Daniel Chapter 1 - 6 Lessons

Please have time to read the chapters below. I've just made a rough summary of the chapters.

Daniel 1:

God has chosen Daniel, and the other three to serve in the palace. God gave them wisdom, skills and learning. This palace is not a godly place. Daniel chose not to defile himself with the food there. And with that, he became even better than all the others and was given favour.

Lesson:  God puts us in places of uncertainty or ungodly, not to be defiled by it, but so that through it we can practice our faith and eventually use it in His glory. God has the ability to protect us and give us favour wherever we are. We ought not to eat, accept or practice anything that defiles the name of the Lord.

Daniel 2:

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream he wants to be interpreted. So he called the wise men to interpret it. But the first people that he called could not give him what he wants. For he wanted them to tell his dream before they interpret it. With that he got angry and command to kill all the wise men in the place that were unable to tell his dream. But Daniel having heard the news prayed to God. Then God revealed to him Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Daniel, after the revelation with rejoicing has the confidence to come before Nebuchadnezzar to tell the dream and interpret it. After saying and interpreting the dream precisely, with awe, Nebuchadnezzar promoted him and his three friends immediately.

Lesson: Our bosses at work will command us things that are sometimes impossible or even can hurt us for any reason. With that scenario, always seek God. And God will answer us to solve the problem that seems impossible to solve. When God commands us we have to obey him and have the confidence to say His message to the people. This message will amaze men and glorify God. It will also give you favour to the people just like Nebuchadnezzar’s promotion to David.

Daniel 3

Nebuchadnezzar made a god out of gold. He commanded everyone to bow down to it once they hear the sound of a trumpet. He told them that anyone who would not bow down will be thrown in the blazing furnace. But a report came to him that Shadrac, Meshac and Abednego did not bow down. Nebuchadnezzar called the three and question them about their reasons. But the three has decided not to bow down in the gold god even if they’ll be thrown in the blazing furnace. Consequently Nebuchadnezzar out of anger, commanded that these three be thrown in the burning furnace with an increase amount of fire.  But he was astonished to see four men in the furnace. They are there walking untied. He realized that they were with the son of God. So he commanded them to get out.

After the event, Nebuchadnezzar praise GOD and even commanded everyone to respect God. He also promoted the three after the incident.

Lesson: Our bosses, leaders, or anyone in authority with us may have their own beliefs. They can invite us to believe in their god and thus compromise our faith. This may also include our media, internet and television. But let us not give in to them. Let’s be firm about our faith no matter what is the cost. Let us not bow down to other gods even if it will give us comfort. Let’s not explain ourselves to others with our mouth alone but explain with our actions, giving God the glory. If we faithfully obey God, the unbelieving people around us that was once persecuting us will believe God and praise Him. And we too will get a promotion from God and be blessed if we remain in Him.

Daniel 4:

Nebuchadnezzar once again had a dream. He dreamt of a huge tree that was cut down. He summoned Daniel and asked him to interpret it. Daniel told that the tree was him. His splendour will be cut down and that he will be made low because of his pride. He will be like this for seven years until he realized to go back and acknowledge God. The vision was fulfilled. He was made low for seven years. He humbled himself to God and was restored.

Lesson: God who has brought us high can bring us low. He has the ability to take anything away from us. There’s a tendency for us to believe that we have made all of the achievements out of our hands out of pride. But in fact it’s God’s grace. Let’s not fail to acknowledge Him in every blessing that we receive. Let's humble ourselves to God.

Daniel 5:

Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s son replaced him as king. But Belshazzar defiled God. He served other gods. Then God send a hand to write something on the wall while they are celebrating. He was scared to death seeing the finger moving by itself. He called magicians to give an interpretation or read the written texts, but they can’t. Someone then informed him that Daniel is a great man who can read such. The king asked Daniel to read the text and promised him that if he did, he will have a reward. Daniel did not care about the reward but still interpreted it. The written text said that God has number the days of Belshazzar's reign and brought it to an end. That God has weighed his heart and found out that he is not satisfied with the riches; and that his kingdom is divided and given to Medes and Persians.

