But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the
royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to
defile himself this way. 1:8
Footnote: Resolve is a strong word that means to
be devoted to principle and to be committed to a course of action When Daniel
resolved not to defile himself, he was being true to a lifelong determination
to do what was right and not to give in to the pressures around him. We too
are often assaulted by pressures to compromise our standards and live more like
the world around us. Merely wanting or preferring God's will and way is not
enough to stand against the onslaught of temptation. Like Daniel, we
must resolve to obey God.
Please test your servants for ten days: Give us
nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 1:12
Footnote: The Babylonians were trying to change the
thinking of these Jews by giving them a Babylonian education,
their loyalty by changing their names, and their
life-style by changing their diet. Without compromising,
Daniel found a way to live by God's standards in a culture that did not honor
God. Wisely choosing to negotiate rather than to rebel, Daniel suggested an
experimental ten-day diet of vegetables and water, instead of the royal foods
and wine the king offered. Without compromising, Daniel quickly thought of a
practical, creative solution that saved his life and the lives of his
companions. As God's people we may adjust to our culture as long as we
do not compromise God's laws.
What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men. 2:11
Footnote: By answering that the gods "do not live among
men," the astrologers betrayed their concept of the gods. Theirs was a hollow
religion, a religion of convenience. They believed in the gods, but that belief
made no difference in their conduct. Today many people profess to believe in
God, but it is also a hollow belief. In essence, they are practical atheists
because they don't listen to him or do what he says. Do you believe in God? He
does live among people, and he wants to change your life.
At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 2:16-18
Footnote: Daniel was at a crisis point. Imagine going to see the powerful, temperamental king who had just angrily ordered your death! Daniel did not shrink back in fear, however, but confidently believed God would tell him all the king wanted to know. When the king gave Daniel time to find the answer, Daniel found his three friends and they prayed. When you find yourself in a tight spot, share your needs with trusted friends who also believe in God's power. Prayer is more effective than panic. Panic confirms your hopelessness; prayer confirms your hope in God. Daniel's trust in God saved himself, his three friends, and all the other wise men of Babylon.
You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue -- an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 2:31
Footnote: The head of gold on the statue in the dream
represented Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of the Babylonian empire. The silver chest
and two arms represented the Medo-Persian empire, which conquered Babylon in 539
B.C. The belly and thighs of bronze were Greece and Macedonia under Alexander
the Great, who conquered the Medo-Persian empire in 334-330 B.C. The legs of
iron represented Rome, which conquered the Greeks in 63 B.C. The feet of clay
and iron represented the breakup of the Roman empire, when the territory Rome
ruled divided into a mixture of strong and weak nations. The type of metal in
each part depicted the strength of the political power it represented. The rock
cut out of the mountain depicted God's kingdom, which would be ruled eternally
by the Messiah, the King of Kings. The dream revealed Daniel's God as the power
behind all earthly kingdoms.
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. 3:17, 18
Footnote: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were pressured
to deny God, but they chose to be faithful to him no matter what happened! They
trusted God to deliver them, but they were determined to be faithful regardless
of the consequences. If God always rescued those who were true to him,
Christians would not need faith. Their religion would be a great insurance
policy, and there would be lines of selfish people ready to sign up. We should
be faithful to serve God whether he intervenes on our behalf or not. Our
eternal reward is worth any suffering we may have to endure first.
.....They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. 3:27
Footnote: These young men had been completely untouched
by the fire and heat. Only the rope that bound them had been burned.
No human can bind us if God wants us to be free. The power
available to us is the same that delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and
raised Christ from the dead. Trust God in every situation. There are eternal
reasons for temporary trials; so be thankful that your destiny is in God's
hands, not in human hands.
Keep reading -- 96 days left!
All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV
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