The Book of Daniel, Biblical study by Beth Moore
In conclusion, I thought the “Daniel” study by Beth Moore was well-done, and I learned a lot from it. Daniel was an incredible man, and I would want nothing more from my life to be like a fraction of Daniel. He was filled with wisdom and understanding, he was firm in convictions about his God, and he was humble. Consequently, God burdened him with great tasks. Daniel was given the responsibility of speaking directly and frankly to Babylonian Kings. Because Daniel was given immense wisdom and knowledge from God, much was expected of him. Am I ready to receive the Daniel-like burden that comes from God-given wisdom?
To summarize the chapters of Daniel, here is a brief description of each of the 12 chapters.
Chapter 1
Nebuchadnezzar seizes Babylon, and Daniel is brought into the King’s service. The names of Daniel and his friends are changed to honor the Babylonian gods.
Chapter 2
Daniel and his friends pray for wisdom to interpret the King’s dream. God reveals the dream to Daniel, and he interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the statue and four kingdoms.
Chapter 3
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to worship the image of the King, so they are sentenced to death in the furnace. God delivers them.
Chapter 4
King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream about a prosperous tree that gets cut down. According to Daniel’s interpretation, the King will be driven away from the people to live with the cattle. The dream was fulfilled, and the King was only restored to power once he recognized and honored the Most High.
Chapter 5
During King Belshazzar’s banquet, a hand appears and writes on the wall. Daniel was summoned to read and interpret the writing. The writing predicted the end of Belshazzar’s reign. That very night, King Belshazzar was slain and the Babylonian kingdom was delivered to Darius the Mede.
Chapter 6
King Darius issues a decree that his people are only permitted to pray to him alone. Since Daniel continued to pray to God, he was sentenced to the lion’s den. God sent an angel to close the mouths of the lions, and Daniel was unharmed.
Chapter 7
Daniel receives vision #1 about the 4 beasts that arise from the sea and the little horn. The little horn was Antiochus Epiphanes IV, who persecuted many Jews.
Chapter 8
Daniel receives vision #2 about the ram and the goat. The ram represented the kings of Media and Persia, and the goat represented Greece. God used Alexander the Great to unite the world under a single language, Greek, and create the Septuagint.
Chapter 9
Daniel receives vision #3 about the seventy sevens. The desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. Daniel prayed fervently on behalf of the people of Israel.
Chapter 10
Daniel experiences a theophany, where he sees a manifestation of God. The first being that Daniel sees is God himself, and the second being is God’s messenger, an angel. In response to these visions, Daniel becomes mute and utterly helpless. He is humbled beyond words.
Chapter 11
Daniel receives vision #4 about the Kings of the South and North. This vision is fulfilled accurately and entirely by the Seleucids (North) and Ptolemies (South).
Chapter 12
The final part of vision #4 is about the end-times. Daniel admits that he understands very little.