When King Belshazzar took the vessels from the temple and used them for idolatrous purposes, God sent a frightening message to the people. The writing on the wall seeks to remind us that when God has had enough, He puts an abrupt end to sin.
Through King Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation and restoration, he learns an important truth: God can do whatever He wants to do whenever He wants to do it. None of us can block God’s will from coming to pass.
Daniel interpreted the king’s disturbing dream and showed him that all of his power had been given by the one with all authority. No matter who is in charge, God remains sovereign.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego risked their lives when they refused to worship the golden image. When it seemed that God abandoned them in their suffering, He actually met them within the fire.
God gave Daniel the ability to interpret the king’s troubling dream, but instead of taking credit at an opportune time, Daniel unashamedly gave God the glory. Our goal should be to use any platform to represent God rather than present ourselves.
Daniel and his friends had to decide whether they would be transformed by the culture or transformers of the culture. Just like them, we must resolve to show convictional courage in a nation increasingly hostile to biblical values.
When Babylon conquered Judah, the pagan king gathered a group of exiles to alter their worldview in order to reconstruct the whole nation. A small group heeded the biblical command regarding exile expectations and remained expectant of how God could use them during that time.
Remember all those hopes you had on December 31, 2019? We were all going to have a “2020” vision for the future. This year was going to be the year.
Have you ever desired to understand the Book of Daniel? Learn some insights into the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Daniel’s account motivates God’s people to remain faithful despite exilic times.