among the Lost. Just like the wealthy of today, the king offers up a great reward for anyone that can read the “writing on the wall.” Note, please, he did not fall on his face before God, nor before the Idols of any of his gods. He went, first, to men of lessor stature than himself. When I was a teenager and I did not know how to deal with a thing, the first person I went to was my dad, the person, directly, above my ranking in this world. Today, I try to remember to call on my Heavenly Father before anyone or anything else.

8 Then came in all the king’s wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.

These men, like all men, are no better off or knowledgeable than the king. I suspect that the alphabet in Heaven is as different from ours as the writing of the Chinese is from the Europeans. We know the language of the holy Spirit is not the same as ours as many folks have a prayer language that is not normal speech (1 Cor. 14) and it is for this reason I say this about the writing on the wall.

9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.
10 Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.

We live in a world where we know nothing of Kingdom living but we need to get serious and to study these matters. The queen was nothing like our wives today. She came to the king, only, when and if he summoned her. She did not just barge in and we must learn to respect our LORD, not as the queen did the king, so much, but even more, to the point of reverence. Not so much in fear but more like the love and respect we had for our dads when we were five or six years old... pure love.

th1bill · Mar 10, 2014

11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say , thy father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 12 forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

The queen, like our mothers, has kept her eyes open to what goes on around us and remembering the tails of Daniel and Belshazzar's father, brings the name of Daniel in a manor that allows the king's pride to remain in place.

13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. The king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, who art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
14 I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in thee.
15 And now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing.
16 But I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations, and dissolve doubts; now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

Daniel is presented with an offer no young man could turn down, he can become number three in the line of rule in the kingdom. If a man does not walk with God, this is a very powerful temptation.

18 O thou king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty:
19 and because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down.
20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21 and he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts’, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the Most High God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and that he setteth up over it whomsoever he will.

Not like a normal man, at all, Daniel reminds Belshazzar of the harshness his dad endured when he exalted himself above God, that he might contrast the life lesson learned by his dad against the, absolute, foolishness Belshazzar has exercised this day. When we read our Bibles, all of it, we must learn to apply what we have read to our, daily lives. From our, earthy, moms and our dads we learned how to endure in this world where we live and if we ever hope to live with and under the Righteous Rule of our Heavenly Father, we must learn what He requires of us.

Today there are many Ear Ticklers teaching in the Church today. Men such as Mr. Hinn and Mr. Warren of Saddleback fame are very popular and their messages are very popular but is the core of their message and the principal of their lives based on the scriptures? Many, very, successful men, here, will not fare so well in Eternity. Belshazzar appeared to be doing very well but watch, closely, to what happens because of the path he chose.

th1bill · Mar 10, 2014

22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this,
23 but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine from them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.

God will never judge a person, male or female, without the knowing, exactly what they have done, good or bad. (Rev. 20:11-15) The Christian, the follower of Jesus will stand their judgment at the Bema Seat Judgment. Immediately, following the First Resurrection. (Rev. 22:12, 1 Cor. 15:10, Col. 1:29 and key verses Rom. 14:10-11, 1 Cor. 3:11-15, 2 Cor. 5:9_10, 1 John 2:28 and Rev. 3:11-12)

24 Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.
25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: [1] MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and brought it to an end;
27 TEKEL; thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28 [1] PERES; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

David then interprets what is meant by the words, written, on the wall and history has recorded that the words were true, that night. If we teach the message of Rick Warren, there are many paths to Heaven, or the message of Benny Hinn, give him enough money and you will have the desires of your life, here on Earth, I believe they will hear, “I never knew you” from Jesus.

29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain.
31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

Yes, Daniel received a great honorary position but it did not even exist past breakfast the next morning because there was a new government, just as he read in the Words from God. If we are to succeed in this live, on the Spiritual Level, we must learn to follow God in the manor that exalts Him and gives us Eternal Peace.

th1bill · Mar 14, 2014

Dan 6:1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom;
Dan 6:2 and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account unto them, and that the king should have no damage.
Dan 6:3 Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

It has, quickly, become customary to do what is necessary to get by and this attitude has steamed it's way into the Christian Church today. Today, as in the past, folks that work harder than they are required to to get by are despised and disliked. Daniel is a very good example of what a follower of the LORD should look like at work.

