GOD IS IN CONTROLLessons from the book of Daniel

THE BOOK OF DANIEL

The book is divided up into 12 chapters. The first 6 are the historical stories. The last 6 are made up of prophesies. The general theme of the book: God is always in Control

What we need to learn from the book of Daniel:

If you cross God there is always a cost! If you’re faithful to God there is always a reward.

DANIEL: CHAPTER 1In Daniel chapter 1, Daniel and the Israelites have been captured. King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians have attacked Jerusalem and took the city by the will of God. The Babylonian king decided to enslave the Israelites and took them back to Babylon.

King Nebuchadnezzar decided he wanted to enlist some of Israel’s finest men into his service. Young men, men of royal and noble blood, free of any physical defects that were handsome and smart.

DANIEL: CHAPTER 1

Daniel along with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were some of the young men selected for this service. Their names were changed to Beltesshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

They were put into a three year training program where they were to be taught the Babylonian language, literature, and culture of the Babylonians. They were to eat an assigned diet, food and wine from the king’s table. And after the three year training period they were to be put into the king’s service.

DANIEL: CHAPTER 2In chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar is being haunted and tormented by his dreams and he summoned his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and enchanters to interpret the dream but none of them could.

Daniel comes to the rescue and interprets the king’s dream.

After correctly interpreting the dream, Nebuchadnezzar was amazed and relieved. He believed in God and because of his service, made Daniel ruler of the province of Babylon and placed in charge of all the wise men. And at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon.

DANIEL: CHAPTER 3

DANIEL: CHAPTER 4In chapter 4 Nebuchadnezzar has another dream and Daniel is once again placed with the responsibility of interpreting it for the king.

In this dream Daniel tells the king that because of your lack of humility and failure to recognize God as being God over all and ruler of all things your kingdom and sanity will be stripped from you. Daniel tells the king that his sanity and kingdom will be restored unto him when he comes to realize that God is the supreme ruler and provider of all things.

DANIEL: CHAPTER 5When Chapter 5 rolls around Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Belshazzar is now the Babylonian king. God had once again been forgotten by a Babylonian king and it was time to pay the consequences. The writing was literally on the wall!

King Belshazzar was throwing a big banquet for thousands of his nobles and drinking wine with them. He ordered that the gold and silver goblets that had been taken from the temple of God when his father, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken Jerusalem be brought in so that he, his nobles, wives, and concubines could drink from them. Then they praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

DANIEL: CHAPTER 5Then suddenly a human hand appeared and started to write a message on a wall. This terrified the king and he became desperate to find out what it meant. So, once again, Daniel was summoned to interpret the message.

Daniel said you have not humbled yourself. You have drank from the Lord God’s goblets and given praise to gods that cannot hear you, see you, or understand you. Because of this, you have been weighed on the scales of God and been found lacking. God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

DANIEL: CHAPTER 6

In chapter 6, King Darius is now in charge and Daniel has found favor with him and he was appointed 1 of 3 governors. King Darius grew to like Daniel even more and planned to set him up to be 2nd only to him in the kingdom.

This made the other governors and leaders jealous and they plotted of ways to bring charges against Daniel. But they were having trouble finding any faults with him and realized the only way to get him would be have the king set up a law that violated God’s law.

DANIEL: CHAPTER 6Of course, we know what happens next. These jealous people trick the king into signing a decree into law that only the king could be prayed to for 30 days and anyone found to be in violation would be thrown into the lion’s den.

As we know, Daniel was a man of devout prayer to God and no law of man would keep him from his prayers to God.

When he was discovered praying to God, the jealous men brought the charges before King Darius who tried to find a way around the law that he had made. When he couldn’t he was forced to have Daniel thrown into the den of lions but of course God protected him.

DANIEL: CHAPTER 3

Nebuchadnezzar had earlier told Daniel that be thought his God was the God of gods and the King of kings.

But here in Chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar had forgotten about God and commanded that everyone bow down and worship his national god, the patron god of the Chaldeans.

We often read this and think Nebuchadnezzar is saying, here is my god and you must only worship my god.

OUR WORLD TODAYThis world today doesn’t demand that you drop Jesus from your lives.

But it wants you to tame Him, put Him in a box, and only pull Him out when it’s convenient for you. Otherwise, you are to bow to the national gods. Whether those are politics, political correctness, consumerism, or just the way the world wants to view things.

In other words just keep this religion stuff to a minimum. Don’t get crazy with it and start talking about it publically.

Society today doesn’t mind you worshipping Christ as long as you don’t make it exclusive.

OUR WORLD TODAYDaniel chapter 3 is 2015 in a lot of ways. You see failure to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s fictitious god was considered treason. Is it so different today?

Today we are told that if you are transgender, you’re a hero and we’ll even give you a national bravery award. And if anyone speaks against you they will lose their job. Then they will be attacked in public, vilified, and torn apart. Labeled a hater and a bully.

Reality is there are people that struggle with their sexuality. But instead of giving them help we give them surgery.

OUR WORLD TODAY

75% of people that have had a sex change operation say they regret the decision.

People need help and we give them an operation instead of God.

God is the answer. Not propping them up, giving them god status, and saying bow or die.

What are we going to do? Bow or stand?

DANIEL: CHAPTER 3All the officials of the land are to be gathered together in a display of national unity. And anyone who refused to bow to the 90 ft. man-made god would be thrown into a fiery furnace.

Our world doesn’t say you have to bow…but you must approve

So, the music begins and thousands of foreheads smack the ground as they bow to this fictitious national god.

But three heads didn’t go down. And quickly several Chaldean officials ran to the king and report lack of approval of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

DANIEL: CHAPTER 3:13-18

13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

DANIEL: CHAPTER 3:13-18

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego loved God!

PETER & JOHN

Acts 4:18-19 - 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!

We need to remember the same thing. The Supreme Court doesn’t over rule Jesus! No one does!

But saying this can cause us trouble…right?

DANIEL: CHAPTER 3

King Nebuchadnezzar was furious! His attitude towards Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego changed. No more second chances. He ordered the furnace heated 7 times hotter than usual and some of his strongest men to bind them and throw them into the furnace fully clothed.

The fire was so hot that it killed the soldiers that took them up to throw them into the furnace and being bound and fully clothed they fell into the fire.