Lesson: God is just. He will weigh us according to our deeds. He can end any position, power, fame or wealth that we have right now in an instant. That’s why we have to be thankful in what we have now and be contented with what we receive. Let us learn to give and love with contentment in our hearts. Let’s also be like Daniel who do not desire wealth and power and position even if he was offered with such. It only shows that He is contented with what he has.

Daniel 6:

Darius is reigning during that time. He appointed different positions. Daniel was being envied by others in the position that’s why they are looking for ways to accuse him. But they can’t find any faults in him. However they have planned to trap him in his relationship to God. They tell the king to make a decree that people should not pray to any god except in him for thirty days. And anyone who violates will be sent to the lion’s den. The envious people discovered that Daniel is praying to God three times a day. They immediately report it to the king. The king then has no choice but to throw Daniel in the Lion’s den, yet he believed that Daniel’s God will save him there. Daniel was thrown. The king was anxious for him. But after a while, they checked Daniel inside and found out that he’s fine. The king Darius praised God for what had happened. God has shut the mouth of the lions and did not hurt him.

Lesson: We have to be faithful in everything we do. For there will come a time that people will find faults in us out of their selfish schemes. Daniel showed his faithfulness even to his prayer time. Even if it was not allowed to pray to God, he still choose to do so even if it will cost his life. Eventually he was accused of that deed and was sent to the lions’ den. But God has protected him in the den. It is obvious also that the King is pleased by Daniel that’s why he was anxious that he will be put to death. Yet he too has trust God in the decision he has made.

PRAYER:

We praise You Our God. You are worthy, You are Holy.


Father, have mercy on us according to Your unfailing love. We confess our prideful ways. We have not acknowledged You as the ultimate source of what we have right now. We have forgotten that You are the one who has placed us in our work; that You are the one who should get the glory in everything that is happening in our lives. Forgive us for our sins. May we choose to only bow down to you and obey Your commands. We believe in Your promises and miracles. We believe that You will never leave us when times are rough. And we also believe that out of Your love you will discipline us according to Your glory.


Lord Jesus, may we remember what You have done for us. You have forgiven us out of your great compassion and amazing grace. May this grace that we receive enable us to live Holy lives and live like Daniel. That we will choose not to be defiled by the wicked things around us but to stand firm in Your word. May we not compromise to the desires of our flesh but to seek the Holy Spirit always through Your word.


Grant us hope that even though we have failed you a thousand times before, we can still receive mercy as we turn from our wicked ways. Grant us the heart to repent. We place our trust and hope in You.


In Jesus Name. Amen

TOPIC: SIN

Romans 6: 12-14

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. ¹³ Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

POINTS:

I. Sin has the ability to reign in your life. It can make you obey its desires. So don’t let it! How? Sin comes in through temptations, temptations happen through our senses, we react to our senses according to our desire. How to alter it?

1.       Change your desire: Have the desire to please God, not your flesh.

"Lord, show me Your way. May I desire you the way I desire water and food. May I desire you more than I desire wealth, may I desire you more than I desire to please my self"

2.       Amputate anything that tempts you: Internet, movies, tv’s, magazines, malls, certain people, music, places... Go away on things that tempts you.

3.       Once you are tempted, immediately dislodge it in the mind. A temptation is telling you to sin. It's not sin in itself. And God has said (He will never lie) that He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can handle and will he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

4.       Then when a feeling to feed the flesh comes in, desire God once again. Be filled by His glory and make Him satisfy you. Read the Word and desire it. Jesus is the Living Water and the Bread of Life.

II. We have been given our body, our possessions and our talents. We are commanded to present it to God, not to present it or use it for unrighteousness. How are we going to present it to God? We do everything that will give Him glory. Give Him glory through our mouth, give Him glory though our hands, give Him glory through our eyes, give Him glory through our wealth, time, jobs, gadgets... We present it as an instrument for righteousness. We use it God's way.

III. We have the ability to do this because sin no longer has dominion over us. We have been set free, and died in sin. The time that Christ died is also the time that we have died from our old self. And when Jesus rose, we also have risen with a new self, new life, new desires and new purpose. We have been born again. But we can still have the tendency to sin if we obey it and listen to its lies.

Romans 6: 5-11

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self^[a] was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free^[b] from sin. ⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

You cannot have two Masters, you either love the one or hate the other.