We must learn that there is not only one message, the message of Salvation, but there are also many life applications for the guidance of our passage here during our passage. Although many will debate God's concern for our moment to moment concerns, desires and actions, the Bible proves He cares.

Dan 6:4 Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault, forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

Is there a Christian alive today of whom no fault can be found? Are there any trying?

Dan 6:5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
Dan 6:6 Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
Dan 6:7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong interdict, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
Dan 6:8 Now, O king, establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
Dan 6:9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the interdict.

Daniel was such a person that when investigated no fault could be found in him and therefore it was required that a special circumstance be created to trap him. These men knew of Daniel's faith because he lived it, faithfully, can the same be said of ourselves? Do people see Christ when they see you?

Dan 6:10 And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Daniel knew the law had been signed and he would have, certainly, known the penalty was a night in the Lion's Den and yet he did not turn from his commitment to God. Daniel understood that loving, sometimes called fearing God, involved more than lip service.

Dan 6:11 Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.
Dan 6:12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's interdict: Hast thou not signed an interdict, that every man that shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
Dan 6:13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the interdict that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

With the trap set the Satraps spring it. The one thing I have, absolutely, found to be true is that if you will devote your heart to God, Satan will attack you and this is an excellent example of, just, that. Most lost people will tell you that they serve nobody but themselves and they, truly believe this because they have never examined their spiritual self.

Dan 6:14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to rescue him.

The king has found Daniel to be a true and a faithful servant and it is my conclusion that he, likely, realized that he and Daniel had been led into a trap that would require more power than he could muster, on his own.

Dan 6:15 Then these men assembled together unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no interdict nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
Dan 6:16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

Did the king believe these words he spoke? I believe this lesson, recorded for our use, in the future, was also meant to be a testimony to king Darius. From the text I cannot conclude any less than that the king wanted to believe that his words were true. Darius is a great illustration of the majority of the world today. He had sen a follower of God, had observed and found him true but had not made the commitment himself.

Dan 6:17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
Dan 6:18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep fled from him.

Daniel is placed into the den of hungry Lions and the door has the king's seal is administered and followed by the impressions of the Satraps that had accused him. While I'm sure the accusers spent the night, believing themselves victorious, King Darius, on the other hand was very troubled and I have to believe that he made intersession to God for Daniel's safety. And here, again, we find a life spplication lesson for the Christian and the Jewish believer.

Dan 6:19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
Dan 6:20 And when he came near unto the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?

Please note the worry and uncertainty in the king's remarks as he approaches the Lion's den. It seems, from the context of this chapter that he wants to believe but like most people in this world, he has seen the charlatans fall, time after time. He wants Daniel to be alive but he is unsure.

Dan 6:21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
Dan 6:22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

Much, I'm sure, to the kings delight and surprise, Daniel, with respect to the king's position, responds in the positive and delights the king. Contained here is a wonderful life lesson. If we are faithful in our pursuit of God, God will provide for us, even in the most troubling of times and circumstances.

Dan 6:23 Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God.
Dan 6:24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men that had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den.

It saddens me that we should even need this application lesson for teaching us life's lessons but the evidence shows us that we do. When we are faithful God provides for our needs, just as He did for Daniel but when we choose to follow the deceiver, we will be punished and our descendants will suffer also. Some will shout, unfair, but the truth of the matter is that as we live we teach. And what we teach our children... it matters.

Dan 6:25 Then king Darius wrote unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.
Dan 6:26 I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, And his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
Dan 6:27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
Dan 6:28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

So, was King Darius converted? I believe we will see him, those of us that believe, in Heaven. Darius appears to have read the testimony God provided for him and he believed. I wish that many of us, today, could understand what we see and process it truthfully.

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