Character Studies

Lesson 24

DANIEL

"There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him" (Daniel 5:11)

OUTLINE OF DANIEL'S LIFE
Daniel 1 (Isa. 39:7)
· A YOUTH (Dan. 1)
    1. Captured and exiled by Nebuchadnezzar in 606-605 BC - Dan. 1:1-2; cf. Isa. 39:7
    2. Jewish nobility of the tribe of Judah - Dan. 1:3-4, 6
    3. Three years of training to serve king Nebuchadnezzar - Dan. 1:5, 17-21
    4. Babylonian name: Belteshazzar ("prince of Bel" or "Bel protect the king!") - Dan. 1:7
    5. Faith tested and prevails - Dan. 1:8-16

· COUNSELLOR TO KINGS (Dan. 2-6)
    1. Babylonian kings - Dan. 2-5 (4:9)
    2. Medo-Persian kings - Dan. 6 (6:28)

· INTERPRETER OF DREAMS AND VISIONS
    1. Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a great image - Dan. 2
    2. Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a great tree - Dan. 4
    3. Belshazzar's vision at the feast - Dan. 5

· SEER OF VISIONS AND INTERPRETER OF THE TIMES
    1. Vision of four beasts - Dan. 7
    2. Vision of a ram & a goat - Dan. 8
    3. Vision of the glorious man - Dan. 10
    4. Prophecies of coming kingdoms - Dan. 11-12

DANIEL: GREATLY BELOVED
Daniel 10:11-12
· A devout man - 10:12 (1:8)
· A humble man - 10:12; 2:18
· A faithful man - 1:8; 2:20-23; 6:4, 10-11, 23
· A wise man - 1:17, 20; 2:14; 5:12
· A blessed man - 1:17-20; 5:11-12; 6:28
· Innocent before God - 6:22

TRIALS OF FAITH
· As an exiled Hebrew in the Chaldean court - Dan. 1
· The threat of death - Dan. 2
· Daniel's companions and the image of gold - Dan. 3
· The lions' den - Dan. 6

LESSONS FOR US
· Quiet convictions can earn long-term respect (1:21)
· Don't wait until you are in a tough situation to learn about prayer (6:10)
· We must always choose to obey God before man (4:17-18)
· We should spend less time wondering what will happen in the future and more time on how we should live in the present (2:22)
· God rules over the affairs of men and nations (2:20-21; 4:17, 25, 32)
· God's kingdom is superior to every kingdom of this world (2:35, 44; 7:14, 27)

QUESTIONS
1. Describe Daniel when he was taken into Babylon. (Dan. 1:1-4)

2. What was Daniel required to do for three years? What request did he make? What was the outcome? (Dan. 1:5-21)

3. What kings did Daniel serve?

4. Why did Nebuchadnezzar propose to kill all of his wise men? What did Daniel do? (Dan. 2:1-23)

5. Describe Nebuchadnezzar's dream and what it meant. Has it come to pass? Support your answer with scripture. (Dan. 2:24-45)

6. Why were Shadrach, Meshach & Abed-Nego thrown into a fiery furnace? What was the outcome? (Dan. 3)

7. Who was the subject of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 4? What happened to him?

8. What happened at king Belshazzar's feast? What was God's message to the king? (Dan. 5)

9. Who defeated the Babylonian empire? (5:30) Who, in turn, defeated them?

10. Why was Daniel thrown into a den of lions? What did king Darius do afterward? (Dan. 6)

11. Has Daniel's vision in Daniel 7 been fulfilled? How do you know?

12. For whom and what did Daniel pray in Daniel 9?

13. What is the meaning of the "seventy-weeks" prophecy in Daniel 9:20-27? Has it been fulfilled?